Sandra Friend

Sandra Friend

For three decades, I've shared my love of travel, hiking, and the outdoors with people like yourself through my articles, books, and photography.
24
Jan
A set of four pinball machines glowing in a darkened room

Angles of Trajectory

Playing pinball is a type of zen: it keeps you firmly in the moment. And so it was I tamed my mind at the Classic Arcade Pinball Museum in Chattanooga and learned the history of the game, too.
5 min read
20
Sep
Ford driving a street mottled with oil spots past cars parked under the trees

Cars, Cars, Everywhere!

More than 700 vintage vehicles descended on Greenfield Village in Dearborn for the 2025 Old Car Festival, and my, was it a head-turner!
1 min read
24
Nov
Woman's silhoutte atop a sand dune

Scaling the Outer Banks Dunes

The dunes of the Outer Banks aren't what they were when the Wright Brothers succeeded at powered flight at Kitty Hawk, but two preserves give you a place to scramble sandy heights.
3 min read
07
Apr
Pitcher plants in Wilmington NC

Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden

For an immersion into the weird and wonderful world of carnivorous plants, this natural setting in Wilmington, North Carolina focuses on their delicate beauty.
4 min read
02
Apr
Gazebo at Oak Hill

Martha Berry's Oak Hill

Designed by landscape architect Robert Cridland, the gardens surrounding Martha Berry's home at Oak Hill range from formal garden rooms to woodlands ablaze in spring blossoms.
8 min read
29
Mar
Woodland gardens at Kalmia Gardens

Kalmia Gardens

A beautiful blend of well-tended gardens and natural woodlands on a high bluff at Coker College, Kalmia Gardens provides both botanical and geologic surprises.
5 min read
29
Mar
Woodland garden at Aldridge Botanical Gardens

Aldridge Botanical Gardens

With a parade of blooms for every season, Aldridge Botanical Gardens south of Birmingham features one of the top collections of hydrangeas in the Southeast, a legacy to the family that propagated and patented the Snowflake hydrangea.
5 min read
28
Mar
Amarillo Botanical Gardens desert plants

Amarillo Botanical Gardens

An unexpected oasis in the dryness of the Texas Panhandle, the compact Amarillo Botanical Gardens are centered around a humid tropical conservatory.
3 min read
28
Mar
Woodlands at Huntsville Botanical Gardens

Huntsville Botanical Garden

Home to the National Trillium Collection, this mosaic of woodland gardens and formal spaces provide a natural contrast to the adjoining NASA facilities in Alabama's own "Rocket City."
2 min read
28
Mar
Bellingrath Gardens

Bellingrath Gardens

With stunning azalea blooms in season and carefully landscaped thematic gardens across 65 acres, Bellingrath Gardens enchants with its beauty and its location.
2 min read