As for the rest of the park’s 6 million acres, hiking off-trail is allowed and encouraged (as long as you do so safely). There are currently only 20 hiking trails covering 35 miles. state without thinking of its most popular tourist destination and the tallest mountain in North America.Īlmost everything about Denali National Park is unique, and may be daunting for avid national park travelers who have been to others. The word Denali is almost synonymous with Alaska. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget! Alaska – Denali National ParkĬontributed by Riley from Parks Expert Photo credit: Riley Hays, Parks Expert And of course, Mobile’s restaurants and bars stay open to keep the party going when the parades have finished. Members of the mystic societies who organize the parades ride on lavishly decorated floats and throw beaded necklaces and moon pies to people in the crowd. Parades can start as early as the second week of January and are held daily and nightly for about two weeks in the lead up to Fat Tuesday – locals often refer to the entire carnival season as “Mardi Gras”. Usually falling in late February or early March. The culmination of the carnival season is Fat Tuesday (“mardi gras” in French), which is 41 days before Easter. Whereas Mardi Gras in New Orleans can get pretty rowdy, in Mobile it’s a much more tame affair and offers fun for the whole family. The celebrations are still going strong 300 years later and are eagerly awaited each year by children and adults alike. The French settlers brought their Carnival traditions with them and celebrated in Mobile as early as 1703, more than a decade before New Orleans was founded. Though it became part of the Alabama Territory in 1817, Mobile was the original capital of French Louisiana Territory. But did you know that Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States actually began in Mobile, Alabama? Alabama – Mardi GrasĬontributed by Wendy from The Nomadic Vegan Photo credit: Wendy Werneth, The Nomadic VeganĮveryone knows about the famous Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. The bucket list items you don’t want to miss in each and every state. But that’s why I got together with a bunch of fellow travel bloggers to bring you some of the best things to do in the USA. However if you’re planning on visiting, you might not know where to choose. The United States seems to have the best of everything from big cities to deserts, beaches to National Park forests. The USA is about as varied a country as you can get which is why a United States bucket list is such a fun thing to work through. Clicking ads or making purchases through affiliate links may, at no additional cost to you, earn me a small commission. Disclosure: Advertising and affiliate services, including Amazon Associates, help the cost of running my blog.