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Sicamous.ca: From cabins to canoeing, camping to snowmobiling, hiking to houseboating and everything in-between, whether you’re looking to relax and sun-soak or for something more adventurous, Sicamous has it all.
Conveniently located at the intersection of two major highway routes, the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 97A, Sicamous connects travelers from the Lower Mainland and neighbouring Alberta to the sought-after destinations of the Okanagan and Shuswap.
At the heart of the community is the Sicamous Channel, bridging the Mara and Shuswap lakes which have long been popular destinations for vacationers. Trademarked as the Houseboat Capital of Canada, Sicamous offers the unique experience of houseboating that welcomes thousands of visitors each year. Sicamous also attracts a rush of travelers and seasonal residents called by the lakes to boat, swim, fish, and paddle, tripling the population in the summer months.
As well as being the “Gateway to the Shuswap”, Sicamous has become the northern gateway to an exciting new intercommunity project, the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail. Unfolding the story of the traditional Secwépemc territory, the trail will link to the Vernon-Kelowna rail-trail greenway and extend 200 kilometers south to Osoyoos, opening opportunities to promote recreation and cultural tourism in the area.
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The first group of motorcycles are from France, and met some of them in the Museum.
The second group of motorcycles are from Germany, which I met them the previous day in Tumcumcari, New Mexico.
Both groups are renting Harley Davidson motorcycles riding the entire of Route 66.
Wikipedia: The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, covers the history of Route 66 from Chicago, Illinois to Santa, Monica, California. It is the largest museum dedicated to the history and culture of Route 66, the most famous highway in the World. The museum also offers changing special exhibits, focusing on the Route 66 experience in the Now and Future Gallery. And don't forget to step into the gift shop for some Route 66 Memorabilia.
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It was a good idea at the time.
In theory, it still was a good idea.
Theory and Practice are not the same.
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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.
Some how or another, the elk knew I wasn’t aggressive. She kept her distance with me for a while. Then the elk silently barked at me, it was time for me to go to the other side of the road. I got close to the elk, until it was time for both of us to leave. I thanked the elk for bothering me and thanked for the tour.
Wildawareutah.org: Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) are one of six recognized subspecies of elk found in North America, and the only type of elk in Utah. Elk are members of the cervidae family, which also includes moose, caribou and deer. In 1971, the Rocky Mountain elk was designated Utah’s state mammal.
Both male and female Rocky Mountain elk have a light-brown body, dark brown head, neck and legs, and characteristic cream-colored rump. Bulls average 700 pounds and are about 5 feet tall at the shoulder; cows are slightly smaller at around 500 pounds and 4.5 feet.
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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.
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Hotsprings .org: It’s hard to tell exactly how long people have been visiting the springs. Native Americans called this area “the Valley of the Vapors,” and it was said to have been a neutral territory where all tribes could enjoy its healing waters in peace. Spanish and French settlers claimed the area in the mid-1500s. In fact, famous explorer Hernando de Soto was the first European to visit Hot Springs in 1541.
Visiting Hot Springs, Arkansas, today, it’s hard to imagine the city as a hotbed for organized crime, such as gambling, prostitution and bootlegging. But from the late-1800s through the mid-1900s, especially in the 1930s, Hot Springs was a popular hangout for Al Capone, Frank Costello, Bugs Moran, Lucky Luciano, and other infamous mobsters. The safe, secluded scenic location of Hot Springs made it the ideal hideout. In order to understand how and why they chose this site, it’s necessary to reflect on the corruption that had been going on here for decades.
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Nps.gov: To the East
The large crown-shaped feature in the middle of the Bryce Amphitheater is known as Bristlecone Point. If you have some binoculars, you may be able to see their scraggly forms upon the white layers of the Claron formation capping Bristlecone Point. You can see that between here and Bristlecone Point is a series of colorful badlands that continue to the north, but steeply drop off into more forested areas to the south. One can see this as a north/south dividing line within the Bryce Amphitheater, where areas south have been eroded more deeply and undercut cliffs to the south (a trend that increases the further south in the park you travel), while erosion has been gentler and less dramatic further north. Beyond Bristlecone Point is the broad Paria Valley, which has been formed over the last 6 million years by the Paria River. The Paria River ultimately joins the Colorado River not too far from Navajo Mountain, visible on the southeastern horizon.
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Memories of our 2008 USA Road Trip. While travelling the back roads of Santa Barbara County in California in our C6 Corvette Convertible we passed through old school towns like Guardalupe and stopped outside the Santa Florita Hotel on main street.
This is the car that carried us safely across 2500 miles of some of Americas most outstanding landscapes so the best way I could think to pay homage to it was to spend a night at Arches National Park giving it some light painting treatment. I just loved the completely unnecessary mustang logo that shone out from the bottom of the wing mirror every time you opened the door!
The Magic Kingdom Orlando with magical Susan 2009. We were driving from Key West Florida to Virginia Beach in Virginia and decided to have a two night stopover in Orlando. I only took a few photos
Nationalparks.org: Leave city life behind during your visit to North Cascades National Park, a vast wilderness of conifer-clad mountains, glaciers, and lakes.
Just three hours from Seattle, North Cascades National Park’s rugged beauty is characterized by jagged peaks, deep forested valleys, cascading waterfalls, and over 300 glaciers — more than any other U.S. park outside of Alaska. Thousands of voices from the past crackle to life in this alpine landscape, from Native Americans to early European and American fur traders and explorers to homesteaders and miners, all of which called this land home.
The largest in the North Cascades National Park Complex, the park is managed alongside nearby Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. Visitors today can explore a range of outdoor activities, scenic vistas, and educational opportunities — from a scenic drive and a picnic to miles of trails ready for hiking or biking.
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Roadtripusa.com: If you’re looking for great displays of neon signs, mom-and-pop motels in the middle of nowhere, or kitschy Americana, do as the song says and “get your kicks on Route 66.”
Subject of one of the most successful advertising campaigns in Route 66’s long history of roadside hype, Tucumcari (pop. 4,881) looks and sounds like a much bigger place than it is. Also known as “the town that’s two blocks wide and two miles long” (though Tucumcari Boulevard, which follows the route blazed by old Route 66 through town, stretches for closer to 7 mi (11.3 km) between interstate exits), Tucumcari does have a little of everything, including a great range of neon signs, but it can be hard to explain the attraction of the town that hundreds of signs along the highways once trumpeted as “Tucumcari Tonite—2,000 Motel Rooms.”
Wikipedia: Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of Tucumcari via Route 66 Boulevard, which was previously known as Tucumcari Boulevard from 1970 to 2003 and as Gaynell Avenue before that time. Numerous businesses, including gasoline service stations, restaurants, and motels, were constructed to accommodate tourists as they traveled through on the Mother Road. A large number of the vintage motels and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business despite intense competition from newer chain motels and restaurants in the vicinity of Interstate 40, which passes through the city's outskirts on the south.
Tucumcari is the home of over 50 murals. Most were painted by artists Doug and Sharon Quarles and serve as a tourist attraction.
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The Magic Kingdom Orlando with magical Susan 2009. We were driving from Key West Florida to Virginia Beach in Virginia and decided to have a two night stopover in Orlando. I only took a few photos
Nps.gov: Traces of an old roadbed and weathered telephone poles mark the path of the famous "Main Street of America." Petrified Forest National Park is the only park in the National Park System containing a section of Historic Route 66. From Chicago to Los Angeles, this heavily traveled highway was not only a road--it stood as a symbol of opportunity, adventure and exploration to travelers.
U.S. Route 66 was established in 1926, but it was after WWII that the road earned its place in pop culture. A trip from middle America to the coast could take about a week along swinging 66. No interstate speeds back then! For many, the journey was not just across miles, it was across culture and lifestyles, as each stop along the way offered local flair and regional flavor. Of course, getting to your destination was important, but the trip itself was a reward.
Driving west on Route 66, in the heart of the Painted Desert, one could see a pink edifice glimmering in the clear air. After long hours of travel, here was a special place to take a break, stretch your legs, sip a cold drink, and admire the view.
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It was a bit of a shock this morning after temperatures of 35°C to wake up and go outside to find it was a mere 6°C. Brrrrrrrrrr! The reason is that during the drive here yesterday we've climbed to an altitude of over 8000ft to see the amazing alien landscape of Bryce Canyon National Park. A colourful sunrise this morning viewed through a hole in one of the hoodoos.
The Yosemite Valley Chapel was built in the Yosemite Valley of California in 1879.
The wooden chapel was designed by San Francisco architect Charles Geddes in the Carpenter Gothic style. It was built by Geddes' son-in-law, Samuel Thompson of San Francisco, for the California State Sunday School Association, at a cost of three or four thousand dollars.
The chapel was originally built in the "Lower Village" as called then, its site at the present day trailhead of the Four Mile Trail . The chapel was moved to its present location in 1901, as the old Lower Village dwindled.
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.
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I thought it was magical. The cloud drifted until the shadow was in the middle of Wheeler Peak.
Wikipedia: Wheeler Peak is the tallest mountain in the Snake Range and in White Pine County, in Nevada, United States. The summit elevation of 13,065 feet makes it the second-highest peak in Nevada, just behind Boundary Peak. Elevation: 13,065′
Nps.gov From article, Why Wheeler Peak?
Six men set out to climb a mountain on an August afternoon in 1869. They left their camp at the foot of the range, walked two miles up slope through bunchgrass and black sage, and threaded a course between granite outcrops and stands of pinyon and juniper. … There, on a slope as steep as a cathedral roof, they entered an open forest of spruce and limber pine. … With each step, stones clattered away downhill and thunked against logs. To this accompaniment, punctuated by the hoarse croaking of jays, … They were climbing the tallest mountain in the central Great Basin - the tallest in 180,000 square miles - and they wondered what they might name it … To reach his namesake peak, George Wheeler began near Shoshone Ponds in Spring Valley and climbed 7,000 feet over difficult and sometimes dangerous terrain.
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Nps.gov: Crater Lake inspires awe. Native Americans witnessed its formation 7,700 years ago, when a violent eruption triggered the collapse of a tall peak. Scientists marvel at its purity—fed by rain and snow, it’s the deepest lake in the USA and one of the most pristine on Earth. Artists, photographers, and sightseers gaze in wonder at its blue water and stunning setting atop the Cascade Mountain Range.
The 33-mile historic Rim Drive circumnavigates the lake and is open during summer and early fall (depending on weather and road conditions). Along the drive are 30 overlooks that were designed between 1931 and 1938 to highlight a specific view of the lake, a significant geologic formation in the caldera, or an environmental feature such as a subalpine meadow. Some of these stops have exhibits with information about the view. Other viewpoints leave room for visitor curiosity and discovery.
Where you choose to stop for a view of the lake or to capture the surrounding landscape of the park is a personal preference. Most of these pullouts do not have signs that offer a name or location. The park map indicates major stops that help with orientation. On average, visitors take two hours to complete the drive with eight or more stops.
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Don't know what kind of a cat is, but I wouldn't pet it. It looks fierce.
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.
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Engines started again, leaving Death Valley towards the north. USA roadtrip, June 2013.
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Hasselblad 500C/M + 80mm Planar
Kodak TMax Professional 100
Developed in Kodak D-76 1+1
The Magic Kingdom Orlando with magical Susan 2009. We were driving from Key West Florida to Virginia Beach in Virginia and decided to have a two night stopover in Orlando. I only took a few photos
Discovermoab.com: Located just 5 miles (8 km) north of Moab, you will discover the awe-inspiring Arches National Park, boasting the largest concentration of natural sandstone arches on Earth. With over 2,000 arches scattered across its vast 76,518-acre expanse, this park is a treasure trove of geological wonders. Towering sandstone fins, majestic balanced rocks, and soaring pinnacles and spires dominate the landscape, leaving visitors in awe as they explore the park’s numerous viewpoints and hiking trails.
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Nps.gov: Crater Lake inspires awe. Native Americans witnessed its formation 7,700 years ago, when a violent eruption triggered the collapse of a tall peak. Scientists marvel at its purity—fed by rain and snow, it’s the deepest lake in the USA and one of the most pristine on Earth. Artists, photographers, and sightseers gaze in wonder at its blue water and stunning setting atop the Cascade Mountain Range.
The 33-mile historic Rim Drive circumnavigates the lake and is open during summer and early fall (depending on weather and road conditions). Along the drive are 30 overlooks that were designed between 1931 and 1938 to highlight a specific view of the lake, a significant geologic formation in the caldera, or an environmental feature such as a subalpine meadow. Some of these stops have exhibits with information about the view. Other viewpoints leave room for visitor curiosity and discovery.
Where you choose to stop for a view of the lake or to capture the surrounding landscape of the park is a personal preference. Most of these pullouts do not have signs that offer a name or location. The park map indicates major stops that help with orientation. On average, visitors take two hours to complete the drive with eight or more stops.
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This is the Grand Canyon before getting to the National Park. This is on Hwy 64 near to Cameron, Arizona. This is Navajo land. It’s about 20 minutes to getting into the Grand Canyon National Park Entrance, which is in US federal land.
Ooh, what’s this? There were American flags, Navajo souvenirs, there were cars in the parking lot. I had to stop.
There’s a path to walk to the Grand Canyon, with a sign warning about reptiles. This is a nice place to walk next to Grand Canyon without having to getting into the National Park.
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Roadtripusa.com: If you’re looking for great displays of neon signs, mom-and-pop motels in the middle of nowhere, or kitschy Americana, do as the song says and “get your kicks on Route 66.”
Subject of one of the most successful advertising campaigns in Route 66’s long history of roadside hype, Tucumcari (pop. 4,881) looks and sounds like a much bigger place than it is. Also known as “the town that’s two blocks wide and two miles long” (though Tucumcari Boulevard, which follows the route blazed by old Route 66 through town, stretches for closer to 7 mi (11.3 km) between interstate exits), Tucumcari does have a little of everything, including a great range of neon signs, but it can be hard to explain the attraction of the town that hundreds of signs along the highways once trumpeted as “Tucumcari Tonite—2,000 Motel Rooms.”
Wikipedia: Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of Tucumcari via Route 66 Boulevard, which was previously known as Tucumcari Boulevard from 1970 to 2003 and as Gaynell Avenue before that time. Numerous businesses, including gasoline service stations, restaurants, and motels, were constructed to accommodate tourists as they traveled through on the Mother Road. A large number of the vintage motels and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business despite intense competition from newer chain motels and restaurants in the vicinity of Interstate 40, which passes through the city's outskirts on the south.
Tucumcari is the home of over 50 murals. Most were painted by artists Doug and Sharon Quarles and serve as a tourist attraction.
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Azwonders.com: Imagine if God held his hands a mile above the earth and slowly spread his fingers, allowing colorful sand to slip through and fall into spectacular mounds on the desert floor below. That begins to describe Arizona’s Painted Desert.
Wikipedia: Much of the Painted Desert within Petrified Forest National Park is protected as Petrified Forest Wilderness, where motorized travel is limited.[4] The park offers both easy and longer hikes into the colored hills. The Painted Desert continues north into the Navajo Nation, where off-road travel is allowed only by permit.
Facts about Arizona’s Painted Desert
•Discovered and named by an expedition team under Francisco Vazques de Coronado in 1540
•Rich mineral content in the soil gives the cone-shaped mounds of soil their beautiful colors
•Brilliant and varied colors ranging from red to white to lavender
•Stretches 160 miles from east end of Grand Canyon National Park southeast into Petrified Forest National Park and beyond
•Covers an area of approximately 93,500 acres
•Tracts of heavily eroded, uncultivable land with little vegetation
•Access by motor vehicle is very limited
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Ecency.com: I am very excited to share this overview of my trip to Capitol Reef National Park. I drove the width of the park on Highway 24 and got some great shots and then met the rest of the family after dark. The next day we explored the park together and did some hiking. I did a short sunset drive along Highway 24, which cuts across the park on the first night. It was a great time and I would like to return and experience more of what Capitol Reef has to offer.
Fatmanlittletrail.com: Capitol Reef National Park was one of the most surprising parts of my trip. It is the park that I hear most people say, “Oh, that is the one I skipped”. I found it beautiful and fascinating. The park is like an oasis in the middle of the desert with lush green flora surrounded by the red and grey rock cliffs and rock formations we are accustomed to in the Utah landscape. I only scratched the surface of the this surprisingly large park and I can’t wait to come back.
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World of Waterfalls:
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
According to The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery, the falls was named after Meriwether Lewis from the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1803-1807.
It was a curious choice because their explorations were 50 miles to the north of this spot.
That said, a Hayden surveyor by the name of Frank Bradley honored Lewis by naming the falls as such.
After all, he wanted at least one landmark to be named after one of the guys who first surveyed the region.
Finally, the Lewis and Clark expedition was significant because it was the first government-sanctioned effort to explore and map the Western Frontiers.
It happened shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and it included parts of what would later become Yellowstone National Park.
Apparently with some assistance from Sacagawea (a Native American woman from the Shoshone Tribe), they ultimately reached the Pacific Ocean.
For better or for worse (especially for Native Americans), this set the stage for settlers to come west.
However, it also set the stage for the eventual establishment of National Parks.
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The 1955 Ford Thunderbird was the first-year model of the iconic American "personal luxury car". A two-seat convertible, it offered the style of a European sports car with the comfort and features of a larger American luxury vehicle. It was developed by Ford to compete with Chevrolet's Corvette and was an instant success, outselling its rival by a large margin in its first year.
Travelok.com: The Heartland of America Museum chronicles life in western Oklahoma by preserving historical artifacts and providing authentic and educational displays on the various aspects of life in the heartland. Featuring 12,000 sq ft of exhibit space, the museum showcases over 70 exhibits of items ranging from the Great Depression and WWI to the Iraq War. Other displays include a drug store, music-related items, toys, games, a one-room schoolhouse, American Indian artifacts, historic cars, tractors, clothing, a telephone switchboard, phone booth, 1930s bedroom, blacksmith shop, an original Route 66 diner, portable jail, communication technology, patriotism and religion.
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1:10:27
After chasing the horses away, everything was cool. When the horses walked faster or slower, I did the same thing. And when the horses stopped, then took the pictures.
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Visitpageaz.com: Located on the Colorado River and straddling the border between Utah and Arizona, Lake Powell is a man-made reservoir covering an impressive 186 miles in length and nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline, which is longer than the entire west coast of the United States. With 96 major canyons, some of which are 15 to 20 miles long, Lake Powell is the perfect destination for anyone looking for adventure and natural beauty.
Discover the history and geology of the lake aboard fascinating boat tours, feel the adrenaline rush on your powerboat or personal watercraft, or enjoy an unforgettable sunset dinner cruise while taking in the amazing panoramic views. This end of the lake is also home to the impressive Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge.
Visitarizona.com: The city of Page is the gateway to two of Northern Arizona’s most photographed destinations. At Horseshoe Bend, visitors with cameras in hand are afforded views of the Colorado River as it winds through Glen Canyon. Find the trailhead off Highway 89. The roundtrip walk is just over 1 mile and takes visitors to a scenic overlook that you must see to believe. Located on the south shore of Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon attracts hikers to astonishing slot canyons. Squeeze through narrow sandstone walkways surrounded by red sandstone cliffs. Guided tours are required to access Antelope Canyon, which is located on private land within the Navajo Nation.
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Nps.gov: The Old Faithful Inn was designed by Robert C. Reamer, who wanted the asymmetry of the building to reflect the chaos of nature. It was built during the winter of 1903–1904. The Old Faithful Inn is one of the few remaining log hotels in the United States. It is a masterpiece of rustic architecture in its stylized design and fine craftsmanship. Its influence on American architecture, particularly park architecture, was immeasurable.
The building is a rustic log and wood-frame structure with gigantic proportions: nearly 700 feet (213 m) in length and seven stories high. The lobby of the hotel features a 65-foot (20-m) ceiling, a massive rhyolite fireplace, and railings made of contorted lodgepole pine. Stand in the lobby and look up at the exposed structure, or walk up a gnarled log staircase to one of the balconies. Wings were added to the hotel in 1915 and 1927, and today there are 327 rooms available to guests in this National Historic Landmark.
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Bighorn.org: Desert Bighorn Sheep are generally smaller and lighter colored than their cousins, the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.
Large rams usually weigh under 220 pounds. They stand 38-42 inches tall at the shoulder.
Desert Bighorns are found in the southwestern United States, including Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. A significant population is also found in northern Mexico.
The horns of Desert Bighorns are typically longer and not as massive as those of Rocky Mountain Bighorns. These horns are usually curled close to the face but may flare widely outward, showing wide variation in horn structure between individuals.
Desert Bighorns also have slightly longer ears and tails than Rocky Mountain Bighorns. Desert Bighorn ewes also typically have longer horns than other North American wild sheep females.
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Visitrainier.com: Some of the prettiest and most easily accessible falls in Mt. Rainier National Park, Christine Falls offers a charming intimate setting for viewing the powerful falls. This signature view of the lower falls is framed by the historic, arching Christine Falls Bridge. The falls drop 69 feet in drops of 32 and 37 feet respectively and are notorious for being nearly impossible to photograph together. Since the lower drop of the waterfall is spanned by a bridge it most often photographed – and photographed often. The upper tier of the fall is not as easily viewed. Find this little gem on the road to Paradise. Limited parking at the falls is available.
Named by P.B. Van Trump after his daughter, Christine.
Wikipedia: Philemon Beecher Van Trump was an American pioneering mountaineer and writer who lived in the state of Washington. He is best known for the first documented ascent of Mount Rainier in 1870.
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