Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Twelve Mile Circle

  • Quantico Cascades

    Prince William Forest Park, Prince William Co., Virginia (April 2011) We had an enjoyable overnight stay in Prince William Forest Park, tent camping with the Cub Scouts at the Turkey Run Ridge Group Campground. They were working on their Hiking Belt Loop and the den decided upon the Quantico Cascades Trail as their main afternoon…

  • Niagara Falls

    U.S. – Canada Border (August 5, 2003) If you’re in the area of course you have to visit Niagara Falls. We parked on the New York side, and walked across the bridge into Canada (map). This was our son’s first international trip. We bought him a T-shirt and he made us put it on him…

  • Multnomah Falls

    Eugene to The Dalles to Portland, Oregon (May 12, 1998) We struggled from Eugene to Portland on I-5 through heavy rain and cut East on I-84, enjoying remarkable scenery along the Columbia River gorge. Clouds began to dissipate as we pushed through the mountains and descended into Hood River. Sunny skies broke through by the…

  • Mendenhall Glacier and Environs

    The City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska, USA (August 1995) Mendenhall Glacier (map) forms just north of the Mendenhall Towers, a portion of the Coast Mountains that reach nearly 7,000 feet. The glacier trends south from this point until it empties into a beautiful lake about 10 miles northwest of the city of Juneau and…

  • Glacier Bay Waterfalls and Terrain

    Hoonah-Angoon Census Area of the Unorganized Borough, Alaska, USA (August 1995) Tarr Inlet Not all of the snow that falls into Glacier Bay region packs into glaciers that calve into icebergs hundreds of years later when it eventually flows into the sea. Some of it simply melts as the summer progresses and rolls as liquid…

  • Great Falls Park

    On the Virginia Side of the Potomac River (2008) Sitting along the wide, placid shoreline of the Potomac River in Washington, DC, it’s hard to imagine raging rapids crashing through a narrow gorge just 15 miles upstream. Here stand the mighty Great Falls, rushing from those first foothills of the Appalachian Mountains further west (map).…

  • Hidden Falls

    Grand Teton National Park (1992) We’d hiked through various parts of Grand Tetons National Park for a few days and decided to wrap things up with an easy route to see the renowned Hidden Falls (map). We’d stayed away from them intentionally because of the crowds and our desire for a little more solitude. Even…

  • Perseverance Trail

    City and Burough of Juneau, Alaska, USA (August 1995) Ebner Falls Juneau has multiple hiking opportunities. The Perseverance Trail (map) is perhaps one of the most accessible. The trailhead is close to downtown where Basin Road ends. It was a path once used by Native Americans for hunting, gathering and fishing. It also became one…

  • Caldeira Velha

    São Miguel, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) Caldeira Velha clings precariously halfway down the volcanic mountain that forms Lagoa do Fogo in São Miguel’s middle interior (map). One of the amazing features of the caldera is a naturally heated swimming pool built beneath a gentle waterfall. The water’s rich mineral content stained the incline…

  • Waterfalls of the Finger Lakes

    New York (September 2006) Taughannock Falls The Taughannock Falls Cascade from High Above Taughannock Falls State Park lies on both sides of Route 89, eight miles north of Ithaca (map). The eastern side of the park flanks Cayuga Lake, and includes a boat launch, a playground and a sports field. The lake serves as a…

Latest Comments

  1. The British flag continues to fly at Roche Harbor, a couple miles north of English Camp.

  3. Been there Once for a few years. In 76 &77. Ran cooperative store. Even though it was very isolated It…

  4. As an Alaskan I always wondered why Interstates were a big deal. From my point of view a road went…