tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143742092024-03-08T14:47:39.337-08:00Photo HighlightsPhotos from some trips.
Arizona photos were taken on a Canon Elan II with a Canon 28-105 lens and developed on a CD.
Washington photos, Boston photos, San Diego-to-Boston roadtrip photos, and post-bar San Francisco-Route 66-Chicago-Seattle-San Francisco loop photos were taken on a Canon 20D with the same Canon 28-105 lens.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-34064515185317783372009-09-05T14:32:00.000-07:002009-10-30T09:17:47.860-07:00Parting Shots and Closing ThoughtsA few thoughts to wrap up a road trip.<br /><br />As originally envisioned, I was going to be on the road for 3 weeks, traveling about 5500 miles. As you can see, the trip ballooned a little bit. The final count was 33 days and just under 7900 miles. I was not driving every single day, having breaks in Chicago, Saint Paul, Seattle, and Portland, but I did all of the driving of those miles. And outside of those four cities, I did all of the driving by myself.<br /><br />I've been asked since I got home if I would have done anything differently. For one thing, I would have done a little more planning, especially in and around Yellowstone. The problem was that I did not know how far I was going to get on any given day, which made planning difficult. On the obvious question, that being of actually going with someone on this trip, I'm not so sure. Especially on the first leg (Route 66 to Chicago), it was very important for me to get away from everything and everyone, and just have the time on the road to myself. And once you start on the road, not knowing where and when you are going to land, it is difficult to plan on bringing someone in for a later leg.<br /><br />What did I learn (or confirm what I already knew)? Humidity is a killer, a lot more than just high temperatures. When spread out over a few miles, thousands of feet in elevation can be picked up all but unnoticed. People want to hear your stories. People want to tell you their stories. People want to help each other, especially once they know each others' stories. 600 miles on one road is easier driving than 150 miles changing highways. I will always get pulled over on the first day of a road trip (but I might not get a ticket). There is no more helpless a feeling on a road trip than seeing your car up on a lift with the hood open. The most annoying and panic-inducing idiot light on the dashboard is the Check Engine light. The most fun idiot light on the dashboard is the windshield washer fluid light. One of the most complicated mechanical devices that we have (an internal combustion engine), can be brought back seemingly from the brink of death by a few rounds of electrical tape. South Dakota Public Radio is always available in South Dakota, but they know the borders of the state and the range of their towers (the second I left SD, the signal disappeared). People give you funny looks if you don't take the shortest possible route to wherever you are going, but will still give you directions that will get you there the way you want to go.<br /><br />Now I'm back home, looking for a job and a place to live. Out of fantasyland and back into realityland. I can't shake the feeling that I should be driving again. I'm sure that feeling will fade after a few days or a week. Or maybe I'll have to do this again (on a MUCH smaller scale). Motels, diners, and the open road are fun for a while, but it is good to be back on solid ground with static scenery.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-57277104405659499572009-09-03T14:52:00.001-07:002009-09-09T14:07:41.251-07:00Road Trip By the Numbers<span xmlns=""><div style="margin-left: 4pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0"><colgroup><col style="width: 64px;"><col style="width: 607px;"></colgroup><tbody valign="top"><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">7879.3</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Miles</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">285.774</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Gallons of gasoline</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">33</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Days</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">27.57</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Miles/gallon</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">18</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">States traveled through</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">18</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">States where money was spent</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">8</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Days under 30 miles (6 days with 0 miles)</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">8</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Times crossing the Continental Divide (4 in one day)</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">6</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Tri-state days</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">6</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">National Parks (Petrified Forrest, Badlands, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Crater Lake, Redwoods)</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">5</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Days over 400 miles</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">5</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Most nights in one state (Oregon)</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">2</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">National Monuments (Wupatki, Little Big Horn)</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 20px;"><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px; text-align: right;" valign="center"><p><span style="color:black;">0</span></p></td><td style="border: medium none ; padding-left: 7px; padding-right: 7px;" valign="bottom"><p><span style="color:black;">Creatures larger than a bug hit (not for the animals' lack of trying)</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-11319819443728414432009-09-02T21:32:00.000-07:002009-09-02T22:10:29.295-07:007879.3 (232.4) Miles to San Francisco, California<iframe width="400" height="500" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=763+North+Main+Street,+Fort+Bragg,+CA+95437+(Travelodge+Fort+Bragg)&daddr=17700+Highway+253,+Boonville,+CA+(Anderson+Valley+Brewing+Co)+to:CA-1%2FCoast+Hwy+to:CA-1%2FShoreline+Hwy+to:El+Camino+del+Mar+to:Point+Lobos+Ave+to:Upper+Great+Hwy+to:37.727009,-122.504425+to:94132&hl=en&geocode=Fc71WQIdM9-e-CGDl8EaBfTd3g%3BFckXUwIdTLml-CHtAbtR68hm3g%3BFVAoTgIdvLqk-A%3BFazGRAIdACyu-A%3BFaOQQAId0tuy-A%3BFVRuQAIdhpyy-A%3BFXweQAIdgKey-A%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=7&sz=12&via=2,3,4,5,6,7&sll=37.770172,-122.492752&sspn=0.150077,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=38.655488,-123.21167&spn=2.144804,2.197266&z=8&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=763+North+Main+Street,+Fort+Bragg,+CA+95437+(Travelodge+Fort+Bragg)&daddr=17700+Highway+253,+Boonville,+CA+(Anderson+Valley+Brewing+Co)+to:CA-1%2FCoast+Hwy+to:CA-1%2FShoreline+Hwy+to:El+Camino+del+Mar+to:Point+Lobos+Ave+to:Upper+Great+Hwy+to:37.727009,-122.504425+to:94132&hl=en&geocode=Fc71WQIdM9-e-CGDl8EaBfTd3g%3BFckXUwIdTLml-CHtAbtR68hm3g%3BFVAoTgIdvLqk-A%3BFazGRAIdACyu-A%3BFaOQQAId0tuy-A%3BFVRuQAIdhpyy-A%3BFXweQAIdgKey-A%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=7&sz=12&via=2,3,4,5,6,7&sll=37.770172,-122.492752&sspn=0.150077,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=38.655488,-123.21167&spn=2.144804,2.197266&z=8" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br>Started the day driving down to Boonville and the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Took a tour of the brewery, then tried a couple of beers besides the amber. They're good, but not as good. Picked up a couple of items at the shop, stopped in town for lunch, and then climbed back over the coastal range to Highway 1.<br /><br />Drove south down Highway 1 for the rest of the day. Across Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. Through Bodega Bay, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes, and a number of other towns. Up and down hills and around coastal curves, along the shoreline and through forests, and finally across the Golden Gate Bridge and back into San Francisco. Took the scenic route through the city, and down to the beach. Then I made my way home.<br /><br />The trip as originally conceived was around 3 weeks and 5500 miles. When I landed today, It was the end of day 33 and just under 7900 miles later. Stay tuned for some road trip wrap-up posts in the coming days as I start to return to "real" life.<br /><br />Picture: My first view of San Francisco since I put it to my back on day 1, from Highway 1 in Marin County.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sp9KtHzX5ZI/AAAAAAAABHM/sc0w7YXpHJk/s1600-h/28+San+Francisco.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sp9KtHzX5ZI/AAAAAAAABHM/sc0w7YXpHJk/s320/28+San+Francisco.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377098619152754066" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-17709322654063286992009-09-01T21:51:00.001-07:002009-10-30T09:31:08.112-07:007649.9 (338.9) Miles to Fort Bragg, California<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=2400+Biddle+Rd,+Medford,+OR+97504&daddr=CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:Avenue+of+the+Giants,+Humboldt,+California+to:CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:40.203526,-123.781929+to:763+North+Main+Street,+Fort+Bragg,+CA+95437+%28Travelodge+Fort+Bragg%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFZQoaQIdQ-2b-A%3BFfd3aAIdiqyc-A%3BFSdIaAIdYgGd-A%3BFeE3ZwIdawmd-A%3BFZpDZgIdsJWe-A%3B%3BFc71WQIdM9-e-CGDl8EaBfTd3g&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=6&sz=12&via=1,3,4,5,6&sll=40.222141,-123.773346&sspn=0.144965,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=41.054502,-123.42041&spn=4.142095,3.295898&z=7&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" width="300"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=2400+Biddle+Rd,+Medford,+OR+97504&daddr=CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:Avenue+of+the+Giants,+Humboldt,+California+to:CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:CA-254%2FAve+of+the+Giants+to:40.203526,-123.781929+to:763+North+Main+Street,+Fort+Bragg,+CA+95437+%28Travelodge+Fort+Bragg%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFZQoaQIdQ-2b-A%3BFfd3aAIdiqyc-A%3BFSdIaAIdYgGd-A%3BFeE3ZwIdawmd-A%3BFZpDZgIdsJWe-A%3B%3BFc71WQIdM9-e-CGDl8EaBfTd3g&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=6&sz=12&via=1,3,4,5,6&sll=40.222141,-123.773346&sspn=0.144965,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=41.054502,-123.42041&spn=4.142095,3.295898&z=7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Tried again to deal with the car this morning. (Un?)fortunately, the car decided to not cooperate by...cooperating. So I gave up on fixing the car in Medford, and instead will just stare at the check engine light for a little while longer. The car only had a few misfires today, so barring a disaster, I should be able to make it home without a problem.<br /><br />Leaving Medford, I drove north on I-5 up to Grants Pass, where (after a lunch break) I turned south on US-199. 199 took me into California for the first time since day 1. I wound my way down the curving roads until 199 merges onto 101. Followed 101 down the coast, stopping once at a beach in Del Norte County, where I stood at the water line as the waves came up to my feet, enjoying the first ocean I had seen in a month. I also took a couple of scenic alternate roads through redwood groves. Dense growths of giant trees created long dark patches on the road. I might as well have been going through a tunnel for all the sunlight that made it to the ground.<br /><br />I had been thinking for a while that I must have missed the turn for Highway 1, but south of the Avenue of the Giants (a long road of redwood trees), the sign finally appeared. As the sun started its westward descent, I turned off down another tree-tunnel road. Lots of sharp turns and climbs and descents. At one point, I felt like I would never make it to the coastline. I think I was heading east for a while at another point. And every time I thought I must have finished the last climb over the coastal range, the road started to switchback up again. And then, just after sunset, a sliver of water appeared in a gap between two mountains.<br /><br />I drove for another hour above the ocean as dusk turned to darkness, often just above the water as the road curved along the cliff faces. Now I'm sitting in Fort Bragg on my last night of this trip.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll keep following Highway 1 down across the coast, save for a short run inland to the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Then across the Golden Gate Bridge and back into San Francisco.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-30125250082969722082009-08-31T21:39:00.000-07:002009-08-31T22:27:34.514-07:007311.0 (297.5) Miles to Medord, Oregon<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=29953+Fox+Hollow+Rd,+Eugene,+OR+97405&daddr=glide,+or+to:Crater+Lake+N+Hwy%2FOR-209+to:prospect,+or+to:2400+Biddle+Rd,+Medford,+OR+97504&hl=en&geocode=%3B%3BFZd1kAIdY464-A%3B%3B&mra=mr&mrcr=1&via=2&sll=42.955417,-122.128143&sspn=0.277906,0.617294&ie=UTF8&ll=43.265206,-122.706299&spn=2.000019,1.922607&z=8&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" width="350"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=29953+Fox+Hollow+Rd,+Eugene,+OR+97405&daddr=glide,+or+to:Crater+Lake+N+Hwy%2FOR-209+to:prospect,+or+to:2400+Biddle+Rd,+Medford,+OR+97504&hl=en&geocode=%3B%3BFZd1kAIdY464-A%3B%3B&mra=mr&mrcr=1&via=2&sll=42.955417,-122.128143&sspn=0.277906,0.617294&ie=UTF8&ll=43.265206,-122.706299&spn=2.000019,1.922607&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Spent the morning in Eugene dealing (apparently unsuccessfully) with the car. Last night, one of the headlights burned out. So I took the car in this morning to get the spark plug wires replaced, the headlights replaced, and got a new set of tires (so I actually have TREAD). I got a couple of blocks away, and the check engine light came back on. So I drove BACK to the mechanic, and the claim was that the wires were not inserted completely. So they did it, cleared the code, and off I went. And within 100 miles, the check engine light was back on, and the car doing its thing again. All of which means, lucky me, I get to do it AGAIN tomorrow.<br /><br />The car was still running, though, so I continued my drove south out of Eugene, making my way towards Crater Lake National Park. Took some Oregon backcountry highways along the Rogue and Umpqua Rivers. Then I drove into Crater Lake National Park, which was created as the 6th National Park, and is the only one in Oregon. Crater Lake was formed when Mount Mazama collapsed under the force of a volcano, sealing the bottom of the caldera. Water collected, creating the lake. Because the lake is almost entirely rainfall and snow melt, it is some of the clearest water you will ever see. The clarity gives Crater Lake a blue unlike any you are likely to see in nature. I drove around the rim road, stopping at different overlooks. The rock walls drop steeply to the water's edge, as the cinder cone collapsed under the intense heat and pressure. There is a large island that rises out of one end of the lake, created by a later eruption from the crater floor. There are cones in other parts of the lake, but the tallest of them are only large enough to reach just under 500 feet below the surface of the lake.<br /><br />Note from the north entrance road in Crater Lake National Park:<br /><br /><blockquote>Just below Crater Rim Drive there is an open space with almost no trees, surrounded on all sides by dense forests. When Mount Mazama blew and collapsed, this area was covered with pumice. Almost nothing can grow in the arid soil, even with more than enough water seeping through the rocks below. For centuries, this stretch will bear the scars of the violence that created the beauty above.</blockquote><br />As I left the park, I was driving down towards Medford, Oregon through the forest. I came around a turn, and saw a small deer looking up the road at me. Worried that he would dart across the road, and not wanting to hit the creature, I slammed on the brakes. The deer got spooked, turned around, and scampered off into the forest. He had disappeared into the trees by the time I got to him, keeping intact my streak of hitting nothing larger than a bug.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll attempt to deal with the car in the morning, then head up to Grants Pass, and then down US-199, finally getting back to California and the Pacific coast. Then I'll work my way down Highway 1. San Francisco and the end of the road is in sight.<br /><br />Pictures: Different views of Crater Lake, including a close up to show the color.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spyp1C12gdI/AAAAAAAABGs/d64JC0rvtSU/s1600-h/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%289%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spyp1C12gdI/AAAAAAAABGs/d64JC0rvtSU/s320/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%289%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376358783934431698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spyp0oUr2AI/AAAAAAAABGk/pUcNOIj3atg/s1600-h/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2812%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spyp0oUr2AI/AAAAAAAABGk/pUcNOIj3atg/s320/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2812%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376358776815998978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spyp0bDZ5AI/AAAAAAAABGc/mzUMuJmLkSc/s1600-h/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2825%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spyp0bDZ5AI/AAAAAAAABGc/mzUMuJmLkSc/s320/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2825%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376358773253858306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spypz-1xoJI/AAAAAAAABGU/XZ5t_cuFyWE/s1600-h/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2856%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spypz-1xoJI/AAAAAAAABGU/XZ5t_cuFyWE/s320/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2856%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376358765680500882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spypzp1DrcI/AAAAAAAABGM/ZtRSTEYjoY0/s1600-h/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2868%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Spypzp1DrcI/AAAAAAAABGM/ZtRSTEYjoY0/s320/Crater+Lake+National+Park+%2868%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376358760040345026" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-56535447848887651732009-08-30T23:09:00.000-07:002009-08-30T23:20:32.869-07:007013.5 (120.5) Miles to Eugene, Oregon<iframe width="200" height="550" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=306+SW+Idaho+St,+Portland,+OR+97239&daddr=29953+fox+hollow+road,+eugene&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.928982,76.640625&ie=UTF8&ll=44.820812,-122.904053&spn=2.143009,1.098633&z=8&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=306+SW+Idaho+St,+Portland,+OR+97239&daddr=29953+fox+hollow+road,+eugene&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=54.928982,76.640625&ie=UTF8&ll=44.820812,-122.904053&spn=2.143009,1.098633&z=8" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Spent the morning and early afternoon in Portland, spending a few extra hours with my uncle. Then got on the road south to Eugene. Another nice drive through fields and past mountains and over rolling hills. Then I landed in Eugene, where my guide showed me the way through the streets and out into the country. I'm now at a country house, built on a few acres of land outside of Eugene, with forests and groves and farms and one long road. It is so quiet out here. My cell phone is worthless except as a paperweight, my car is parked in the middle of a yard, and I am as relaxed as I've been almost anywhere on this trip.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I'll make my way towards Crater Lake. I'm learning of other roads that I can use to pick my way south as I work the home stretch towards SF and the end.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-59257851473658061192009-08-28T08:58:00.000-07:002009-08-28T09:20:01.368-07:006893.0 (21.8 + 181.8) Miles to Portland, Oregon<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Seattle,+WA+98112&daddr=97239&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=46.611715,-122.393188&spn=2.641456,1.647949&z=8&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="700" scrolling="no" width="300"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Seattle,+WA+98112&daddr=97239&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=46.611715,-122.393188&spn=2.641456,1.647949&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Spent a few days in Seattle. Didn't play tourist at all, missed all the usual spots. Of course, I'll get a chance to try them again in a few months. Seattle is nice when it's not late November. The sun was out, it was warm, didn't need jackets. Spent some time with family, and had a few relaxing days (with good food as a bonus).<br /><br />Drove down to Portland yesterday. For about 120 miles, every time I looked left (and past the tree line) I could see Mount Rainier. It really does dominate the skyline in southern Washington, sitting separate from (although part of) the Cascades. Made it to Portland and to my uncle's house, even though I did overshoot and get just a little turned around. He gave me a quick driving tour of downtown, and I'll go exploring there today.<br /><br />Portland today and tomorrow, then Eugene, Crater Lake, and the California coast.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-22494825781883512042009-08-24T20:18:00.000-07:002009-08-24T22:53:44.817-07:006689.4 (587.9) Miles to Seattle, Washington<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=122005+Nissler+Rd,+Butte,+Mt+59701&daddr=98112&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=46.860191,-117.46582&spn=3.004944,13.183594&z=6&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" width="600"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=122005+Nissler+Rd,+Butte,+Mt+59701&daddr=98112&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=46.860191,-117.46582&spn=3.004944,13.183594&z=6" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Long, easy road today. Straight out I-90 from Butte across western Montana, over the Idaho panhandle, through eastern Washington, and over the Cascades down into Seattle. Nothing else to say about the long road, except that it really is nice to see some familiar roads, so I'll backtrack to yesterday.<br /><br />Started yesterday finishing off Yellowstone's south loop. Saw some elk and hot springs, and then drove south to Grand Teton National Park. Here's a log of what I wrote as I drove through the park:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">1:50 pm, on the shores of Jackson Lake</span>:<br />It's raining on the Tetons. But the mountains are still an imposing sight, giant rocks doing all they can to burst through the clouds. It is almost as if they are breathing the lower clouds, creating them off the sharp points that make up the face. The chain sits on the opposite side of this lake formed by a damn just downstream. I'm sure on a clear day the mountains reflect on the water creating a double image blending earth, water, and sky into one spectacular vista. But I can only speculate. I'll just have to come back some time to find out.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2:50 pm, Mount Moran Scenic Turnout</span>:<br />Closer to the mountains the peaks emerge from the clouds, standing guard over this valley. Trees rise partway up the rocky outposts, but then disappear in favor of solid rock to the jagged tops.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3:00 pm, Mountain View Turnout</span>:<br />While the higher clouds sit above the Tetons, the lower clouds appear to either rest on or be trapped by the mountains. Geologically speaking, these mountains are young, and are still growing while the ground sinks futher away with each earthquake and erosion.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3:15 pm, turnout on the shores of Lake Jenny</span>:<br />The mountains stand just across Lake Jenny from me. The lake's waves lap against he shore, creating a calming, rhythmic sound that could trigger an almost zen-like experience if allowed to. Just 15 feet from the road and everything else in the world has disappeared. All that's left is water, mountain peaks, and a low-hanging sky.</blockquote><br /><br />At this point I went into the Lake Jenny Visitor's Center, got a map, and drove back up to the north end of the park to take the outer road and see the overlooks from there.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">4:20 pm, Snake River Overlook</span>:<br />I'm standing where Ansel Adams took his famous photo of the Tetons and the Snake River. The clouds have lifted a bit so even from this distance the mountains are all but clear. This view contrasts the geologically young with the geologically old. The mountains, sharp peaks and jagged faces, are still relatively new on the scene. The river, with wide curves on its meandering path, is old, taking its time from the Teton wilderness to the Columbia River and the Pacific.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">4:35 pm, Glacier View Turnout</span>:<br />The rain has returned, and the mountains are again cloaked in clouds. The peaks now hide behind and beneath white and gray. Seeing the rocks rise above the valley below and disappear gives an image of an infinite wall that rises from the valley floor and may never stop, a fenceline, impassible, a direct challenge to those on either side. And as the clouds clear and the peaks come back into view, the task seems almost more difficult than when the horrors of the ascent were hidden behind the clouds. The reality is so much more forbidding and forboding than the imagination.</blockquote><br /><br />From this point, I drove down to try to take an aerial tram up onto the mountains, but with such a low ceiling, the trip wasn't worth it. My original plan was to stay in Jackson, Wyoming for the night. But with bad weather coming in the next morning (killing any chance of taking the aerial tram then), and plenty of daylight still left in front of me, I decided to take off towards Seattle a little early. I crossed the Continental Divide for the third time on the day (I crossed it twice in Yellowstone) and made my way to Idaho Falls. From there, I started driving north in I-15, crossing the Divide for a 4th time on the day (and 7th time overall on the trip) as I passed back into Montana. I drove on into the night, through some storms, passed big rigs making late runs, before finally getting to Butte just before midnight. Getting to Butte was important, as it put me one long road (I-90) from Seattle, a run that I could make in one day.<br /><br />Next few days in Seattle with family. Then I'll start working my way down the coast.<br /><br />Pictures: Old Faithful, Midway Geyser Basin pouring into the Firehole River, looking out over Lake Yellowstone, 2 of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, my version of the famous Ansel Adams Grand Teton/Snake River, and other views of the Tetons.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5gBYGQYI/AAAAAAAABFc/B3a1ibYS6d4/s1600-h/IMG_6885.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5gBYGQYI/AAAAAAAABFc/B3a1ibYS6d4/s320/IMG_6885.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373772371415417218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5fZrkjcI/AAAAAAAABFU/2E2Jp0aIif4/s1600-h/Midway+Geyser+Basin+%284%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5fZrkjcI/AAAAAAAABFU/2E2Jp0aIif4/s320/Midway+Geyser+Basin+%284%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373772360759676354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5e5hveVI/AAAAAAAABFM/GNO9sQIELpo/s1600-h/Vistas+%2855%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5e5hveVI/AAAAAAAABFM/GNO9sQIELpo/s320/Vistas+%2855%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373772352128514386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5eL3c_DI/AAAAAAAABFE/bpf-yGUwpl0/s1600-h/Grand+Canyon+of+Yellowstone+%2813%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5eL3c_DI/AAAAAAAABFE/bpf-yGUwpl0/s320/Grand+Canyon+of+Yellowstone+%2813%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373772339871546418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5djOiZSI/AAAAAAAABE8/oVPFk2j-QSo/s1600-h/Grand+Canyon+of+Yellowstone+%2822%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN5djOiZSI/AAAAAAAABE8/oVPFk2j-QSo/s320/Grand+Canyon+of+Yellowstone+%2822%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373772328962516258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN73vWcHNI/AAAAAAAABGE/X52f3ZxWs7E/s1600-h/Snake+River+Overlook+%289%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN73vWcHNI/AAAAAAAABGE/X52f3ZxWs7E/s320/Snake+River+Overlook+%289%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373774977916738770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN73AjMtCI/AAAAAAAABF8/_zIFhD3RP0A/s1600-h/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%287%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN73AjMtCI/AAAAAAAABF8/_zIFhD3RP0A/s320/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%287%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373774965353788450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN72XArHYI/AAAAAAAABF0/PJc7ZU3L7-M/s1600-h/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%2819%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN72XArHYI/AAAAAAAABF0/PJc7ZU3L7-M/s320/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%2819%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373774954203127170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN71xCjibI/AAAAAAAABFs/10cRoaCDrhc/s1600-h/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%2821%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN71xCjibI/AAAAAAAABFs/10cRoaCDrhc/s320/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%2821%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373774944010471858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN71LAKmDI/AAAAAAAABFk/BddeTIw5s94/s1600-h/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%2845%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SpN71LAKmDI/AAAAAAAABFk/BddeTIw5s94/s320/Grand+Teton+National+Park+%2845%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373774933799901234" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-17388548897839091732009-08-23T23:23:00.000-07:002009-08-23T23:29:15.375-07:006101.5 (473.9) Miles to Butte, Montana<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=West+Yellowstone,+MT&daddr=Jenny+Lake+Rd+to:43.846413,-110.519028+to:teton+village,+wy+to:122005+Nissler+Road+butte,+mt&hl=en&geocode=%3BFcQfnAId_IBm-Q%3B%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=11&via=1,2&sll=43.740344,-110.580826&sspn=0.25995,0.617294&ie=UTF8&ll=44.664746,-111.654053&spn=3.51621,2.746582&z=8&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="900" scrolling="no" width="500"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=West+Yellowstone,+MT&daddr=Jenny+Lake+Rd+to:43.846413,-110.519028+to:teton+village,+wy+to:122005+Nissler+Road+butte,+mt&hl=en&geocode=%3BFcQfnAId_IBm-Q%3B%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=11&via=1,2&sll=43.740344,-110.580826&sspn=0.25995,0.617294&ie=UTF8&ll=44.664746,-111.654053&spn=3.51621,2.746582&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Here's the short version: Spent the morning finishing Yellowstone's south loop. Spent the afternoon driving through Grand Teton National Park. Spend the evening driving nearly 300 miles to Butte, Montana. I'll have more details of all of this in the next post, along with posting my thoughts written in Grand Teton National Park. I just wanted to get the map up tonight. For those of you who know me well, raise your hand if you're surprised that I liked Grand Teton more than Yellowstone. Anyone? Anyone at all?<br /><br />Sorry, I lied. No pictures again today. Landed in Butte way too late to go through/pick/post/etc. They will come, though. A day and a half from Yellowstone PLUS the Tetons.<br /><br />Tomorrow, driving I-90 west to its end in Seattle.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-10242818060937916932009-08-22T21:05:00.000-07:002009-08-22T21:29:28.555-07:005627.6 (193.9) Miles to West Yellowstone, Montana<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Gardiner,+MT&daddr=Grand+Loop+Rd%2FUS-89+to:Grand+Loop+Rd+to:E+Entrance+Rd%2FUS-14%2FUS-16%2FUS-20+to:44.510218,-110.426331+to:west+yellowstone&hl=en&geocode=%3BFSLorAIdZF9m-Q%3BFXXsqQIdUOxp-Q%3BFWDVpgIdxW5x-Q%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4&sll=44.485729,-110.328827&sspn=0.541792,1.234589&ie=UTF8&ll=44.727223,-110.426331&spn=0.78054,1.647949&z=9&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" width="600"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Gardiner,+MT&daddr=Grand+Loop+Rd%2FUS-89+to:Grand+Loop+Rd+to:E+Entrance+Rd%2FUS-14%2FUS-16%2FUS-20+to:44.510218,-110.426331+to:west+yellowstone&hl=en&geocode=%3BFSLorAIdZF9m-Q%3BFXXsqQIdUOxp-Q%3BFWDVpgIdxW5x-Q%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4&sll=44.485729,-110.328827&sspn=0.541792,1.234589&ie=UTF8&ll=44.727223,-110.426331&spn=0.78054,1.647949&z=9" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Lots of looping around Yellowstone today. After a (relatively) late start, I drove through the Roosevelt Gate and repeated part of the loop I took yesterday, making my way down to Canyon where I could pick up the south loop. Took a nice drive along the north rim of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon, looking at waterfalls, rivers, and cliffs.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this is also where the car trouble began. Apparently, I have a spark plug wire that is slightly miswired. This took trips to two different service stations in Yellowstone to diagnose however. The temporary fix is a bunch of electrical tape to insulate the problem wire. Hopefully, that fix will carry me to Seattle, where I can get the entire set of wires replaced. In the meantime, at least the car is running normally.<br /><br />Also took a drive out to the east gate of the park, along Yellowstone Lake and over a mountain pass. Nice drive, but the main purpose of taking it is to make sure I cover as many of the park roads as possible. Yellowstone Lake has an interesting story to it. Formed in part of the caldera created by the last supervolcano eruption 640,000 years ago, with one of the bays of the lake formed by a smaller volcano 125,000 years ago, Lake Yellowstone is the largest mountain lake in the world. At different times in its history, it drained into the Arctic Ocean (via Hudson Bay) and the Pacific Ocean. Today, it drains into the Atlantic (via the Gulf of Mexico). The water in the lake is cold enough to cause hypothermia, but the bottom of the lake is a hotbed of geothermal activity. There are also places along the lakeshore where hot springs and other heated features drain right into the lake.<br /><br />Yellowstone has more geysers, hot springs, and other geothermal features than every other place in the world COMBINED. These include, of course, Old Faithful geyser. I went to see Old Faithful this evening on my way out of the park for the evening. I cought the last daylight eruption around 7:30. The geyser is quite a sight to see. I stood in a less-than-ideal place to see the eruption, and for my troubles got sprayed by some of the water as it fell back to the ground. The reason for Old Faithful's fame, however, is the fact that prior to a number of earthquakes over the past few decades, it went off just about every hour. Today, there are between 40 and 70 minutes between eruptions, but Old Faithful maintains its status as the most famous geyser in the world. And now I can check it off my list.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I'll finish the south loop between Madison (the first junction in the park from the west entrance) and West Thumb. From there, south to Grand Teton National Park. If all goes well with the car, I'll catch any last second spots I missed (or want to revisit) in the two parks Monday, and then start heading towards the Pacific Northwest.<br /><br />Pictures will be coming with the next post. They include lots of views of the park, including the Yellowstone Grand Canyon, and some Old Faithful, if the shots turn out well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-23101162143350834862009-08-21T20:52:00.000-07:002009-08-21T21:26:56.374-07:005433.7 (153.4) Miles to Gardiner, Montana<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Cooke+City,+Montana&daddr=Grand+Loop+Rd%2FUS-89+to:44.81107,-110.424957+to:gardiner,+montana&hl=en&geocode=%3BFXYtrAId1ltm-Q%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=10&via=1,2&sll=44.977428,-110.341187&sspn=0.537205,1.234589&ie=UTF8&ll=44.874362,-110.341187&spn=0.486595,0.961304&z=10&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" width="700"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Cooke+City,+Montana&daddr=Grand+Loop+Rd%2FUS-89+to:44.81107,-110.424957+to:gardiner,+montana&hl=en&geocode=%3BFXYtrAId1ltm-Q%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=10&via=1,2&sll=44.977428,-110.341187&sspn=0.537205,1.234589&ie=UTF8&ll=44.874362,-110.341187&spn=0.486595,0.961304&z=10" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Took Yellowstone's north loop today. Drove in from the northeast entrance and down the Lamar Valley towards Tower Junction and the loop itself. While I was in Cooke City last night, I mentioned to someone I was talking to that I hadn't seen any bison yet, even though I knew they were out there in places I had been driving. He said I didn't have to worry about it. I would definitely see some in the park. And was he ever right. Not 10 minutes into the park, I saw a bunch of bison in the valley below. And then I saw some running. And then I saw one right next to the road. And this happened throughout the day. So, short version: if you want to see bison, come to Yellowstone. It's crawling with them.<br /><br />Below Yellowstone lies a giant caldera. Most of the park is above a supervolcano (and a giant magma chamber) that is actually overdue to erupt. The intense heat just a few miles beneath the surface heats the park, causing the hot springs and the orange mound pictured below, as well as all of the geysers and steam vents that the park is known for. A bunch of times, driving along, I smelled rotten eggs, which was the sulfur venting from the heated water rising to the surface. Part of the loop today took me to Norris Geyser Basin, which had a bunch of geysers as well as vents, pools, and other geothermal features. Not a lot of wildlife in that little corner of the park. We are the only animals dumb enough to get close to these blasts.<br /><br />There isn't really a ton to write about when it comes to Yellowstone, at least not today. The pictures speak for themselves, and still don't do it justice. You can see where recent fires started new trees growing, replennishing the park. Animals and birds and bugs of all shapes and sizes run/fly/buzz/graze everywhere. Outside the park tonight, I was talking to a couple who had been backpacking. They actually ran into a grizzley bear this morning, coming at them from about 40 yards away. They retreated to a ranger's cabin, and the bear went right on by them. So they're out there, even if I didn't see any today.<br /><br />I've been to a few places on this trip that aren't worth seeing. This is NOT one of them. If you ever have the opportunity to come to Yellowstone and don't take it, you are out of your mind. Drive the loops and see what you see. And hear. And smell (trees and air, not leftovers from large wild animals). Just make sure you stay on the trails. The grand prize for wandering off of them in the geothermal areas is a free trip to your local hospital's burn treatment unit! Plus a fine of some kind, all courtesy of the National Park Service.<br /><br />Tomorrow it's on to the south loop, which includes Old Faithful (among many, many other things).<br /><br />Pictures: Some residents of, some activity in, and some views of Yellowstone National Park.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t4Bq_LNI/AAAAAAAABDg/yc3AEemNay4/s1600-h/Bison+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t4Bq_LNI/AAAAAAAABDg/yc3AEemNay4/s320/Bison+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372633689765129426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t3laXzxI/AAAAAAAABDY/pX0Qx__lDcA/s1600-h/Bison+%286%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t3laXzxI/AAAAAAAABDY/pX0Qx__lDcA/s320/Bison+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372633682179247890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t2_nJzvI/AAAAAAAABDQ/vzgWgPWB_Qw/s1600-h/Bison+%288%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t2_nJzvI/AAAAAAAABDQ/vzgWgPWB_Qw/s320/Bison+%288%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372633672032308978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t2L4Wt4I/AAAAAAAABDI/NLzpz8Ilr08/s1600-h/Mule+Deer+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t2L4Wt4I/AAAAAAAABDI/NLzpz8Ilr08/s320/Mule+Deer+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372633658145814402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t1tjdl_I/AAAAAAAABDA/wyqmgr3zfqw/s1600-h/Mule+Deer+%287%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9t1tjdl_I/AAAAAAAABDA/wyqmgr3zfqw/s320/Mule+Deer+%287%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372633650005121010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9uurHwf3I/AAAAAAAABDw/Jaxcw3aoW1o/s1600-h/Norris+Geyser+Basin+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9uurHwf3I/AAAAAAAABDw/Jaxcw3aoW1o/s320/Norris+Geyser+Basin+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372634628604591986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9uuJuGOZI/AAAAAAAABDo/Czda7F-AXVg/s1600-h/Orange+Spring+Mound+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9uuJuGOZI/AAAAAAAABDo/Czda7F-AXVg/s320/Orange+Spring+Mound+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372634619638593938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vqPQMWwI/AAAAAAAABEY/7O903HbDmTY/s1600-h/Vistas+%2815%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vqPQMWwI/AAAAAAAABEY/7O903HbDmTY/s320/Vistas+%2815%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372635651915930370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vpnuk4gI/AAAAAAAABEQ/2-OLos5jooI/s1600-h/Vistas+%2823%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vpnuk4gI/AAAAAAAABEQ/2-OLos5jooI/s320/Vistas+%2823%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372635641305948674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vpKWXDoI/AAAAAAAABEI/0GwUx0aB8bQ/s1600-h/Vistas+%2827%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vpKWXDoI/AAAAAAAABEI/0GwUx0aB8bQ/s320/Vistas+%2827%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372635633419751042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9voU1RXVI/AAAAAAAABEA/nfSlEQC3h-s/s1600-h/Vistas+%2839%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9voU1RXVI/AAAAAAAABEA/nfSlEQC3h-s/s320/Vistas+%2839%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372635619053886802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vnzx3hRI/AAAAAAAABD4/fSzNxT_AROM/s1600-h/Vistas+%2842%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9vnzx3hRI/AAAAAAAABD4/fSzNxT_AROM/s320/Vistas+%2842%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372635610181240082" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-81791955951190345062009-08-21T19:45:00.000-07:002009-08-21T20:52:19.987-07:005280.3 (357.4) Miles to Cooke City, Montana<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=2105+Rodgers+Dr,+Gillette,+WY+82716&daddr=Little+Bighorn+National+Monument,+Hardin,+MT+to:Red+Lodge,+MT+to:Cooke+City,+Montana&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.452734,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=45.003651,-107.731934&spn=2.330404,4.943848&z=7&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no" width="450"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=2105+Rodgers+Dr,+Gillette,+WY+82716&daddr=Little+Bighorn+National+Monument,+Hardin,+MT+to:Red+Lodge,+MT+to:Cooke+City,+Montana&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.452734,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=45.003651,-107.731934&spn=2.330404,4.943848&z=7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Went to Little Big Horn National Monument in Montana, where Custer had his last stand. Heard about the battle, walked around Last Stand Hill, and sat out in the national cemetery there (which has nothing to do with the battle itself) for a few minutes writing:<br /><br /><blockquote>I'm looking up at the VII Cavalry monument on Last Stand Hill, where Custer died. Small markers dot the places here soldiers fell. The monument marks the group grave where most of the non-officers (many of whom were removed to other location (Custer was re-buried at West Point)) are buried. Behind the monument is the Native American memorial, commemorating the group that won the battle here.<br /><br />Stretching out below the hill are the wide plains and rolling hills of southern Montana, leading right up to the base of the Rockies in the distance. Behind me is a national cemetery, the final resting place for many soldiers from multiple wars. Green grass from the cemetery runs into yellow of the plains runs into purple of the mountains.<br /><br />It is (relatively) quiet here today. Not so all those years ago. Today, all this stands to remind us of Black Elk's words, which grace the visitor's center's wall:<br /><br />"Know the power that is peace."</blockquote><br />Then is was on to the Beartooth Highway. You drive into the highway in a gap between two mountains, then an undulating up-and-down road for a while. And just as I was thinking to myself "we should probably start climbing soon," the road u-turned and started a steep, switchback ascent between 7 and 8,000 feet into the sky. Lots of construction and road work near the top of the pass, but still an incredible drive.<br /><br />On the Beartooth note, thank you to everyone who has given me suggestions of places to go/drives to take/things to see/etc.<br /><br />Landed in Cooke City, Montana on the far side of the Beartooth Pass, 4 miles from Yellowstone's northeast entrance, in a motel without internet access. Next post: into the park.<br /><br />Pictures: First 5: The wall of the visitor's center at Little Big Horn, markers where a VII Cavalry and a Cheyanne fell, the Native American Memorial, and the VII Cavalry Monument on Last Stand Hill. Last 3: The Beartooth Highway, the last 2 from Beartooth Pass, just shy of 11,000 feet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nS5b5OWI/AAAAAAAABCg/EL2sMLAapc8/s1600-h/Little+Big+Horn+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nS5b5OWI/AAAAAAAABCg/EL2sMLAapc8/s320/Little+Big+Horn+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372626454829414754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nSA-eTbI/AAAAAAAABCY/BoTmYPThfyY/s1600-h/Little+Big+Horn+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nSA-eTbI/AAAAAAAABCY/BoTmYPThfyY/s320/Little+Big+Horn+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372626439673630130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nRfjLmhI/AAAAAAAABCQ/4boF8WFnunM/s1600-h/Little+Big+Horn+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nRfjLmhI/AAAAAAAABCQ/4boF8WFnunM/s320/Little+Big+Horn+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372626430700788242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nQ89FszI/AAAAAAAABCI/5S-SUEFC-lc/s1600-h/Little+Big+Horn+%284%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nQ89FszI/AAAAAAAABCI/5S-SUEFC-lc/s320/Little+Big+Horn+%284%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372626421414212402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nQZOruFI/AAAAAAAABCA/tLbQH9rbHLA/s1600-h/Little+Big+Horn+%2810%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9nQZOruFI/AAAAAAAABCA/tLbQH9rbHLA/s320/Little+Big+Horn+%2810%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372626411824330834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9oWNhco9I/AAAAAAAABCo/QC91xJdJx4s/s1600-h/Bear+Tooth+Highway+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9oWNhco9I/AAAAAAAABCo/QC91xJdJx4s/s320/Bear+Tooth+Highway+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372627611272651730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9oXbv26lI/AAAAAAAABC4/i8YvIDkW0Vg/s1600-h/Bear+Tooth+Highway+%2813%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9oXbv26lI/AAAAAAAABC4/i8YvIDkW0Vg/s320/Bear+Tooth+Highway+%2813%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372627632271059538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9oWpUwI2I/AAAAAAAABCw/EI4FZ9PoA7U/s1600-h/Bear+Tooth+Highway+%2811%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/So9oWpUwI2I/AAAAAAAABCw/EI4FZ9PoA7U/s320/Bear+Tooth+Highway+%2811%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372627618735596386" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-31645757267305860682009-08-19T20:56:00.000-07:002009-08-19T22:04:36.029-07:004922.9 (276.4) Miles to Gillette, Wyoming<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Kadoka,+SD&daddr=25216+Ben+Reifel+Rd+Interior,+SD+57750+%28Badlands+National+Park:+Headquarters%29+to:43.870178,-102.227783+to:Mount+Rushmore+to:12151+Avenue+of+the+Chiefs,+Crazy+Horse,+SD+57730+%28Crazy+Horse+Memorial%29+to:2105+rogers+drive,+gillette,+wy&hl=en&geocode=%3BFWF3mwIdX2Ls-SHHIokqYL7DdQ%3B%3BFbmJnQIdpFPV-SF-nCbWh0IMWw%3BFWPlnAIdR9HS-SHZFDRgyuG0UA%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=8&via=2&sll=44.019223,-103.512197&sspn=2.069839,4.938354&ie=UTF8&ll=44.016521,-103.513184&spn=1.382621,4.943848&z=8&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" width="900"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Kadoka,+SD&daddr=25216+Ben+Reifel+Rd+Interior,+SD+57750+%28Badlands+National+Park:+Headquarters%29+to:43.870178,-102.227783+to:Mount+Rushmore+to:12151+Avenue+of+the+Chiefs,+Crazy+Horse,+SD+57730+%28Crazy+Horse+Memorial%29+to:2105+rogers+drive,+gillette,+wy&hl=en&geocode=%3BFWF3mwIdX2Ls-SHHIokqYL7DdQ%3B%3BFbmJnQIdpFPV-SF-nCbWh0IMWw%3BFWPlnAIdR9HS-SHZFDRgyuG0UA%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=8&via=2&sll=44.019223,-103.512197&sspn=2.069839,4.938354&ie=UTF8&ll=44.016521,-103.513184&spn=1.382621,4.943848&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Started the day by driving the 20 miles down to Badlands National Park. Drove the loop road, pulling off at the overlooks, and taking a few short hikes out into the formations. Could not take all of the hikes I wanted to. Visitors are strongly advised to not take the Saddle Pass Trail in wet conditions, and since these aren't just rocks, but really hardened mud, that makes a lot of sense. So I had to skip that part.<br /><br />"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badlands" target="new">Badlands</a>" are actually a geological formation, not just a place. There are badlands on every continent, according to the park signage. I'm not sure if that includes Antarctica, though. Petrified Forest National Park has badlands, too. I couldn't help but compare the two parks. Petrified Forest is in the middle of a desert, and Badlands are on the prairie. The formations in South Dakota run right up the hill to the grasslands. Herds of bison and other wildlife roam the plains, although I didn't see any out there today.<br /><br />After leaving Badlands, I made my way to Mount Rushmore. If you ever get the chance to visit the Rushmore Borglum museum, don't bother. The museum is nonsensically organized, inconsistent in each mini exhibit, and adds just about nothing to the experience. At least I didn't have to pay for parking. Then I drove up the hill to Mount Rushmore itself. A friend warned me that it may not live up to expectations, and he was mostly right. I'm glad I saw it, though. It would be pretty hard to explain to people I came to this part of South Dakota and didn't go see the heads on the mountain. So it's something to check off the list.<br /><br />Then I drove over to the <a href="http://www.crazyhorsememorial.org/" target="new">Crazy Horse Memorial</a>. Ostensibly, Crazy Horse is just like Mount Rushmore, less than 20 miles away. Another leader carved into a mountain. Right now, it's even just a head. But it really is so much more impressive than that. They actually had one of their biweekly blasts to remove part of the mountain at 2:00 today, but I could not get there in time. I would have had to skip the Badlands to make it, and that was completely out of the question. Instead, I got one of the first views of the mountain after its latest update.<br /><br />In addition to going through the museum and getting the same views of the mountain as you can find on the memorial's web site, I took a bus up to the base of the mountain and got some close (or, more accurately, closer)-up shots of the face. You can see some of the results below. When the memorial is finished (hopefully/probably some time this century), this piece by the original artist and designer will grace the side of the largest statue in the world:<br /><br /><blockquote>When the course of history has been told<br /> Let these truths here carved be known:<br />Conscience dictates civilizations live<br /> And duty ours to place before the world<br />A chronicle which will long endure.<br /> For like all things under us and beyond<br />Inevitably we must pass into oblivion.<br /><br />This land of refuge to the stranger<br /> Was ours for countless eons before:<br />Civilizations majestic and mighty.<br /> Our gifts were many which we shared<br />And gratitude for them was known.<br /> But later given my oppressed ones<br />Were murder, rape and sanguine war.<br /><br />Looking from whence invaders came,<br /> Greedy usurpers of our heritage.<br />For us the past is in our hearts,<br /> The future never to be fulfilled.<br />To you I give this granite epic<br /> For your descendants to always know -<br />"My lands are where my dead lie buried."<br /><br /> -Korczak Ziolkowski</blockquote><br>I hope one day I'll get to see the memorial completed. It should be an incredible sight.<br /><br />Tomorrow up to Montana and the Little Bighorn National Monument and the Beartooth Highway before landing in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.<br /><br />I promised pictures today, and here they are. First set are from Badlands National Park, including one of the local residents. Second set is from the Crazy Horse Memorial, the last one being the mountain in the background with the scale model in the foreground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSfYyBOFI/AAAAAAAABAk/Z3etmn2slcA/s1600-h/Badlands+National+Park+%2817%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSfYyBOFI/AAAAAAAABAk/Z3etmn2slcA/s320/Badlands+National+Park+%2817%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371899892216182866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSeiPdTjI/AAAAAAAABAc/MMWOfXZlX4M/s1600-h/Badlands+National+Park+%2822%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSeiPdTjI/AAAAAAAABAc/MMWOfXZlX4M/s320/Badlands+National+Park+%2822%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371899877575708210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSeOagjvI/AAAAAAAABAU/dXrbSkQ4TAg/s1600-h/Badlands+National+Park+%2825%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSeOagjvI/AAAAAAAABAU/dXrbSkQ4TAg/s320/Badlands+National+Park+%2825%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371899872253349618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSdbjkHdI/AAAAAAAABAM/RtMvbc9-PJ8/s1600-h/Badlands+National+Park+%2826%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozSdbjkHdI/AAAAAAAABAM/RtMvbc9-PJ8/s320/Badlands+National+Park+%2826%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371899858601123282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozScka4NaI/AAAAAAAABAE/hCsv0gSDXhc/s1600-h/Badlands+National+Park+%2829%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozScka4NaI/AAAAAAAABAE/hCsv0gSDXhc/s320/Badlands+National+Park+%2829%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371899843800741282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTQnd6ZjI/AAAAAAAABBE/MdcbOzyyyOE/s1600-h/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTQnd6ZjI/AAAAAAAABBE/MdcbOzyyyOE/s320/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371900737971971634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTP4asYbI/AAAAAAAABA8/rxyvujrk40U/s1600-h/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTP4asYbI/AAAAAAAABA8/rxyvujrk40U/s320/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371900725342003634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTPWZzXBI/AAAAAAAABA0/oNoQX9YbGXE/s1600-h/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%287%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTPWZzXBI/AAAAAAAABA0/oNoQX9YbGXE/s320/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%287%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371900716211461138" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTOxpOAjI/AAAAAAAABAs/UudRh-_lxMc/s1600-h/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%2817%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SozTOxpOAjI/AAAAAAAABAs/UudRh-_lxMc/s320/Crazy+Horse+Memorial+%2817%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371900706344010290" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-39901387485655991322009-08-18T17:01:00.001-07:002009-08-18T18:43:11.546-07:004646.5 (465.0) Miles to Kadoka, South Dakota<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=3755+5th+Ave+S,+Fort+Dodge,+IA+50501&daddr=South+Sioux+City,+NE+to:I-90+Bus+Loop+to:43.838489,-101.523285&hl=en&geocode=%3B%3BFU4BnQIdWUrz-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=1&mrsp=3&sz=12&via=2&sll=43.851117,-101.548691&sspn=0.128496,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=43.269206,-97.822266&spn=1.999888,8.789062&z=7&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="250" scrolling="no" width="800"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=3755+5th+Ave+S,+Fort+Dodge,+IA+50501&daddr=South+Sioux+City,+NE+to:I-90+Bus+Loop+to:43.838489,-101.523285&hl=en&geocode=%3B%3BFU4BnQIdWUrz-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=1&mrsp=3&sz=12&via=2&sll=43.851117,-101.548691&sspn=0.128496,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=43.269206,-97.822266&spn=1.999888,8.789062&z=7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Long day in terms of mileage, but my earliest day in terms of time. The benefits of major interstates instead of small side roads. Drove the rest of the way across Iowa on US-20, then crossed the Missouri River (for the first time) to cut a little corner of Nebraska. Crossed the Missouri (for the second time) back into Iowa and up I-29 into South Dakota (over the Big Sioux River). Took I-29 up to I-90, and started heading west. Covered another nearly 250 miles on I-90, crossing the Missouri for the THIRD time on my way to Kadoka, South Dakota (population 736), the "Gateway to the Badlands."<br /><br />Got the car cleaned off on the last run into Kadoka. I'd been watching a rainstorm off in the distance for about 30 miles, and as soon as I crossed over into Mountain time zone (South Dakota is split between Mountain and Central), the rain started to fall on the car. Then it started to pour. Lighting flashes all around, dark clouds extending a long way to my left (south). And as soon as I cleared the storm cell and got out into the clear, an announcement came over the radio on the emergency broadcast system of a thunderstorm watch. Thanks. That was helpful.<br /><br />No pictures again today, but tomorrow for sure, since I'm heading into Badlands National Park (20 miles down the road), and (depending on timing) Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-12567673881132113772009-08-17T18:38:00.000-07:002009-08-17T19:02:09.872-07:004181.5 (6.9 + 428.9) Miles to Fort Dodge, Iowa<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=95+Victoria+St+S,+St+Paul,+MN+55105&daddr=29001+Lansing+Rd,+Dyersville,+IA+52040+%28Field+of+Dreams+Souveiner+Shop%29+to:3755+5th+Ave+South,+Fort+Dodge,+IA+50501+%28Super+8+Fort+Dodge%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFZNsiAIdF5yS-iFveFdSSnINlA%3BCQpctQPf_3bmFaiEiAIdErFj-iH_ecb2OFKGaQ&mra=pe&mrcr=1&sll=43.484812,-92.713623&sspn=4.368113,9.876709&ie=UTF8&ll=43.810747,-92.713623&spn=3.963971,4.669189&z=7&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=95+Victoria+St+S,+St+Paul,+MN+55105&daddr=29001+Lansing+Rd,+Dyersville,+IA+52040+%28Field+of+Dreams+Souveiner+Shop%29+to:3755+5th+Ave+South,+Fort+Dodge,+IA+50501+%28Super+8+Fort+Dodge%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFZNsiAIdF5yS-iFveFdSSnINlA%3BCQpctQPf_3bmFaiEiAIdErFj-iH_ecb2OFKGaQ&mra=pe&mrcr=1&sll=43.484812,-92.713623&sspn=4.368113,9.876709&ie=UTF8&ll=43.810747,-92.713623&spn=3.963971,4.669189&z=7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Spent the last few days with my friends Ben (who I was staying with) and Eric (the lead singer in Rebelution) in the Twin Cities. Saw sound check and pre-concert events. Then a good show on the Bright Side of Life Tour (upcoming shows that you should definitely see if you're in striking distance of these places: 8/18 in Chicago, 8/21 in Boston, 8/22 in NYC, 8/23 in Falls Church, VA). The rest was a pretty relaxing weekend with old friends and new ones (and found out I made a pretty good impression with my choice of scotch for the happy couple on Friday).<br /><br />And then this morning, hit the road again. After a week between Chicago and Saint Paul with friends, I'm back on my own until I get to Seattle. Today (as you can see on the map above), I backtracked a little to the east before starting to head west across Iowa.<br /><br />First writing from the road since Oklahoma:<br /><br /><blockquote>Just past the 4,000 mile mark on my trip, I found a baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield. I almost thought it was the "field of dreams" because I first got lost and wasn't sure I would find it. Coming around a curve in the road, however, I saw some big lights, and figured this had to be it. Now I'm sitting in the bleachers in front of the house, while a perpetual baseball game plays out in front of me.<br /><br />Field of dreams. I'm looking out into the cornfields, and no old ballplayers are coming out onto the field. no ghosts actually inhabit this stretch of eastern Iowa, at least no ghosts that want to make themselves known. Kids of all ages take their turn at bat, from bunts to long flies, ground outs to home runs.<br /><br />Dark clouds and red barns dot the vistas, and there's the sound of traffic in the distance. But here, in this little oasis of play (not "sport"), the game continues.<br /><br />I was hoping to write something about dreams, but some days there's nothing to say about it. Dreams come and go, develop and are achieved and fail. They can be as dramatic and grand as climbing Everest, or as mundane and simple as being happy. Dreams are funny things like that, especially when they are the kind we don't control. The story in the movie is a bout fulfilling someone else's dream in order to achieve the dream you never knew you had. The story here today is about playing the game.<br /><br />And who knows what dreams might develop from there?</blockquote><br /><br />No pictures today. If you want to see where I was, just watch <i>Field of Dreams</i>. The field looks exactly like it did in the movie. Probably because the movie was filmed there. Tomorrow the plan is to knock on the door of the Badlands.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-42349742143381046882009-08-15T08:50:00.001-07:002009-08-22T07:52:45.818-07:003745.7 (179.1) Miles to Saint Paul, Minnesota<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=1066+Homer+Rd,+Winona,+MN+55987&daddr=County+Hwy-30%2FCounty+Rd-30+to:50+Pembroke+Avenue,++%3Cspan+property%3D%22v:locality%22%3EWabasha%3C%2Fspan%3E,+%3Cspan+property%3D%22v:region%22%3EMinnesota%3C%2Fspan%3E+%3Cspan+property%3D%22v:postal-code%22%3E+55981%3C%2Fspan%3E+%28National+Eagle+Center%29+to:44.386998,-92.050753+to:3040+highway+61,+maplewood+mn+to:long+lake+park+to:95+Victoria+St+N,+St+Paul,+Minnesota+55104&hl=en&geocode=%3BFRKupAIdmRaE-g%3BFR8_pQIdJreD-iHwZqjSjbgQTg%3B%3BFbUorwIdcEN0-iFE5VqzxuHHBA%3BFaqUtQIdczR8-iHc7c49OAQ3bg%3BFX_LrQIdk9hy-g&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=3&sz=14&via=1,3&sll=44.385894,-92.039595&sspn=0.031835,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=44.785734,-92.318115&spn=1.949375,2.197266&z=8&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" width="400"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=1066+Homer+Rd,+Winona,+MN+55987&daddr=County+Hwy-30%2FCounty+Rd-30+to:50+Pembroke+Avenue,++%3Cspan+property%3D%22v:locality%22%3EWabasha%3C%2Fspan%3E,+%3Cspan+property%3D%22v:region%22%3EMinnesota%3C%2Fspan%3E+%3Cspan+property%3D%22v:postal-code%22%3E+55981%3C%2Fspan%3E+%28National+Eagle+Center%29+to:44.386998,-92.050753+to:3040+highway+61,+maplewood+mn+to:long+lake+park+to:95+Victoria+St+N,+St+Paul,+Minnesota+55104&hl=en&geocode=%3BFRKupAIdmRaE-g%3BFR8_pQIdJreD-iHwZqjSjbgQTg%3B%3BFbUorwIdcEN0-iFE5VqzxuHHBA%3BFaqUtQIdczR8-iHc7c49OAQ3bg%3BFX_LrQIdk9hy-g&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=3&sz=14&via=1,3&sll=44.385894,-92.039595&sspn=0.031835,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=44.785734,-92.318115&spn=1.949375,2.197266&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Driving out of Winona, I headed north on 61 towards Saint Paul. As I approached Wabasha, I saw a sign for the <a href="http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/" target="new">National Eagle Center</a>. Not knowing what it was, and with my curiosity piqued, I decided to drive into town and check it out. The National Eagle Center is an educational and care center for and about eagles, specifically bald eagles. I saw a number of the birds who are being cared for. I also saw one of them getting fed. They are truly impressive and majestic creatures. Much more fitting as the national symbol than the turkey (sorry Mr. Franklin). To see these birds with their wings fully extended is a sight to see. I'm not sure if Angel (the eagle's name) was trying to get away, or was just trying to impress us (i.e. scare us), but she did a pretty dramatic leap-flip-spin thing that I couldn't catch on video and can't really describe well.<br /><br />Thanks to the work of the National Eagle Center and other organizations like it, bald eagle nests nationally have jumped from less than 200 in the late 1950s to around 1600 in Minnesota alone. Each of the great 48 and DC have at least one nest for the first time in history. The bald eagle is alive and well, and will be around for a long time for all to see.<br /><br />After arriving in the Twin Cities, I ended up crashing the wedding reception for some friends of the person I'm staying with here in Saint Paul. The ceremony was the day before, but the celebration was a very casual affair in a park at one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes. I did feel a little awkward going randomnly to this wedding, but it was insisted over and over that it wasn't a problem. Not willing to go empty handed, I picked up a bottle of scotch for the happy couple and made my way out into the Twin Cities suburbs. Turns out that knowing one person coming only put me behind by 5 or 6 for some people, and I quickly made up the difference meeting people. Very nice people up here in Minnesota. Didn't feel like an outsider at all, and had a great time.<br /><br />Today staying in the Twin Cities and seeing <a href="http://www.rebelutionmusic.com/" target="new">Rebelution</a> (another friend's band) play. Then doing a little exploring in the city before heading south to Iowa, west to Nebraska, and up into South Dakota.<br /><br />Pictures are Eagles from the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SobbhDoSkCI/AAAAAAAAA_k/JYcawUbuJgU/s1600-h/National+Eagle+Center+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SobbhDoSkCI/AAAAAAAAA_k/JYcawUbuJgU/s320/National+Eagle+Center+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370220966642356258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SobbglgzpMI/AAAAAAAAA_c/G5l_ivyXnGo/s1600-h/National+Eagle+Center+%287%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SobbglgzpMI/AAAAAAAAA_c/G5l_ivyXnGo/s320/National+Eagle+Center+%287%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370220958557906114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SobbgMFD4OI/AAAAAAAAA_U/bmenUbR7Nv0/s1600-h/National+Eagle+Center+%2814%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SobbgMFD4OI/AAAAAAAAA_U/bmenUbR7Nv0/s320/National+Eagle+Center+%2814%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370220951730643170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sobbfi4ilXI/AAAAAAAAA_M/3lGrkiLz9Dc/s1600-h/National+Eagle+Center+%2810%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sobbfi4ilXI/AAAAAAAAA_M/3lGrkiLz9Dc/s320/National+Eagle+Center+%2810%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370220940672275826" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-51485467638946221602009-08-13T20:06:00.000-07:002009-08-13T21:13:59.102-07:003566.6 (320.6) Miles to Winona, Minnesota<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=1060+W+Addison+St,+Chicago,+IL+60613+%28Wrigley+Field%29&daddr=43.193163,-89.620628+to:5481+County+Road+C,+Spring+Green,+WI+53588-8922+%28Frank+Lloyd+Wright+Foundation%29+to:1066+homer+road,+winona+mn&hl=en&geocode=FdwTgAId1HnG-iFG1t124T7qHA%3B%3BFS9JkgIda7mh-iGcAfG5l-x9tA%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=12&via=1&sll=43.146088,-89.572563&sspn=0.13727,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=43.088949,-89.588013&spn=2.607528,4.394531&z=8&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="800" frameborder="0" height="650"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=1060+W+Addison+St,+Chicago,+IL+60613+%28Wrigley+Field%29&daddr=43.193163,-89.620628+to:5481+County+Road+C,+Spring+Green,+WI+53588-8922+%28Frank+Lloyd+Wright+Foundation%29+to:1066+homer+road,+winona+mn&hl=en&geocode=FdwTgAId1HnG-iFG1t124T7qHA%3B%3BFS9JkgIda7mh-iGcAfG5l-x9tA%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=12&via=1&sll=43.146088,-89.572563&sspn=0.13727,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=43.088949,-89.588013&spn=2.607528,4.394531&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />After leaving Chicago, I drove up to Wisconsin. A short drive up to Madison, then I wound my way to Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home. Taliesin is also where my great grandfather worked with Wright, including designing the Engineer's Cottage on the grounds, and where he is buried with his wife (not coincidentally, my great grandmother).<br /><br />I arrived at Taliesin just in time to catch the highlights tour, featuring the house and Hillside, which today houses the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. I was the youngest person of the 14 on the tour by 3 or 4 decades. The tour guide seemed genuinely excited to have a relative of one of Wright's apprentices on the tour, and pointed out the Engineer's Cottage to me, as well as pictures of people who were colleagues of my great grandfather. The buildings are impressive, and there is a certain amount to amuse in them as well. Hillside has a cornerstone that includes Wright's name. Apparently, it is the only building that has such a cornerstone. Wright would later include a red tile with his initials on a few buildings, but he would never again ingrain his name in the building itself, wanting the building's to seem as natural as possible in their surroundings. To that end, he blended the buildings with their gardens, put a huge emphasis on sightlines, and used an uneven style for his stone walls, not letting the walls be flat, but instead rough and natural, as if the house appeared out of the side of a mountain.<br /><br />The School of Architecture, which splits its time between Wisconsin and Taliesin West in Arizona, has less than 30 students. Not less than 30 per class, less than 30 TOTAL. Hundreds apply for the places, and the chance to live and work in one of Wright's buildings and under his name. Even 50 years after his death, the Wright name hold's a special place of influence and mystique in American architecture.<br /><br />There is a lot of eastern influence on Wright's work. The house at Taliesin has a very Japanese feel to it. And that doesn't even include the Japanese prints or Chinese rugs or the Buddhas that grace every room. It is simply the angles, and the feel of the place. And the prints, rugs, and Buddhas certainly help.<br /><br />Best line of the day, courtesy of Wright himself. After fire destroyed the living space of his house at Taliesin, but did not damage his work studio, he commented on the less-than-perfect personal life he had led. Words were to the effect of "God disapproves of my morality, but loves my work."<br /><br />After leaving Taliesin, I wound my way up to the Mississippi River, and, crossing it into Minnesota, landed in Winona for the night. Tomorrow, just a short drive to the Twin Cities.<br /><br />Pictures all of the Taliesin grounds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeY5rJXMI/AAAAAAAAA-s/LdKlk76JCdQ/s1600-h/Taliesin+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeY5rJXMI/AAAAAAAAA-s/LdKlk76JCdQ/s320/Taliesin+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369661175112490178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeYJkCO_I/AAAAAAAAA-k/XuPRYhbv8Xo/s1600-h/Taliesin+%2811%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeYJkCO_I/AAAAAAAAA-k/XuPRYhbv8Xo/s320/Taliesin+%2811%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369661162197761010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeXvK3E6I/AAAAAAAAA-c/VTy_dDKTTmk/s1600-h/Taliesin+%2820%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeXvK3E6I/AAAAAAAAA-c/VTy_dDKTTmk/s320/Taliesin+%2820%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369661155112850338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeXHsk3rI/AAAAAAAAA-U/ta3Rt6F0g0Y/s1600-h/Taliesin+%2826%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeXHsk3rI/AAAAAAAAA-U/ta3Rt6F0g0Y/s320/Taliesin+%2826%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369661144516845234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeWs15KgI/AAAAAAAAA-M/XHQanIBqUXQ/s1600-h/Taliesin+%2828%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoTeWs15KgI/AAAAAAAAA-M/XHQanIBqUXQ/s320/Taliesin+%2828%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369661137308166658" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-7032625511057409492009-08-12T19:53:00.000-07:002009-08-12T20:31:20.189-07:00A Few Days without Miles: Chicago.Spent the last could of days playing tourist around Chicago, courtesy of a friend from college (who has been nice enough to let me crash at his place). In no particular order, went to the Field Museum and saw exhibits on pirates, ancient Egypt, photography from the civil rights movement, Native American items, and a T-Rex. Went to the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, and looked out on Chicagoland, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana (or would have if it had been a clearer day). Saw some of the public art Chicago has to offer, including a giant reflective bean (see below), and giant digital faces that spit water on children. Had some Chicago-style pizza. And wandered around the city a bit.<br /><br />Tomorrow, it's off to Wisconsin. Then I'll head up to Minnesota, down to Iowa, and then start the trek west. I've (mentally) separated the trip into 3 parts: the Journey (Route 66, just ended, where the travel itself was the point), the Destinations (Taliesin to the Oregon/California border, where the places I end up are the point), and the Drive (Highway 1 down the California coast, where the doing the drive, as opposed to doing the traveling, is the point). Stage 2 starts tomorrow.<br /><br />Pictures: The Route 66 finishing line. Wrigley Field (where I'll go on some future trip when I have more money and the Cubs are better). "The Bean," some strange Chicago art sculpture that is a big oddly shaped mirror. Sue, the largest most complete T-Rex in the world, at the Field Museum. Looking down 103 stories between my feet at the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBW1CuQ6I/AAAAAAAAA9s/v4r4H7sLbC4/s1600-h/Route+66+End.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBW1CuQ6I/AAAAAAAAA9s/v4r4H7sLbC4/s320/Route+66+End.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369277409951368098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBWNQfy-I/AAAAAAAAA9k/hXjMhf85uMc/s1600-h/Wrigley+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBWNQfy-I/AAAAAAAAA9k/hXjMhf85uMc/s320/Wrigley+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369277399271721954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBVs3772I/AAAAAAAAA9c/PPWiMi4ITsQ/s1600-h/The+Bean+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBVs3772I/AAAAAAAAA9c/PPWiMi4ITsQ/s320/The+Bean+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369277390578773858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBVH68tkI/AAAAAAAAA9U/4Pr-RiEzyN8/s1600-h/Field+Museum+%286%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBVH68tkI/AAAAAAAAA9U/4Pr-RiEzyN8/s320/Field+Museum+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369277380659295810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBUW4TKBI/AAAAAAAAA9M/LD_J3ZE71TE/s1600-h/Willis+Tower+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoOBUW4TKBI/AAAAAAAAA9M/LD_J3ZE71TE/s320/Willis+Tower+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369277367494846482" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-82407946768062795262009-08-11T08:06:00.000-07:002009-08-11T09:01:41.608-07:003246.0 (263.8) Miles to Chicago, Illinois<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=18891+Rte-4,+Carlinville,+IL+62626&daddr=E+Dean+St+to:IL-4%2FState+Route+4+to:IL-4%2FS+Veterans+Pkwy+to:112+N+6th+St,+Springfield,+IL+62701+%28Abraham+Lincoln+Presidential+Library%29+to:1500+Monument+Ave,+Springfield,+IL+62702-2500+%28Lincoln%27s+Tomb%29+to:N+9th+St%2FI-55+Bus+to:I-55+Bus%2FN+Peoria+Rd+to:County+Rd-5+E%2FW+Outer+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:E+200+N+Rd%2FUS-136+to:S+Main+St%2FUS-51+to:Historic+Hwy+66%2FUS-66+to:Historic+Hwy+66+to:Old+Route+66+to:Old+Route+66+to:Historic+Hwy+66+to:IL-53%2FS+State+Route+53+to:IL-53%2FS+State+Route+53+to:Broadway+St%2FIL-53%2FIL-7+to:IL-53%2FLincoln+Ave+to:W+Ogden+Ave%2FUS-34+to:W+26th+St+to:W+Ogden+Ave+to:1060+W+Addison+St,+Chicago,+IL+60613+%28Wrigley+Field%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFcC6WgIddEWm-g%3BFZz5XQIdGDen-g%3BFdC_XgId9jCn-g%3BFRlUXwIdKRWo-iEQZbAc9agJig%3BFXCYXwIdvPyn-iGX7cAYyswxOg%3BFZuQXwIdVSeo-g%3BFazmXwIdDkuo-g%3BFYYPYQId7ASp-g%3BFRPAYgIdCqeq-g%3BFbwbZwIdlgaw-g%3BFVIFagId4gyy-g%3BFUdHawIdEf-z-g%3BFUY5bAIdazy1-g%3BFcX1bQIdWl62-g%3BFciPcAIdLS-4-g%3BFQfDcgIdily6-g%3BFVbAdAIdfeO8-g%3BFSBXdwIdoD-_-g%3BFUhsegIdnfG_-g%3BFdy3fQIdbQ_A-g%3BFd4KfgIdeE3C-g%3BFfaDfgIdLDLF-g%3BFVrtfgId6CnG-g%3BFdwTgAId1HnG-iFG1t124T7qHA&mra=dpe&via=1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&sll=41.890522,-87.615108&sspn=0.066322,0.154324&ie=UTF8&ll=40.78886,-88.681641&spn=3.327077,3.295898&z=7&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="300" frameborder="0" height="400"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=18891+Rte-4,+Carlinville,+IL+62626&daddr=E+Dean+St+to:IL-4%2FState+Route+4+to:IL-4%2FS+Veterans+Pkwy+to:112+N+6th+St,+Springfield,+IL+62701+%28Abraham+Lincoln+Presidential+Library%29+to:1500+Monument+Ave,+Springfield,+IL+62702-2500+%28Lincoln%27s+Tomb%29+to:N+9th+St%2FI-55+Bus+to:I-55+Bus%2FN+Peoria+Rd+to:County+Rd-5+E%2FW+Outer+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:E+200+N+Rd%2FUS-136+to:S+Main+St%2FUS-51+to:Historic+Hwy+66%2FUS-66+to:Historic+Hwy+66+to:Old+Route+66+to:Old+Route+66+to:Historic+Hwy+66+to:IL-53%2FS+State+Route+53+to:IL-53%2FS+State+Route+53+to:Broadway+St%2FIL-53%2FIL-7+to:IL-53%2FLincoln+Ave+to:W+Ogden+Ave%2FUS-34+to:W+26th+St+to:W+Ogden+Ave+to:1060+W+Addison+St,+Chicago,+IL+60613+%28Wrigley+Field%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFcC6WgIddEWm-g%3BFZz5XQIdGDen-g%3BFdC_XgId9jCn-g%3BFRlUXwIdKRWo-iEQZbAc9agJig%3BFXCYXwIdvPyn-iGX7cAYyswxOg%3BFZuQXwIdVSeo-g%3BFazmXwIdDkuo-g%3BFYYPYQId7ASp-g%3BFRPAYgIdCqeq-g%3BFbwbZwIdlgaw-g%3BFVIFagId4gyy-g%3BFUdHawIdEf-z-g%3BFUY5bAIdazy1-g%3BFcX1bQIdWl62-g%3BFciPcAIdLS-4-g%3BFQfDcgIdily6-g%3BFVbAdAIdfeO8-g%3BFSBXdwIdoD-_-g%3BFUhsegIdnfG_-g%3BFdy3fQIdbQ_A-g%3BFd4KfgIdeE3C-g%3BFfaDfgIdLDLF-g%3BFVrtfgId6CnG-g%3BFdwTgAId1HnG-iFG1t124T7qHA&mra=dpe&via=1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&sll=41.890522,-87.615108&sspn=0.066322,0.154324&ie=UTF8&ll=40.78886,-88.681641&spn=3.327077,3.295898&z=7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />In case you weren't aware, Abraham Lincoln is <span style="font-size:180%;">BIG<span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span> in Illinois. And especially in Springfield. Saw the Lincoln Presidential Museum, which had some interesting exhibits. Good thing to see. Went to his tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Touched the nose on the statue for good luck. We'll see what happens. Then I took off for Chicago.<br /><br />Made it to the Windy City after a nice long drive through the Illinois countryside. Saw Chicago police pulling over a car. Which means I have now seen someone pulled over in every single state along Route 66, including during the 13 miles of Kansas.<br /><br />End of 66 was a little anticlimactic. Driving up Jackson Street, there's a little sign at Michigan that says "Historic Route 66 End," but I couldn't stop because I was driving in nighttime Chicago traffic. Then where my directions said it ended, the road was closed. Will try to get back to the end today and see what the end of 66 looks like. Instead, I drove on around the lake to Lakeview on Chicago's north side to my friend's apartment. Today's all about seeing Chicago. A little tourist, a little not-for-tourist, and (hopefully) a Cubs game.<br /><br />And a couple of days without driving.<br /><br />Pictures: The old Illinois State House, where Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech and lay in state after his death. The current Illinois State House, where Bloggo was dumped. Abe enjoying a day on a Springfield Bench. Lincoln's tomb, with the nose discolored because it is good luck to touch it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPmi2WNUI/AAAAAAAAA8U/6_FSkqTDomU/s1600-h/Old+Illinois+State+House.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPmi2WNUI/AAAAAAAAA8U/6_FSkqTDomU/s320/Old+Illinois+State+House.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368730123154896194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPmMygFpI/AAAAAAAAA8M/UfSixTKAVas/s1600-h/Illinois+State+House+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPmMygFpI/AAAAAAAAA8M/UfSixTKAVas/s320/Illinois+State+House+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368730117233186450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPl3nu-AI/AAAAAAAAA8E/FCc0uqcFtw0/s1600-h/Lincoln.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPl3nu-AI/AAAAAAAAA8E/FCc0uqcFtw0/s320/Lincoln.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368730111550879746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPlboFwPI/AAAAAAAAA78/HKCRbwn2c6g/s1600-h/Lincoln%27s+Tomb+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPlboFwPI/AAAAAAAAA78/HKCRbwn2c6g/s320/Lincoln%27s+Tomb+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368730104036180210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPlAaQQ9I/AAAAAAAAA70/W_fLpjHh-jg/s1600-h/Lincoln%27s+Tomb+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SoGPlAaQQ9I/AAAAAAAAA70/W_fLpjHh-jg/s320/Lincoln%27s+Tomb+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368730096730391506" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-47738713491002464682009-08-09T19:08:00.000-07:002009-08-09T19:43:54.019-07:002982.2 (326.0) Miles to Carlinville, Illinois<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=catfish,+lebanon,+mo&daddr=Millcreek+Rd+to:Historic+Route+66%2FE+Rte-66+to:Hwy+F%2FMO-F%2FMO-Y+to:Hwy+BB+to:E+Hwy-54%2FUS-54+to:US-54+to:MO-52+to:MO-17%2FMO-52+to:Hwy-42+W%2FMO-42+to:rolla,+mo+to:County+Rd-2020%2FCounty+Rd-39+to:Old+Hwy+66+to:County+Rd-1000%2FCounty+Rd-113%2FOld+Springfield+Rd%2FE+Springfield+Rd+to:Old+66+to:S+Service+Rd+to:Hwy+W+to:N+Service+Rd+to:MO-100+to:MO-141+to:N+Bluff+Rd%2FIL-157+to:IL-157%2FN+State+Route+157+to:38.897312,-89.835291+to:IL-4%2FState+Route+4+to:18891+route+4,+carlinville,+il&hl=en&geocode=FZ6KPgIdIwF6-iFqPr2mHTpIAg%3BFWYCPwId81J6-g%3BFcAWPwIdent6-g%3BFeRWQAIdPhR7-g%3BFYgYQQIdSIZ6-g%3BFfkkRAIdGhh5-g%3BFS5mSAIdplh7-g%3BFXSyRwIdH_V8-g%3BFZ5tRwIdVFd9-g%3BFaWvRgIdI1KE-g%3B%3BFWmGQwIdEwqI-g%3BFaaOQwIdsrKI-g%3BFawPRAId7lyK-g%3BFYxxRQIdpTSO-g%3BFVlURgIdAAaQ-g%3BFcGURwIdVxeS-g%3BFcnKSQIdKlCU-g%3BFdCLTAId1DmY-g%3BFdOzTAId8Aeb-g%3BFUq6TgIdqoii-g%3BFRnlUAIdIoGk-g%3B%3BFcy5UgId6b6l-g%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=22&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&sll=38.895642,-89.855547&sspn=0.036607,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=38.543869,-91.257935&spn=2.148142,3.295898&z=8&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="600" frameborder="0" height="500"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=catfish,+lebanon,+mo&daddr=Millcreek+Rd+to:Historic+Route+66%2FE+Rte-66+to:Hwy+F%2FMO-F%2FMO-Y+to:Hwy+BB+to:E+Hwy-54%2FUS-54+to:US-54+to:MO-52+to:MO-17%2FMO-52+to:Hwy-42+W%2FMO-42+to:rolla,+mo+to:County+Rd-2020%2FCounty+Rd-39+to:Old+Hwy+66+to:County+Rd-1000%2FCounty+Rd-113%2FOld+Springfield+Rd%2FE+Springfield+Rd+to:Old+66+to:S+Service+Rd+to:Hwy+W+to:N+Service+Rd+to:MO-100+to:MO-141+to:N+Bluff+Rd%2FIL-157+to:IL-157%2FN+State+Route+157+to:38.897312,-89.835291+to:IL-4%2FState+Route+4+to:18891+route+4,+carlinville,+il&hl=en&geocode=FZ6KPgIdIwF6-iFqPr2mHTpIAg%3BFWYCPwId81J6-g%3BFcAWPwIdent6-g%3BFeRWQAIdPhR7-g%3BFYgYQQIdSIZ6-g%3BFfkkRAIdGhh5-g%3BFS5mSAIdplh7-g%3BFXSyRwIdH_V8-g%3BFZ5tRwIdVFd9-g%3BFaWvRgIdI1KE-g%3B%3BFWmGQwIdEwqI-g%3BFaaOQwIdsrKI-g%3BFawPRAId7lyK-g%3BFYxxRQIdpTSO-g%3BFVlURgIdAAaQ-g%3BFcGURwIdVxeS-g%3BFcnKSQIdKlCU-g%3BFdCLTAId1DmY-g%3BFdOzTAId8Aeb-g%3BFUq6TgIdqoii-g%3BFRnlUAIdIoGk-g%3B%3BFcy5UgId6b6l-g%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=22&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&sll=38.895642,-89.855547&sspn=0.036607,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=38.543869,-91.257935&spn=2.148142,3.295898&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />If anyone is ever planning on using historic66.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">com's</span> directions to get through Missouri, you have my sympathies and fair warning to TRY SOMETHING ELSE. As if yesterday's dead ends and nonexistent roads weren't bad enough, today I ended up on a big loop for the same reason. Instead of about an hour from Lebanon to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Rolla</span>, it took me nearly 4 hours and routed me up through Osage Beach, about an extra 100 miles when all was said and done. I've been able to intuit and figure out the directions when they looked like they would fail me. Today, I was just flat out lost. No fun at all.<br /><br />In the middle of Nashville, Tennessee, there is a Parthenon, just like in Athens (only not destroyed by a gunpowder explosion), complete with a statue of Athena. When I found out there was a Stonehenge in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Rolla</span>, Missouri, I thought it would be something similar. Not so much. "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">stonehenge</span>" in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Rolla</span> was nothing more than a bunch of concrete blocks in a sort-of circle. Which, I guess, is what the real Stonehenge is, too. But this one wasn't worth seeing, by any stretch of the imagination.<br /><br />Went to see the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Meramec</span> Caverns. Advertised for hundreds of miles around in all directions, the Caverns were at one point Jesse James' hideout, and have some of the most interesting stalagmite and stalactite collections anywhere. Unfortunately, the place was so over-commercialized that they take away from the natural beauty of the formations. Multi-colored lights, statues of the James Gang panning for gold, and a musical show (complete with American flag lights) are nothing short of ridiculous. A much better thing to do (in my humble opinion) would be to string regular incandescent lights so that the formations can speak for themselves. Let each person interpret them at will. Forget the fancy shtick. There's just no need for it. Bottom line: not worth the money or the time. Go see some other caverns that haven't been dressed up and P.T. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Barnum'd</span> for decades.<br /><br />Tried one last time to follow Missouri 66 directions. When the route <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">disappeared</span> (again), I finally gave up and went down to I-44. Crossed Saint Louis and the Mississippi River on 44/55, then turned north in Illinois on 55. Following 66 in Illinois is a wonderful drive, especially when compared to Missouri. Every turn in 66 has a sign, most including the years the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">alignment</span> represents. So much easier and nicer to follow.<br /><br />So here I am in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Carlinville</span> (not named after the late <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">comedian</span> George). Tomorrow Springfield (and seeing what the "Land of Lincoln" really means), and then most likely on to Chicago, and the end of the eastbound/66 leg of the road trip.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-80079874936710305092009-08-08T19:33:00.000-07:002009-08-08T20:29:42.221-07:002656.2 (301.4) Miles to Lebanon, Missouri<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=1720+S+Lynn+Riggs+Blvd,+Claremore,+OK+74019&daddr=Blue+Whale+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FUS-60%2FUS-69+to:Historic+Route+66%2FUS-59%2FUS-69+to:Historic+Route+66%2FUS-69+to:W+7th+St+to:Cimmarron+Rd+to:MO-96+to:MO-266%2FW+State+Route+266+to:MO-266%2FW+St+Hwy+266+to:W+MO-266%2FUS-66+to:W+Chestnut+Expy%2FI-44+Bus+to:N+National+Ave+to:E+Kearney+St%2FMO-744%2FUS-66+to:E+Kearney+St%2FMO-OO%2FMO-Y%2FUS-66+to:MO-OO%2FMO-Y%2FE+Old+Route+66+to:MO-OO%2FMO-Y%2FSt+Hwy+OO+to:MO-CC%2FMO-Y%2FSt+Hwy+CC+to:MO-CC%2FMO-Y%2FSt+Hwy+CC+to:MO-CC%2FMO-Y%2FN+Newport+Ave+to:Historic+Route+86%2FMO-W%2FMO-Y%2FRte-66+to:37.602162,-92.712164+to:1710+W+Elm+St,+Lebanon,+MO+65536-3918+%28Historic+Route+66+Inn%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFUtFKAId_jpL-iFGrF_hnHvCpg%3BFdZRLAIdztZO-g%3BFQbiLgIdwEpV-g%3BFZQsMgIdQ8pX-g%3BFdduNAIdu1xa-g%3BFZrdNQIdspFd-g%3BFbTXNQIdHJRf-g%3BFaWYNwIdxg1i-g%3BFZKENwIdLvhr-g%3BFV3UNwIdji9u-g%3BFZ3SNwIdOddu-g%3BFcDYNwIdSvZv-g%3BFbopOAIdurxw-g%3BFYQ7OAIdIuVx-g%3BFU-eOAId4Npy-g%3BFcmyOAIdKJlz-g%3BFSMzOQIdKy11-g%3BFREIOgIdj6J2-g%3BFdP0OgIdgE53-g%3BFY1cPAIdC513-g%3BFXUtPQIdKTR4-g%3B%3BFYCPPgIdLQF6-iH116mmlQrbSw&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=22&sz=15&via=2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22&sll=37.59934,-92.715983&sspn=0.018633,0.038581&ie=UTF8&ll=37.07271,-94.141846&spn=2.191361,3.845215&z=8&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="700" frameborder="0" height="500"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=1720+S+Lynn+Riggs+Blvd,+Claremore,+OK+74019&daddr=Blue+Whale+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FUS-60%2FUS-69+to:Historic+Route+66%2FUS-59%2FUS-69+to:Historic+Route+66%2FUS-69+to:W+7th+St+to:Cimmarron+Rd+to:MO-96+to:MO-266%2FW+State+Route+266+to:MO-266%2FW+St+Hwy+266+to:W+MO-266%2FUS-66+to:W+Chestnut+Expy%2FI-44+Bus+to:N+National+Ave+to:E+Kearney+St%2FMO-744%2FUS-66+to:E+Kearney+St%2FMO-OO%2FMO-Y%2FUS-66+to:MO-OO%2FMO-Y%2FE+Old+Route+66+to:MO-OO%2FMO-Y%2FSt+Hwy+OO+to:MO-CC%2FMO-Y%2FSt+Hwy+CC+to:MO-CC%2FMO-Y%2FSt+Hwy+CC+to:MO-CC%2FMO-Y%2FN+Newport+Ave+to:Historic+Route+86%2FMO-W%2FMO-Y%2FRte-66+to:37.602162,-92.712164+to:1710+W+Elm+St,+Lebanon,+MO+65536-3918+%28Historic+Route+66+Inn%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFUtFKAId_jpL-iFGrF_hnHvCpg%3BFdZRLAIdztZO-g%3BFQbiLgIdwEpV-g%3BFZQsMgIdQ8pX-g%3BFdduNAIdu1xa-g%3BFZrdNQIdspFd-g%3BFbTXNQIdHJRf-g%3BFaWYNwIdxg1i-g%3BFZKENwIdLvhr-g%3BFV3UNwIdji9u-g%3BFZ3SNwIdOddu-g%3BFcDYNwIdSvZv-g%3BFbopOAIdurxw-g%3BFYQ7OAIdIuVx-g%3BFU-eOAId4Npy-g%3BFcmyOAIdKJlz-g%3BFSMzOQIdKy11-g%3BFREIOgIdj6J2-g%3BFdP0OgIdgE53-g%3BFY1cPAIdC513-g%3BFXUtPQIdKTR4-g%3B%3BFYCPPgIdLQF6-iH116mmlQrbSw&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=22&sz=15&via=2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22&sll=37.59934,-92.715983&sspn=0.018633,0.038581&ie=UTF8&ll=37.07271,-94.141846&spn=2.191361,3.845215&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Today was a day of backtracking, missed opportunities, near-missed opportunities, and confusion. Bullet points to follow.<br /><br /><ul><li>Started backtracking 10 miles west on 66 to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Whale_of_Catoosa" target="new">Blue Whale of Catoosa</a>. This is a structure in the middle of a pond, painted sky blue, with ladders and slides off of it. Kind of like the old airplane park that used to be on 19th Avenue in San Francisco, for those of you to whom that means anything. So, in northeastern Oklahoma, near the home of Will Rogers, there's a blue whale. Go figure.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Nearly missed, but finally did find, the J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore. My directions had it at one address, turns out it takes up an entire city block about 3 blocks from that address. Just as I'd given up and was about to drive out of town, there it was. Anyone interested in guns HAS to see this place. Every rifle, pistol, or shotgun you can imagine. Plus muskets and swords and other (non-weapon) items, too. The largest private collection of such items in the world.</li></ul><ul><li>On my way out of Oklahoma, I drove through Quapaw. I know nothing about the place EXCEPT: It was the home of B.J. Hunnicut's father-in-law, as told in one episode of MASH.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Directions today were <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BAD</span></span>. Highways dead-ended with no apparent way to get to the next stretch of road. Detours were recommended that, as near as I could tell, did not exist (some "historical loop" in Spencer, MO?). The wrong address I described above, plus nearly impossible "directions" to a supposed tri-state marker. And then, the big one: In Springfield, Missouri, the directions said to turn left, and the streat would become a county road and head north along with I-44. Instead, the road dead ended at the Springfield Airport. A man at a gas station was nice enough to tell me that the directions should have had me turn RIGHT at the road, and from there I was able to get where I was going (with the exception of that dead end that I mentioned). The man was very confused by my question, though. Why would anyone in their right mind want to get to whatever town WITHOUT taking I-44? I couldn't really answer him, but on I went.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Almost couldn't get a room in Lebanon. The country's largest gospel choir convention is in town this weekend. I was lucky enough that on the third motel I stopped at, someone had decided to leave a day early, so I got their room.<br /></li></ul>Tomorrow heading towards Saint Louis and Illinois, with stopps in Rolla and at the Meramec Caverns and wherever else I feel like.<br /><br />Pictures: The Blue Whale of Catoosa (there's a blue whale in Catoosa!!!) and the last remaining Rainbow Arch bridge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42b6Bn4TI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/wT_mnsOvCo0/s1600-h/Catoosa+Blue+Whale+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42b6Bn4TI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/wT_mnsOvCo0/s320/Catoosa+Blue+Whale+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367787658932642098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42bZddbOI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/d_ppzI6EelY/s1600-h/Catoosa+Blue+Whale+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42bZddbOI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/d_ppzI6EelY/s320/Catoosa+Blue+Whale+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367787650191027426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42bJDOwvI/AAAAAAAAA6I/UvAelm4F-Ks/s1600-h/Rainbow+Arch+Bridge+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42bJDOwvI/AAAAAAAAA6I/UvAelm4F-Ks/s320/Rainbow+Arch+Bridge+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367787645786047218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42a9PLexI/AAAAAAAAA6A/kuMKWUA54rI/s1600-h/Rainbow+Arch+Bridge+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42a9PLexI/AAAAAAAAA6A/kuMKWUA54rI/s320/Rainbow+Arch+Bridge+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367787642614938386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42aivKluI/AAAAAAAAA54/Lz9Z8Dn1UTk/s1600-h/Rainbow+Arch+Bridge+%284%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Sn42aivKluI/AAAAAAAAA54/Lz9Z8Dn1UTk/s320/Rainbow+Arch+Bridge+%284%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367787635501340386" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-73110109558237069282009-08-07T20:09:00.000-07:002009-08-07T20:36:53.682-07:002354.8 (293.1) Miles to Claremore, Oklahoma<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=2000+W+3rd+St,+Elk+City,+OK+73644&daddr=Frontage+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:OK-8%2FUS-281+to:W+US-66+to:S+Hadden+Ave+to:W+Main+St%2FOK-66+to:N+Mustang+Rd%2FOK-4+to:620+N+Harvey+Ave,+Oklahoma+City,+OK+73102-3032+%28Oklahoma+City+National+Memorial%29+to:E+2nd+St%2FOK-66+to:W+15th+St%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:36.181671,-95.746536+to:1720+south+lynn+riggs,+74019&hl=en&geocode=%3BFUx-HAIdd_8T-g%3BFfV8HAId9lcV-g%3BFcLdHAIdpNsW-g%3BFcZgHQIdQQIY-g%3BFbRxHwId3N4j-g%3BFcxAHgId5OUn-g%3BFX4qHgId0Dkp-g%3BFdDOHQIdYGUs-g%3BFTtGHQId19Ys-g%3BFVhHHQIdOf8v-iHeVvpOtrqaMw%3BFT4EIAIdnG4y-g%3BFaCrIAId0oY5-g%3BFSYbIQId_PU7-g%3BFfpZIgIdMy4_-g%3BFZzOIwId_fVB-g%3BFa06JQIddydF-g%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=17&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17&sll=36.156449,-95.705338&sspn=0.143868,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=35.929093,-97.498169&spn=1.334402,4.394531&z=8&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="800" frameborder="0" height="300"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=2000+W+3rd+St,+Elk+City,+OK+73644&daddr=Frontage+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:Frontage+Rd+to:OK-8%2FUS-281+to:W+US-66+to:S+Hadden+Ave+to:W+Main+St%2FOK-66+to:N+Mustang+Rd%2FOK-4+to:620+N+Harvey+Ave,+Oklahoma+City,+OK+73102-3032+%28Oklahoma+City+National+Memorial%29+to:E+2nd+St%2FOK-66+to:W+15th+St%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:Historic+Route+66%2FOK-66+to:36.181671,-95.746536+to:1720+south+lynn+riggs,+74019&hl=en&geocode=%3BFUx-HAIdd_8T-g%3BFfV8HAId9lcV-g%3BFcLdHAIdpNsW-g%3BFcZgHQIdQQIY-g%3BFbRxHwId3N4j-g%3BFcxAHgId5OUn-g%3BFX4qHgId0Dkp-g%3BFdDOHQIdYGUs-g%3BFTtGHQId19Ys-g%3BFVhHHQIdOf8v-iHeVvpOtrqaMw%3BFT4EIAIdnG4y-g%3BFaCrIAId0oY5-g%3BFSYbIQId_PU7-g%3BFfpZIgIdMy4_-g%3BFZzOIwId_fVB-g%3BFa06JQIddydF-g%3B%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=17&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17&sll=36.156449,-95.705338&sspn=0.143868,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=35.929093,-97.498169&spn=1.334402,4.394531&z=8" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />OK, I caved. After following Route 66 to Yukon, Oklahoma, I got completely turned around. Instead of trying to find my way back to 66, I just took 40 into Oklahoma City. I knew I was heading towards the memorial, and when I came over a small hill, one of the gates came into view ahead of me. After going through the museum, I walked around the memorial, and then sat above it writing.<br /><br /><blockquote>I'm sitting in the shade of the Survivor Tree, an American Elm, and trying desperately to think of what to write about. What words could possibly be appropriate in this place? Three years ago, I took pictures of the message on the wall behind me and of the field of chairs in front of me. Today I took none. More and more on this trip I am thinking about how cheap the medium has become. And then I see some of the images in the museum, and I think of other iconic images from history, and I remember why I have this camera with me.<br /><br />I have been in places were attacks have been, where tragedies have struck. I was in the Pentagon in the summer of 2001. I know of places in Israel where I spent a lot of time that have been victimized by bombings and shootings and other attacks.<br /><br />But I struggle here, trying to come to grips with this place. This is the last spot on this trip until I get to the west coast that I have seen before. From here, everything is new, uncharted. To my right, a large black gate reads 9:03, the minute after the bomb blast. A church sits beyond the gate, and flags fly all across the scene in front of me. Oklahoma has moved forward. Never forgetting, of course, but not dwelling on the past.<br /><br />But I am still left with the question of what to write here, in the shadow of this tree.<br /><br />Bells are ringing to symbolize the hour, and a siren wails in response to a call somewhere. The normal sounds of downtown in a major city echo all around this square. But the field in front of me is ever silent. The chairs stand for memories of loved ones lost, with whatever remains from the building preserved to one side. The new federal building, as yet unnamed, stands caddy corner to the old one, better protected and with a more modern look and feel to it.<br /><br />But I still don't know what to write about here. Nothing seems to fit. Nothing comes to mind that is right for this place.<br /><br />The preamble to the Memorial's mission statement is etched on the outside of the 9:03 gate: "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity."<br /><br />I only wish I could add more to that.<br /></blockquote><br />After leaving the Memorial, I drove north to pick up 66 again. The Mother Road is a lot more fun to drive when it isn't just a frontage road for an interstate. And my having no schedule to keep saved me money today, since I didn't have to take any of a number of Oklahoma turnpikes, instead bypassing them on 66, which today had a speed limit of 65 for most of the way.<br /><br />Now sitting in Claremore, contemplating my last day in Oklahoma before heading over for 13 miles of Kansas and then into Missouri.<br /><br />Pictures from the Oklahoma City National Memorial, taken on my last trip through here 3 years ago.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/1600/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/320/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20011.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/1600/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/320/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20028.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/1600/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/320/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20038.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/1600/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/320/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20003.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/1600/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6390/1290/320/Oklahoma%20city%20National%20Memorial%20036.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-11697727089875270442009-08-06T19:24:00.000-07:002009-08-06T20:38:17.109-07:002061.7 (336.2) Miles to Elk City, Oklahoma<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=1709+Historic+Route+66,+Santa+Rosa,+NM+88435-2769+%28La+Loma+Lodge+%26+RV+Park%29&daddr=W+Route+66+Blvd%2FUS-54+to:E+Route+66+Blvd+to:Cadillac+Ranch+to:Frontage+Rd%2FW+I-40%2FTiffany+St+to:SW+9th+Ave+to:SW+6th+Ave+to:E+Amarillo+Blvd%2FUS-60+to:Farm+Rd+1912%2FN+FM-1912+to:Ranch+Rd+2575+to:Frontage+Rd+to:FM-2161+to:I-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus%2FUS-283+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:NE+Hwy-66+to:35.346285,-99.574585+to:flamingo+inn,+elk+city,+ok&hl=en&geocode=FUY3FQIdctnC-SHk8kuEc5ZUsA%3BFXutGAIdfwLR-Q%3BFTKuGAIdvObR-Q%3BFf3qGAIdq8zr-SEVNvQqWZNnqw%3BFcLnGAIdsOPs-Q%3BFSszGQIdLELt-Q%3BFWBHGQId-bLt-Q%3BFdhxGQIdKV3u-Q%3BFZS7GQIdR-Pw-Q%3BFRRvGQIdzZ_x-Q%3BFVhuGQIdC1by-Q%3BFZRnGQIdESHz-Q%3BFYUUGQIdHmn5-Q%3BFbNSGQIdroML-g%3BFbNVGQIdEIgM-g%3BFcipGQIdDW0N-g%3BFQ4GGgIdl0IO-g%3BFX8PGgIdFQUP-g%3BFQk-GgIdOp4P-g%3BFR7GGgIdELMP-g%3BFeLxGgId8kUQ-g%3B%3BFfhWHAIdBNkS-iHwGKTVp_LL1A&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=21&sz=15&via=1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21&sll=35.339039,-99.583769&sspn=0.018169,0.038581&ie=UTF8&ll=35.299435,-102.084961&spn=1.793247,6.591797&z=7&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="600" frameborder="0" height="200"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=1709+Historic+Route+66,+Santa+Rosa,+NM+88435-2769+%28La+Loma+Lodge+%26+RV+Park%29&daddr=W+Route+66+Blvd%2FUS-54+to:E+Route+66+Blvd+to:Cadillac+Ranch+to:Frontage+Rd%2FW+I-40%2FTiffany+St+to:SW+9th+Ave+to:SW+6th+Ave+to:E+Amarillo+Blvd%2FUS-60+to:Farm+Rd+1912%2FN+FM-1912+to:Ranch+Rd+2575+to:Frontage+Rd+to:FM-2161+to:I-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus%2FUS-283+to:Historic+Route+66%2FI-40+Bus+to:NE+Hwy-66+to:35.346285,-99.574585+to:flamingo+inn,+elk+city,+ok&hl=en&geocode=FUY3FQIdctnC-SHk8kuEc5ZUsA%3BFXutGAIdfwLR-Q%3BFTKuGAIdvObR-Q%3BFf3qGAIdq8zr-SEVNvQqWZNnqw%3BFcLnGAIdsOPs-Q%3BFSszGQIdLELt-Q%3BFWBHGQId-bLt-Q%3BFdhxGQIdKV3u-Q%3BFZS7GQIdR-Pw-Q%3BFRRvGQIdzZ_x-Q%3BFVhuGQIdC1by-Q%3BFZRnGQIdESHz-Q%3BFYUUGQIdHmn5-Q%3BFbNSGQIdroML-g%3BFbNVGQIdEIgM-g%3BFcipGQIdDW0N-g%3BFQ4GGgIdl0IO-g%3BFX8PGgIdFQUP-g%3BFQk-GgIdOp4P-g%3BFR7GGgIdELMP-g%3BFeLxGgId8kUQ-g%3B%3BFfhWHAIdBNkS-iHwGKTVp_LL1A&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=21&sz=15&via=1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21&sll=35.339039,-99.583769&sspn=0.018169,0.038581&ie=UTF8&ll=35.299435,-102.084961&spn=1.793247,6.591797&z=7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Texas: Check.<br /><br />Before taking off from Santa Rosa, I stopped in at the Route 66 Auto Museum. There are some great old cars there. My favorite was probably this dark green '69 Mustang. As good as the Volvo is, it's hard not to think about how much fun it would be to take this trip in one of those old cars.<br /><br />From Santa Rosa, it was a (relatively) quick drive the 60 miles to Tucumcari, and then the rest of the way into Texas. Stopped for lunch at the Midpoint Cafe a few miles into Texas. Adrian, Texas represents the halfway point in terms of miles on 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. 1,139 miles either way and you hit the end of the Mother Road. I guess that means the first leg of the trip is halfway done.<br /><br />I was driving on the I-40 frontage road (aka 66 at that point), when I nearly blew right by the Cadillac Ranch. I saw a crowd of cars, and at the last second realized where I was. I quickly pulled the car over, walked the short distance across the way to the cars, and standing under one of them, wrote this:<br /><br /><blockquote>It's windy on the Texas panhandle. So much so that I've taken shelter under one of the Cadillacs to write this. These sun baked and spray painted monuments give everyone a small distraction from the road. How many layers have been written since these cars were half buried in the ground? How many layers in just the 3 years since I last passed this way?<br /><br />People write/spray/paint/chip their names/messages/symbols/pictures into these ageless/ancient/modern spectacles. Folk art at its finest and most spectacular. Community art by a transient and transitive community.<br /><br />Out here in the panhandle, everything repeats over and over. Long road, yield signs, overpasses, and the same gas stations barely break up the endless landscape. But here, almost slipping by unnoticed, is the most unique place I think I will ever see. never the same twice, the Cadillac Ranch is itself transitory. Appropriately symbolic of the road it sits just off of.<br /></blockquote><br />Spent the next few hours winding my way through Amarillo, the eastern Texas panhandle, and western Oklahoma. I lost count of how many times I got lost (or at least thought I was lost), only to make a turn and suddenly have an "Historic Route 66" sign appear out of nowhere. One time, I was driving down a road between open fields, when the driver of a truck going the other way gave me a look like I had just teleported down from Mars. Turning left at the next intersection (with no reason to do so based on my directions), I crossed back over 40, continued on some blind faith for a number of blocks, came around a curve in the road only to be met with the Route 66 sign leading me right into downtown Elk City, my planned destination for the evening (planned only in the last hour, of course).<br /><br />So here I am in western Oklahoma. Tomorrow I'll go to Oklahoma City, and then begin the long wide curve north away from I-40 and towards Chicago.<br /><br />Pictures: Two from the Midpoint Cafe, three from the Cadillac Ranch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub9GsFSVI/AAAAAAAAA5w/-kwnO6jUjMo/s1600-h/Midpoint+Cafe+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub9GsFSVI/AAAAAAAAA5w/-kwnO6jUjMo/s320/Midpoint+Cafe+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367054855011912018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub872zZ9I/AAAAAAAAA5o/LNyN8hdNo8A/s1600-h/Midpoint+Cafe+%284%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub872zZ9I/AAAAAAAAA5o/LNyN8hdNo8A/s320/Midpoint+Cafe+%284%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367054852104087506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub8UsSN4I/AAAAAAAAA5g/D-SZRdS8Ntk/s1600-h/Cadillac+Ranch+%285%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub8UsSN4I/AAAAAAAAA5g/D-SZRdS8Ntk/s320/Cadillac+Ranch+%285%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367054841590986626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub8KGkkaI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/6KyqAj8ob90/s1600-h/Cadillac+Ranch+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub8KGkkaI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/6KyqAj8ob90/s320/Cadillac+Ranch+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367054838748451234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub7_35nmI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/4wLQ2uixDpI/s1600-h/Cadillac+Ranch+%286%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/Snub7_35nmI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/4wLQ2uixDpI/s320/Cadillac+Ranch+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367054836002561634" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-38317103656191025002009-08-05T20:51:00.000-07:002009-08-05T21:29:23.799-07:001725.5 (301.1) Miles to Santa Rosa, New Mexico<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=265+E+Highway+550,+Bernalillo,+NM+87004-5965+%28Super+8+Motel%29&daddr=10+Tramway+Loop,+Albuquerque,+NM+87122-2017+%28Tramway+Terminal-Sandia+Peak%29+to:El+Camino+Real%2FNM-313+to:El+Camino+Real%2FNM-313+to:E+Frontage+Rd+to:I+25+East+Frontage+Rd+to:Unknown+road+to:Taos+Pueblo,+New+Mexico+to:34.940478,-104.699707+to:1709+Historic+Route+66,+Santa+Rosa,+NM+88435-2769+%28La+Loma+Lodge+%26+RV+Park%29&hl=en&geocode=FTjwGgIdtC-m-SHq57TdTevogg%3BFRL5GAIdviOn-SHQNlcOfQxrFg%3BFemoGQId96ul-Q%3BFWq-GwIdjgOn-Q%3BFSn-HQIdoNqr-Q%3BFW2cHgIduvCs-Q%3BFQBiHwId8wuu-Q%3B%3B%3BFUY3FQIdctnC-SHk8kuEc5ZUsA&mra=dpe&mrcr=2&mrsp=8&sz=14&via=2,3,4,5,6,8&sll=34.941955,-104.707603&sspn=0.036516,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=35.668454,-105.562134&spn=1.785034,2.197266&z=9&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="800" frameborder="0" height="800"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=265+E+Highway+550,+Bernalillo,+NM+87004-5965+%28Super+8+Motel%29&daddr=10+Tramway+Loop,+Albuquerque,+NM+87122-2017+%28Tramway+Terminal-Sandia+Peak%29+to:El+Camino+Real%2FNM-313+to:El+Camino+Real%2FNM-313+to:E+Frontage+Rd+to:I+25+East+Frontage+Rd+to:Unknown+road+to:Taos+Pueblo,+New+Mexico+to:34.940478,-104.699707+to:1709+Historic+Route+66,+Santa+Rosa,+NM+88435-2769+%28La+Loma+Lodge+%26+RV+Park%29&hl=en&geocode=FTjwGgIdtC-m-SHq57TdTevogg%3BFRL5GAIdviOn-SHQNlcOfQxrFg%3BFemoGQId96ul-Q%3BFWq-GwIdjgOn-Q%3BFSn-HQIdoNqr-Q%3BFW2cHgIduvCs-Q%3BFQBiHwId8wuu-Q%3B%3B%3BFUY3FQIdctnC-SHk8kuEc5ZUsA&mra=dpe&mrcr=2&mrsp=8&sz=14&via=2,3,4,5,6,8&sll=34.941955,-104.707603&sspn=0.036516,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=35.668454,-105.562134&spn=1.785034,2.197266&z=9" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Three years ago, driving across New Mexico quickly, I didn't have time to take the lift ride up to the top of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sandia</span> Mountains outside of Albuquerque. Today, I took the time to do so. One of the longest such rides in the world, there was a great view from the top, looking across at mountains, forests, mesas, and the city of Albuquerque.<br /><br />From <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sandia</span>, I drove up to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Taos</span> Pueblo. Another interesting old village, with a similar history to the Sky City <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Acoma</span> Pueblo from yesterday. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Taos</span> may have the reputation, but I thought <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Acoma</span> was a lot more interesting and enjoyed that tour a lot more. The truth is my favorite parts of visiting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Taos</span> were the drives in and out. On the drive in, I stopped after coming over a crest and stopped for a few minutes:<br /><br /><blockquote>Been driving between two large rainstorms, through towns, past casinos, and on a long curving road just above the Rio <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Grande</span>. As the road crested the hill, an incredible view spread out below.<br /><br />First, high dark clouds appear as if they have a tail as rain falls towards the ground not too far away. Second, a canyon dug by the Rio zigzags across the wide flat plain. And dominating the scene, even if noticed third, the tallest mountains in New Mexico stand guard over everything.<br /><br />August in northeastern New Mexico is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">truly</span> a sight to behold.</blockquote><br /><blockquote></blockquote>After <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">visiting</span> the Pueblo, I started to drive south, down New Mexico highway 518. A long, curving drive through a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">forest</span> that reminded me a lot of the Maggie Valley in North Carolina, sitting just below the Great Smokey Mountains. Past forest roads and up and down hills and through little villages, on and on I drove, mostly having the road to myself. Finally, I landed in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Las</span> Vegas, NM (a much smaller and less interesting place than the similarly named city a little west of here), where I joined I-25 south before getting on US-84 south. I had no idea where I was, or how to get back to Route 66 from there, but I knew that at some point, I was supposed to be on 84. So on I drove south on 84, past amazing views as the sun set behind the mesas, and finally, after 70 miles (including the last few on I-40), I ended up in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.<br /><br />I am staying at the La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Loma</span> Motel. This is one of the real throwbacks to Route 66's heyday. It is hard to explain why that is, or even to convey it in pictures. Little more than a glorified truck stop, with only the barest of amenities, La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Loma</span> is the perfect place to end another day driving around New Mexico, and is great to get me back into Route 66 after spending most of the last 2 days off of the Mother Road.<br /><br />Tomorrow, see a couple of sights in Santa Rosa, then the 60 miles down the road to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Tucumcari</span> and on to Texas.<br /><br />Pictures are all from inside the traditional <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Taos</span> Pueblo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWhCc9uRI/AAAAAAAAA4w/HQSHakTDTnc/s1600-h/Taos+Pueblo+%281%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWhCc9uRI/AAAAAAAAA4w/HQSHakTDTnc/s320/Taos+Pueblo+%281%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366697031559395602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWgt5Yh9I/AAAAAAAAA4o/oq4dVZ3q9w4/s1600-h/Taos+Pueblo+%283%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWgt5Yh9I/AAAAAAAAA4o/oq4dVZ3q9w4/s320/Taos+Pueblo+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366697026041448402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWgYPbRKI/AAAAAAAAA4g/F_tZUYftFPk/s1600-h/Taos+Pueblo+%285%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWgYPbRKI/AAAAAAAAA4g/F_tZUYftFPk/s320/Taos+Pueblo+%285%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366697020228322466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWgCcr9UI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/lsnz1r0TTUQ/s1600-h/Taos+Pueblo+%286%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWgCcr9UI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/lsnz1r0TTUQ/s320/Taos+Pueblo+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366697014378362178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWfyaHQxI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/7ASxU72YliM/s1600-h/Taos+Pueblo+%2810%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnpWfyaHQxI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/7ASxU72YliM/s320/Taos+Pueblo+%2810%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366697010072601362" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14374209.post-59567339942473600382009-08-04T22:01:00.000-07:002009-08-04T22:58:42.635-07:001424.4 (223.3) Miles to Bernalillo, New Mexico<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=3101+US-66+W,+Gallup,+NM+87301&daddr=E+Historic+Hwy+66+to:Rte-66+to:Rte-66+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122%2FUS-66+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122%2FUS-66+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122+to:NM-122+to:100+Iron+Ave,+Grants,+NM+87020-3657+%28New+Mexico+Mining+Museum%29+to:NM-122%2FE+Santa+Fe+Ave+to:McBride+Rd%2FNM-117%2FUS-66+to:Acoma+Pueblo,+New+Mexico+to:Indian+Service+Route+283+to:Indian+Service+Route+30+to:Unknown+road+to:NM-6+to:Coors+Blvd+SW%2FIsleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:Isleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:Isleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:Isleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:4th+St+SW+to:4th+St+NW%2FNM-556+to:35.211966,-106.658363+to:254+E+Highway+550,+Bernalillo,+NM+87004-5966+%28Dennys+Restaurant%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFWgiHgIdbk-F-Q%3BFaguHgIdIj2G-Q%3BFaTVHQIdT-qH-Q%3BFXCHHAIdQkyL-Q%3BFb56HAId12WL-Q%3BFTkZHAIdr7iM-Q%3BFc6WGwIdyHeP-Q%3BFT_SGQIdwMOQ-Q%3BFaVkGAId-kKS-SEyFBp-KWMr1Q%3BFQdSGAIdUGiS-Q%3BFU0hGAIdLsmS-Q%3B%3BFavaFgIdVnmW-Q%3BFUgwFwId6NKW-Q%3BFeCzFgId4OmZ-Q%3BFRvEFQIdF7Cc-Q%3BFfw4FAIdxJSj-Q%3BFe3IFAIdVf6j-Q%3BFQrPFQIdCu-j-Q%3BFZPIFgIdKDek-Q%3BFcQ5FwIdJ5qk-Q%3BFe98FwIdAaek-Q%3B%3BFYPwGgId1zCm-SEXFItErQbEqA&mra=dpe&mrcr=4&mrsp=23&sz=12&via=1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10,11,13,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&sll=35.225429,-106.625748&sspn=0.145557,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=35.164828,-107.671509&spn=1.010391,2.471924&z=9&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="900" frameborder="0" height="450"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=3101+US-66+W,+Gallup,+NM+87301&daddr=E+Historic+Hwy+66+to:Rte-66+to:Rte-66+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122%2FUS-66+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122%2FUS-66+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122+to:Frontage+Rd%2FNM-122+to:NM-122+to:100+Iron+Ave,+Grants,+NM+87020-3657+%28New+Mexico+Mining+Museum%29+to:NM-122%2FE+Santa+Fe+Ave+to:McBride+Rd%2FNM-117%2FUS-66+to:Acoma+Pueblo,+New+Mexico+to:Indian+Service+Route+283+to:Indian+Service+Route+30+to:Unknown+road+to:NM-6+to:Coors+Blvd+SW%2FIsleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:Isleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:Isleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:Isleta+Blvd+SW%2FNM-314+to:4th+St+SW+to:4th+St+NW%2FNM-556+to:35.211966,-106.658363+to:254+E+Highway+550,+Bernalillo,+NM+87004-5966+%28Dennys+Restaurant%29&hl=en&geocode=%3BFWgiHgIdbk-F-Q%3BFaguHgIdIj2G-Q%3BFaTVHQIdT-qH-Q%3BFXCHHAIdQkyL-Q%3BFb56HAId12WL-Q%3BFTkZHAIdr7iM-Q%3BFc6WGwIdyHeP-Q%3BFT_SGQIdwMOQ-Q%3BFaVkGAId-kKS-SEyFBp-KWMr1Q%3BFQdSGAIdUGiS-Q%3BFU0hGAIdLsmS-Q%3B%3BFavaFgIdVnmW-Q%3BFUgwFwId6NKW-Q%3BFeCzFgId4OmZ-Q%3BFRvEFQIdF7Cc-Q%3BFfw4FAIdxJSj-Q%3BFe3IFAIdVf6j-Q%3BFQrPFQIdCu-j-Q%3BFZPIFgIdKDek-Q%3BFcQ5FwIdJ5qk-Q%3BFe98FwIdAaek-Q%3B%3BFYPwGgId1zCm-SEXFItErQbEqA&mra=dpe&mrcr=4&mrsp=23&sz=12&via=1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10,11,13,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&sll=35.225429,-106.625748&sspn=0.145557,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=35.164828,-107.671509&spn=1.010391,2.471924&z=9" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />Woke up in Gallup. One of the highlights of the (city? town? place?) is this statue of a code talker used by the Marine Corps during World War II to keep communications secret from the Japanese.<br /><br />Just down the road from Gallup sits the Continental Divide, the dividing line that sends rivers on the west side to the Pacific and on the east side to the Atlantic. I sat for a few minutes to write some notes and thoughts:<br /><br /><blockquote>I don't feel like I'm at the center of the continent. I still feel like I'm way out west, even after 1200 miles or more. But it is this point here that divides the continent in two, where rivers and rainfall split east and west.<br /><br />North of me, the Rockies rise up into the sky. I just see the red cliffs of northern New Mexico. Maybe this means I go downhill from here. We've been climbing since leaving the coast, now perhaps a descent to Texas is in order.<br /><br />Or just another long flat road through Indian country.<br /></blockquote><br />Sky City at Acoma Pueblo is an impressive place. Situated on a mesa over 360 feet above the valley floor below, the stucco, adobe brick, and sandstone houses form a community that has lived for centuries under constant attack from other tribes, Spanish conquistadors, and the constant encroachment of a modern life that is ever threatening to wipe away the last vestiges of an ancient tradition.<br /><br />Looking out across the valley at Sky City, I had the chance to talk to a man who grew up there, and has seen the area change over the decades. He talked about a time when water was so plentiful they were always swimming. He talked about riding his father's horses with his brothers. Now, the horses are gone and water is restricted to the necessities of life. He was proud of his culture, but there was a sadness in his voice, as he waited hopefully for someone to come along and buy the trinkets and pots and bowls he had spread on a table next to his truck. But the life they have built over the centuries is impressive, from the large Spanish style church to the cisterns and prayer buildings that doubled as defensive fortresses when raiders and other attackers came.<br /><br />In short, Acoma Pueblo is an incredible place. The last time I was in New Mexico I crossed 90% of the state in a blitzing half day on 40, and then the rest of the way early the next morning. This time, I spent my first full day in New Mexico looking at the state's cultural and industrial history (I also visited the New Mexico Mining Museum in Grants). Tomorrow, it is up to the top of the Sandia Peak in Albuquerque and up to Taos Pueblo as I finally explore the Land of Enchantment.<br /><br />And then, a big long drive to and through Albuquerque, including crossing the Rio Grande three times before landing in Bernalillo for the night.<br /><br />Pictures: Code Talker. Me at the Continental Divide. Sky City Acoma Pueblo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYuedyV3I/AAAAAAAAA3w/FkCeS9NlTm8/s1600-h/Code+Talker.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYuedyV3I/AAAAAAAAA3w/FkCeS9NlTm8/s320/Code+Talker.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366347617719703410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYt_TpW9I/AAAAAAAAA3o/My335Lw-Vfk/s1600-h/Me+at+the+Continental+Divide.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYt_TpW9I/AAAAAAAAA3o/My335Lw-Vfk/s320/Me+at+the+Continental+Divide.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366347609355672530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYtkt2E6I/AAAAAAAAA3g/VaGaUJzjXWI/s1600-h/Acoma+Pueblo+%2825%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYtkt2E6I/AAAAAAAAA3g/VaGaUJzjXWI/s320/Acoma+Pueblo+%2825%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366347602217800610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYtGwqTKI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/WFd0kshcf0Y/s1600-h/Acoma+Pueblo+%2824%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYtGwqTKI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/WFd0kshcf0Y/s320/Acoma+Pueblo+%2824%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366347594176548002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYs9VuMVI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/fuOndZQRR94/s1600-h/Acoma+Pueblo+%284%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_akgXNLyEChI/SnkYs9VuMVI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/fuOndZQRR94/s320/Acoma+Pueblo+%284%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366347591647637842" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1