Niagara Falls
The Falls aren't far from anywhere in Ohio, and the drivin' is easy. Along way, from the Northeast corner of Ohio all the way to the Canadian side of the border, you'll be distracted by signs urging you to pull over and visit a winery. (Do stop! But if you have more than a couple of samples, find a place to stay overnight, or designate a "dry" driver).
To be sure, the falls are beautiful--they're worth several rolls of film any time of year, any time of day. But where do you go after you've been soaked on the Maid of the Mist? Head on down the road to the Butterfly Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, one of the Niagara Parks.
No matter how crowded it is inside the butterfly dome, humans are in the minority. Wing-y thingees flutter about, land on your ears, and sometimes, sit still just long enough for you to gasp, point, say "oooo, I think I'll take a pict-" and then they fly away.
When you're really, really lucky, you'll find one of the shutter-shy butterflies taking a nap. Then you can snap away, getting pictures from every angle. When we toured, the Malaysian Moth was napping, and was I glad! He's as big as your head--had he been awake, I might have been afraid he'd fly off with my camera. Learn more about the Butterfly Conservatory and all of Niagara's Parks at http://www.niagaraparks.com/
Wet n' Wild West Virginia
A few years ago...well, MORE than a few...I jumped in a raft with men named Scuzzy, H-Daddy, and Slick. Now, this by itself is a story. But wait--there's more!--we hit the New River, and it hit back. By the end of our journey, I understood what all the "whitewater" fuss was about, and that was even before the whole Clinton fiasco (which one?!).
You can find out more about rafting the New and Gauley Rivers at http://www.raftwvinfo.com/map.htm and check out Ohio Pyle/PA at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/p...
A Nature Lover's Shangri-La
Renie Burghardt takes readers to the most amazing places, all outdoors. Only Renie can do justice to these beautiful places; I urge you to visit http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/natu... to see for yourself. Want a glimpse? Below, an excerpt from one of my favorite of Renie's "Nature Sketches."
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