Innehållsförteckning för September 2022 från Country Extra

FROM THE EDITOR Fall is almost here. Our peaches and plums are harvested and preserved, and there’s a faint trace of orange creeping into our maple trees. It’s September, a glorious month when the temperatures begin to cool, the bugs are almost gone, the kids head back to school, and our national and state parks are less crowded. It’s the perfect time to plan a road trip. With fall on the horizon, art director Carole Ross gathered a collection of photographs celebrating autumn in our national parks. Your journey into this kaleidoscope of color begins on page 18. Writer Amelia Mularz bypasses the wine tastings in California’s Russian River Valley and opts to enjoy the area’s outdoor recreation. Read about her adventures in the trees starting on page 30. Readers…

As I carried my bucket and hand shovel in the bright spring sunshine at Crater of Diamonds State Park, I was dreaming of striking it rich. Inspired by the recent find of a 4.38-carat yellow diamond that Noreen and Michael Wredberg of Granite Bay, California, unearthed here in 2021, I strained my eyes to catch a gleam or a bit of shine in the vast field of turned dirt. This wasn’t my first diamond-hunting expedition in this park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. My parents brought my brother and me here numerous times in the 1980s. Although I never found a diamond, I was thrilled with the glimmering pieces of quartz and the muddy-red garnets I pocketed during those trips. Arkansas is the only state in the U.S. that regularly produces gem-grade…

I DID IT ■ The “golden hour” is the first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset, when the lighting is soft and diffused. The “blue hour” is usually the 20 to 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, when the sun is below the horizon. ■ Scout a location beforehand if possible and make a note of the sun’s location for the sunrise or sunset. Then you’ll know ahead of time where to set up the tripod. ■ Arrive 45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to allow time to set up. ■ Stay for the entire sunset, as the best images are often taken as the sun dips below the horizon. Remember to look in all dire tions. The sky behind you an also offer a colorful…

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 1. Share your photos and stories with us using the online form, country-magazine.com/submit. 2. Note which department you are submitting for, and whether the material has been published before. However, your item may be selected to run in any section of our magazine, or elsewhere. 3. We do not return submitted materials. Although we are unable to acknowledge receipt of a submission, we will let you know if it is published. 4. We a ept high-resolution digital images. Digital images should be about 4x6 in hes at a minimum resolution of 300 dots per in h, or about 1200x1800 pixels. Photos must be in focus and of good quality. Please send submissions only through our online form. 5. If we print your submission in the magazine, we will…

Our friends at Birds & Blooms connect you with birds and gardening in the new book Everyday Nature Secrets 2022. WONDERS OF NATURE Find expert tips and fascinating facts along with stunning illustrations and photos. ORDER TODAY Buy your opy online for $10 (plus free shipping!) atbirdsandblooms.com/ONNX WANT MORE TRIP IDEAS? CHECK OUT In the Oct/Nov issue… • Find the best of autumn—corn mazes, pumpkin farms and fall foliage. • Take a unique tour through Ohio’s Amish Country. • Discover the tranquil landscapes of Pembina Gorge in North Dakota. Subscribe atcountry-magazine.com…

Retro Retreat Keep to your diamond theme and stay at the cozy Queen of Diamonds Inn in Murfreesboro. Located just five minutes from Crater of Diamonds State Park, this renovated 1902 Victorian home oozes vintage charm.diamondsinn.com BBQ Break Fortify yourself with some of the best barbecue in Arkansas at Hot Springs’ famous McClard’s, a family-run barbecue restaurant since 1928. Frequented by celebrities and even a president, McClard’s is a favorite of both locals and visitors. If you want something truly filling and decadent, try the tamale plate.mcclards.com Lake Resort Cozied up against the shores of Lake Ouachita in Mount Ida, the Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa is Arkansas’ premier lake resort. With 900 miles of shoreline, plenty of luxurious glamping cabins and a world-class spa, it’s the perfect place to…

THIS PLACE MATTERS ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, four American commercial airplanes were hijacked, each with a specific target. Two of the airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center twin towers, and one plane crashed into the Pentagon. The last, United Airlines Flight 93, never reached its planned U.S. Capitol destination thanks to the brave actions of the 40 passengers and crew members on board. The Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania, was built on the site where the plane went down and honors those valiant men and women. The Tower of Voices, a 93-foot musical memorial that contains 40 wind chimes representing the voices of the crew and passengers of Flight 93, serves as a welcoming beacon to visitors entering the park. In the visitor center you can listen…

THEN AND NOW 1923 Hikers trekked to Specimen Ridge, which overlooks the Lamar Valley, for a glimpse of the fossil forest. 2020 The rigorous 3.8-mile Spe imen Ridge Day Hike Trail is one of a few trails that lead to these petrified trees. ORIGINS Eruptions from the Absaroka volcanoes created mudslides of debris that buried the trees. BIGGEST AND BEST Yellowstone’s is the largest collection of petrified trees in the world, and includes spruce, pine and cypress. The trees are unusual because the petrification process preserved their organic matter. PLAN AHEAD Learn more about the fossil forest and visiting conditions at nps.gov/yell…

TOP FINDS FEED THE BIRDS More than 200 olorful Australian budgerigars flitter through the Budgie Aviary. Purchase a feed stick and have them eating right out of your hand. TOUR THE WORLD You’ll see wildlife from around the world in their habitats, from African primates to North American grizzlies and South American toucans. ROTATING EXHIBITS In 2022, visitors an see 16 giant sea life s ulptures made entirely of marine debris collected from Oregon beaches. JBZOO.ORG…

WILD THINGS ENTERTAINING SUBJECTS Sea otters are so much fun because they are mischievous animals that are often up to something or having a good time. I enjoy watching them dive down to grab food and seeing what they come up with. LIFE ON THE WATER Sea otters spend most of their time in the water and live in groups. A group of resting sea otters is called a raft. They sleep floating on their backs, holding hands so they don’t drift apart. Mothers hold their babies on their stomachs. WHERE TO GO I go to Alaska to photograph them, but sea otters are also found in many areas along the California coast. Before you go, research coastal areas to make sure otters are frequently seen there. CHALLENGES Photographing sea…

ARRIVE For easiest a ess, fly into the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (named after the Peanuts creator). Oakland International Airport (about a 60-minute drive) and San Francisco International Airport (about a 90-minute drive) are options, too. EAT Step back in time at Underwood Bar and Bistro in Graton, which has the feel of a retro Parisian eatery. Or, chow down on the area’s bounty at Boon Eat + Drink, a farm-to-table restaurant serving California cuisine. SIP Soak up nature and the local pinot noir at the same time. Red Car Wine offers forest bathing (or meditative walks) in its Freestone vineyard—wine tasting included. Horse & Plow in Sebastopol has an inviting outdoor area and offers ider in addition to wine. SHOP Grab lunch and a souvenir at Altamont General…

1. WET AND WILD Our family hiked the Narrows in Zion National Park. It was an adventure, sometimes in water up to our armpits and with backpacks held overhead! KIMBERLY CURTIS ORLANDO, FL 2. SMOOTH AS GLASS As my wife and I drove along Highway 200 near Trout Creek in western Montana, we came upon this beautiful scene at the Clark Fork River. NICHOLAS KRANTZ STANWOOD, WA 3. RASCALLY RANGER A marmot instructs hikers to stay on the trail in Mount Rainier National Park during our road trip in Washington. NATHANIEL GONZALES BALTIMORE, MD 4. SIZING IT UP In Acadia National Park, my father provides some perspective for the large rock overhang on the Giant Ledge trail up Sargent Mountain. ERIN STENROS GREENE, NY 5. SERENE SCENERY While motorcycling in…