View allAll Photos Tagged usaroadtrip
What can you do when maps keep sending you to dead-end dirt roads and your phone signal is weak? My map apps and GPS each led me to a different dead end, and retracing my route wasn't possible. I finally followed the only paved road, paid a $1 toll for three one-lane bridges, and asked the attendant about nearby towns, but she couldn't help. How would you feel being truly lost in the middle of nowhere? This will be interesting!
***
Visitindiana.com: The bridge carried the famous Wabash Cannonball train at one time. The structure initially served as a railroad bridge over the Wabash River. The railroad abandoned the bridge in 1965.
This one-lane wonder has to be approached with care. Turn on your lights and look to make sure another vehicle isn’t coming from the opposite direction. If you’re heading west from Indiana and don’t want to cross into Illinois, use the turnaround spot to cautiously cross back over the bridge.
This unique bridge is worth the drive. Turn up the music and enjoy “The Wabash Cannonball” and its bridge!
The song Wabash Cannon Ball was written by William Kindt and J. A. Roff and was first recorded and released by Hugh Cross in 1929. -AI Lyric refrain:
On the Wabash Cannonball
Listen to the jingle
The rumble and the roar
Riding through the woodlands
Through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of engines
Hear that lonesome hobo squall
Riding through the jungles
On the Wabash Cannonball
4441a
nps.gov: What's a "red dog"? It's a baby bison. Bison calves tend to be born from late March through May and are orange-red in color, earning them the nickname "red dogs." After a few months, their hair starts to change to dark brown and their characteristic shoulder hump and horns begin to grow.
Custer State Park
Wildlife Loop Road
This drive provides spectacular opportunities to encounter a wide range of wildlife. Be sure to keep a safe distance (recommended at least 25 yards) from bison, elk, mountain goats and other animals. For the safety of the animals the park asks that you keep your speed at around 25mph or lower. Plan for one to two hours to complete this drive.
1121a
Galena, Kansas, is a well-known town on Historic Route 66, featuring a preserved section of the original roadbed and several attractions, including the "Cars on the Route" service station that inspired the character Mater from the Disney/Pixar movie Cars. The town was once a prosperous mining community but transformed into a tourist destination due to its Route 66 history, with ongoing preservation efforts to maintain its landmarks and celebrate the iconic highway.
4095a
I started the year with a trip across the Atlantic to visit a friend who lives in Missouri.
It was a trip full of driving down endless American roads, country music, drive thrus, cute little coffee shops, museums, Airbnbs, university campuses, thrift shopping, trucks and 7am trips to find a chapel in the woods.
Read about my trip on my blog.
© JCH 2018
Arizona Dept. of Transportation: Atop a bridge in Page, just a couple miles from the Arizona-Utah state line is a picturesque view or, if you’re afraid of heights, an absolutely terrifying one.
We’re talking about the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge, which, when it was built in 1959 was the highest arch bridge in the world. The beginnings of the bridge began in the early 1900s, when the U.S. Reclamation Service, the predecessor to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, began planning a major dam of the Colorado River in the area of Lees Ferry in northern Arizona. In 1957, construction began on the Glen Canyon Dam and it was completed in 1963.
Utah.com: Glen Canyon Dam was completed in 1964, taming the waters of the Colorado River and creating massive Lake Powell, a popular recreation area along the Utah/Arizona border. Lake Powell is about 186 miles long and attracts almost 3 million visitors a year.The Carl Hayden Visitor center is located at the dam, and tours of the dam are available.
The dam is located at Page, Arizona, just a few miles south of the Utah border. It was constructed to allow electrical power generation, store water for the arid southwestern United States, and provide recreation opportunities.It is a concrete arch dam with a crest length of 1,560 feet. It contains 4,901,000 cubic yards of concrete. The dam is 25 feet wide at the crest and 300 feet wide at the maximum base. Construction started in 1956 and was completed in 1964. The dam was dedicated in 1966. Lake Powell took 17 years to fill to full pool. The lake has a storage capacity of 27,000,000 acre-feet, making it the second-largest man-made reservoir in the US.
2724a
Our white Corvette 2009 road trip car outside the 'Bay Front Inn Motel' in Santa Cruz California on May 27th 2009.
Ridermagazine.com: Indiana is often overlooked as a scenic riding area, but the southern part of the state in particular, with its lush forests and rolling hills, provides scenic views and twisting roads for the motorcycle enthusiast. I grew up in Knox County, and as a lifelong Hoosier can proudly say that Indiana boasts some of the best riding in the Midwest. A point worth mentioning is the legendary “Hoosier Hospitality” that one experiences along the way. Almost without exception the people of Indiana are friendly, helpful and treat motorcyclists with respect.
You don’t have to travel far from Nashville before you reach the tiny town of Story. It was founded in 1851 with a grant of land patent from President Millard Fillmore to Dr. George Story. It was a thriving settlement until the Great Depression forced an evacuation of nearly all residents. One of the few remaining structures is the Story Inn, which offers fine dining, catering and lodging. Legend has it that a ghost called “The Blue Lady” still inhabits the Inn, and occasionally pays a visit to employees and guests.
4484a
Another short but pretty extreme hike today avoiding the Labour Day weekend crowds in Arches National Park. This one is located outside the park in Bootlegger Canyon and a 3 mile hike in 100° heat we found ourselves the only ones here! Its a semi freestanding arch 110ft high by 110ft wide. Small planes have been flown through here and it's where people braver than me used to go bridge swinging which has now been temporarily banned due to conflict of interests. Scrabble Sunday.
Big Sur is the name given to this seventy plus miles of the California coastline where the Pacific ocean meets the Santa Lucia mountain range. One of the most remote areas of the United States and is only accessed by California Highway One ( The Pacific Coast Highway ) a narrow winding two lane road that clings to the edge of the mountain range above the Pacific Ocean for it's entire length. One of the most incredible drives in the world !
A sweeping view of the iconic Rio Grande Gorge Bridge spanning the deep canyon just west of Taos, New Mexico. This striking steel truss bridge towers above the Rio Grande, offering breathtaking vistas of the rugged desert landscape and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains under a crisp blue sky.
I stopped the car to take pictures; and what a place it is. There was an elk and didn’t run off when I opened the car door. I wondered if I it was possible to walk with the elk. And we walked together for a few minutes. The elk was a tour guide of sorts; I watched her eyes. The next photos were while walking with the elk.
2917a
A hiker on the large flat rock in the middle lower part. He was looking up, maybe he was looking at his friends. Or maybe he was seeing how difficult it was getting up.
Wanderlustamerica.com: Grand Canyon National Park is the 15th site in the United States to be named as a National Park. It is situated in northwestern Arizona and is often called one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Grand Canyon Park attracts up to 6.2 million visitors every year. Ancient Native Americans used to live in and around the park about 12,000 years ago. Today, people from all around the world come here to experience its helicopter rides, visitor centers, mule rides, and much more.
Unesco.org: Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon (nearly 1,500 m deep) is the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment.
3327a
What can you do when maps keep sending you to dead-end dirt roads and your phone signal is weak? My map apps and GPS each led me to a different dead end, and retracing my route wasn't possible. I finally followed the only paved road, paid a $1 toll for three one-lane bridges, and asked the attendant about nearby towns, but she couldn't help. How would you feel being truly lost in the middle of nowhere? This will be interesting!
***
Visitindiana.com: The bridge carried the famous Wabash Cannonball train at one time. The structure initially served as a railroad bridge over the Wabash River. The railroad abandoned the bridge in 1965.
This one-lane wonder has to be approached with care. Turn on your lights and look to make sure another vehicle isn’t coming from the opposite direction. If you’re heading west from Indiana and don’t want to cross into Illinois, use the turnaround spot to cautiously cross back over the bridge.
This unique bridge is worth the drive. Turn up the music and enjoy “The Wabash Cannonball” and its bridge!
The song Wabash Cannon Ball was written by William Kindt and J. A. Roff and was first recorded and released by Hugh Cross in 1929. -AI Lyric refrain:
On the Wabash Cannonball
Listen to the jingle
The rumble and the roar
Riding through the woodlands
Through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of engines
Hear that lonesome hobo squall
Riding through the jungles
On the Wabash Cannonball
4437a
azstateparks.com The Douglas Mansion has been an eye-catching landmark in Jerome since 1916, when James S. Douglas built it on the hill just above his Little Daisy Mine. This former home is now a museum devoted to the history of the Jerome area and the Douglas family. The museum features photographs, artifacts and minerals in addition to a video presentation and a 3-D model of the town with its underground mines. There are more displays outside along with a picnic area offering a beautiful panoramic view of the Verde Valley.
3466a
This photo was taken with my face in the snow and the camera extended over my head. so I could get low enough to frame the tree against the canyon, yet see the far rim and the sky.
This image is a part of a USA road trip I presented to my local camera club. Pdf version available here.
The Historical Marker Database: Inscription. To the Soldiers Sailors and Pioneers of Lawrence County Indiana. Erected 1923 by Moses F. Dunn.
Art Inventories Catalog: A classically robed female figure, representing Miss Indiana, stands a top a square base that is adorned on each side with relief carvings. The figure of Miss Indiana holds a palm frond in her hands and wears an acanthus leaf wreath around her head. An anvil is at her proper left and a sheaf of wheat at her proper right.
4470a
Nps.gov: Newspaper Rock The archeological site known as Newspaper Rock is neither a newspaper nor a single rock. The site boasts over 650 petroglyphs covering a group of rockfaces within a small area. High concentrations of petroglyphs like this mark a place as hugely significant. Many generations of people saw these markings and contributed their own. The petroglyphs were created by ancestral Puebloan people living, farming, and hunting along the Puerco River between 650 and 2,000 years ago. Some of the ancient artists may have lived at Puerco Pueblo, located less than one mile north of this site.
With so many "writers" over so many years, it is impossible to "read" the rockface. There is no linear story, but we can still learn from the markings. Modern American Indian groups' interpretations include family or clan symbols, spiritual meanings, and calendar events. Some mark territory boundaries or migratory routes.
3648a
3valley.com: Nestled between the clear waters of Three Valley Lake and sheer cliffs of the Monashee Mountains, Three Valley Lake Chateau is an extraordinary Revelstoke resort destination. Whether you are looking for Revelstoke accommodations or attractions, Three Valley Lake Chateau is the place to visit.
Come back into history with us…
3 Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town gives you the opportunity to relive the colourful pioneer days of the late 1800’s. Gold fever brought thousands of fortune seekers to this part of the country in 1862.
The gold rush was short lived, leaving behind many abandoned buildings and towns, now known as Ghost Towns.
1755a
This is another of my Photshop experiments.
This technique found in last month's Digital Photo magazine entailed turning the main subject into a striking silhouette and adding a beautiful sky.
Took the shot of the Elk on my USA road trip. I cropped out several other elk in the image for a more balanced shot. The original sky was very insipid and uninspiring so I looked through my archives and found this sunset taken nearer to home. I know it is not an image for the purist but they are both my images and together they make an interesting combination. The original shot of the elk was what I call a record shot without much impact meant more for memories but this brings the animals to life.
Upon arrival at the Upper Antelope Canyon, you will come off the truck and step into the desert and enter an amazing fantasy world of sandstone that has been carved by many years of wind and water. Our tour guides will explain some geology, culture, history, and insights with camera settings.
3191a
Nps.gov: To the Northeast
See the flat-topped feature of Boat Mesa and the angled slope of Sinking Ship set against the stark Pink Cliffs of the Table Cliff Plateau 17.5 miles (28 km) distant. The roughly 30 degree slope of Sinking Ship is evidence of the Paunsaugunt fault line, which travels north-south roughly along the eastern edge of the park. This fault, along with large fields of volcanic rock north of the park, were created as part of the tectonic events that elevated the Colorado Plateau region to its present day elevations and later produced the Basin and Range region to the west. The fault is a normal fault, which means that it was formed by extension--the ground you're standing upon moving down and away from the opposite side of the valley. This movement accounts for the 2,000 foot (610 m) difference in elevation between the Bryce Amphitheater and the Table Cliff plateau, despite these being formed of the same rock layer. Sinking Ship is slightly caught upon this fault, explaining its tilted appearance. Though once a site of intense movement, little activity has been recorded along the fault in the last 9 million years..
3009a
I met 2 young ladies who were driving from Argentina to Alaska driving their VW bus. Wow. We spoke different languages, so I didn’t learn much. If anyone knows who they are, I’d love to know about their story.
Wanderlustamerica.com: Grand Canyon National Park is the 15th site in the United States to be named as a National Park. It is situated in northwestern Arizona and is often called one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Grand Canyon Park attracts up to 6.2 million visitors every year. Ancient Native Americans used to live in and around the park about 12,000 years ago. Today, people from all around the world come here to experience its helicopter rides, visitor centers, mule rides, and much more.
Unesco.org: Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon (nearly 1,500 m deep) is the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment.
3344a
Wanderlustamerica.com: Grand Canyon National Park is the 15th site in the United States to be named as a National Park. It is situated in northwestern Arizona and is often called one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Grand Canyon Park attracts up to 6.2 million visitors every year. Ancient Native Americans used to live in and around the park about 12,000 years ago. Today, people from all around the world come here to experience its helicopter rides, visitor centers, mule rides, and much more.
Unesco.org: Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon (nearly 1,500 m deep) is the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment.
3395a
Visitmtshasta.com: For thousands of years Native Americans of the Shasta, Klamath, Pit, Modoc and Wintu tribes utilized the abundant natural resources of the Mount Shasta area. The first Europeans arrived in about 1820 when trappers came here for fur bearing animals. Silver and gold brought miners to this area after 1851, and when the railroad laid tracks through Strawberry Valley in 1887, the timber industry got underway.
Today, outdoor lovers—from extreme sports enthusiasts to family vacationers and retirees—are enjoying the vast recreational opportunities the Mount Shasta region has to offer.
“When I first caught sight of Mount Shasta over the braided folds of the Sacramento Valley, my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since.”
— John Muir, 1874
2067a
A series of images taken close to each other mostly on one of the first decent DSLRs, the Canon 10D on various visits in 2004 to Canyons (such as Red Rock near Vegas), the Pacific coast (near where I used to live in Montecito) and a few on road trips up and down the Sierra Nevada range. Mild Topaz Spicify on some and bordering.
Bear Country USA:Welcome to Bear Country USA! Very few people have had a full-grown black bear look in the window of their family car, or if they have, it was not by choice. Even fewer have seen a reindeer or a elk up close. However, many people are getting experiences like these at Bear Country U.S.A. in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Nestled over 200 acres amidst towering pines and along rolling meadows just eight miles south of Rapid City, Bear Country U.S.A. offers visitors intimate views of most North American mammals. Visitors take a leisurely three-mile drive through several enclosures and encounter black bear, elk, reindeer, deer, cougars, bobcats, rocky mountain goats, bighorn sheep, dall sheep, pronghorn and buffalo.
At this “the home of the largest collection of privately owned black bear in the world”, Bear Country U.S.A. guests are guaranteed to see more than they bargained for. From the comfort of their own car, visitors watch as these clowns of nature frolic in a pool, climb trees and amble across the road in front of their vehicle.
0999a
Elkcity.com: Part of the complex is dedicated to the National Route 66 Museum & the National Transportation Museum. Take a journey through each of the eight states Route 66 passes through – from Illinois all the way to California. “Drive” down Route 66 in a 1955 pink Cadillac and watch a black and white movie at a mock drive-in theater while sitting in a classic Chevy Impala.
3814a
Visitrainier.com: At the junction of Hwy 7 and Hwy 706, Elbe Washington is a small gateway community on the way to Mount Rainier. With a population of fewer than fifty residents, Elbe is a small town with a big history in trains and timber. The town is home to the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. Currently, visitors can ride rails or trails, dine at a diner in a converted train car, stay in a roadside motel made entirely out of cabooses, and enjoy pizza by the slice (or the pie) at a pizzeria in a train car!
The small town that’s big on trains! Discover the state’s largest collection of cabooses, a unique Caboose Motel. Train cars that house a restaurant, lounge, and pizzeria. Explore the foothills during a guided horseback trail ride, the beauty of Alder Lake, a historic church, and a charming country market that’s reported to be where Bigfoot shops for coffee and cones.
The small town that’s big on trains! Discover the state’s largest collection of cabooses, a unique Caboose Motel. Train cars that house a restaurant, lounge, and pizzeria. Explore the foothills during a guided horseback trail ride, the beauty of Alder Lake, a historic church, and a charming country market that’s reported to be where Bigfoot shops for coffee and cones.
1901a
Wanderlustamerica.com: Grand Canyon National Park is the 15th site in the United States to be named as a National Park. It is situated in northwestern Arizona and is often called one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Grand Canyon Park attracts up to 6.2 million visitors every year. Ancient Native Americans used to live in and around the park about 12,000 years ago. Today, people from all around the world come here to experience its helicopter rides, visitor centers, mule rides, and much more.
Unesco.org: Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon (nearly 1,500 m deep) is the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment.
It was very smoky in Grand Canyon National Park. The Rangers were doing ‘control burns’, and there were 2 wildfires nearby. I drove the South Rim (Desert View Drive) going west. The smoke would change with the wind. Which meant I was going toward the sun, the wind, and the smoke. Sometimes it was very glary, sometimes very dark. Trying to take a decent photo was challenging.
3324a
Springfieldillinois.com: Within the walls of this stunning granite monument is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife, Mary and three of their four sons. (Lincoln’s oldest son, Robert, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.)
Designed by famed sculptor, Larkin Mead, and completed in 1874, this beautiful landmark is nestled in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
At the entrance to the Tomb itself, there is a bronze bust of Mr. Lincoln where visitors from around the world have stopped to rub the nose of the statue for good luck.
#uppergeyserbasin #yellowstonenationalpark #usanationalparks #usaroadtrip #usa
Yellowstone National Park is like no other place on earth. It seems otherworldly, in the most complimentary way possible.
It’s a vast region, spanning three different states (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming), broad enough to house some dramatic change in landscapes, displaying mountainous areas, vast plains, massive waterfalls, courses of water, an immense lake and - its most known aspect - thousands of thermal features, pools, geysers and springs.
Our three-day visit to the Park was not enough to know Yellowstone. How much time would it take to explore it fully? Years? But was enough to visit some of the most striking places and soak in the atmosphere of wonder.
There are a few Geyser Basins, and thermal features areas, but the best known is the Upper Geyser Basin. There stands the Old Faithful Geyser, the most famous geyser in the world. However, it’s not the most “faithful”. Its eruption intervals vary from 45 to 120 minutes, and there are other more predictable geysers around. Anyway, it’s quite a thrill to see it burst 40 meters into the sky.
The experts say that there are more than 10.000 geothermal features in Yellowstone, created by a subsoil activity exclusive to this area of the planet, namely ancient volcanic eruptions, persistent volcanic activity and unique geographic aspects.
The intense colours of the thermal pools are due to temperature differences, which allow for different types of microorganisms to live and thrive, creating those masterpiece hues.
*
O Parque Natural de Yellowstone é um local com características únicas, como nenhum outro no planeta. Aliás, parece um outro mundo, isto dito no mais elogioso dos sentidos.
É uma região vasta, que cobre três diferentes estados (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming), um parque suficientemente extenso para podermos observar mudanças dramáticas de paisagem, com áreas montanhosas, planícies a perder de vista, enormes quedas de água, cursos de água, um imenso lago, e – o seu aspecto mais distintivo – milhares de fontes geotérmicas, piscinas, geysers e fumarolas.
A nossa visita de três dias ao Parque não foi, obviamente, suficiente para ficarmos a conhecer Yellowstone. Quanto tempo seria necessário para o explorarmos devidamente? Anos? Mas foi o bastante para visitar alguns dos locais mais marcantes e perdermo-nos na sua atmosfera irreal.
Há algumas bacias de actividade geotérmica, áreas delimitadas onde se concentram muitos pontos de interesse. A mais conhecida é Upper Geyser Basin. É lá que encontramos o geyser mais famoso do mundo, Old Faithful. Contudo, não é de perto o mais “fiel”. Os intervalos entre as suas erupções variam entre 45 a 120 minutos, e há outros geysers mais previsíveis nas redondezas. Mas, em todo o caso, é uma emoção vê-lo explodir 40 metros em altura.
Os especialistas dizem que há mais de 10.000 atracções geotérmicas em Yellowstone, criadas por uma actividade de subsolo exclusiva nesta área do planeta, designadamente antigas erupções vulcânicas, uma persistente actividade vulcânica actual, e aspectos geográficos peculiares.
As cores intensas das fontes ou piscinas geotérmicas devem-se a diferenças de temperatura que permitem que diferentes tipos de microorganismos aí criem o seu habitat, ao mesmo tempo gerando verdadeiras obras de arte cromáticas.