There is no place across the U.S., Canada, and beyond where you can't say "ticks bite." They're everywhere! The fact is, ticks rank right up there with spiders, scorpions, and other creepy crawlies that people cite as reasons not to head to the great outdoors. The fear isn't unwarranted. Ticks aren't just gross, but they have a very real capacity to spread disease and infection.

I found that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) really has a fantastic section on their website dedicated to ticks, their habits, and reporting on tick bites across the US. If there are that many detailed pages about ticks on the CDC's website, that tells me that this is a major concern, year-over-year. So, prepare yourself as we head into outdoor activity season by doing a little learning on their website.

Also, the information on CleverHiker.com is well organized and presented in a very easy-to-understand manner. The writers over at Clever Hiker have the expertise that comes with lots of real-time investments in outdoors pursuits and continued education in making those pursuits both safe and worthwhile. They know their stuff, and you can be very well-prepared just by spending a few minutes with their article, alone.

•  Anza-Borrego Park in California

• Slot Canyons

• Ogden, Utah

• Hiking, biking, rafting, and kayaking

• Assateague Island

• Camping a little offsite

• Little Compton, Rhode Island

• Charming small beach town with no grocery stores or chain restaurants

• Woodstock, Vermont

• Beautiful foliage and flowers

• Lindsborg, Kansas

• Swedish community with lots of fun events

• Jerome, Arizona

• Jerome was once known as the Billion Dollar Copper Camp, but after the last mines closed in 1953, the booming population of 15,000 dwindled to 50 determined souls. Although its population has risen back to almost 500, Jerome still holds on to its "ghost town" designation, and several B&Bs and eateries regularly report spirit sightings. Jerome saw its first revival during the mid-1960s when hippies arrived and turned it into an arts colony of sorts, and it has since become a tourist attraction. In addition to its shops and historic sites, Jerome is worth visiting for its scenery: it's built into the side of Cleopatra Hill, and from here you can see Sedona's Red Rocks, Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks, and even Eastern Arizona's Mogollon Rim country.

• PicketWire Canyon, Colorado

• Largest and most dino tracks in the US
  

• De Smet, South Dakota  Ingalls Homestead

• CDC Website on Ticks