Shooting stars

Went outside to watch the meteors last night; it was clear and chilly, and I did see a few small ‘shooting stars’ before I got too cold and had to pee.  Saw a lot of airplanes.  Made me think it must be awesome to see the meteors from up there with them.  It also reminded me of one of my ‘magic moments’: I was driving on I-17 south from Flagstaff, for an early morning delivery in Phoenix, must have been about this time of year.  There’s a stretch where you are part way down the mountains, out of the trees, and near the edge of the Mogollon Plateau, and you can see forever across the high desert.  Clear, cold night, like last night, and there were wall to wall stars, and one after another after another shooting stars flashing down between them.  I pulled over at the rest area to watch for a while, because otherwise I was going to drive off the road looking at them.  Another amazing sight I have been fortunate enough to be there for.

Quick Trips/Also known as my summer days off, 2012:

Walkway Over The Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY:  This is a pretty neat thing, a walkway built on an old railroad bridge over the Hudson River.  It’s about a 2 ½ mile round trip walk end to end, so a nice workout.  In summer it was very hot and sunny.  The first part on the eastern end goes over houses and industrial areas, and these and the city are always in sight in that direction.  The western side is more trees but there are still buildings along the river bank.  Downstream there’s a bridge and a curve in the river, upstream the river is pretty straight as far as you can see.  It was interesting, there are panels all along the walk telling the history of the bridge and its renovation.  Probably quite lovely when the leaves turn in the fall.  I never did find any signs telling how to get to the western end of it, and it was hard to find on the eastern side, no signs saying where to get off the highway, and few and far between and small through the city.

The Clark Museum, Williamstown, and Mass MOCA, North Adams, MA:  The Clark is always a treat.  They are in the process of a large addition project so things were a bit in disarray, with parts closed and only some of the regular pieces displayed in one room.  The temporary exhibit was of artifacts from tombs in China, some ancient pieces that were fascinating in the workmanship and the fact that they have survived, with the colors and details intact, for hundreds of years.  There’s a large gift shop with many art books and some different knick knacks and jewelry, and a small snack bar.  Mass MOCA, I had to keep reminding myself that it’s a museum of contemporary art and that was why most of what’s there made no sense at all to me.  The idea is terrific, some years ago they renovated old mill buildings into the museum and some shops and eateries.  Easy to get lost in, even with the map which I found not really clear about where you were and how to get someplace else.  I just couldn’t grasp the meaning of whole walls with straight lines painted on, or pianos and parts of them scattered around a huge room, with pieces of glass scattered around those. 

Picnic Area, Esopus, NY: A little local park right on the Hudson River, with a few tables and a nasty port-a-potty that no one had tended to in way too long a time.

Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield, MA:  Look for the sign on the west side of Route 20/7 between Pittsfield and Lenox.  A nice area with quite a few trails of various length, the one I took went to a beaver pond with a beaver being busy in it.  The trails were well maintained, although the one around the pond was closed, with storm damage. 

Green Mountain NF/Appalachian Trail, Danby, VT:  Turn off Route 7 in Danby onto Forest Rd. 10/Brooklyn Rd and go up a ways to the trail crossing, past that there are some campsites along the road.  While not as idyllic as told in Backpacker magazine, the site I found was nice, quite large, surrounded by trees, just down the road from a beaver pond where a moose family was grazing one evening.  Close to a nice lookout down the valley, and to the AT/LT for hiking.  I went in to Little Rock Pond, a 4-mile round trip that was just far enough, a pretty walk and nice little pond.  Good place for camping away from a crowd.  

Grandfather Cuts Loose The Ponies and other Washington scenery

On I-90 in Washington, about 10 miles west of George (Yes, folks, there is a George, Washington), there’s a view area on the west side of the interstate. It’s at the top of a long hill, which has a right angle turn at the bottom before you take the bridge across the Columbia River and go up another long hill, and who designed that I’d like to know, it’s a real delight in the big truck, let me tell you. The view area is a delight, however. There’s a large parking area, and several trails that lead to the edge of the canyon the river has cut in the rock. You can look down to the bridge you’ll be crossing in a few minutes, across to the layers of rock that the water has worn down through over the eons, up to more river and canyon. The wind is always blowing. The rolling hills around you are pretty bleak, not many trees, a lot of scrub brush and grass. Turn and look across the interstate and up to the top of the ridge to see “Grandfather Cuts Loose The Ponies”, 15 horses cut and welded of now rusting steel plate, racing across the barren hilltop. The 200 foot long display symbolically recreates the Great Spirit turning loose a herd of the wild horses which once roamed the area. I now read that you can walk up to the sculpture from the eastbound exit ramp, but are advised to not cross the freeway from the view area on the westbound side. The whole spot, the views, the horses, the bleak loneliness of it, take you to a different place and time, and you can almost see the ancients riding those ponies, looking into the distance from the hilltop to scout for enemies, for a good place to camp, for food.
For more on those long-ago people, get back on the highway, cross the river and get off in Vantage to visit the Ginkgo Petrified Forest, where the remnants of those tropical trees tell of the climate change over the thousands of years of creating our lands, and where petro glyphs tell stories of the native tribes who first occupied these lands.
If you’re heading south towards Yakima on I-82, stop at the first view area for a sweeping view of the countryside to the north and east.
Taking Route 97 south from Toppenish to Oregon, at the top of the hill just before the river, there’s the Stonehenge Memorial, a tribute to the fallen military members in the shape of England’s Stonehenge. When you get down the hill to Route 14 head west a bit, there’s a little campground and parking area with a wonderful view of Mount Hood, with the Columbia River in the foreground, makes a great photo op, especially at sunset.

Laguna Pueblo and Mount Taylor, New Mexico

On I-40 in New Mexico, along about mm 106 or so, there’s a little parking area. If you’re ever out that way, pull in there. If you’re lucky, the Native Americans will be in the little sheds that line the edge of the area on the westbound side, outside the barb-wire fence so they are on reservation, not state DOT land, selling jewelry. Maybe there will be someone making fry bread.
One day many years ago when I stopped and was walking around with the camera, a boy about 3 or so begged ‘take my picture – please’. He sat on a table, with a bright blanket behind him, and I did – the picture shows him behind the fencing, which I thought was rather appropriate. He’s grown up now, a young man, and sometimes I look at the photo and wonder what he’s doing.
Look north from the area, and you see the little village of Laguna Pueblo. A mission is on a rise overlooking the dusty houses, shining white in the sun. You can get off the interstate at Exit 107, just before the parking area, and drive to the village, get closer to the mission. I did this one morning and got a great photo of the truck parked near it, another morning got pretty shots of simple Christmas wreaths decorating the doors and a star atop the building. That’s about all there is to the settlement, several dozen small houses, the mission and a little store at the corner of the central street and the state highway.
Look further north and you’ll see Mount Taylor, the Turquoise Mountain, one of the corners of the traditional Navajo lands, in the distance. It’s miles away, and if you get off further down the road and take the side trip to the Acoma Pueblo, think about the Indians hundreds of years ago carrying timbers from the mountain to the mesa the pueblo is on to make the mission that is there. There’s a lot of all kinds of history out there. Stop and look at it.

Poverty Point, near Epps, LA

Poverty Point is a National Monument, and state historic site of a mound-builder Native American community which dates to 1650-750 BC. The site covers a square mile, and you can see the remains of the rows of elevations where the homes were, in a half circle pattern with the bayou on the long side. Behind these, there is a large mound that was originally in the shape of a bird, the outspread wings, head and tail can still be seen. I got there too late in the day (seems to be my pattern) and had to hurry through it, but I had time to climb the bird monument and stand where people from over 3,000 years ago stood and that was pretty awesome. Even more awesome to think that they dug and carried and shaped the earth to build this mound, which is even now pretty tall and wide, and it has to be worn down by time. Archeologists are trying to figure out the purpose of the mound, as it does not have artifacts in it to show that it was used for burials or ceremonies. A state road cuts through the site; it was not discovered until the early 1900’s, when the patterns of the earthworks showed up on aerial photographs. You can see the half-circle rows, even after all the years and the land having been plowed and used. There are ‘ghost houses’, small tent like structures, set around the outer ring of the housing earthworks, to show the scope of it. There are also low posts set in the ground in two places where they have found circular areas that served an unknown purpose. At the visitor center there is a scale model of the site, which originally covered 400 to 500 acres. Altogether a fascinating site, when you consider what they built with what they had to do it with. Another one I’d like to go back and spend more time at.

Flight 93 National Memorial

It was a cold, snow/rain/sleet mix in the late afternoon when I got to the memorial. The weather helped make it more poignant than it already is. Very simple, very eloquent, very moving. You turn off of Route 30 (an adventure to drive in its own right) and take a winding road to the memorial site. It’s a work in progress. From the parking lot you walk a short ways to a plaza area where trees are planted and a series of sign boards show the now iconic photo of the cloud sent up by the crash, against the bright blue sky and behind the red barn and green hillside in the foreground. Other panels show recovery work, and one has a photo of each person on the flight. There is a small shelter where you can pick up information, write a message and post on a bulletin board wall, and talk to the ranger. From that you step out onto a black (probably) granite walkway with a low wall along it. Flowers (plastic) lie in several niches in the wall. Several hundred yards along this you are even with a large rock in the field to your left, with American flags fluttering around the base of it. This is the impact site; those on the plane lie under the rock. Further along, the walkway ends at a wall of white marble slabs, one for each person on Flight 93. Flowers are on the ground in front of some. An opening in this wall is chained off, the sign says ‘Families of Flight 93 ONLY” – we can hope that everyone honors this. The path beyond leads to the site, where families may go to grieve, to visit, to pay respects. The rest of us may do so from the wall, looking through a wooden gate at the end of it, or at any point along the walk. The marble wall lies on the final flight path of the plane. A visitor’s center is planned, along the same path, on a hill overlooking the site. Future plans also include a chime tower at the entrance, and no doubt work on the grounds, which cover many acres.
The day I was there, cars from several states were in the parking lot, with a couple of dozen people viewing it – hurrying through the weather, but stopping to look at the wall, to touch it, and then to stare at the rock and flags. It is a sobering reflection on a sad day for our country, but also a day which brought out the courage and resolve that Americans have.
I want to go back and spend more time remembering and thinking about those.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Review written for Trip Advisor
“Fascinating drive through scenery and history”
I drove the length of the Natchez Trace, from December 30, 2011 through January 1, 2012. The route meanders through lovely scenery, and has countless stops at both scenic and historic spots. There are hiking trails, places to walk some of the original route of the Trace, great views of the surrounding area, forests, waterfalls, farms, fields, streams, rivers - something for just about everyone to enjoy. The historic stops are informative and interesting. You can get on and off in a great many places, to go into the many towns that are nearby; some of these have their own historic and scenic interest as well. Many rest areas offer bathroom facilities and picnic areas; there are also a couple of National Park Service visitor Centers that are informative and well stocked with worthwhile souvenir items. Spending New Year's Eve in the Rocky Springs Campgrounds was a bonus.

2011-2012 vacation, condensed version

Monday, December 26: left late in the day and got to Wilkes-Barre, PA for the night
Tuesday, December 27: To Rickett’s Glen SP a little ways from Wilkes Barre, where I wanted to hike to see waterfalls, but only experienced ice climbers with equipment were allowed to do that, which left me out, so I went to the one fall I could walk to. Then to Woolrich and the outlet store.
Then to Shankesville to the Flight 93 Memorial, which is so simple and so eloquent, very moving. Quite a ride along Route 30 to get there, with lots of twists and turns and scenery. To Somerset, PA for the night.
Wednesday, December 28: To Fallingwaters, the Frank Lloyd Wright designed house, did not go through the house itself, but walked the grounds and got good views of the outside. Then on to Kentucky, to Mt. Sterling for the night.
Thursday, December 29: Drove through the Red River Gorge scenic area in the Daniel Boone National Forest, seeing lots of great scenery and several arches-Kentucky has the largest amount of those in the east, who knew. A little hiking and a lot of getting out of the car to look at things. Also hiked up the trail to a Natural Bridge. To London, Kentucky for the night.
Friday, December 30: Across Kentucky and down around Nashville, TN, to the Natchez Trace. LOTS of stopping to look at all the things, scenic and historic. To Tupelo, MS.
Saturday, December 31: Continue south on the Trace, with more stops, scenery and history. Got off near Jackson, MS, and went over to Louisiana to Poverty Point, an historic Indian Mound site, just had enough time to drive quickly through it and look at the main parts, and climb the largest mound, built in about 1500 or so BC. Amazing. Then back to the Trace, to Rocky Springs campground for my New Year’s Eve.
Sunday, January 1, 2012: Finished the Trace, with stops at Rocky Springs to walk around the old town site, and then at Mount Locust to look at the house, which became the first stopover point on the Trace back in the early 1800’s. Then across MS to Tylertown and Merrywood to visit with Camp Katrina friends. Lovely place, with lots of all sorts of animals.
Monday, January 2: Loafed, drove around to Camp Katrina, into town and back to Merrywood, took a little walk, then rode around with Johnna and Susan to look at horses and property.
Tuesday, January 3: Went down to New Orleans, to meet another Camp Katrina friend and to see the Katrina Animals Memorial; drove through the French Quarter but didn’t stop, no parking and too many pba’s in town for the football game. Back to Merrywood.
Wednesday, January 4: More friends came over, went to Camp Katrina which I said didn’t look right there were no tents all over the place – many changes, still lots of animals. Nice visit and yummy supper.
Thursday, January 5: Left Merrywood and across MS into Alabama and then Florida, on the way to meet online friends Claude & Shirley. A few scenery viewing and photo stops, went to Destin to see the white sands, and then looking for miles for a campground, finally found one at Panama City.
Friday, January 6: foggy in the morning, and most of the way along the Gulf, did get some sightseeing in, and a nice ‘shore’ lunch. Then up in to the middle of the panhandle to Fort White.
Saturday, January 7: Went for a walk at a state park near their house, where a river ‘sinks’ down out of sight into the ground and reappears several miles down. Then visited, out for supper again, and visited some more.
Sunday, January 8: Left in late morning to go over to see Anne Somers in Fruitland Park, got there and sat and visited the afternoon and evening away.
Monday, January 9: Left Anne’s about noon, up through the Ocala NF towards Jacksonville, but then saw a sign for St. Augustine so cut over to see it, went to the fort and walked around looking at old buildings, very pretty. To Kingsland GA for the night.
Tuesday, January 10: Went out to Jekyll Island, very pretty, with huge old ‘cottages’ that are a testament to wealth. To St. George SC.
Wednesday, January 11: Stopped to see Kelly Casey, which was a delightful visit. Started to rain very hard after that, got to Emporia VA and quit for the night.
Thursday, January 12: Just drove all day to get home, got here about 8.
Specifics to follow

SCENES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

A little blog about some places I’ve traveled to, what I saw and how I liked it.
I’ve always loved going places, just say ‘do you want to go…’ and before I know where, pretty much I’ll say yes. My dream job was cross-country truck driving, I was getting paid to be a tourist! Circumstances forced me to give that up in 2002, so to satisfy my wanderlust, I started taking road trip vacations. Vacations before that had been fairly limited, again due to circumstances. Then, in 2003 I did something I’d never done before: bought a brand new car - hey, I was 60, it was time to do something drastic like that! I named the car Big Girl (which is from a whole different story, as is the one about naming cars) and that fall took the first of my ‘extended’ road trip vacations: 4 weeks, 16 states and about 8,600 miles – and 61 rolls of film in those pre-digital days.
Since then there have been a few more road trips, short and long, and a lot more places, and so I am going to share, for those interested. Brief descriptions of places to visit, see, camp, eat, or even avoid, with my thoughts about them.
Hope you enjoy, and get some travel tips – and get out and see some for yourself!