This summer, skip the hectic city vacation and try one of America's gorgeous state parks for affordable family vacations. In part two of this blog posting, we discuss the Blue Mounds Park in Minnesota, Hocking Hills in Ohio and three other natural treasures.
Blue Mounds State Park - Minnesota
Southern Minnesota's native tallgrass prairie has been preserved in this park, along with a herd of bison and a mysterious rock formation of unknown origin. Besides camping, visitors can enjoy fishing, rock climbing and bird watching.
Petit Jean State Park - Arkansas
Located 65 miles northwest of Little Rock, the park is set in the breathtaking Petit Jean Mountains and overlooks the Arkansas River. The mountains are named after a French woman who disguised herself as a boy to follow the man she adored on his exploration of the New World. Petit Jean died in these mountains and her grave is one of the park's main attractions.
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park - Florida
Once rated the best beach in America, St. Joseph Peninsula's white sand and turquoise water give way to striking dunes and a heavily forested interior. Snorkeling and scuba diving are popular with visitors here, along with dune hiking and sunbathing.
Mount Greylock State Reservation - Massachusetts
Mount Greylock was Massachusetts's first state park and features the state's highest peak. Over 100 species of bird make the park their home and many can be seen from the Hopper, a 150-year-old forest of old-growth red spruce.
Hocking Hills State Park - Ohio
This popular park is divided into seven units filled with shelf caves, gorgeous overlooks of Hocking Hills and valleys filled with ferns and wildlife. The park is especially crowded on fall weekends but can be pleasantly empty on weekdays.
Cape Disappointment State Park - Washington
Formerly known as Fort Canby and the site of Lewis and Clark's first glimpse of the Pacific, Cape Disappointment State Park also has the state's first lighthouse. Visitors to this park's 1,800 acres of bluffs and beaches enjoy walking, hiking, boating, and fishing.
If you are visiting the United States to visit these beautiful parks, remember to research travel insurance just in case a medical need arises during your trip. Ensuring that you purchase coverage before your trip can help avoid potentially costly medical bills.
