| Mount Sunflower, Kansas. Ebright Azimuth,
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| | for many hours, you can manage to check
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| Delaware. Hawkeye Point, Iowa. Hoosier
| |
| | off about 40 state highpoints!
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| High Point, Indiana.
| |
| | Why do people get into highpointing? It's
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| They may not have the name recognition of
| |
| | a great way to see our country. You'll
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| Mount McKinley (Denali), Mount Rainier,
| |
| | find highpoints in popular resort areas
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| Mount Whitney, and Mount Hood. And they
| |
| | (Mount Mansfield at Stowe in Vermont),
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| certainly are far, far easier to get to!
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| | National Parks (Clingmans Dome, in Great
|
| But all these places have something in
| |
| | Smoky Mountains, Tennessee), and State
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| common. Each is the highest natural spot
| |
| | Parks (Mauna Kea in Hawaii; Harney Peak
|
| in its state.
| |
| | in Custer State Park, South Dakota). But
|
| Welcome to the world of Highpointing.
| |
| | many highpoints are well off the beaten
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| Thousands of otherwise sane people have
| |
| | path, and will take you to beautiful and
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| set out to drive, stroll, hike, or climb
| |
| | interesting parts of the country that you
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| to the highest point in each of the 50
| |
| | may have otherwise overlooked. Eagle
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| states. Many never plan to make it to the
| |
| | Mountain is in the Boundary Waters Canoe
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| tougher highpoints like Denali (in
| |
| | Area Wilderness of Minnesota. Oklahoma's
|
| Alaska), Rainier (in Washington) or
| |
| | highpoint, Black Mesa, is near the very
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| Granite (in Montana), but they've
| |
| | tip of the panhandle. Taum Sauk Mountain
|
| discovered the fun in planning trips to
| |
| | in Missouri is in a beautiful region of
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| locate the unusual "summits" of Sunflower
| |
| | the Ozarks. Visit when the autumn leaves
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| (located on the flatlands of Kansas),
| |
| | are at their peak, climb the nearby
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| Ebright Azimuth (yes, a suburban
| |
| | Lookout Tower, and prepare to be
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| neighborhood can be the site of a state
| |
| | thrilled.
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| highpoint), Hawkeye Point (located at the
| |
| | There are also many interesting things to
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| end of a feeding trough on a farm in
| |
| | see and do near the highpoints. Take in a
|
| Iowa), and Lakewood Park (turn right at
| |
| | concert by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
|
| the restrooms, and stroll a short way
| |
| | or Boston Pops at Tanglewood in
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| along a path in a Florida park).
| |
| | Massachusetts. Looking for something less
|
| Of the 50 state highpoints, 14 are
| |
| | cultured? How about the Boll Weevil
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| drive-ups. You drive right up to the
| |
| | Monument in Florida? Or the Wisconsin
|
| highpoint, or so close to it you could
| |
| | Concrete Park, featuring concrete
|
| toss a rock and hit it. Probably 8 more
| |
| | sculptures of horses, soldiers, and
|
| are extremely easy, involving a
| |
| | heroes? If food and drink are more to
|
| round-trip walk or hike of 30 minutes or
| |
| | your liking, don't miss a tour of Ben &
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| less. In fact, only about 9 or 10 of the
| |
| | Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Vermont,
|
| state highpoints involve more than a hike
| |
| | Great Adirondack Brewing Company in New
|
| along a good trail. OK, some of these
| |
| | York, or stop in at the Hilltop
|
| trails require long hikes that may gain a
| |
| | Restaurant in L'Anse, Michigan for the
|
| fair amount of elevation. Still, if
| |
| | most decadent (and largest) sweet rolls
|
| you're in good condition, and can walk
| |
| | you can imagine.
|
