| The word unique will have different meaning to | | | | changing my mind. I’ve been turned onto Zion |
| different people, and not all will agree on which park | | | | National Park in Utah and the slot canyons of the |
| is the most unique. I have found one park that just | | | | southwest. Zion Canyon is just awesome. I have also |
| struck me as unique. I wonder if you will agree. | | | | recently taken my first journey into the Grand |
| Visiting the National Parks, National Monuments, | | | | Staircase Escalante National Monument also known as |
| Wilderness areas and State Parks in the United | | | | GSENM. It was really just a quick trip through the |
| States can be an adventure. I’ve been visiting, | | | | monument on one of the remote wilderness roads |
| climbing, hiking and taking photographs in these parks | | | | that crosses from near Kodachrome State Park to |
| for years. Certainly, I could say that almost every | | | | Southern Utah, near the Arizona border. It may turn |
| park is unique. I am an outdoors type of person and | | | | out to be the most unique. Which park do you think |
| enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and incredible views. | | | | is most unique? |
| These parks are wonderful for people who enjoy | | | | All those hours of loading data in the |
| these types of activities: | | | | adventurezonetours message boards gave me a |
| • Hiking | | | | chance to see parks, monuments and wilderness |
| • Camping | | | | areas in the USA, and some areas I have not visited. |
| • Cycling | | | | One park stood out as a bit unique to me. It is in |
| • ATV | | | | Michigan and I have not visited it. I doubt that you |
| • Scenic Drives | | | | have visited it either! The park is a state park called |
| • Horseback Riding | | | | Meridian - Baseline State Park. It is not open to the |
| • Wildlife | | | | public, so how could we have visited it? Here’s |
| • Rafting | | | | the link for information about this state park. Check it |
| • Fishing | | | | out! |
| • Hunting | | | | Meridan - Baseline State Park |
| • Canyoneering | | | | So, I guess since this park is not open to the public, it |
| • Photography | | | | has struck me as very unique. Would you agree? |
| • Water sports and boating | | | | The Meridan – Baseline State Park is 88 acres |
| • Caves and exploring | | | | and preserves a marker that was used for the |
| After all these years of traveling and exploring the | | | | Michigan Survey. In general here is what the marker |
| hardest part always seems to be the research time. | | | | preserves. |
| I’ll visit website after website finding the | | | | At the end of the Revolutionary War, there were |
| parks or areas of interest that I want to explore, | | | | only thirteen states. The territory of land between |
| then onto researching where I’m going to | | | | the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River |
| stay. Then to the task of mapping out the travel | | | | were in question. |
| time details to make the trek comfortable as I go | | | | The new Continental Congress was asking these |
| from the first location to the next activity, to the | | | | states to give up any claims of ownership of these |
| accommodations and so on. To solve this inefficiency | | | | lands to the federal government. Virginia, |
| a group of us outdoor enthusiasts have been | | | | Massachusetts, and Connecticut all claimed large |
| creating a website with all the National Parks, National | | | | chunks of this land. A large chunk of Michigan had |
| Monuments, State Parks and Wilderness Areas all | | | | been chartered to Virginia from King James in 1609, |
| located in one forum message board for adventure | | | | at the time this was the Northwest Territory. In 1787 |
| travelers to read, share and post their trip reports. I | | | | a territory was established by congress in what is |
| invite you to visit. We bought the web domain name | | | | now Michigan. After a new territory grew to a |
| adventurezonetours and have been busy loading | | | | population of 60,000 free citizens, it could petition |
| basic data for each location. Now it’s all in one | | | | Congress to become a state. This new state could |
| place. | | | | then have all the rights of the original 13 states. At |
| So, which park do you think is the most unique? I | | | | that time a survey would happen and thus, in 1815 |
| have always just loved Glacier National Park in | | | | two men were hired to establish accurately the |
| Montana and have been drawn back for visit after | | | | location of the base line and the principal meridian |
| visit. But, in the last couple of years I seem to be | | | | which are preserved by this marker. |