Welcome to the first edition of “Links to Places That Matter.” This weekly post will provide you with a summary of articles, blog posts, videos, podcasts and other online resources related to America’s heritage and cultural destinations.
Today’s roundup of inspiring and meaningful places focuses on the U.S., spans two coasts, and represents places in the North, South and off the mainland. The writers showcased below offer their perspectives about travel experiences that offer meaning and life-enriching discoveries.
Sedona, Arizona, a place of majestic beauty and mystical wonder, is where
LA Times travel writer Rosemary McClure’s search for enlightenment took her to a cliff-top chapel, “where visitors are often deeply moved,” on a jeep-ride through some Hollywood film history and on a hike where she discovered Sedona’s spiritual past—and present.
Read more about Sedona in her article.
Looking for a unique fixer-upper opportunity? How about a lighthouse?
The New York Times writer, Graham T. Beck, reveals the endangered state of
New York’s lighthouses and how the public can help save them from extinction.
Read more about historic lighthouses that need a little TLC.
One of the best ways to learn about a place is from someone who lives there.
Maine’s Big Robby (as he’s known on his blog) shares some of his home state’s hidden summertime gems, including a small mountain perfect for easy family hikes and a drive-in movie theater circa 1938 that still shows films. Personally, I love drive-in movie theaters – they bring back some happy childhood memories.
Read more about Big Robby's Maine summer suggestions.
You may have heard of drive-by history, or even walk-by history; but what about “float-by history?" Donna Hull shares her experience tubing down an old irrigation canal through the old
Lihue Plantation in Kauai.
Read more at her blog, My Itchy Feet.
The Traveling Mamas share their first visit as a group to
Puerto Rico, a place full of rich history and culture. They have posted a video of the Castillo de San Cristobal, the largest fort built by the Spanish in the New World.
Visit the Traveling Mamas' Web site to view the video.Is there a place that matters to you? Through the
National Trust for Historic Preservation's Places That Matter campaign, you can call attention to special places in your community before they are endangered – the small, famous and infamous, and even some relatively obscure places that collectively represent the nation's cultural consciousness.
Find out how you can participate.
Don’t forget to
submit reviews of historical and cultural places that matter to you for a chance to win a New York City theater tour!
If you have interesting travel links, photos, or videos you want to share on the
Go with a Purpose blog, email them to us and we might include them in an upcoming post. You can also post them on the
Heritage and Cultural Travelers group on Facebook.
Kari Rippetoe is the marketing manager at Heritage Travel, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservationphoto credits: Sedona's Red Rocks, Flickr, Adamos Maximus; Execution Rock Lighthouse, Flickr, muckster; Saco Drive-In, Flickr, Joe Shlabotnik; Kauai Tubing, Flickr, CellPhoneSusie; Castillo de San Cristobel, Flickr, Kathleen Leavitt