Author: Emily Gautreaux

American Attractions That You Shouldn’t Pass Up

Whenever you’re traveling across the United States of America, you might have the proclivity to visit the notable and famous landmarks that make this country iconic, outstanding, and special such as Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, Nevada’s Hoover Dam, or South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore National Monument. The only problem is that because these are some of the most notable tourist attractions in the country, countless other travelers will have already beaten you to the destination, which can lessen the experience. Thankfully, TravelPulse has compiled a list of the most underrated American attractions to be found in each state in the country, allowing you to explore unforgettable hidden gems like peculiar rock formations, often-forgotten national parks, and one-of-a-kind museums without a crowd of tourists at your heels.

While the total list features one American attraction per each of our fifty states, below is only a snippet of a few locations that each stands out from the pack in terms of iconography, natural majesty, and peculiarity. Be sure to independently look into any attraction before setting off to visit, as many have specific visiting guidelines and operations hours.

Downtown Oklahoma’s “Center of the Universe”

Located on the street north of Tulsa’s Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is an attraction that is said to be the “Center of the Universe.” In reality, this is a quirky acoustic anomaly that looks pretty unremarkable; it’s a small concrete circle located within a larger circle of bricks, but it’s the auditory sounds of this attraction that make it a must-visit for whenever you’re in Tulsa. When someone stands in the center of the circle and makes a noise, the sound is then echoed back several times louder than it was initially made, remarkably creating one’s own private echo chamber.

Pennsylvania’s Magic Gardens

The Magic Gardens of Pennsylvania aren’t just cutely-named; they are the features of truly transcendent ecosystems of beauty, wonder, and life that you’re able to visit and feel as though you’re in another point in time entirely. The Magic Gardens is a triple-threat: a non-profit organization, folk art environment, and gallery space that’s located on Philadelphia’s South Street. Spanning three city lots, the Magic Gardens is an expansive collection of works created by mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, encompassed in the form of indoor art galleries, a large outdoor labyrinth, and bounding collections of botanical gardens. Outside of the city, you can step foot into iconic centers of flora and fauna spectacle by visiting the 50-acre public garden and National Historic Landmark at Bartram’s Garden; over 1,077 acres of woodlands, gardens, and meadows at the Longwood (botanical) Gardens; or the other-worldly grounds surrounding the 17th Century-style home and nationally-ranked garden at West Fairmount Park’s Shofuso Japanese House and Garden.

Clear Lake, Iowa’s Surf Ballroom

Supplied with Ames, Des Moines, and the actual Field of Dreams which is located in Dubuque County, the state of Iowa has a lot of attractions worthy of a pitstop or full-intentioned visit. Despite this, there’s only a singular location in Iowa, specifically the town of Clear Lake, that is in and of itself a Historic Rock and Roll Landmark that could honestly be considered the setting of “The Day the Music Died,” otherwise known as the final performances of Rock and Roll titans Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. These three greats all performed for the last time on February 2, 1959, in Clear Lake’s The Surf Ballroom, which is a destination that you can step foot in to see just what Don Mclean was singing about in the ubiquitous ballad “American Pie.” Inundate yourself in Rock and Roll history by touring the Surf Ballroom, a venue that has monumental importance to an entire genre indebted to it the next time you’re considering a trip to Clear Lake’s waterfront.

 

All of these American attractions are definitely worth the trip.  For more travel-related news and information, click here.

 

Inaugural STEM Fest Allows Acadiana Students to Explore Big Concepts

Approximately 600 elementary and middle school students from Acadiana got to learn about complex science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts in a fun, interactive, and fully immersive way at the inaugural Acadiana STEM Fest, according to The Acadiana Advocate.

The event, Acadiana STEM Fest, was held in the University of Louisiana Student Union and was the result of a partnership between Peter Sheppard, the executive director for UL Lafayette’s Center for Excellence in Education,and STEM NOLA, a nonprofit focused on exposing communities to STEM learning opportunities.

In total, 40 activities, which were provided by STEM NOLA, were installed inside and around UL Lafayette’s student union and manned by UL Lafayette STEM and education students as well as volunteers from industry partners such as CGI and Fenstermaker. These 40 activities allowed 600 students from Acadia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion parishes to explore STEM concepts in ways that were much more inviting than traditional lecture and research-based methods.

The event allowed students to learn in nontraditional ways that were enhanced by technology. For instance, they could learn about how radio waves controlled drones by actually operating drones in a controlled environment or even learn about structural engineering by crafting sturdy, resilient structures made out of uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows. The director of the event, Peter Sheppard, was reported as saying that he wanted the students to realize that opportunities to learn and apply their knowledge exist far beyond traditional classrooms.

Sheppard spoke on the value of Acadiana STEM Fest’s approach to nontraditional learning by saying, “I think curriculums are restricted. Schools are restricted in what they can do. Those restrictions aren’t there in the real world. Exposure to STEM activities gives them the space to think and to do it and to be curious without having to be evaluated or judged. It can be fun. It can be useful. It can be practical. It can be intellectual.”

Other than having the methods by which the students learn be different from their traditional classrooms, Sheppard also strived to remove any barriers to access for students who otherwise wouldn’t have frequent and free exposure to STEM programing, activities, and learning opportunities such as girls, minority students, and those students from underserved or under-resourced communities.

Speaking on the benefits of the set of skills that one can gain through STEM-based learning, David Hawkins, the director of operations for STEM NOLA, emphasized that the world is becoming more and more STEM-focused by the day, citing the “growing ubiquity of artificial intelligence and computer-controlled equipment and machinery.”

Hawkins stressed the importance of students developing themselves from a root center by challenging their minds; he said, “When we expose our kids to the possibility of being a tennis star or golf star, they put in the time, work, and effort for it. If we expose our kids to the possibilities of being teachers, engineers, doctors, scientists – we train them to move in that direction. Early exposure gives them encouragement and the motivation to move in the direction of STEM. The skillset you learn in the STEM fields transcends throughout your life. Regardless of what you do, you’re going to have to be analytical, solve problems and you’re going to be faced with challenges.”

According to Sheppard, Acadiana STEM Fest is the first of seven planned camp-style events that the Center for Excellence and Education and its Region 4 STEM Network Center are hosting at UL Lafayette in the next few months, which is branded as “STEMulating Summer 2.0.” These upcoming events as well as the inaugural Acadiana STEM Fest were made possible by grant funds from the Louisiana Board of Regents and its LaSTEM Initiative.

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Mix Up Quesadilla Night With This Recipe

Honestly, not many dishes can beat a perfectly-seasoned, precisely-assembled, and carefully-cooked chicken quesadilla. Luckily, this delicious recipe from Food52 for simple and savory overstuffed chicken and broccoli quesadillas is guaranteed to hit the spot. This recipe provides you with a plate of cheesy wedges that are enveloped in a golden brown tortilla that’s crispy and flakey in texture as well as a medley of vegetables and shredded chicken that’s coupled together with melted cheese; all of which is sure to be a perfect dinnertime staple.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken
  • 3 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese or alternative shredded cheese
  • 4 teaspoons of unsalted butter (divided)
  • 8 8-inch flour tortillas
  • 1 cup of chopped onions
  • ½ teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 2 cups of chopped broccoli
  • ½ cup of roughly chopped spinach
  • ½ cup of roughly chopped kale
  • 2 tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable or 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3-4 dollops of guacamole, for serving
  • 3-4 dollops of Sour cream, for serving
  • ½ cup of salsa, for serving

Directions:

  1. You’ll want to begin this recipe by heating a large skillet over medium-high heat; once the bottom of the skillet is properly heated, add in your single tablespoon of the cooking oil of choice- either vegetable or olive oil.  Once it’s spread throughout the pan, add in your onion and broccoli, season it with salt and pepper, and then sauté the contents of your skillet for 3 minutes when the vegetables begin to soften.
  2. At this point, you’ll add your spinach, kale, garlic, and chili powder into the skillet. Using a wooden spoon, combine everything by stirring until you can smell the garlic, the spinach and kale has wilted, and everything is well combined. Then, stir in your cilantro, empty the skillet by placing the mixture into a bowl, and stir in your 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken until everything is blended. You have a couple of options for how you get your 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken. If you have the time, you may cook and shred your own chicken breasts, or if you’re low on time, you can purchase a supermarket rotisserie chicken and tear it up with a fork or your washed hands.
  3. After your skillet is empty, you’ll want to wash and dry it fully before placing it back onto medium heat. Once it’s warmed up, add and melt a half teaspoon of butter into the skillet. Then, place a tortilla in the pan, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture that you set aside earlier over half of the tortilla, and distribute 1/8th of the chicken and vegetable mixture over the cheese. Then, top this mixture with an additional 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.  Be especially careful to not overindulge and make your quesadillas structurally unsound by overwhelming the tortillas.
  4. Using a spatula, flip the bare half of the tortilla over the filling, press it down with the spatula, and cover the pan. Sauté the pan for approximately 2 minutes until the bottom of the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese has started to melt; then use the spatula to flip the half-moon quesadilla. Continue to cook this opposite side for 2-3 minutes in an uncovered pan until all of the cheese is melted and the underside is browned. If you’re confident in your quesadilla-cooking abilities, you can cook two at a time by nestling each half-moon tortilla in the same pan with their flat ends against one another.
  5. After both sides are cooked, remove each quesadilla to a cutting board and let it sit for at least one minute until you slice it into 2 or 3 wedges. Repeat the above step until all quesadillas are cooked. Serve your quesadillas alongside guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, and enjoy!

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State Parks to Visit in Texas this Summer

If you were to attempt to drive across the width of the state of Texas, it would take you approximately 14 to 16 total hours, thus allowing you many opportunities to survey one of the 88 total State Parks in the area. Luckily, Southern Living has compiled a trusted list to help parse down that directory to just nine “Best State Parks in Texas To Visit for a Lone Star Adventure,” an article by Kaitlyn Yarborough.

The state of Texas is so large that it is not only twice as large as Japan or Germany, but it’s also 10% larger than France. Because it is the second-largest state in America, averaging a length of approximately 790 miles and a width of 773 miles, there’s plenty of area for a variety of landscapes and a diversity of natural features across its total landmass. One of the most surprising facts about the state of Texas is that the Lone Star State “is so large that El Paso, Texas is closer to San Diego, California than it is to Houston, Texas. Similarly, Orange, Texas is closer to Jacksonville, Florida than it is to El Paso, Texas.” Because of this massive size, there are dozens of state parks ready to be explored throughout the state that occupies approximately 7% of the total land and water area of our country.

State Park attendance in the United States has reportedly “skyrocketed across the South in recent years,” according to Southern Living Magazine, so there’s never been quite a time like this upcoming summer season to survey what the great state of Texas has to offer, whether it be deserts found in Western Texas or the bayou-adjacent areas of Eastern Texas.

One of the featured State Parks on the list that had near-immediate name recognition among the trendy and well-traveled is Pedernales Falls State Park. As the entry notes, Texan singer-songwriter Willie Nelson once penned a ballad to the Pedernales River, a water feature to which this State Park owes its cascading waters. Located just 30 miles west of the “weird capital of the country,” Austin, this park is quite popular among visitors to the vibrant city with many of them driving over for an extended afternoon or weekend trip, and it’s for good reason!

What makes Pedernales Falls State Park is its collection of off-beat landscape features, namely its impressive system of massive cascading slabs of limestone that are leftover from prehistoric eras. What results is some of the most beautiful and unique scenery in all of the Texas Hill Country. The area is lush with several miles of trails that allow visitors many different pathways to survey the terrain and its various nooks and crannies that can be found among the boulders in the riverbeds and along the sandy shoreline of the Pedernales River.

As mentioned above, the landscape of Eastern Texas can sometimes resemble the more water-centric State Parks of Florida or Louisiana, especially when one visits a terrain that is wholly different from the other State Parks in the area. Caddo Lake State Park is just one of those parks that you have to actually visit in order to truly understand that it’s located in Texas. The collection of Texan bayous, sloughs, ponds, and bald-cypress trees that are draped with the iconically-southern Spanish moss all attribute to a bizarre experience to any visitors who have driven in from the Western perimeter of the state. Check out one of the campsites in the area to truly take in the variety of wildlife and water activities that can be experienced in one of the most unique parks in Texas.

Lastly, one stand-out among the State Parks featured on Southern Living’s list is indicative of the out-of-this-world scenery that is often attributed to the West Texas area. Located near the New Mexico border, Texas’s Monahans Sandhills State Park features acres upon acres of rolling sandhills that resemble an ocean- especially with the locals who like to surf along the top of the dunes on rentable sand discs. Similarly, the extraterrestrial-adjacent area also offers visitors an 800-acre equestrian area for some of the most desert-theme horseback riding that you can experience in the Lone Star State.

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Where to Camp in Big Sur

Located along the Pacific Coast Highway in the sunny, effervescent state of California is a scenic paradise in the form of a rugged and mountainous section of the country called Big Sur, and when you’re supplied with this useful guide for the eight best locations to go camping in Big Sur from the writers over at Travel + Leisure, you’ll be able to see the most unforgettable parts of the area.

If you’re interested in seeing the magnificently jagged cliffs, breathtaking coastline, towering redwood trees, and meandering hiking trails that allow you to “take it all in,” then you’ll likely want to check out the several state parks, national forest campsites, and privately owned campgrounds located within Big Sur. The different offerings of the types of camping experiences that you can find at Big Sur all depend on what type of camping you are most interested or comfortable in. No matter which option you select, once you turn off the unforgettable Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll find yourself nestled in the majesty of nature, complete with the ambiance and atmosphere of fresh, pure relaxation.

Appropriately named, the Big Sur Campgrounds and Cabins is an option for those looking for a camping or lodging experience that is all about “back to basics.” A destination that is preferred by families, the Big Sur Campgrounds and Cabins prides itself on providing its guests a spotlessly clean, peacefully quiet, and invitingly friendly environment for all. In order to accomplish this heavenly atmosphere, they mandate a quiet time from 10 pm to 8 am every day, and if you’ve ever spent a weekend hiking in the mountains before, you know that you could be very likely to fill those hours with sleep.

The campgrounds also feature areas for RVs to be parked or tents to be pitched along the forest floor against the towering California Redwood trees. Each tent site is supplied with hot showers, which is certain to help alleviate you after a long day exploring the area, and the RV camping sites offer access to electricity, water, and a dump station. Additionally, they offer rentable inner tubes to help you enjoy the cool river water and several styles of cabins ranging from classically rustic to glamorously modern, and they can be booked here.

One Big Sur campground that is guaranteed to give you one of the best views imaginable is the Kirk Creek Campground located within the ever-sprawling Los Padres National Forest. What sets these campgrounds apart from the test is that each campsite is located on an open bluff that’s 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. That means there is quite literally nothing standing in your way when you’re trying to take in the scenic views that Big Sur is famous for. Due to the remoteness of the campgrounds, be sure to fill up your water jugs, canteens, and other containers so that you can stay hydrated throughout the day or night.

No matter where you choose to stay in Big Sur, certain rules of common courtesy are expected to be followed by all guests in order to preserve the magnificence, cleanliness, and sanctimony of the area. Among these rules is the golden rule of park visiting that is “leave no trace left behind.” In order to follow this, it is expected that you properly dispose of all trash and plastics throughout your journey. Another guideline is to not feed any wildlife, be that intentionally or unintentionally, so as to keep a safe environment for all. Lastly, it’s important to be knowledgeable of the latest travel alerts for the area that you’re planning to travel to, so be sure to check out the latest CDC guidance.

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BCBS of Louisiana Foundation Awards Nicholls a Disaster Response Grant

Nicholls State University will soon be able to offer need-based scholarships to help students return to campus after having previously left in the wake of Hurricane Ida. According to this news release from the school, a $100,000 disaster response grant will be utilized to create these scholarships, which will be helpful to students wanting to return to their degree plans.

It was announced by the university in May 2022 that a $100,000 disaster response grant was awarded by The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. It was also announced that the funds would be utilized so that students who had halted their learning due to Hurricane Ida’s detrimental impact on the area would be able to qualify for a needs-based scholarship that would offset the cost of re-enrolling & returning to classes.

Nicholls State University President Dr. Jay Clune commented on BCBSLA’s award by saying, “even though others outside of South Louisiana have long stopped talking about the effects of Hurricane Ida, we are still feeling the impacts every single day. We are grateful for this partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield. I don’t like to think of where we would be without the support of our wonderful industry and community partners.”

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, the destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane that made its landfall near Port Fourchon on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, it was reported that an estimated 25% of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish homes were destroyed or declared uninhabitable. Additionally, approximately two-thirds of the Nicholls community reported that their homes were destroyed or uninhabitable. Once the storm passed, the BCBSLA Foundation had committed $5 million in funds to areas affected by Ida, and other communities across the Gulf Coast also stepped up.

Earlier this year, The Courier reported that Nicholls State’s spring enrollment had dropped 10% from the previous year, attributing the decline to Hurricane Ida as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In August of 2021, Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune announced that the school would essentially restructure its retention and recruitment strategies. As a result, the university’s decision to have recruitment and retention efforts managed by the Office of Academic Affairs, specifically being led by Sue Westbrook, provost and president for Academic Affairs, and Renee Hicks, assistant vice president of Institutional Effectiveness, Access, and success.

It was then reported that the university’s fall-to-spring retention rate of first-time freshmen had increased by 7.9 percentage points from the previous year to be listed at 90.5%. This was the first time that this retention rate had surpassed 90% in over a decade, thus signaling that Nicholls’ restructuring was beginning to pay off. Renee Hicks interpreted the data by saying, “when we post retention rates like this, it means our entire campus community has come together to provide extraordinary support for our students during the recovery from a major hurricane on top of a pandemic.”

Dr. Clune commented on the promising data, saying, “in addition to our strong retention rates, we also see applications are up year-to-year. I attribute that to our data-led approach to recruitment and retention by Ms. Hicks and her team. With a new marketing campaign and increased recruitment and retention efforts, we anticipate a return to an upward trend in enrollment.”

Pair this earlier indicator of rising enrollment rates with these new needs-based scholarships established from The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation’s $100,000 disaster response grant, and it’s even clearer to see that not just the campus community of Nicholls is coming together to come out of Hurricane Ida stronger than before, but the surrounding community of Houma, Thibodaux, and the State of Louisiana is banding together as well.

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