Travel Destinations
Bosque del Apache – A refuge for fauna and flora
Bosque del Apache is Spanish for “Forest of the Apaches” and is rooted in the time when the Apaches, who routinely camped in the floodplain forests, were observed by the Spanish. Today, Bosque del Apache is one of the most spectacular wildlife refuges in North America. The skies darken each fall when cranes, Arctic geese, and…Read More
1880 Town – Cowboys, Costner and Camels
South Dakota is known primarily for its history carved in stone – to be more specific, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial with the four heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln; and the monumental Crazy Horse Memorial, which is still being chiseled, hammered and blasted to completion. However, the state…Read More
Lake Havasu Hot Air Balloon Festival
Update: It was not meant to be. Unfortunately, due to too strong winds, the Balloon Glow and the Drive In movie had to be canceled. Such a pity. The 10th Annual Lake Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair was canceled due to Covid-19 concerns, but the event’s organizers have planned four smaller, more socially distant events…Read More
Alcatraz – The Rock
As is well known, there is no accounting for taste. But when asked which city is the most beautiful in the world, one name always comes up: San Francisco. The “Belle of the Bay” fascinates with its location along a bay on the Pacific, its mild climate or the steep streets lined with Victorian-style houses…Read More
Big Bend National Park
Deep in the west of Texas, the remote beauty of Big Bend’s rugged mountains, canyons and expansive desert wilderness unfolds. The landscape looks like the backdrop for a John Wayne movie. Here, the Rio Grande forms the Mexican border. Although Big Bend is one of the largest US national parks, it is still a well-kept…Read More
Juneau, Alaska – Small Capital with Big Adventures
Even the approach to land in Juneau is most impressive. Smaller and larger islands appear intermittently in the vast waters before the pilot safely passes by the dense forests of Douglas Island, crosses the Gastineau Channel, and sets course for the international airport. The camera is already clicking a few times, despite the slightly dirty…Read More
Canyon de Chelly – Hidden Beauty
Tourists visit Yellowstone National Park, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Bryce, or Zion in droves – until now, Canyon de Chelly has been spared from hordes of visitors for the most part. While close to 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon annually, latest records indicate that just a couple hundred thousand included Canyon de…Read More
Sturgis – Biker Rally of Extremes
Soon, it’s the time of the year again! Every year in August, a small town nestled in the prairie of South Dakota, becomes the dream destination of hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists: Sturgis – also known as “Motorcycle City USA”, then turns into the party mile of Harley buffs. Half a million bikers make the…Read More
Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix
If you are traveling to Phoenix, visiting a botanical garden is not necessarily on your list of things to do. Right in the middle of the desert? When everything is in full bloom at home? You will certainly change your mind if you visit the Desert Botanical Garden. Plan on spending half a day there,…Read More
Crazy Horse – A Red Hero immortalized in Gray Stone
“Be careful, if Crazy Horse needs to sneeze,” warns Jim Hattervig and distributes protective helmets. This remark is not meant entirely seriously – but you never know. After all, the nose above the visitors´ heads provides easily space for the engine of a jumbo jet. The helicopter, which appears to the left, compares in size…Read More
Hi, I am Sonja
As Editor in Chief of Spirit of the West, the premier German language magazine about travel, lifestyle and adventure in the American West, I am now presenting our exciting stories in a blog for you in English. There is no other place that represents the spirit of freedom and adventure better than the American West. Let’s go!
