SUMMER TRIPS

Working from home comes with interruptions. For me, those breaks seem to last a bit longer if there’s a gorgeous photograph on my computer screen.

“Whoa, that’s really cool,” my husband said, as he leaned over a little too long to get a good look at this issue’s cover image.

“That’s a reader photo of Havasu Falls, and you have to hike about 10 miles to get there,” I said, hoping the mileage would break the image’s spell.

It didn’t. “A reader took that?” he asked.

I nodded and paused for a moment, grateful for the reminder that our readers are truly amazing. That photo of Havasu Falls and all the others in this issue’s Hidden Gems special section were taken by readers. It’s a stunning collection of places I hope you put on your bucket list. You’ll find them starting on page 36.

This issue is full of many photos (and stories) worthy of interruption.

Kathleen Waitschies’ hair-raising shot of a T. rex replica on page 9 caught my daughter’s eye.

“When are we going there?” she asked. Now Moab Giants in Utah is on our travel list. She also wants to visit the farms featured on page 18.

While seated beside me doing his homework, my son got a sneak peek at Hidden Gems and Jesse Neve’s page-14 piece about Itasca State Park, home to the Mississippi River’s headwaters. My son would very much like to walk across the river at the point where it is only 18 inches deep. And, in a rare show of agreement with his little sister, he voted for the dinos, too.

So thank you for inspiring my family with your stories and photos. Please keep sharing them at country-magazine.com/ submit.