When one thinks of Ikaria, the lovely and remote Greek island, one thinks of pebble beaches, craggy mountainsides, and meandering roads. Tucked away, however, in the middle of the island lies a rare gem; the old, rare, and protected Randi Forest that visitors can hike to.
When traveling through the southwest, one of my favorite national parks by far was the Petrified Forest National Park. This park located in northeastern Arizona is naturally and culturally significant and quite beautiful. This area is strewn with colorful fossilized logs that date back to the Late Triassic Period. About 2,000 years ago, humans settled in and built little communities here.
Meandering trails take you throughout the park, giving you glimpses of trees that look like works of art and pueblos from hundreds to thousands of years ago show you how these prehistoric people lived. There’s even one home that looks like it was made from precious stones, which it kind of is.
One of my bucket list items in life has always been to hike in the Black Forest; the very same forest where Hansel and Gretel got lost. So during our drive through this part of Germany, we spent a few days exploring the area, and hiked the Feldberg Steig trail. We were in the very same woods where Little Red Riding Hood encountered the wolf and my heart couldn’t be happier.
The Lisha Kill Preserve is a beautiful place, and echoes the feeling I had while traipsing though the Black Forest in Germany. The forests here consist of tall, dark trees and soft pine needles trail riddled with roots to walk on. It’s simply magical.