Alex EExplorer

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...

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 ...

The historic street car line that runs from uptown New Orleans to Downtown New Orleans is the perfect place to run and experience the city if you are visiting. 22 miles of track allow you to choose from many different sections to run. The best section in my opinion is the section from the intersection of S.Carrollton Ave and St. Charles Ave to the intersection of Jefferson Ave and St. Charles A...

In a place in our country where you can take an epic sunset picture nearly everyday, its hard say there is one location tin San Diego that is better than another. I'll let you in my new favorite secret spot to take amazing sunset pictures with a cool piece of art work at the location. Visit the the Southern section of the Torrey Pines State reserve just north of the Torrey Pines State Park to g...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

Deep in the marsh lands of southern Louisiana lies the small fishing community of Lafitte, Louisiana. In Bayou Rigolettes just south of Lafitte, you can fish one of the easiest as well as hardest fish to reel in. Redfish are know to be very abundant in both shallow and deep waters in Louisiana. They will hit anything from live shrimp to plastic worms. But once you land a red, be ready for a fig...

Audubon Park offers an oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of New Orleans. The park offers a 1.8 mile paved loop for running, biking, or taking the dog for a walk. The loop surrounds the Audubon golf course in the center of uptown New Orleans. Audubon Park is dotted with beautiful ponds, stone arched bridges, and amazing oak trees. Its the perfect place to chill in the many gazebos and...

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.The car loop offers th...

Hike to this amazing 376 foot high suspension bridge that spans 1329 feet across the a valley in the beautiful mountainous Tyrol region of the Austrian Alps. The bridge spans the B179 highway, connecting the old Roman Fort Claudia and the 700 year old Ehrenberg castle. This hike is breath taking and not for the faint of heart, but offers amazing views. The closest town is Reutte, Austria. There...

From downtown Kodiak drive southeast on W Rezanof Dr, turn onto Anton Larson Bay Rd north towards Buskin Lake. Follow Anton Larson Rd over the Red Cloud River Bridge and there will be a small turnout to park on just after the bridge. Look to your left and you will see a trail cutting through the salmonberry bushes and a slightly obscured trailhead sign (during summer) on the left side of the ro...

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...

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...

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 as 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 ...

Normally I wouldn't agree with thousands of shoes hanging from a beautiful tree, but the story behind the Middlegate Shoe Tree is too meaningful not to enjoy. The legendary story states that a young newlywed couple was camping under the tree one night and got into an argument. When the woman threaten to leave, the young man tied her shoes together and threw them up in the tree so the young woma...

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...

From Fallon, Nevada on US-Hwy 50, head east for 7 miles until you see the sign for Grimes Point on your left. The area offers mutiple miles of hiking and biking trials to small peaks overlooking the Fallon area. The main focus of the area is the historical interpretive 1/4 long petroglyphs trail. The boulders in the Grimes point area a marked with hundreds of different shapes and designs made b...

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...

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...