Established in 1891, Itasca is Minnesota’s oldest State Park. In this 32,000 acre sanctuary, the mighty Mississippi River begins its 2,552 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Points of interest include old growth pine at Preacher’s Grove, Peace Pipe Vista, bison kill site and over 100 lakes.
Videographer: Kevin Kjergaard.
Country Life Magazine – November 1, 2023: The new issue features the rural delights of Durslade Farm to the heart of Mayfair; The secret garden in Regent’s Park in London; Norman Foster, the architect who helped shape the capital; the historic American bars that offer a taste of the US on this side of the pond, and more…
The art historian picks a steely-eyed painting that signalled the invention of the self-portrait
Carla Carlisle ponders the story of the Promised Land and hopes that common sense prevails
The future is bright for Lytham Hall after locals stepped in to save the house at the heart of the Lancashire estate, as John Martin Robinson discovers
Tiffany Daneff visits a garden in Kent planted for wildlife and surrounded by new woodland
Kate Green admires the hardy Lincoln Red, a low-input rare breed that produces quality beef
From horn dancing to burning barrels and cheese rolling, Harry Pearson delves into weird and wonderful British folk festivals
The black horse is a symbol of strength and courage. Celia Brayfield gallops through the history of the fabled steed
Melanie Johnson savours the turnip’s sweet and nutty flavour, perfect with scallops
Know your ‘fubbs’ from your ‘fizzle’ — Matthew Dennison investigates 18th-century slang
Country Life Magazine – October25, 2023: The new issue features Native Breeds – celebrating the noble Shire horse; Taken by storm – artists from Rembrandt to J.M.W. Turner in the eye of the storm; Lighting-up time – Magical autumn colours make Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex….
‘England’s past has been borne on his back’: Kate Green cele-brates the noble Shire horse, a gentle and patient servant
Michael Prodger examines the artist in the eye of the storm, from a gale-tossed Rembrandt to a J. M. W. stomach-Turner
More than a century after The Wind in the Willows was written, the exploits of Ratty, Mole and Toad continue to entertain, as Matthew Dennison discovers
Riding a Victorian high wheeler for 400 miles across war-torn Ukraine was a real eye-opener for adventurer Neil Laughton
Kitchens can be so much more than mere functional spaces, as three leading interior designers reveal to Arabella Youens
Magical autumn colours make Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex a place for all seasons, suggests Charles Quest-Riston
The Guide Dogs for the Blind chairman selects his favourite characterful animal painting
Mary Miers finds that the spirit of the Arts-and-Crafts Movement is alive and well as she visits Ballone Castle, a remarkable Scottish tower-house restoration
Simon Lester endeavours to untangle the natural wonder that is the spiderweb—gossamer thin, but stronger than steel
John Lewis-Stempel conquers the timeless Sussex Downs, before an October storm forces him to beat a hasty retreat
Hetty Lintell explores bespoke eyewear, Penhaligon’s potions and remedies, and the life and legacy of Coco Chanel, Prof Tim Spector shares his favourite things, plus beautiful and practical navigation watches
Melanie Johnson welcomes pumpkins to her autumn kitchen
Country Life Magazine – October18, 2023: The latest issue features Norfolks – Little pockets of fun; The real Macnab – great adventures in the field; Britain’s loneliest trees; Beethoven’s Austria and Amsterdam’s canal life, and more…
In memory of the Sycamore Gap tree, so callously cut down, we salute its fellow arboreal sentinels of Britain
The Editor and The Judge set off across the Tulchan estate in pursuit of a stag, a brace of grouse and a salmon, in the spirit of John Buchan’s hero
The author picks a scene full of the thrill of the racecourse
The rural people of Scotland are reeling under a prejudiced new law on hunting. Jamie Blackett despairs for the fox
What makes a building English? Steven Brindle considers the answer, from soaring cathedral vaults to austere Palladian villas and rambling country piles
Kate Green luxuriates in the luscious locks of the Leicestershire Longwool
Few creatures face as difficult a journey as the salmon does to and from its spawning grounds. Simon Lester follows in its wake
A dramatic kitchen and why it’s time to cuddle up in British wool
Charles Quest-Ritson takes the well-worn path to the famed nursery of Larch Cottage in Cumbria
Behind hounds or on the marsh, casting for a salmon or stalking a stag, nothing stirs Adrian Dangar’s heart as fieldsports do
Melanie Johnson finds the perfect pairing for hazelnuts
Videographer: Charles Schultz. @NationalParkService
Country Life Magazine – October11, 2023: The latest issue features the rise of the super cottage, autumn berries and how to win at conkers.
Simon Lester swings into the win-at-all-costs world of that old playground chestnut: conkers
This small and secretive bird is becoming ever-more rare, but there is hope, finds Vicky Liddell
Independent bookshops are thriving against the high-street odds. Catriona Gray selects a few of her favourites from the shelf
Giles Kime picks 10 blasts from the past that are back in fashion, Eleanor Doughty marvels at Nels Crosthwaite Eyre’s light touch, Bee Osborn hails the rise of the super cottage and Amelia Thorpe visits a resurgent Pimlico Road
In the second of two articles, John Goodall focuses on London’s St Bartholomew’s Hospital
The ‘picturesque’ New Forest pony is central to centuries-old grazing rights, finds Kate Green
Fiery autumn tints catch the eye of Jane Powers in the secluded Cliff House Garden in Co Dublin
Katherine Cole hails campaigner Miles Hadfield, who fought to save a host of historic gardens
Pumpkins and squashes have long been an inspiration to chefs and artists, reveals Lia Leendertz
Brown is the colour this season, so it’s chocs away for Hetty Lintell
Country Life Magazine – October 4, 2023: The latest issue features the silvery spectacle of ethereal mist as it coats the countryside; Autumn’s beauty as a source of inspiration for artists from van Gogh and Monet to David Hockney, and more…
John Lewis-Stempel revels in the silvery spectacle of ethereal mist as it coats the countryside, moving in its mysterious ways
Autumn’s beauty is a source of inspiration for artists from van Gogh and Monet to David Hockney, finds Michael Prodger
In the first of two articles, John Goodall explores the founding of St Bartholomew’s in London
NEW YORK TIMES TRAVEL (September 25, 2023) – Here are five beautiful places to catch the leaves — and while you’re there, you can peek out of covered bridges, gaze up at waterfalls, ride a tramway or a train, or even try to spot a legendary Bigfoot-like creature known as the Grassman.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Driving the White Mountains Trail, a 108-mile loop that winds through groves of gold birches, bronze beeches, and orange, yellow and red mountain maples, you may find yourself unable to resist stopping in the middle of a covered bridge to peek through the walls.
The Albany Covered Bridge, which crosses the rocky Swift River in the White Mountain National Forest near Conway, N.H., is one of 54 remaining covered bridges in the state. Built in 1858, it features a red roof and weathered brown walls with gaps that let the leaves peep at you.
MASSACHUSETTS
From the study at his farmhouse in Pittsfield, in western Massachusetts, Herman Melville gazed at 3,491-foot Mount Greylock, whose humped shape possibly inspired the white whale in “Moby-Dick.” When the trees on that hump start to change, it becomes more of a gloriously mottled whale.
The mountain’s colors typically peak in early to mid-October, with golds, bright oranges and vivid reds, mainly from tamarack, striped maple and yellow birch. The wet summer may lead to some spotting and discoloration on some leaves, said Nicole Keleher, the director of forest health for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, but she predicted a wide variety of colors overall.
GEORGIA
The Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway, a 40-mile loop through the nearly 867,000-acre Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, winds through mountains drenched in the yellows of tulip poplars, the crimsons of dogwood, and the scarlets and purples of maples — with most expected to peak the week of Oct. 24, said Steven Bekkerus, a public affairs officer for the forest.
Deep in those woods, you’ll find two waterfalls to complement the autumn palette.
OHIO
From a vintage rail car on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, the reds and golds of Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio’s only national park, roll by — and if you see a shadow darting among the trees, it could be the Ohio Grassman, also known as the eastern Bigfoot, a creature reputed to reside in the woods there.
The colors, which peak in mid- to late October, “range from brilliant reds of the sugar maples to the deep browns of the white oaks,” said Pamela Barnes, a public information officer at the park, which is just south of Cleveland.
In Aspen, Colo., some fans of fall foliage go to extremes for a spectacular view – namely, jumping off a cliff above a sea of autumnal oranges, reds, yellows and golds. Correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti reports on paragliding in a leaf peeper’s paradise.
Boomers Daily 