http://www.involvetheworld.com/jordan-baptismsite daily 0.75 2016-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1465236210842-X6KMUCR15OJFG28QKKSN/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Baptism Site https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1465287787225-JESUQL6ACZX5MTI4B3J3/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Baptism Site https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1465235740396-1S1FKIYS4Y7K81GJ7DGJ/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Baptism Site https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1465235935690-WEXU1B9LWVYYL35Z0DYV/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Baptism Site https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1465235435226-VIM0D7ILTMSPFHPX413H/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Baptism Site https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1465236144489-64XG23DA80FR9MDV26BD/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Baptism Site https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1465287750512-KPMFFTQMH43LXZLEUM7V/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Baptism Site http://www.involvetheworld.com/what-we-do daily 0.75 2021-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611895102206-HXA9W53H7LMT3PYCL9AI/IMG_2296.jpg Bio http://www.involvetheworld.com/home daily 1.0 2021-04-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611706701210-NMUYZWGCK1RDEG8Q4CCO/IMG-1935.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611706018111-OGGNOM17I92VU6XORYR9/IMG-0160.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611893487945-J8LM0Z3SF11YGJY4YZ3E/Cover+photo.jpg Home http://www.involvetheworld.com/jordan-ecopark daily 0.75 2016-07-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1468225051904-ZNSJA0WBYVZL73GJ14KV/image-asset.png 2016 - Jordan - EcoPark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1468224506021-KF0DHKIUKVKZT9PJG47C/IMG_20160622_180051677.jpg 2016 - Jordan - EcoPark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1468224521803-1S99VEEFXPA5NG4NP10A/IMG_20160620_105717631.jpg 2016 - Jordan - EcoPark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1468224845903-YB6FESI1GIHZ909AOF2X/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - EcoPark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1468224772083-TH9ETK3C117C54P1ROHJ/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - EcoPark https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1468225117093-0JHB2NESY8NVIPU3OY3B/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - EcoPark EcoPeace Staff at the Sharhabil bin Hassneh EcoPark in Jordan http://www.involvetheworld.com/regionalteacherseminar daily 0.75 2016-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1471551266633-ZH8Y1VLG2BTAFVE4MJRN/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Regional Teacher Seminar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1471550684102-H4VC9NHNUJJNFEF1UFK2/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Regional Teacher Seminar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1471550025475-L6SVFY3EXQUEWZD3SZJC/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Regional Teacher Seminar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1471549689427-5J3UMXW54ZDL7143JTGG/image-asset.jpeg 2016 - Jordan - Regional Teacher Seminar http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-big-bend-national-park-texas daily 0.75 2021-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612586211814-UCMWNZCZO1YGEZ3V8WC1/IMG-3845.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas Sotol Vista along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive at sunset. The reds, yellows, blues and purples of the park were incredible, especially in the early morning and late evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612586472397-LQ7PV1R1M4PEEL7PQRAX/IMG-3786.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas I waded into the chilly waters at the end of Santa Elena Canyon trail! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612586234706-NFCZDJXWONEJ3QCXL6Z6/IMG-3831.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas Big Bend is about the size of Road Island, one of the largest protected areas in our country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612586136381-UZGUS7W8IVC2K6KFWIBM/IMG-4013.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas Big Bend has many diverse environments. One part of the park has mountains of boulders the size of cars. The above formation is appropriately called “Balanced Rock.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612585930698-QJO2KTWWOWSQA4523XLO/IMG-3603.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas My campsite was about 50 yards from the Texas/Mexico border on the Rio Grande River. I would go to this overlook at sunset see the watery boundary. Both nations protect this nature area on their respective sides of the border. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612586192685-M1OQVE9CMH78NMNC3HDH/IMG-4030.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas Some of the largest dinosaur fossils have been found in Big Bend, including the head of this Deinosuchus, which was a 40 foot alligator that swam in the sea over Texas hundreds of millions of years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612585632035-C90C2OHMVUC2GF66JJ7W/IMG-3819.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas Horses and other livestock cross the Rio Grande from Mexico and enter the park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612587208457-N62SHOX9X9583PUX9X34/IMG-3835.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas Black and white rock seen along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612584522897-0AT4498MGNESS1ZJHJ8O/IMG-3684.jpg 2021 - Big Bend National Park, Texas http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-saguaro-national-park-catalina-state-park-arizona daily 0.75 2021-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611897622911-CXT1Z1C8SJE7NICDGM7R/IMG-1894.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona Cholla cactus - great to look at, not so good to hug! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611897229932-0STNMLLMYVS8N0WA5DY7/IMG_1820.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona Overjoyed that my first attempt at using my tripod attached to a trail sign was moderately successful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611899558660-MT17ULDL1C3R7S69R3MV/IMG-4228+%281%29.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611899571451-EYBHSRPSXVG7P15JH9IT/IMG-4229.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611899631766-7FQGJ87T19RZXUX800WF/Mom.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611899677448-XGJQ0GH375XF6MTHAX5K/IMG_2100.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611897714309-CJPSUXFIMSZ5GW0O4XML/IMG-1812.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona I had this view of the majestic Catalina Mountains each morning at sunrise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611898562350-AM1JCFKXB4CJTYOOZYXI/IMG-1911.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona Saguaro cacti, or as I like to call them ‘bird hotels” since each cactus can house a dozen or more birds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1611896270997-SYAKKWVVSMV5LEF6PH44/IMG-1810.jpg 2021 - Saguaro National Park & Catalina State Park, Arizona http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-guadalupe-mountains-texas-carlsbad-caverns-new-mexico daily 0.75 2021-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231792243-SW7JSJ301F4JIAFJHLBG/image-asset.jpeg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico Even going to the restroom was an adventure! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231586936-6HWPR1V7YRCX4JA1AMNW/IMG-3319+%281%29.jpg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico Overjoyed that I was descending after so much climbing. Time would get confusing as hikes would often cross the Texas/New Mexico boarder and it would jump ahead an hour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231766154-P24LOK7EHCUN8QLL80VE/image-asset.jpeg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico Carlsbad Caverns was breathtaking and took about 2-3 hours to hike within the cave. the “Big Room” could fit over six football fields! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231576270-2WDDM0E1A3KHNPLGF8VX/IMG-3264.jpg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico I climbed to the top of Texas at 8,751 feet - Guadalupe Peak. That was a strenuous hike! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231277503-NVFYLIUVDMB51DGYRKR2/IMG-3026.jpg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico Trees maintain their fall colors even in winter on the McKittrick Canyon trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231134644-OK094E385LM0DZLNQ2VS/IMG-2546.jpg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico Guadalupe Mountains National Park has several trails with limited road access. I thoroughly enjoyed hiking through this breathtaking beauty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231444845-DEHBRF82AHTRBOV91AIW/IMG-3134.jpg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico The Guadalupe Mountains were once a reef in the Delaware Sea some 260 million years go. Rangers have even found fossilized shells! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612231028709-MUZZC0V4Y6Q9PLIS1CN2/IMG-2992.jpg 2021 - Guadalupe Mountains, Texas & Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-white-sands-national-park-new-mexico daily 0.75 2021-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612229951291-RYLU2O4OEHUK4C9IDL6G/IMG-2296.jpg 2021 - White Sands National Park, New Mexico The sand was so white, it looked like snow. The dunes were formed by gypsum when a sea evaporated some 250 million years ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612230355323-FEWJ45J2WUBXWEK82HTM/IMG-2228.jpg 2021 - White Sands National Park, New Mexico Looking forward to my next adventure! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612229690798-ITHZVRWV2WPULZQ83VYC/IMG-2207.jpg 2021 - White Sands National Park, New Mexico White Sands at sunset was a sight to be seen! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612229810424-GYKRAO8C34I11BPWSBHT/IMG-2153.jpg 2021 - White Sands National Park, New Mexico http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-padre-island-national-seashore-texas daily 0.75 2021-02-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612837995892-7EM6EIVWJKW7BX3QD33K/IMG-4189.jpg 2021 - Padre Island National Seashore, Texas Portuguese man-of-war were washed up on the beaches at high tide. Their stinging tentacles can reach up to 40 feet, so it is best to stay clear! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612837926852-ZO9LRH3134MP7Y968FNC/IMG-4107.jpg 2021 - Padre Island National Seashore, Texas I camped right along the ocean in my tent. It was so windy one night I thought a critter was on top of my tent! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1612837281849-SFLALNGX3UN3LYWU0RCU/IMG-4228+%281%29.jpg 2021 - Padre Island National Seashore, Texas http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-ocala-national-forest-florida daily 0.75 2021-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615602804017-U8ZJ9YBV5WJ8BIX6IXOP/IMG-5504.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida I jumped in the water to swim with the manatees! They spend time in the springs and warm bay from November through March each year so I was coming towards the end of the season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615602261647-2A6PLEM0MUX3KVCTCTBK/IMG-5273.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida Bear swamp trail, home to bears and alligators alike! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615603047158-YJAOW3EOIGVLWVUU4DL9/IMG-5505.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida Fun fact: manatees are more closely related to elephants than any marine creature! Do you see the resemblance? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615603476128-J9N8EM607WXZXHBEFEQP/IMG-5399.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida I even found an air manatee! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615602932993-6DO16D0YXYBNQ229HJ41/IMG-5502.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida I was so lucky and saw over 25 manatees in one morning! It was abnormally cool for the time of year, around 60 degrees, so the manatees were in the bay to stay warm. I went with a guide and made sure to respect the space and needs of the manatees! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615603239444-KCOUA302XC4ON5XS11AF/IMG-5506.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida Manatees are mammals and need to come up for air every five minutes but they can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes when resting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615603261872-WVQTBUJ4ISAZC8DO0F7R/IMG-5507.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida I found this manatee resting on the bottom of the bay and was careful to leave it be so it could get its beauty sleep! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615602226620-8QJPHFMJ832HJY7U67M3/IMG-5180.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida Ocala has several natural springs, which stay at 72 degrees year round. I had so much fun swimming and snorkeling in them! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615602556485-BMKGAULO41Z70PHX72F9/IMG-5385.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida I took a small detour to Crystal River to see the manatees as they spend winter in the warm springs on the gulf. Manatees are very sensitive to water temperature, so they have special areas where they are not disturbed by humans or boats, although they often swim up to humans to play! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1615602132534-4XKG7B6Z1WK6ER14P2M8/IMG-5179.jpg 2021 - Ocala National Forest, Florida http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021- daily 0.75 2021-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614741575229-7YUKL2DA5714EFTKSLWS/IMG-4754.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama was where the Selma to Montgomery march began, which ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bridge was named after a former Confederate general, U.S. Senator and leader of the Ku Klux Klan. On March 7, 1965, John Lewis and others marched on the bridge and were brutally beaten by state troopers in an event known as “Bloody Sunday.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614742226873-O5G6NBECBXJU5ZS353GK/IMG-4850.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama It was incredible to stand under the bus station sign where Freedom Riders were met with extreme violence in 1961 when they took buses from Washington, D.C. to the South to protest segregation on interstate buses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614741749013-BDUNPKX76JBM2K3GDUXV/IMG-4826.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama I visited the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as a pastor from 1954 to 1960. The Montgomery bus boycott was organized here in 1955, after an activist named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a local bus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614742761434-BWR2J5LLY7K6BLM09VR7/IMG-4917.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama I learned some shocking statistics while at the memorial and museum about our current system of mass incarceration. In the 21st Century, one in three Black boys will be incarcerated in their lifetime. The U.S. has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. In 1972, the U.S. imprisoned 300,000 people. Today, our country incarcerates over 2 million people, of which people of color are disproportionately represented. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614741975642-JB5G53F3950BRQ5G641L/IMG-4846.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama The residence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which was bombed during the bus boycott by a white supremacist in in 1956. Despite this violence against the peaceful preacher, Dr. King stood on the porch and called on his followers to remain calm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614742436540-ROQRSE1SXFXSYYCSD9E3/IMG-4906.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama The National Peace and Justice Memorial honors the over 4,000 African Americans who died by lynching in our country. Each box signifies the people murdered without due process in each county where these crimes occurred. A generous donation by an anonymous donor has made this memorial and its associated “The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration” free to all visitors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614743251729-0OXFZKKKIC9DAK4KEXHG/IMG-4785.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama We still have tremendous work to do as a country in dismantling white supremacy and with it police brutality. This art piece is dedicated to all of the people killed by the police and never got to see their wedding day. Names of those killed are marked on the dress with bullets used like beads. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614743462347-D5J51VAEQU101EOXU0EL/IMG-4814.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama This was part of a collection made by high school students at Jefferson Davis High School in protest and recognition of their school being named after a man who enslaved people, many of whom were their ancestors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614740568432-P6NDSCTNR8N5UDYVPWQF/IMG-4906.jpg 2021 - Montgomery, Alabama http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-new-orleans-louisiana daily 0.75 2021-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613865362868-OXG6LDB57F38YJYXSRAC/IMG-4671.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana Dinosaurs in top hats walked down St. Charles Ave! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613866891785-04OSZYBBE33LT9YSWDWV/IMG-4632.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana The statues were the only ones getting beads this year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613865805452-TC6LVOLNO9EQADP28AGF/IMG-4393.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana I visited the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the Tremé neighborhood, America’s oldest African American neighborhood. Here, Jazz Funerals are celebrated and visitors learn about the Mardi Gras Indians who parade in elaborate costumes during Mardi Gras festivities and other special occasions. These costumes weighed between 30 and 100 pounds! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613866299937-UMU7XR5G8TWPK9BZEK2O/IMG-4529.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana Enslaved people processed sugar cane into granulated sugar by boiling the sugar cane juice in these large vats, a very dangerous job that claimed the lives of many enslaved people. Pictured in the background is a hut where enslaved people lived in the 1800s. Their descendants lived in these shacks until the 1970s and worked as poorly paid laborers on the same plantation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613866647447-LUNR3MSYSMVW2X386Q13/IMG-4690.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana On my last few days in New Orleans, I visited gravesites in the city and learned about the people buried there in above-ground tombs due to the high water level. The oldest grave I found was from 1840! Due to the storm sweeping across Texas and the South, which left many without power and electricity, I extended my stay from four to 11 days to avoid icy road conditions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613865347611-THGCNLBBDDWRBTM3OU5D/IMG-4646.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana Local organizations got creative with house floats and cutouts! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613865909139-NWN16WGDDMCKSQLHBRJ1/IMG-4650.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana Even the bus stops were decorated to the nines! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613865426934-HH2A9QH9VRUH94KR3Z26/IMG-4654.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana Houses had elaborate themes and celebrated the culture of the “Big Easy” - a nickname for the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613866155145-A29ESANJ5H6V1ZK781EQ/IMG-4539.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana I visited Whitney Plantation, the only plantation in Louisiana with a focus on the lives of the enslaved people who worked and lived on the plantation. This is a memorial to all of the children who died while enslaved here and on nearby plantations. I highly recommend a visit to this incredibly informative place for every American. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613866521491-BTAY5LBAWGZCSQ3W3OO1/IMG-4494.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana Beautiful sculptures brought the violent history to life on the Whitney Plantation. Here is a sculpture of an enslaved child looking at the owner’s elaborate home flanked by oak trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613865112570-WJUXARN0OI2EXHMV8X2L/IMG-4618.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana Nothing is normal in winter 2021, including Mardi Gras! House floats replaced parades, with residents on St. Charles Avenue and throughout the city hiring local Mardi Gras artists to decorate their homes and yards. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1613864841747-Y1NNEIZJ8M2I40GAOP1D/IMG-4291.jpg 2021 - New Orleans, Louisiana http://www.involvetheworld.com/new-page-1 daily 0.75 2021-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614745376145-ATF6RPQT5RCYCU9QCRQ4/IMG-5091.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida I spent an afternoon reading on the beach at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614745935336-H59986H4UPNI9WD719M9/IMG-5138.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida The centuries old cypress trees in Tate’s Hell State Park were nearly all cut down except for this small grove. A highway was built through it, cutting off vital water flows within the park. Recognizing this challenge, park managers replaced the road with a boardwalk in 1999 to restore these flows. You can still see where the road cut through the forest. New trees are growing now, a great sign for the park! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614745788118-L9H519K60XHUVSFW8APF/IMG-5084.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida I went on a great 25 mile bike ride along scenic route 65 and enjoyed seeing snakes along the roadside! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614745493686-WNE31APQBVCVTZG9NYWE/IMG-5063.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida This is the southern most point for pine trees in the continental United States. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614744210385-7KCUCJ2KE91BJ07TVCZ7/IMG-4976.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida On the way along the Florida panhandle, I got a great recommendation to visit Seaside, Florida, where The Truman Show was filmed. The beaches were gorgeous and the town looked right out of a movie set! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614745090610-4RDBHS17UWO3GF0DY692/IMG-5007.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida I stayed at Wright Lake Campsite in Apalachicola National Forest. There were alligators in the lake!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614745248744-G6ONKLRB35C8DHEQL586/IMG-5040.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida Hiking through the pine trees and ferns was incredible. I even saw an otter run across the trail! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1614744151872-7G8EP8FRE2FIP0DAZJUR/IMG-5007.jpg 2021 - Apalachicola National Forest, Florida http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-biscayne-national-park-florida daily 0.75 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616457809213-4IRAJ25K839UIVP6GT5K/IMG-5810.jpg 2021 - Biscayne National Park, Florida Biscayne National Park is 95% under water so I went on a snorkeling excursion near Sand Key where mangroves serve as a nursery for fish and other sea life. I saw blue lobster, mini jellyfish and all kinds of colorful sea plants and fish! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616458010448-SRJ9QF6A086VSC6RVB41/IMG-5847.jpg 2021 - Biscayne National Park, Florida We also made a stop at Boca Chita Key. It was purchased in 1937 by the wealthy industrialist, Marc C. Honeywell. He threw lavish parties on the Key and even built this lighthouse, which was constructed on the wrong side of the Key and was decommissioned by the coastguard so to not confuse ships coming into Homestead, Florida. Now, the structure remains but no light shines from it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616458411725-0BHQTBGN8DJLJPBWMYX2/IMG-5838.jpg 2021 - Biscayne National Park, Florida I had a great time exploring the keys! The difference between a key and an island is that an island is geographically made where a key is biologically made from historical coral reefs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616457738508-IPHLRKYA9G6A9E9U74GW/IMG-5819.jpg 2021 - Biscayne National Park, Florida http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-dry-tortugas-national-park-florida daily 0.75 2021-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1617117135689-S2REYEJJ18LOY1TYMPKF/IMG-6203.jpg 2021 - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida The views from the Fort were incredible and the water was around 70 degrees, perfect for swimming on the hot days, even in the winter! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1617117353465-3S9WR9TIZX6UPOSC8ON2/IMG-6171.jpg 2021 - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida The Fort had hundreds of these openings for cannon fire with incredible views of the moat and water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1617115924149-QK76MQ22VXDLX04P51QV/IMG-6246.jpg 2021 - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Dry Tortugas is the most remote National Park in the country. Located about 70 miles off of Key West, Florida, it is a tropical paradise and home to the historic Fort Jefferson. The Fort is made up of 16 million bricks shipped in from Pensacola and then Maine after Florida seceded from the Union and Fort Jefferson remained under Union control. 20 percent of the labor force that built the Fort were enslaved people. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1617116634594-X2WPMC465FQ1K4MI2F3P/IMG-6242.jpg 2021 - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Fort Jefferson was built in the 1800s and remained under Union control during the civil war. It had the capacity to house over 500 cannons, one of the most impressive forts in the US at the time. It then became a military prison, holding a Lincoln assassination co-conspirator, Samuel Mudd, who eventually became known for his contributions to medical advancements in the fight against Yellow Fever on the island. Fort Jefferson never used its cannons and eventually became a safe haven for migrating birds and other marine life as well as visitors like me! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1617116091704-12FDHBW4GPY8T2XA9PYF/IMG-6449.jpg 2021 - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida The crystal clear water is home to incredible coral reefs right off of the fort wall here. I snorkeled each day I camped on the remote island and saw large jellyfish, all types of coral and a myriad of fish. It was a rainbow of colors, reds, blues, purples, pinks, yellows! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1617115818690-H0TB2QC8NMCT66D24I1N/IMG-6161.jpg 2021 - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-everglades-national-park-florida daily 0.75 2021-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616456671267-2YFUDV38T15ID8JTH2XE/IMG-5862.jpg 2021 - Everglades National Park, Florida I even saw some baby alligators! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616456306395-CIO0481SSN4E4OJZKCI8/IMG-5724.jpg 2021 - Everglades National Park, Florida I had a thrilling bike ride on the Tram Trail where I saw 25+ alligators along the banks of the stream. You can see one in the background! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616456110051-2MLSQ7BH3DVIGLDT61VV/IMG-5708.jpg 2021 - Everglades National Park, Florida The Flamingo Campsite at the very southern tip of the Florida mainland was gorgeous! This is my Subaru Outback “Pearl” enjoying the sunset! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616456454404-I996WILSWO0U1IERMJ52/IMG-5732.jpg 2021 - Everglades National Park, Florida The Everglades is the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles live side by side. A park ranger told me that there is only one female crocodile in the Salt Valley region of the Everglades and I think I found her! One way to tell is that crocodiles have olive skin instead of dark green and they have more pointed snouts than alligators. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616456952506-MAOQQA0GZ5ZAUBZVGIY3/IMG-5721.jpg 2021 - Everglades National Park, Florida http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-johnathan-dickinson-state-pa daily 0.75 2021-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616455082085-HSVTX3MPYXCND2TH21OH/IMG-5470.jpg 2021 - John Dickinson State Park, Florida The skies were bright blue and I went on two bike rides on the great network of paths in the park! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616455175731-4K5MABTMBPIA1JJFWJLC/IMG-5589.jpg 2021 - John Dickinson State Park, Florida It was a balancing act at Blowing Rocks, where the rocks get their name from the spray that comes off the waves that crash along here during high tide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616454799054-UV9B27VFK0BTT54RXRFR/IMG-5479.jpg 2021 - John Dickinson State Park, Florida Johnathan Dickinson State Park is the historical site of Camp Murphy, the secret Southern Signal Corps School during World War II where students came to learn about radar operation. This overlook is where the historical camp was! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616455322761-KLXBNK3RN15GFO4D1EO2/IMG-5652.jpg 2021 - John Dickinson State Park, Florida Hobe Sound Beach had bright white sand and great people watching with shade from the mangroves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1616454387951-PS1Z0XSEHO618WYW55BK/IMG-5639.jpg 2021 - John Dickinson State Park, Florida http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-florida-keys daily 0.75 2021-04-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618094990518-IQ8JPA4IWQ6I5HVLFW0E/IMG-6515+%281%29.jpg 2021 - Florida Keys These polydactyl cats have an extra thumb and are highly territorial, staying in the same spot in the Hemingway house for their whole lives. They are all named after famous artists, writers, actors and athletes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618095615291-570L7BWWFJRIMM72VRVS/image_50396929.JPG 2021 - Florida Keys Key Deer would walk right up to me when I was camping on Big Pine Key. They are endangered and only live on the Florida Keys. They are so curious and are about the size of an adult goat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618094980905-XU3N5OM6WBWRXXYB3FP5/IMG-6494.jpg 2021 - Florida Keys This six-toed cat, Joe DiMaggio, is a descendent of Ernest Hemingway’s over 80 six-toed cats and is free to roam the property with 60 other cats. Hemingway wrote more of his books in this house than in any other house, including For Whom the Bell Tolls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618096286314-53XSYGOOJ82JQ7N1KNVG/image_50397441.JPG 2021 - Florida Keys Harry S. Truman spent over six months on Key West in this building. It is now a museum and open as a guesthouse for any current or past US president and their family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618095605992-AKGV2CV6D6ZSMQPXF03N/image_50370305.JPG 2021 - Florida Keys “Lucky” the sea turtle was rescued after a collision with a boat. Sea turtles are endangered and key to marine ecosystem health. This sea turtle hospital on Marathon key provides care to turtles harmed by boats and releases them back to their ocean homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618094779011-NATAPI87ZRNLKNBWWUJH/IMG-6532+%281%29.jpg 2021 - Florida Keys I met these two flamingos at The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. Rhett and Scarlett were rescued from a flamingo farm in Canada and now live with the butterflies and birds on the island! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618096060617-07E4ONVLELUFBONE1WDN/image_50387201.JPG 2021 - Florida Keys I came upon this sunken jeep while hiking in the Keys! Now it is sanctuary for fish! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618095346664-L9BL736NFDHX2E0M1KW8/IMG-6686+%281%29.jpg 2021 - Florida Keys Bahia Honda State Park is home to one of the best beaches in the Keys and has a long and shallow sand bar with warm water and fascinating marine life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618094550621-C5NFPMBRSRIY6470PDVC/unnamed.jpeg 2021 - Florida Keys http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-anastasia-state-park-fl-skidaway-island-georgia daily 0.75 2021-04-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618099778929-ABU3NL4IM5BY3F07DGHO/IMG-6868.jpg 2021 - Anastasia State Park, FL & Skidaway Island, Georgia The roots from this dead tree are home to new life! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618099156891-B75UV9GX61VPY6J26HYH/IMG-6827.jpg 2021 - Anastasia State Park, FL & Skidaway Island, Georgia I camped for one night in Anastasia State Park just outside of St. Augustine, Florida. The sunset through the ferns and Spanish moss was so beautiful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618099423227-K5VFYJA3OG07CYAGF2XZ/unnamedbike.jpeg 2021 - Anastasia State Park, FL & Skidaway Island, Georgia My bike ride the next morning was so peaceful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618099757130-R8VYYXXBN00MNA4UAKCD/IMG-6837.jpg 2021 - Anastasia State Park, FL & Skidaway Island, Georgia https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618099578720-H5PRA71ZQCBI6J67NKPG/IMG-6864.jpg 2021 - Anastasia State Park, FL & Skidaway Island, Georgia The Spanish moss hanging from the trees in Skidaway Island Park outside of Savannah, Georgia was incredible. I also saw a green heron, deer, crabs and snails. In the morning, I heard an owl and had deer friends exploring my campsite! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618099110352-O3CBVP5WIE3P58R8NUZC/IMG-6825.jpg 2021 - Anastasia State Park, FL & Skidaway Island, Georgia http://www.involvetheworld.com/2021-congaree-national-park-south-carolina daily 0.75 2021-04-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618450647234-X8A152B17QNBQ8J1N50I/IMG-7023.jpg 2021 - Congaree National Park, South Carolina I smelled every flower along the trail! The Kingsnake trail was flanked by these gorgeous yellow flowers and it was such a great hike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618873685466-3NLF1HZ4E8UEKSBIK0NB/IMG-6958.jpg 2021 - Congaree National Park, South Carolina The canopy was over 150 feet tall! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618450789900-NOFBAUKLVPCLQWQ74P0N/IMG-7008.jpg 2021 - Congaree National Park, South Carolina Those running from enslavement lived in these swamps since they were difficult to navigate for those chasing after them. I cannot imagine how difficult it was to live in these swamps, which is truly a testament to the horrors of slavery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618449955239-EU144TOS4IMJCT04IPGD/IMG-7071.jpg 2021 - Congaree National Park, South Carolina There are several species of snakes in the park, including this Cottonmouth, a highly venomous snake pictured above! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618451265746-IJP7JJ3SXFW6LGF0A6JO/IMG-6983.jpg 2021 - Congaree National Park, South Carolina I loved camping at Longleaf campsite. I woke up to the birds and fell asleep to the sunset through the trees! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618449659594-BAX2UY69XBQ4NSHFZVDD/IMG-7072.jpg 2021 - Congaree National Park, South Carolina I went on a fun guided kayak trip down Cedar Creek inside Congaree National Park. We saw 20+ snakes in the water and trees, fishing spiders that blow a bubble around their mouths to dive under the water, turtles, barred owls and anhingas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618449745230-WIODPMW3L3OF7H5D00F0/IMG-7006.jpg 2021 - Congaree National Park, South Carolina http://www.involvetheworld.com/new-page daily 0.75 2021-04-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618880764345-CFJ7UAUT8V927S99KSJG/IMG-7318.jpg 2021 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN & SC The waterfall at Laurel Falls is one of the biggest in the park! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618881183823-H4D5L62D05WU8IWL7Y26/IMG-7323.jpg 2021 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN & SC The views were amazing, so many colors! The native Cherokee people traditionally called the Great Smoky Mountains “Shaconage,” which translates to “place of the blue smoke.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618879338963-3XNZ0R76I2OWMMHZE012/IMG-7238.jpg 2021 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN & SC After a long day of hiking up Mount Cammerer, I visited Cades Cove (above), which was home to a tight-knit agricultural community in the 1800s. Now, it serves as a historical and educational area in the heart of the Smokies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618880607870-G9GKVEKWU49HJ804ILUR/IMG-7308.jpg 2021 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN & SC But the crowds were large when there was a bear sighting. The Smokies are the most visited national park in the country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618880585260-CPGK3ADVN456YC90SSS1/IMG-7324.jpg 2021 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN & SC The dense forests of the mountains were so peaceful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618881327735-OSVRO8J1Q1NRA5I9704T/IMG-7347.jpg 2021 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN & SC I hiked the short trail to the tallest peak in the Smokies, Clingmans Dome, which is 6,643 feet tall and can be viewed from this observation tower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5755a1171d07c0718af8b618/1618879170286-NVOSS1HL2VPTOVT6YQ1S/IMG-7323.jpg 2021 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN & SC http://www.involvetheworld.com/home-alt-bedford daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500612440-PGQSIY8KL9F7T5VIXQLO/chambers-2.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Contact Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500503574-5BAPXZO9U06UV61P49UO/chambers1.jpg Home Alt Sustainability Starts with you Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500933384-LII4SRIPHFYOUFX0UCXC/chambers-4.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390504287124-HQ8GNX1JCE22V047MSQ9/chambers-8.jpg Home Alt Preserve Nature Join Us