Miette Hot Springs
Location: Canada, Alberta, Jasper National Park, Eastern area
Popular hot spring with pools of varying temperatures.
⊗ Mt. Aspiring Packrafting ♦
Location: New Zealand, Otago, Mt. Aspiring National Park
Hike to the Aspiring hut and then packraft back to your car via the beautiful West Matukituki River – an awesome way to experience this excellent national park!
Bendigo Ghost Town
Location: New Zealand, Otago, Cromwell area
Great reserve based around an extremely successful mining area with ruins of the boom towns, mining relics, and shafts.
⊗ Rees Valley Packrafting ♦
Location: New Zealand, Otago, North Lake Wakatipu
Beautiful valley with nice packrafting options of varying degrees of difficulty.
Arthur’s Pass
Location: New Zealand, Canterbury, Arthur’s Pass area
Popular route for crossing between the east and west coasts of New Zealand’s South Island with beautiful views and various short stops.
Woolshed Creek Hut Loop ♦
Location: New Zealand, Canterbury, Mt. Somers area
Colorado River Hot Springs Packrafting
Location: Nevada, Las Vegas, Black Canyon Area
Excellent canyon with nice scenery, fun rappels, and an optional packraft exit.
Historic Railroad Trail
Location: Nevada, Las Vegas, Black Canyon Area
Easy (and dog friendly) hike through historic tunnels along a portion of the old Hoover Dam Railroad.
Hoover Dam
Location: Nevada, Las Vegas, Black Canyon Area
The famous and historic dam – an easy stop offering impressive up-close views of the iconic structure.
Nelson Ghost Town
Location: Nevada, Las Vegas, Eldorado Mountains
Neat area with remnants from its mining past, lots of antiques, and old cars; offers tours of the famous Techatticup Gold Mine.
St. Thomas Ghost Town
Location: Nevada, North of Las Vegas, North Lake Mead
Remnants of a once-flourishing town abandoned and flooded by the creation of Lake Mead re-emerge during period of drought.
⊗ Keyhole Canyon
Location: Nevada, Las Vegas, Eldorado Mountains
Excellent short canyon featuring neat sculpted rock and nice petroglyphs at the exit.
Maori Sea Cave
Location: New Zealand, West Coast, Punakaiki area
Massive sea cave with multiple openings; histrically used as a shelter for Maori travelers.
Brunner Mine Site
Location: New Zealand, West Coast, Greymouth area
Historic area built around the site of the Brunner Mine Disaster of 1865.
Tunnel Terrace Walk
Location: New Zealand, West Coast, Hokitika area
Awesome little loop through neat historic mining tunnels.
Chasm Creek Walkway
Location: New Zealand, West Coast, Mokihinui area
Short family friendly walk to a nice tunnel and a cool old bridge – added bonus of a train wreck just off the trail in the water.
SS Lawrence Shipwreck
Location: New Zealand, West Coast, Mokihinui area
Short walk along the beach to the ruins of an 1880’s shipwreck.
Charming Creek Walkway
Location: New Zealand, West Coast, Mokihinui area
Great hike with mining relics, tunnels, a swing bridge, a waterfall, and more!
Mt. Judah Track Scheelite Mine
Location: New Zealand, Otago, North Lake Wakatipu
Great short hike to a pair of mine sites with beautiful views; trek can also be extended to a day-use hut or an overnight hut.
Kinloch
Location: New Zealand, Otago, North Lake Wakatipu
Remote location with a historic inn and a variety of outdoor activity options – great for escaping hoards of tourists!
China Garden Spring
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Panamint Springs Area)
Desert oasis with some mining-era ruins that’s home to a surprising population of koi.
Keane Wonder Springs and Cyty’s Mill
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Beatty Junction area)
Follow the pipeline from the Keane Wonder Mill to find the Keane Wonder Springs and ruins of Johnnie Cyty’s mill.
Rhyolite Ghost Town
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Beatty Junction area)
Short-lived boom town from the Death Valley mining era, with remnants of extensive infrastructure and a nearby open-air art museum.
McGee Pass Trail (Day Hike)
Location: Northern California, Eastern Sierras, Mammoth Lakes Area
Popular day hike through a valley with beautiful mountain views, excellent fall colors in autumn, and nice wildflowers displays in the summer.
Convict Lake
Location: Northern California, Eastern Sierras, Mammoth Lakes Area
Easy loop hike around a popular lake with blue waters, scenic mountains, trout fishing, and nice fall foliage.
Lundy Canyon
Location: Northern California, Eastern Sierras, Lee Vining Area
One of the finest hikes in the Eastern Sierras, the route features waterfalls, aspen groves, beaver ponds, and beautiful scenery.
Silver City Ghost Town
Location: California, Eastern Sierras
Collection of historic buildings from mining camps and settlements through the area, restored in a picturesque state of arrested decay.
Painted Rock Petroglyph Site
Location: Arizona, Southwest, Phoenix area
Historic site with rocks covered in vast numbers of remarkably clear petroglyphs.
Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
Location: Arizona, Southwest, Yuma
Walk in the footsteps of the Southwest’s most notorious criminals and see the inspiration for the popular film “3:10 to Yuma”.
Castle Dome Mine Museum & Ghost Town
Location: Arizona, Southwest, Yuma
Great ghost town and museum that’s highly interactive and full of artifacts from the original townsite and mines.
Glen Canyon Dam
Location: Arizona, Lake Powell Area, Page
Massive dam constructed from 1956 – 1966 which created the Lake Powell reservoir.
Upper Catstair Canyon
Location: Utah, Kanab area
Short non-technical canyon hike with interesting stacked cars and some pretty sculpted rock sections.
Paria River Valley
Location: Utah, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern
Pipe Spring National Monument
Location: Arizona, Northern, Kaibab area
Interesting national park centered around a natural spring which was a major resource for both the native Paiute people and Mormon settlers.
Mill Ruins Park
Location: Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Picturesque park showcasing the 19th century water power features, canals, and tailraces of the milling operations that made Minneapolis into a thriving industrial powerhouse.
St. Anthony Falls
Location: Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Originally the only major waterfall on the Upper Mississippi, the site was converted to a concrete spillway along with a lock and dam as part of stabilization efforts at the turn of the 20th century.
Minnehaha Park
Location: Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Large state park most famous for its attractive 50 foot waterfall, but which includes numerous gardens, trails, and sites to explore and discover.
Δ Death Pit and Ore Cart Mine Δ
Location: Secret (West Coast, United States)
Fabulous mine site with excellent artifacts and mine shafts
Eagle Cliff Miner’s Cabin
Location: California, Southern, Joshua Tree
Short back-country hike to a neat and well-preserved historic miner’s cabin
Keane Wonder Mine
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Beatty Junction area)
Hike to the ruins and (closed off) mine shafts from one of Death Valley’s most successful gold mines.
Rútshellir
Location: Iceland, Southern, Skógar/Vík area
Fascinating old cave which was expanded and used for storing hay and as a smithy
Reykjanes Lighthouse
Location: Iceland, Southwest, Reykjanes Peninsula
Picturesque lighthouse in a beautiful area
Snorralaug
Location: Iceland, West, Borgarfjörður district, Reykholt
Visit one of Iceland’s oldest hot springs, the pool used by Snorri Sturluson in the Middle Ages
Charcoal Kilns
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Panamint Springs Area)
Remarkably well-preserved large beehive shaped charcoal kilns built in 1877
⊗ Keane Canyon ♦
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Beatty Junction area)
Technical canyon descent through an area with lots of great mining ruins
Titus Canyon
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Beatty Junction area)
Backcountry road through some stunning scenery including colorful hills, a narrow canyon, a ghost town, and petroglyphs.
Leadfield Ghost Town
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Beatty Junction area)
Small, picturesque ghost town off a backcountry road with the intact remnants of a couple of buildings
Harmony Borax Works
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Furnace Creek area)
Ruins of the successful borax plant near Furnace Creek where 20-mule teams were used to haul the borax across the desert to the railroad
Ashford Mill Ruins
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Ashford Junction area)
Small collection of ruins from an early 1900’s mill and mining settlement
Keane Wonder Mill
Location: California, Northern, Death Valley (Beatty Junction area)
Easy to access ruins of the mill and tramway for the very successful Keane Wonder Mine.
Victoria Beach Pirate Tower
Location: California, Los Angeles area, Laguna Beach
Iconic 60 foot tower built on Victoria Beach in 1926 – the tower encloses a spiral staircase which provides private beach access for the property owner.
Muang Khoun
Location: Laos, Northern, Xiangkhoang Plateau
Although the town was almost completely destroyed by US bombing raids during the 1960’s and 70’s, remnants of Muang Khoun’s rich ancient history shine through the ruins alongside evidence of their more recent history and role in the Second Indochina War.
Mount Phousi
Location: Laos, North Central, Luang Prabang
Religious site in Luang Prabang with various Buddhist shrines and temples; the summit provides panoramic views of the area and is popular at sunset.
Hagia Sophia ♦
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Iconic Byzantine-era cathedral turned mosque and now a museum; characterized by spectacular architecture and decorative elements including numerous mosaics
Blue Mosque ♦
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Breathtaking Classical Period mosque, particularly notable for its stained glass windows and decorative tiles
Basilica Cistern ♦
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Impressive Byzantine-era cistern supported by marble columns, two of which are notable for having Medusa heads carved into the bases.
Grand Bazaar ♦
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
One of the oldest bazaars in the world and featuring over 4,000 shops – a wonderful combination of history, culture, and modern wares.
Wrigley Botanical Garden
Location: California, Channel Islands, Santa Catalina Island
Memorial and botanical garden with native plants and nice views
Seljavallalaug
Location: Iceland, Southern, Skógar/Vík area
Outdoor pool originally constructed in 1923 filled with geothermally heated water
Reykjavík
Location: Iceland, Southwest
Capital city with nice historic streets, a photogenic church, and various shops and restaurants
Hellnar
Location: Iceland, West, Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Ancient fishing village on a rugged coastline with a notable cave and nice church
Queenstown
Location: New Zealand, Otago, Queenstown
Popular travel destination featuring various tourist activities including bungee jumping and jet boating.
Larnach Castle
Location: New Zealand, Otago, Dunedin area
Large historic home with beautiful gardens and coastal views
Oamaru
Location: New Zealand, Otago, East Coast
Nice historic town with Victorian-era buildings and a blue penguin colony.
Golden Gate Bridge
Location: California, San Francisco
Options for viewing the Golden Gate Bridge, including some iconic viewpoints.
Sutro Bath Ruins
Location: California, San Francisco
Explore the ruins of a late 19th century swimming pool complex
Marin Headlands ♦
Location: California, San Francisco Bay Area
Explore a beautiful historic military area including old batteries and bunkers.