One thing that has surprised me recently is the beauty of the desert in the Phoenix metro area. I guess I had always simply thought of deserts as dry, rather barren places.

This is rather an unusual topic for a travel blog, but it is Sunday and I do love glass churches, so here we are. I love buildings of all faiths created with prayer and worship in mind - historical ones, creative modern ones, and especially those designed to take advantage of a beautiful outdoor setting.

Because mid-October is prime leafing time in Iowa, I have explored three Iowa parks this past week.. And the leafing did NOT disappoint. While I have been to all three parks before, it is always fun to see the seasons change in all three of these parks.

I was amazed to discover all the fun things to do at Platte River State Park near Louisville, Nebraska.