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There is no destination greater for adventure lovers than the United States. This beautiful country is like a natural playground with stunning mountain ranges, epic lakes, thick forests, vast desert, swampland and plenty more. It boasts some of the greatest natural wonders on the planet and is also home to amazing wildlife. Here are a few of the best and most overlooked places to visit and things to do whilst on a stateside adventure.
Route 66
One of the most legendary and fabled roads in the entire world, there is no greater way to see the heart and soul of America than with a road trip along “America’s Main Street”. Taking you from Chicago all the way to the West Coast, Route 66 allows you to see the beautiful and varied terrain and you can also stop off at various national highlights, including the Grand Canyon. This journey is famous for self-discovery, freedom and adventure – perfect.
Niagara Falls
The epic Niagara Falls are something that everybody should see in their lifetime and it is sure to take your breath away. An adventure holiday here could consist of getting up close on a catamaran, but you will also want to explore the surrounding area. This should include viewing the stunning Finger Lakes, walking the Freedom Trail in Boston and perhaps going over the border and exploring beautiful areas of Canada, like Quebec and Montreal.
Image source Flickr
Deep South
America’s Deep South is often overlooked by adventure seekers, but this is a fascinating part of the country with a unique cultural landscape and turbulent history. It is also where you can trace the roots of American music to and this makes it a must for music lovers. Expect a colourful music scene, wonderful hospitality and delicious finger licking cuisine. To see the greatest places in the Deep South, you will want to book an adventure tour with a reputable company, such as Grand American Tours.
Yellowstone National Park
Grand Canyon National Park may be the obvious choice (and another must-visit), but Yellowstone National Park is an astonishing part of the world with outstanding natural beauty and it is the world’s oldest National Park. Here you will find epic canyons, thick forests, hot springs, winding rivers, gushing geysers and a whole host of amazing wildlife.
The USA is a fantastic destination for an adventure holiday due to its diverse, rugged and beautiful natural scenery. The above are just a few of the great things to do and places to visit for those seeking a once in a lifetime adventure.
The Niagara Falls has frozen for a second time as the East Coast shivers in record-breaking sub-zero temperatures.
The American Falls has been reduced to icicles and a trickle by the polar vortex on Thursday, February 2015.
Photo Reuters
Incredible pictures show Niagara Falls partially frozen as chilly temperatures continue to bring snow and ice across the US-Canada border.
Similar images emerged last year when the falls, which usually see the passage of 567,811 liters per second, partially froze twice in a few weeks as temperatures fell to a record-breaking low.
Pictures taken this year show some parts of the falls and surrounding areas covered in sheets of ice.
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Plummeting temperatures in the US and Canada have caused chaos for many but have created a spectacular sight at Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls hasn’t frozen over, but it has become an icy spectacle, thanks to a blast of arctic wind and cold that blew around and froze the mist on surfaces and landscaping.
Despite the urban legends, Niagara Falls doesn’t freeze solid in the winter, tourism officials say.
Plummeting temperatures in the US and Canada have caused chaos for many but have created a spectacular sight at Niagara Falls
However, a section of the American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up the natural attraction, has frozen. The Niagara River rapids and larger Horseshoe Falls continue to flow unimpeded.
Visitors who normally see a thundering waterfall have travelled to see part of the cascades frozen solid.
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Nik Wallenda, member of a celebrated family of professional daredevils, has completed a tightrope walk across Niagara Falls in a televised stunt.
Nik Wallenda braved wind and heavy spray to make the 1,800 ft (550 m) walk from the US to Canada on a 2-inch (61 mm) wire.
Thousands watched from Goat Island, where he began the crossing, suspended 150 feet (46 metres) above the falls.
It is the first such feat over Niagara Falls in over a century.
Nik Wallenda is the seventh generation of the famed Flying Wallendas.
The family has performed for more than 200 years, including the signature act that gave the group their name, where two pairs of performers walk the wire, each supporting another aerialist on a pole.
Those two aerialists, in turn, carry a pole upon which the seventh member of the troupe balances in a chair.
The family has suffered two deaths from falls while performing, including Nik Wallenda’s great-grandfather in 1978.
Nik Wallenda, 33, wore a safety harness attaching him to the wire, a precaution insisted on by ABC, the US broadcaster which sponsored the live broadcast of his walk.
Prior to the walk, he said he had not performed with a harness before, but that it would not take away from the event.
After he arrived, Nik Wallenda was asked to hand over his US passport to officially enter Canada.
The daredevil had estimated the total cost of the walk would be around $1.3 million, including creating and installing the steel wire, as well as permits and security on both sides of the border.
Legal liability had prevented ABC from funding all of Nik Wallenda’s costs and materials, so he had taken to online site IndieGoGo to raise further funds.
As of Friday afternoon, Nik Wallenda was 45% of the way towards his goal of $50,000.
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Rafael “Rafa” Ortiz is the second person to kayak over a Washington waterfall, which is higher than Niagara Falls.
Kayaker Rafael “Rafa” Ortiz, 24, took the plunge at Palouse Falls in Washington State, and paddled himself down the 189-foot fall.
The Mexican extreme kayaker followed in the footsteps, or wake, of the original record breaker, Tyler Bradt, who pulled off the stunt in 2009.
On his Facebook page, Rafa Ortiz recounted the harrowing hurdle after he completed it on April 25.
“It was sooooooo big. U get to the lip, loo down… and then its just a trip. Longest freefall of your life,” he wrote.
“Impact was good. Then the turbulence started pulling me out, one hand in the paddle other hand trying to hold me in my boat. Finally came out.”
Kayaker Rafael “Rafa” Ortiz took the plunge at Palouse Falls in Washington State, and paddled himself down the 189-foot fall
He was not injured at all during the stunt, and the only problem came when he was ripped from his kayak after hitting the water at the bottom of the fall.
According to the Red Bull extreme sports website, that detractor means that it disqualifies Rafa Ortiz from actually being held at the same
His light-hearted retelling of the move shows that he was not too shaken up by the ordeal, but is “glad its over hahaha”.
While this is certainly his highest accomplishment to date, Rafael Ortiz has a number of other credits to his name.
He was the first Mexican to participate in the World Freestyle kayaking championships and has recently taken on the sport of expedition paddling.
The waterfall is part of the Snake River which runs through the south east corner of Washington State.
Niagara Falls, arguably the most famous American waterfall, is only 167 feet high.
Earlier this week, a man tried to commit suicide by jumping over Niagara Falls but was the third person to survive such an act.
