| There are so many decisions that go into
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| | Superior. Both offer great wilderness
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| choosing a vacation destination. When it
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| | adventures as well as canoeing, kayaking,
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| involves more than just you and your
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| | motor boating and fishing opportunities.
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| friend or significant other, it seems to
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| | Voyageurs is considered a water park
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| get even more complicated. Short and even
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| | meaning you have to take a boat over to
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| family vacations should not drive you to
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| | the actual park, but it is a short
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| drink or pulling all your hair out. These
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| | journey. There are places to camp out or
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| are just a few tips to help you make your
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| | lodges to stay at that will help equip
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| choice a little less stressful.
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| | you, enabling you to boat around the
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| The first and easiest thing to ask
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| | waterways and find those great fishing
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| yourself is what you and the people you
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| | spots or spy wildlife. Isle Royale is a
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| will be going with like to do? Are you
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| | long boat ride or a short "puddle jumper"
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| totally outdoor people, strictly indoor
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| | flight. It has wilderness camping only,
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| types, or a combination? Are all of you
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| | but also has a lodge for those who only
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| athletic or in good shape? Do you like
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| | enjoy day hiking and some comfort.
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| hot weather, mild or cold seasons? Is
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| | There's kayaking, fishing, backpacking,
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| sightseeing something you would like on
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| | wildlife, with the longest running
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| your agenda or are you strictly an
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| | research program studying wolves and
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| activity oriented type? Do you enjoy
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| | moose, scuba diving, and ship wrecks. It
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| ruggedness or do you want more comfort?
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| | is truly a unique ecosystem to observe.
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| Do you like camping, fishing,
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| | The Western US has much more to offer in
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| backpacking, hiking, rock climbing,
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| | national parks. The most famous is
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| horseback riding, bird watching, wildlife
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| | Yellowstone where you will see Old
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| viewing, history, learning how some of
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| | Faithful and lots of other geothermal
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| the unique formations in the parks came
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| | marvels and one of the few places in the
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| to be there, snorkeling, swimming, scuba
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| | lower 48 to observe grizzly bears up
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| diving, sailing, boating, kayaking,
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| | close. You'll also see bison roaming very
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| whitewater rafting, photography, hunting,
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| | close by so be careful. It is located on
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| or just lazing around beautiful places?
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| | the border of Wyoming and Montana. There
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| The next thing to consider is how much do
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| | are numerous ranches and lodges to stay
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| you have to spend and how much time will
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| | at or you can camp out in the park. There
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| you have. There are so many national
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| | is also great fly fishing, kayaking,
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| parks and monuments that are relatively
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| | climbing and backpacking. Another biggie
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| close to people that it is not expensive
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| | is Grand Canyon National Park. This one
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| to get yourself there. Some of the
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| | is in Arizona, again on the border of
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| exciting wilderness areas in Alaska can
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| | Arizona and Nevada, but also close to the
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| be expensive to get to, but if you have
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| | southern Utah border. It is part of the
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| the money and enjoy the great outdoors,
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| | Grand Staircase, an immense sequence of
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| it is certainly worth going for an
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| | sedimentary rock layers that runs south
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| incredible experience you will not soon
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| | from Bryce Canyon National Park, through
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| forget.
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| | Zion National Park (both in Utah) and
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| That being said, it only remains to pick
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| | ends at the Grand Canyon. There is
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| your destination. Bear in mind, that
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| | camping, backpacking, day hiking,
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| almost any area has inexpensive travel
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| | whitewater rafting, and plenty of
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| options and moves up from there to more
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| | photography opportunities.
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| expensive ones. Also, just because you're
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| | Other great parks (although all of them
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| going to a national park, does not mean
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| | are super places to visit) in the west,
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| you have to 'rough it'. There are plenty
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| | are Yosemite, Channel Islands, Redwood,
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| of options for day hiking, climbing,
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| | Arches, Olympic, Grand Teton,
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| fishing, water sports, etc. that do not
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| | Canyonlands, Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon
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| involve sitting by a campfire enjoying
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| | of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, Crater Lake,
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| the great outdoors if that is just not
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| | Mt. Rainier, and Sequoia. All of these
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| your style.
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| | have great wide spread activities that
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| Camping is generally believed to be the
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| | will suit any vacationers' needs and
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| cheapest type of a vacation after you
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| | desires. Please check out our individual
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| make the initial investment of camping
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| | park pages for further information on
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| supplies. This can be a tidy sum, but
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| | each of these superb parks.
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| remember that the equipment usually lasts
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| | The Eastern United States also offer
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| for quite a few years. It is generally
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| | splendid options for vacationing. Acadia
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| true that camping fees at the parks are
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| | National Park in Maine has unsurpassed
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| cheaper than an average hotel room. And
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| | northern oceanside views and cliff
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| if you own an RV, you can camp in true
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| | climbing that you won't find in other
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| comfort. Most campgrounds are situated in
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| | parks. There's also fishing, island
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| gorgeous surroundings and allow you easy
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| | exploring, hiking and beautiful gardens
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| access to the park's highlights. There
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| | to gaze upon. Further down the eastern
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| are very few parks that don't have some
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| | side is Shenandoah National Park in the
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| kind of campgrounds. Also, when you camp,
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| | Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The
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| you usually cook your own food which also
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| | Appalachian Trail runs through the park
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| saves you money. And no, you don't have
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| | for 101 miles giving you plenty of hiking
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| to eat hotdogs all week unless that is
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| | and backpacking options. There's also
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| what you love!
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| | camping, fishing, bird watching and
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| Now, if you live in the Midwest, there
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| | horseback riding.
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| are plenty of park options within driving
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| | In Florida, you will find three national
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| distances that take no more than twelve
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| | parks and one preserve with the most
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| hours or less, depending where you live.
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| | famous being Everglades. Everglades is so
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| Of course, you can always choose to fly
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| | much more then what you've seen on TV.
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| anywhere, but some parks are a little
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| | The wildlife is phenomenal and makes it
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| distant from the nearest airport. Driving
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| | easy to get some great animal and bird
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| allows you the luxury of taking along
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| | shots. There's also wilderness camping,
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| everything you think you need for a
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| | (watch out for alligators!) canoeing,
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| comfortable stay.
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| | fishing, airboat rides, hiking, and rare
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| My favorite pick for the Midwest is Great
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| | as well as beautiful flora. Big Cypress
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| Smoky Mountains National Park. This is
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| | National Preserve is right by Everglades
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| hands down one of the best all-around
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| | and is very similar, but also offers
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| parks for the family. It falls within the
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| | cypress stands, mangrove forests,
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| states of Tennessee and North Carolina.
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| | endangered species of wildlife like the
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| You can choose to rough it on the
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| | peregrine falcon and the Florida panther.
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| Appalachian Trail, camp out in a
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| | Activities include fishing, biking,
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| developed campground or wilderness, or
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| | canoeing, hiking, and hunting. Biscayne
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| stay in anywhere from luxurious suites to
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| | National Park is off of the eastern tip
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| nice inexpensive hotels in nearby Pigeon
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| | of southern Florida. As the world's
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| Forge and Gatlinburg, TN. And, speaking
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| | third-longest coral reef tract, there are
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| of Pigeon Forge, you have Dollywood and
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| | snorkeling, scuba diving trips, sailing,
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| all the innumerable attractions they
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| | swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking
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| offer in the area. On the North Carolina
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| | opportunities, making it a celebrated
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| side you have more campgrounds, the city
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| | national park vacation for family
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| of Cherokee that has several Indian
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| | vacations or outdoor adventure-seeking
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| souvenirs and museums, whitewater rafting
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| | spring break crowds. Dry Tortugas
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| and fly fishing (the last two are
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| | National Park is a unique park preserving
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| actually offered in both states). The
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| | Fort Jefferson that was built during the
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| mountains are absolutely beautiful and
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| | Civil War but never finished, and the
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| make for great photo ops.
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| | nesting places of terns and sea turtles.
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| Another great choice is Indiana Dunes
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| | You will be able to enjoy Key West
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| National Lakeshore and State Park. They
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| | snorkeling, saltwater fishing, swimming,
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| also have camping and wildlife viewing,
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| | lighthouses, ship wreaks, hiking, beach
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| especially bird watching. A unique
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| | camping, boating, scuba diving, bird
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| shoreline allows for walking on the beach
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| | watching, and underwater photography of
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| or swimming in Lake Michigan. They even
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| | some of the best coral reef and marine
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| have areas for you to bring your own
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| | life areas down in Southern Florida.
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| horses and go horseback riding. For those
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| | Again, I want to stress that this has
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| of you that enjoy sightseeing and
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| | been just an overview of some of the
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| history, you can see the five World's
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| | impressive parks to be seen in our
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| Fair houses from 1933 or attend the
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| | national parks system. I urge you to dig
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| Gathering At Calumic in early May, where
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| | into our site and read some of the park
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| Eastern Woodland Indians and Western
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| | pages for the areas you are interested in
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| Great Lakes fur traders and Voyageurs
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| | visiting to find the perfect place for
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| reenact what life was like along the
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| | you to enjoy a wonderful vacation full of
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| Calumet River from 1730-1830.
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| | memories and remarkable photographs. A
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| If you enjoy boating, there are several
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| | lot of the research has already been done
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| places in the Midwest, but the two
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| | for you, so dive in! With the national
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| northern ones are Voyageurs National Park
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| | parks, your choices are truly endless.
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| and Isle Royale National Park. Voyageurs
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| | Corie Marks
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| is in Minnesota and Isle Royale is off of
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| | Adventure-Crew.
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| the northern coast of Michigan in Lake
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