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Cattle stand near a tall metal windmill on the grass‑covered dunes of the Nebraska Sandhills, with rolling hills and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Cattle graze quietly beside a traditional windmill in the Nebraska Sandhills, surrounded by rolling, grass‑covered dunes shaped by centuries of prairie winds.


Very few places left in America are so pristine that they have been virtually untouched by man. Nebraska Highway 2, AKA Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway, is one such place. Located in the north-central section of Nebraska, the Sandhills cover a little more than a quarter of the state. This 272-mile-long National Byway starts in Grand Island and ends in Alliance, passing through the middle of an area of world-class natural wonders. It’s home to the completely hand-planted Nebraska National Forest, the Loup River, abundant wetlands created by the Ogallala Aquifer, and brilliant night skies. Being in the Central Flyway for migratory birds, it’s teeming with wildlife, and you can’t forget the Spring Migration of the Sandhill Cranes.


​The Nebraska Sandhills are a place of wide-open spaces where undulating windswept dunes are stabilized by a sea of prairie grass that only has a fragile hold on the land. Cowboy hats and boots are a way of life, not just a fashion statement.


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A winter street scene in Duluth shows the Aerial Lift Bridge at night, with snow on the ground and very few cars or people out in the extreme cold.

At dark, the temperature plunged to nearly –35 degrees, and with it being the middle of the week, the streets were almost empty. I’d wanted a clean side profile of the lift bridge for a long time, and I knew this bitterly cold night might be one of the few chances I’d ever get to stand in this usually busy street and make the shot.


Duluth, Minnesota, is the gateway to the North Shore All‑American Scenic Drive, a picturesque route that follows Lake Superior all the way to the Canadian Border under the national All‑American Road designation. Together with Superior, Wisconsin, it forms the Twin Ports, the largest freshwater port in the world, where more than a thousand ships arrive each year. Don’t just pass through on your way to the North Shore—Duluth is well worth a few days of exploring.


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A sunset casts warm light across the Blue Ridge Mountains from Raven Rocks Overlook at milepost 289.5. Two people sit on a large rock formation in the foreground, looking out over a mist‑filled valley and layers of forested ridges. The sky glows with orange and yellow tones above the distant mountains.

Sunset from Raven Rocks Overlook (MP 289.5) in the North Carolina High Country, with sweeping views toward Boone and Blowing Rock. The overlook’s rocky ledges and northwest‑facing vista make it one of the Parkway’s most dramatic spots for evening light.


At 468 miles long, the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of America’s most celebrated scenic drives—designated both a National Parkway and an All‑American Road, the highest honor in the National Scenic Byway system. Beginning at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, the Parkway follows the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, winding south through North Carolina before ending at the Cherokee entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.


Along its route, the elevation shifts dramatically—from 6,053 feet near Mount Pisgah in North Carolina to just 649 feet along the James River in Virginia. These changes in altitude and landscape create an ever‑shifting tapestry of views: sweeping mountain and valley vistas, quiet pastoral scenes, sparkling waterfalls, and vibrant displays of wildflowers and seasonal foliage.


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Historic brick buildings at Cushwa’s Warehouse reflect in the still canal water at Williamsport, Maryland. One building displays the “Cushwa’s Coal Brick” sign, and autumn trees line the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Cushwa’s Warehouse stands along the canal in Williamsport, Maryland, its brick façade and calm reflections echoing the rich history of the C&O Canal National Historical Park.


The year 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park joining the National Park System. The park preserves the historic 19th‑century transportation canal that once stretched from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland. Since 2019, it has consistently ranked as the 11th most‑visited national park in the United States, with Great Falls drawing the highest number of visitors along the canal’s 184.5‑mile towpath. Many people stop at the Great Falls Tavern but rarely explore beyond the canal’s first 14.5 miles.


Because no road runs directly beside the C&O Canal, the towpath is especially popular with hikers and cyclists. Wanting to avoid the city crowds and experience more of the canal’s quieter beauty, I set out to explore some of its lesser‑visited highlights. Knowing I couldn’t see everything in one trip, I chose to drive between select points along the canal, taking a series of short hikes at each stop.


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A historic machine shop interior with large metal planers and industrial equipment arranged along a brick‑walled workspace. A green Cincinnati Progress Co. planer sits in the foreground, with its long metal bed, cutting head, and overhead pulley system visible. Sunlight filters through tall multi‑pane windows, illuminating the worn floors, exposed beams, and surrounding early‑20th‑century machinery. A red fire extinguisher is mounted on a nearby column.

In the quiet of Soule Steam Feed Works, the old planers rest beneath tall windows—iron giants from Meridian’s steam‑powered past.


What does the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, a Dentzel antique carousel, and graves of Gypsy royalty have in common?


All three are located in Meridian, Mississippi. This eclectic mix of sites are some of Meridian's more interesting locations dating back to the Golden Age.


Meridian, Mississippi, only 20 miles from the Alabama border, was established at the junction of the Mobile & Ohio and the Vicksburg & Montgomery Railway lines in 1860. With rail transportation at the height of its popularity, the town boomed from 1890 to 1930. During its Golden Age, people flocked to Meridian, and it became Mississippi's largest city and a leading center for manufacturing in the South.


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Large, weathered concrete busts of former U.S. presidents stand in an open field, with George Washington’s cracked and discolored head in the foreground. Additional presidential heads fill the background under a partly cloudy blue sky, surrounded by dry grass and sparse vegetation.

Time has carved its own story into these giant presidential faces—cracks, stains, and moss settling into every contour as they watch over the field in stoic silence.


On President’s Day Weekend, I was more than a little excited to finally photograph the Giant Presidents’ Heads. These towering concrete busts sit on private property, with only a handful of opportunities each year for the public to walk among them. Exposed to the elements and slowly surrendering to time, they stand cracked and crumbling in various stages of deterioration. Heavy equipment surrounds them, creating an apocalyptic industrial landscape where moss, mold, and weathering add unexpected character—and a whole lot of awe—to the experience.

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Author


Susan Tregoning is a fourth‑generation photographer and Midwest-based visual storyteller dedicated to preserving America’s architectural and roadside heritage. Drawing on her design background and a lifelong connection to photography, she documents historic buildings, small towns, and scenic byways across the region. Her work creates thoughtful visual records that honor the character, craftsmanship, and cultural memory embedded in places that are often overlooked yet define the American experience.