USA Travel Magazine

The Mohicans Enchanting Treehouse Offer Romantic Getaways

Tucked within the rolling hills surrounding Loudonville are The Mohicans. If they look familiar cabins that is because you may have seen them on the entertaining Animal Planet series, Tree house Masters.

The Mohicans actually have two treehouses that were professionally designed by the world renowned Pete Nelson. There is also a cabin as well as “The Grand Barn” at The Mohicans, which is ideal for weddings and corporate retreats.

For many people this is a lovely setting for their wedding with the enchanting forest all around it’s magical. Other’s enjoy the feeling of being away from everything the wooded landscape tucked within the the hills of Ohio offers. It’s something different you’ll remember, and a place where you’re welcome to simple unwind and let time slip by unnoticed.

For those visiting in the Fall season the beauty of the colors are a inviting reason to come out for a weekend trip. Tour the country side and snap some great photos of the colorful quilt of colors. October is also when they hose their Fall Bridal Show, which a wonderful time for brides-to-be to come out and view the collections.

The holiday are just as entertaining when they deck their halls with cheerful decorations, and you can visit nearby Loudonville for holiday celebrations. As you’ll find, whether you stay in a cabin or high above in one of their treehouse’s, when you let your imagination and a little help from their creative The Mohicans staff guide you, a getaway can be a romantic and memorable experience!

Plan Your Getaway To The Beautiful Mohicans

To explore current packages, plan a wedding, and book your stay visit The Mohicans website.

To explore area recreation, activities and events visit the Mohican-Loudonville Visitors Bureau website.

Photo Credits: The Mohicans

Vegas Lip Smacking Foodie Tours Offer Farm To Table Favorites

Sample The Vegas Farm To Table Scene On A Lip Smacking Foodie Tour

The NHRA Many Stories To Be Told

The NHRA Has A Great History and Many Stories To Be Told

In life as in great careers, Drag Racing included, when you touch the heart of your fans – they remember you years later. This is true in the NHRA Drag Racing circuit in which we’ve seen exciting and thrilling races, and tragedy strike on and off the tracks. These events draw us closer to the teams, drivers, and there are many stories to be told.

John Force is a great racer, whom has always been a fans favorite, and currently is not only a driver in these amazing drag racing machines, he owns a few of them too. He is one of the many who have been very successful, and, took drag racing to another level by introducing his daughters into this fast-n-furious sport. Drag racers, Courtney and Brittany drag race just like their Dad, and are very competitive, with great showmanship. His racing team of drivers are excellent, with an amazing competitive edge. Moreover, the fans love Force Racing!

Historically, one of the most recognized name’s in the NHRA drag racing circuit is “Big Daddy” Donald Garlits! “Big Daddy” Don Garlits is #1 in Drag Racing of names to remember. He was so good, his driving attire and drag racing Top Fuel machine was on display in none other than the Smithsonian Institutes in Washington DC. It was amazing when I was visiting the museum and saw the Dragster he drove, along with his racing attire. And, I thought to myself, “WOW, what big of a privilege to have your racing abilities displayed at our Nation’s Capital in the prestigious Smithsonian Museum! How cool is that?”

Coming from a family close to racing, our prayers were with the Glidden family when we heard of the passing of beloved “Bob Glidden” who passed away on December 2017. It was a great loss to the NHRA Drag Racing circuit. He was one of the great drag racing icons. Bob Glidden was, and still is truly admired by many, and will not be forgotten as one of the truly great ones. He was one of the most dominant forces in the history of NHRA Pro Stock Drag Racing, with his career lasting over 25 years, until his passing in 2017. Glidden retired from Pro Stock in 1997, returning to show his drag racing fans just how good he is in 2010. Glidden’s wife was present at this year’s Lucas Oil, Chevy Performance Drag Race in Clermont, Indiana as the NHRA had a nice tribute to his life as one of the great drag racers in the many years of drag racing.

Connie Kalitta “Bounty Hunter” and his drag racer, Nephew, Doug Kalitta have earned their spot in the history books. The Kalitta’s are not only into Drag Racing, they also have a very prestigious and well-known business, Kalitta Air. Connie founded this amazing company, and his nephew, Doug Kalitta owns it. Kalitta’s fleet of jets fly an extremely large amount of cargo all over the world. This include’s transporting an injured racehorse from the Kentucky Derby to helping those in serious need of medical transportation. And, they are the sole company that has a contract with the US government to fly the remains of soldiers to their final resting places. After my interview with Doug Kalitta it made me realize not only is the Kalitta’s about drag racing, they truly care about helping others. And,this was one more great NHRA story to be told.

Danny Ongais also known as “On-Gas” and “The Flyin’ Hawaiian.” who was also an oval track racer at the infamous Indianapolis 500 as other types of racing, Ongais is the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, Formula One, and Drag Racing. Ongais was said to be notoriously reclusive, rarely giving interviews, but he did make the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000, and was ranked 39th.

Shirley Muldowney, also known professionally as “Cha Cha” and the “First Lady of Drag Racing”. She was the first woman to receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to drive a Top Fuel dragster. Shirley was at this year’s NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway signing autographs and letting her fans over the many years know she cares and loves her fans. Muldowney noted, “NHRA fought me every inch of the way, but when they saw how a girl could fill the stands; they saw I was good for the sport! She was ranked number 5 on the National Hot Rod Association’s 50th Anniversary list of its Top 50 Drivers, and deserves it!

Other driver’s you may remember who have made their mark include Don Prudhomme, also known as the “The Snake”. Prudhomme known for his yellow 1970 Plymouth Barracuda that he match raced Tom McEwen in his red 1970 Plymouth Duster, named Mongoose. This is what got both drivers to gain attention from Mattel’s “Hot Wheels” toy versions of the cars. Hot Wheels was a favorite of mine growing up and they celebrated their 35th anniversary in 2005. Don Prudhomme was ranked #3 on the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 List.

Kenny Bernstein, “Bud King” or “The King of Speed”, was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start quarter mile. Bernstein has also been influential in adjusting safety standards on NHRA racecars and safety restraints. Safety is very important in any vehicle and Bernstein takes is very serious, as his son was severely injured in the 2002 NHRA season.

These drag racing legends all have attained incredible success in the NHRA Drag Racing circuit, and had some exiting, unbelievable, really cool great moments throughout their amazing careers. 2018 – The NHRA has some amazing racers from years gone by to our present time, to which one of the NHRA drag racers JR Todd took the win over Matt Hagen, in his DHL Funny Car at Lucas Oil Raceway on Monday September 3, 2018.

Terry McMillen is another racer to put in the books of great Drag Racers as he took the win over a personal favrotite of mine, with an amazing story to tell, Doug Kalatta, in his Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel Dragster.

Tanner Gray took the win in Pro stock, winning over Jeg Couglin Jr. Then we have our Pro stock Motorcycle winner LE Longlet, who defeated Eddie Krawiec. This year’s NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway had some energetic racing, fast and furious racing and a lot of great Racer Drivers who will someday, maybe be amongst the great racers of days gone by, and make it to one of the TOP 50 Drivers of all times!

Do you have a favorite NHRA Driver or Team?

Plan Your Visit To Lucas Oil Raceway

Visit the Lucas Oil Raceway website for current schedules of upcoming races and events.

Photo Credits: Gee

Olde Magnolia House Inn Is A Lovely Place To Stay And Explore Brown County

The start of Fall is here, and Nashville, Indiana is the ideal place for escape, and you’ll find the season offers plenty to experience. Among the wonderful places to stay is the Olde Magnolia House Inn, a historical home once owned by the Bond family, and now a lovely Bed & Breakfast. And, it’s just blocks from all the shops, restaurants, wine tasting, and entertainment in the heart of Nashville.

As you relax on the porch you can imagine what it was like for the Bond family to watch the Annual Easter Egg hunts. Or, anticipate the appearence of Santa during the holidays. These are just some of the memorable moments that the Bond family shared with Innkeeper and Owner, Nancy Crocker.

As a thriving Artists Colony, Nashville is charming small town, where such stories are woven into the fabric of the community. Artist’s have captured many of these timeless moments on canvas as you’ll see in many of the galleries. Take your time, and wander the many galleries, speak to the artist’s. Often what inspires the creative works is as interesting as the work you discover in the galleries.

To celebrate the season, there are many festive events that bring folks from far and near to enjoy festivities, fun, and food. Whether you join the Village Art Walk, Arts Village Pavilion Music Series, or the Nashcar Outhouse Race, which we enjoyed – there are many events to experience throughout the year. When staying at the Olde Magnolia House Inn ask your host about area entertainment like the lively performances at the Brown County Playhouse or Murder Mystery Series at the Artists Colony Inn. She can also offer suggestions on great places to eat, and you’ll find many options available. From Homestyle cooking to pizza, BBQ, and many more savory selections to pick from, and then there are the breweries and wineries to visit as well.

Once you’ve sampled your share of Nashville’s delicious food, save some room for a treat like Miller’s Ice Cream – the Chocolate Shake is great, and so is their handmade ice cream – Black Walnut is yummy. Afterwards, take time to get out and enjoy the natural beauty Brown County in known for – whether you enjoy hiking or biking you’ll find plenty of recreation options. There are also nice tours like the Indigo Birding Nature Tour to join. And, it you’re feeling adventurous head over to eXplore Brown County for some Zip Lining!

We hope you have a relaxing stay at the Olde Magnolia House Inn, and enjoy your Fall adventure in Nashville, Indiana!

Plan Your Visit To The Olde Magnolia House Inn

To explore current packages at the Olde Magnolia House Inn go to their website.

Art Of The Brick and Cardboard Engineering At Indiana State Museum

Two new exhibits at the Indiana State Museum, the Art Of The Brick and Cardboard Engineering, invite you to build upon imagination. And, when you do, you’ll find amazing creations are possible from the smallest pieces of bricks – then all you may say is WOW! That was our reaction, and that of other when we first saw the Art Of The Brick that showcases the work by Artist, Nathan Sawaya.

This traveling exhibit, THE ART OF THE BRICK, feature’s over 80 works of art made entirely from LEGO® bricks. If you’ve imagined how many pieces it would take to make something unique, then take a moment to read the various notes you’ll find with the artwork. Some of Nathan’s creation’s took four weeks or longer to make and over 15,000 pieces of bricks.

One part of the exhibit we loved was where Nathan combined his work with the creativity of photographer Dean West, where Nathan’s unique sculptures are integrated into the photos on display as well as in the gallery itself. The Umbrella was among my favorite creations. Which one was your’s?

Sensible Object presents first Alexa-powered game at Gen Con

From the freedom to create with LEGO® bricks to Cardboard Engineering, the Indiana State Museum loves to let us explore the world around us. And, they know nothing is better than a hands on approach to discovery. This makes the Cardboard Engineering exhibit the ideal exhibit to explore because it let’s your imagination run wild!

One of the wonderful part’s about the Cardboard Engineering exhibit is the visit by Artists in Residence, Clark Fralick and Clyde Gaw, who will be on-site to help create with those visiting the Indiana State Museum. This will be a fun treat for everyone, and should inspire even more creative designs.

Oh, yes, and there will also be some special adult and youth programs scheduled throughout the exhibit. Among the upcoming programs will be a challenge in which you’ll learn how to paint on cardboard. And, another challenge will be to create a specific item out of cardboard – what item is a mystrey for now. The details will be uncovered when you sign up for the events.

Plan Your Visit To Indiana State Museum

For news on events, IMAX movie schedules, and tickets go to the Indiana State Museum website.

Visit the White River State Park website to find out about special events, attractions, and upcoming concerts.

Explore The Top 10 Vegan Destinations On World Vegan Day

With World Vegan Day welcoming in the month of November, it’s a great time to discover the Top 10 Vegan Destinations, which our friends at the personal-finance website, WalletHub, are sharing in the Best Cities for Vegans and Vegetarians. They did all the hard work, and compared 100 of the largest cities across 16 key indicators of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness. Their data set covers everything from the local availability of restaurants serving meatless options to the cost of groceries for vegetarians to salad shops per capita. Did your city make the list?

Among the best cities on top of the list Vegans and Vegetarians is New York, NY. For those who live and work in this thriving metropolis it should come as no surprise that it has so many options, including the most salad shops. And, their research found that San Francisco has the most community-supported agriculture programs.

Among the Top 10 cities for Vegans and Vegetarians on WalletHub’s list are:

Explore The Top 10 Vegan Destinations On World Vegan Day

1 New York, NY

2 Portland, OR

3 Orlando, FL

4 Seattle, WA

5 San Francisco, CA

6 Los Angeles, CA

7 Austin, TX

8 Scottsdale, AZ

9 San Diego, CA

10 Las Vegas, NV

Today, there are many exceptional restaurants and communities embracing healthier options that include Vegan and Vegetarian selections. When dining out be sure to mention your preferences to the hostess or wait staff so that they can let you know what is available.

Our friends at the personal-finance website, WalletHub, are a great resource for helpful budget tips. And, we enjoy sharing their informative updates like this one that focuses on the Best Cities for Vegans and Vegetarians. Check out their website for the full list Vegans and Vegetarians Cities, and more tips and advice!

Do More With New York Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tours

New York has so much to see you may wondered how to fit everything into one day. Our friend’s at the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tours have a solution that offers fun and savings for your trip. The Hop-On Hop-Off All Around Manhattan Classic 1-Day Tour has the highest rating from TripAdvisor, and is one of the top way to get around town. Why? Because you’re traveling with someone who knows the city inside and out. Your guide knows the history, and gives you the inside highlights as you tour the New York City’s exciting neighborhoods.

Oh, here’s a handy tip we wanted to share that saves time, and helps you get around town. It’s the handy FREE Big Bus Tours mobile app you can download after you get your passes that highlights all the New York landmarks, routes, and bus times. This makes it so much easier to know when to catch the next bus, and where you are what what’s around you near by. And, it helps keep family and friends involved and entertained with fascinating facts about the city’s top sites.

When visiting New York it can be a challenge to decide what to see and do, and the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tour helps in this area. The bus take’s you on sightseeing tours Downtown and Uptown this way you have a good idea where sites are you may want to visit. And, the nice thing is they have over 25 stops along the route you can hop on and off. Get off explore nearby attractions, grab a bite to eat, and then check you app for when the next bus arrives – pretty simple. Each tour bus also includes FREE WiFi so you can post updates and share photos of your adventures in New York. And, be sure to check out the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tours New York website for additional passes and ticket options available if you plan on being in New York for several days.

Plan Your New York Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tours

Check out the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tours New York website for current schedules, tours available, and orders your passes.

Photo Credits: Smart Destinations

Enjoy Fall Fun Hiking In New York’s Adirondack’s

Adirondack Park’s 2,000+ miles of hiking trails mean several ways to work up a sweat, and a thirst. For serious hikers, the 46 peaks that make up the Adirondack High Peaks each offer a unique and strenuous hiking experience with unmatched 4,000-foot views.

Take an easy one-mile route up Mount Arab near Tupper Lake to find thick fall foliage, a fire tower and a museum highlighting the rich history of the area. Either way, follow it up with a brew at Big Tupper Brewing and Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. Oh, and there’s Peekskill Brewery that is celebrating their Anniversary with a special celebration that includes all inclusive beer and food. Plus the debut of collab beers made with like-minded friends.

The Adirondack’s are ideal for hiking this time of year as the weather cool’s down there is a crispness in the air. Photographer’s, and even those who just love snapping pix with their phone’s should take a hike’s at different times of the day in the same area. Why? You’d be amazed at the difference the shadows can make on the scenary around you, and with the changing of the colors, you can look forward to some amazing photos!

One of the wonderful things about hiking in these parks, and along the trails is that they do offer something for everyone to enjoy. From the bouldering climbing teen to the leaf-peeping grandparents, and really, why let a perfectly beautiful afternoon pass you by. Get out and enjoy the beauty of nature, and often many area parks offer programs and activites you can join. This is true of the local communities you visit as well, so there’s also something fun to do with family and friends.

Among the beautiful park’s to visit is Letchworth State Park, which is considered the “Grand Canyon of the East,” and is home to 66 miles of hiking trails and an abundance of changing leaves in its 14,350 acres. If you love the outdoor, then Letchworth State Park is the place where you can explore 600-feet tall gorges and wander all day. Or, for those who prefer the indoors, Letchworth State Park also has the engaging and entertaing William Pryor Letchworth Museum to visit on your trip.

Plan a visit to the Niagara Gorge Trail System that parallels the Niagara River Gorge and you’ll find easy walking trails at the top of the system. Hike down into the Niagara Gorge itself and you face more challenging hiking trails and bouldering fit for teens. Whichever difficulty level you pursue, the Gorge is a beautiful setting to admire the reds, oranges and yellows of Western NY this fall. You can plan your trip over several weekend’s so you can experience the hiking trails and local festivals, and, this is just the beginning of the Fall Fun to discover in the Adirondack’s!

Plan Your Fall Hiking Trip To New York

Use the follow link to explore Fall Hiking Trails In New York.

Photo Credits: New York

Explore Indiana’s Historic Mansions Along The Ohio River

Discover Indiana Historic Mansions On A Road Trip Along The Ohio River

The Pod Hotel Is Micro-Living Is Style

New York City is a thriving metropolis with exceptional entertainment, attractions, and museums to enjoy. When it comes to lodging there are many options, and one of the affordable ones are The Pod Hotels. With their great NYC locations, low nightly rates, high-tech amenities, and vibrant communal spaces, The Pod Hotels offer a unique opportunity to experience Micro- Living.

Pod 51 has a lovely outdoor garden café, while Pod39 features a breathtaking rooftop oasis. You can dine at April Bloomfield’s Salvation Taco restaurant, hang out in the vibrant Play Room, where ping pong tables, vintage furniture and retro board games await, and wall-mounted iPads and projection screens. Or, take a Streetwise walking tour that will teach you about NYC from a whole new perspective!

Hoteliers Richard Born and Ira Drukier developed BD Hotels’ successful micro-hotel concept to accommodate the needs of today’s savvy, “young-minded” traveler. They were the first to introduce the micro-hotel model to New York City with the launch of the original Pod Hotel, Pod 51, in Midtown East. Offering guests efficient, clean accommodations ranging from 60-120 square feet, and vibrant communal spaces and high-tech amenities, the hotel’s values of affordability, community, and innovation immediately became a success.

Plan Your Trip To The Pod Hotel:

To book your reservation at Pod 51 call (212) 355-0300, and for Pod 39 call (212) 865-5700, or visit www.thepodhotel.com.

Photo Credits: The Pod Hotel