Country Extra

See more of America's countryside with every issue of Country EXTRA!  Country EXTRA is delivered in between your issues of Country.  Celebrate the people, places and stories that make country life so special. Discover America through first-hand reader visits with country folks, full-color photos, reviews of country inns, country-fresh recipes and time-saving tips and shortcuts.

CLOSE TO HOME

YOUR PHOTO COULD WIN $1,000!

MOUNTAIN QUEST • On a recent hiking adventure through the Black Hills of South Dakota with my husband and a couple of friends, we made a quest to summit Black Elk Peak (the state’s highest point at 7,242 feet) in Custer State Park. Breathtaking vistas along the trail and from the top made every step worth it!

Discoveries • EXPERIENCE AMERICA’S BEST / BIKING MACKINAC ISLAND 11 / SPOTLIGHT ON PANGUITCH 16 / WISCONSIN DRIVE 20

Trees in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are among the oldest living things on Earth.

IT’S APPLE-PICKING TIME! • Across the country, orchards open for this rite of fall.

Mackinac Island

ESSENTIALS

HIKING WHISTLES • Stay safe on the trails with these shrill finds.

Helping Hands

ENDLESS ADVENTURE • Whether your passion is history, hiking or rafting, this park has it all.

McCONNELLS MILL MUST-SEES

A MODERN OUTPOST • While exploring Utah’s red rock country, Kris Millgate finds an oasis in the pioneer community of Panguitch.

RIDE THE DIVIDE • Wind your way through forests, and explore lakes and attractions on this northern Wisconsin route.

SPEND THE DAY IN HAYWARD

Bike the Rail Trails • Abandoned railroad tracks find new purpose, leading cyclists through spectacular scenery.

GREEN MOUNTAIN GOODNESS • Dana Freeman savors the many delights of Vermont’s Mad River Valley.

Around THE VALLEY

Nature’s Safe Havens • FROM BUTTERFLIES TO RARE JAGUARUNDI AND MASSIVE STURGEONS, AMERICA’S WILDLIFE REFUGES PRESENT FANTASTIC TREASURES.

Journeys • READERS EXPLORE AMERICA / DREAMS OF WYOMING 48 / NATIVE AMERICAN MUSEUM 50 / READER VACATION PICS 52

BIG SKY TOUR • A chance trip leads to wonders in Montana’s Glacier Country.

GOING INTO TOWN

Western Dreams • A young woman discovers that the real Wyoming far surpasses her idealized notions of the Old West.

LENA’S FAVORITES

THE PEOPLE’S PAST • Ancient artifacts tell the story of America’s first people.

WISH YOU WERE HERE • Whether they’ve been hiking, biking or riding a canal boat, readers open their photo albums and share travel adventures.

FOR THE BIRDS! • Can you identify these feathered friends? See how your answers compare to the ones below.

Parking Lot Mix-Up

Country Extra

BACK TO NATURE