Alex EExplorer

I'm sure we all know and recognize Petra or the "treasury" from the Indiana Jones movie, but did you know its not a stage but an ancient city you can explore and enjoy. This ancient city was built over 2,000 years ago and wasn't found by western man until 1812. The city was built by a nomadic Arab tribe known as the Nabataeans for trade in the desolate desert. Its nickname is the rose city for ...

From the Virginia Beach ocean front, head South on VA-149/General Booth Blvd for 6 miles. Turn left onto Princess Anne Rd and head South for 10.5 miles. Turn right onto Old Pungo Ferry Rd. Take this road until it ends at a small park. From here, hike along the water's edge to find the best place to photograph the bridge and surrounding area. This spot is also a great place to put in a kayak or ...

Williamsburg, Virginia , founded in 1632, is one of the oldest cities in America. The city has played major roles in American history as the capital of Virginia and as a political center for the American Revolution. Today the city offers an abundance of museums,beautiful bed and breakfasts, and live reenactments. The city is considered a living history museum, with active role players in coloni...

This historic castle sits atop Castle Rock high above the city of Edinburgh. Humans have occupied the area with some form of a fortress since the 2nnd century. The first royal castle was built in the 12th century and has continued to present time. The castle is currently home to the Scottish crown jewels, which is worth the price of admission alone. Since the 12th century the castle has gone th...

Calton hill is a great place and one of the easiest places to watch a beautiful Scottish sunset....as long as the weather cooperates. I tried for three days in a row to catch a great sunset from the top of Calton Hill. I was able to capture an average sunset, but nothing like the amazing pictures I've seen. My pictures don't do this cool and easy stop in Edinburgh justice. The hike is more of a...

Mount Snowdon has a very rich history and is the most hiked mountain in the United Kingdom and for good reason. There are many different ways to hike to the summit, some are an easy walk and others require technical equipment. The peak can be covered in snow with high winds in winter, and warm with clear blue skies in summer. The mountain is also famous for its use by Edmund Hillary prior to hi...

Day 1: We arrived at the Lone Pine Visitors Center at the intersection of HWY 395 and HWY 136 just south of Lone Pine, CA. We issued ourselves our overnight permits to climb Mt. Whitney and picked up our Wag Bags. You can self issue yourself the free permit Nov. 2 through Apr 30. Climbing during this time of year allows you to avoid all the crowds and the lottery system for permits in the summe...

From Fallon, Nevada on US-Hwy 50, head east for 5 miles to NV-116. Turn Left onto NV-116 and take this road for 12 miles until you reach the Stillwater Wildlife Refuge. From the intersection of Stillwater Rd and Hunter Rd, you can head North on Hunter Rd, which leads to hiking trails or you can continue east, and the refuge offers a scenic car loop with more hiking trails.This is my second trip...

Visit not one, but two of the most historic and important lighthouses to our great nation. The original Cape Henry Lighthouse was the U.S. Governments first construction project authorized under the constitution. President George Washington himself authorized the project and Alexander Hamilton oversaw the construction. The first of the two lighthouses was built in 1792 in order to guide ships ...

The Buskin River Recreation Site provides camping, wildlife and an abundance of Salmon fishing. See Kodiak Bears, Bald Eagles, Sitka Deer, Harlequin Ducks and even harbor seals near the mouth. The Buskin River is best known for its fishing. From June until September, The Buskin is stocked with Salmon. June and July the River is loaded with Red Salmon that don't bite bait, and you have to use a ...

This short, family friendly hike offers a peaceful walk in the North Louisiana woods. Multiple times, I've seen deer and rabbits on the trail. In spring and summer beautiful wildflowers line the trail from start to finish. It offers a great opportunity for anyone of any age to enjoy. The very gentle sloping trail can easily be walked, run, or mountain biked. The majority is shaded from the summ...

The Tree of Life as the Locals call it, is an iconic staple of the Uptown New Orleans area. Families have been climbing, swinging and getting married under this beautiful tree's canopy for years. The tree is estimated to be nearly 500 years old and the tree limbs even touch the ground as Spanish moss drapes from the overhanging branches. One little know fact about the tree is that is right next...

The Tuttle Creek Ashram is an abandoned stone building, "church" or place of enlightenment tucked away in the beautiful Eastern Sierra. Sitting at an elevation around 8000 feet, construction on the beautiful building was first started in 1928. The building took 20 years of hard manual labor to finish this amazing structure. The story starts with philosopher Franklin Merrell-Wolf and his wife ...

The International Rose Garden located in Washington Park near downtown Portland is a must stop on your visit to the Rose City. The City of Roses, as Portland is known, won't let you down. Portland is host to the largest Rose Test Garden in the U.S. The 5 acre park, with over 7,000 rose bushes, and 500 different varieties has been impressing visitors since 1917. In the middle of the first world ...

While traveling through Germany and the Alps, we noticed a country barley visible on the map. The country of Lichtenstein is landlocked in the middle of the Alps. Although you may have never heard of this tiny country, they are famous for their winter sports, being the 6th smallest countries in the world and having a very strong economy despite its size. After reading some fun facts, we decided...

At the Headwaters Trailhead there is a visitor center, bathrooms and a large interactive station for kids and adults to learn interesting facts about the Mississippi and the history of the area. The hike itself is just over a mile and completely flat. The trail follows the small Mississippi River to Lake Itasca or the Mississippi Headwaters.We saw plenty of turtles, rabbits and deer along the t...

The Sand Dunes are located along "The Loneliest Road in America" US-Hwy 50, 85 miles east of Reno, Nevada. The 650 foot high, and almost 5,000 acres of rare dunes are literally in the middle of no where. From Fallon, Nevada on US-Hwy 50, head east for 25 miles until you see the dunes just off the road to your left. Once you enter the recreation area you will have 30 minutes free of charge, befo...

Hike to one of the easiest high points in the country. Standing at only 1,951 feet, Wisconsin's Timms Hill isn't going to be the most impressive climb you do, but it is still worth the hike. The entire area is a county park with plenty of amenities. Take the short 1/4 hike to the top of the hill, and climb the observation tower. The tower offers 360 unobstructed views of the surrounding Wiscons...

While traveling through Dubai, some friends and I decided to look for other countries we could visit in this mysterious and usually war torn part of the world. While combing the map, my eyes focused on the country of Tajikistan. Many of you are probably searching google as we speak or asking yourself, isn't that where Borat is from? Located in the heart of central Asia, sharing a border with Af...

Clear Lake State Park is only two hours from downtown San Francisco and Sacramento. The state park offers amazing opportunities to photograph deer in the area and pick blackberries for breakfast on a morning stroll. On my visit I saw over 15 deer and one buck in full velvet. The sunrise and sunsets are also spectacular to photograph. But, the main reason Clear Lake is so famous is the Bass fish...

I've visited Zion National Park twice this year and the experience between the two visitations were like night and day. Zion National Park is by no means a secret, and for good reason. Hikes such as Angels Landing, and the Narrows are locations which are sought after by every outdoorsman and novice alike! With 8 million visitors annually and counting, being bumped off Angels Landing Cliffs by a...

Sunset Beach is located just 9 miles south of Long Beach and 6 miles North of Huntington Beach, CA on the famous Pacific Coast Highway 1. I accessed Sunset Beach from the South on I-405. I took exit 22 for Seal Beach. After the exit I turned a left/west on Seal Beach Blvd and drove for 2.6 miles until I reached CA-1. I turned left/south and drove for 2 miles. After 2 miles find public parking n...

Photograph the iconic and historic Hotel Del and Coronado Beach on Coronado Island. The Del is a beautiful Victorian resort, which is the second-largest wooden structure in the United States. The Del offers amazing photo opportunities during sunset and during sunrise when it is beautifully backlit. The area surrounding The Del offers endless opportunities for the entire family or a romantic wee...

From San Diego, head South on Hwy 5 for 12 miles. Take a right on exit 5A for Palm Ave/CA-75. Take CA-75 west for 1.6 miles. Stay on Palm Ave as it splits from CA-75. Take Palm Ave for 1 mile until it reaches the coast. Turn left on Seacoast Dr and take it for 1 mile until you reach the Imperial Beach Pier.From here, hike along the beach to find the best place to photograph the pier and surroun...