Some Stations in My Life

Ocala National Forest Florida

2009-04-14T16:45:00.007-04:00

The Silver Glen Springs

The Ocala National Forest holds the distinction of being the only National Forest within the National Forest System that is sub-tropical. It comprises almost 400,000 acres, and is located in Central Florida just above that tourist “mecca” Orlando (aka Disney World and Co.). The Ocala National Forest was established in 1908.

We have been to and through the Ocala National Forest several times before. Most recently, in 2007, we paused for a brief hike/excursion in the Juniper Springs area. This past fall, we stopped at the Silver Glen Springs area and hiked from the springs out about a mile to Lake George.

We ate lunch, where else, alongside the Silver Glen Spring. It was a beautiful spot and the spring was, well, pretty much like several other springs I have seen in Florida. The water was clear and appeared to have a blue-greenish, almost a turquoise, tint. It was warm enough that there were swimmers in the swimming area. I know that most people think about beaches and amusement parks when they think about Florida. But I would suggest that they need to be like the early Spanish Explorer, the purported “discoverer” of the place, Ponce De Leon and go searching for its springs. You may not find "a fountain of youth" but you surely will find some beautiful scenery!

Next we hiked along a trail which left the spring area, climbed a short distance over a hammock, and then began a slow descent toward our destination, Lake George. The hike was unlike my earlier hikes in the Ocala forest. At Silver Glen Springs we were walking through pure forest and not following a spring, creek or any type of water-course. Further, the vegetation around us was decidedly sub-tropical.

The highlight of our time on the trail however, occurred about ½ out to Lake George. We had heard an unusual bird call, and had stopped for a moment. I was looking around attempting to locate the originator of the sound, when all of a sudden, a large brownish bird took flight from a nearby tree. As it became airborne, I saw the unmistakable white patches that mark the colororation of the American Bald Eagle. Of course it quickly flew away, but nevermind, I had been very close to it, the closest I have ever been to a Bald Eagle in the wild. It was an awesome sight.

About a half mile more and we walked through a low marshy area and finally arrived at the shores of Lake George. Lake George is just one of many lakes that are located along the course of the St. John’s River. The St. John’s River, is, in reality, an ancient intracoastal lagoon system. As it flows northward along its 310 miles up through the eastern part of Florida, it enters and leaves several lakes. Because of this, it is often called “The River of Lakes.” Lake George is the 2nd largest lake in Florida (Okeechobee is the largest), and the largest of the lakes in the St. John’s system. Lake George is noted, among other things, for its bass fishing.

After a few minutes spent admiring the lake, (for we had no tackle, nor did we have a Florida Fishing License) we returned from whence we came and continued our journey on to the north, Jacksonville Florida (and co-incidentally up the St. John’s River).

Ellenton Florida

2009-04-07T20:18:00.002-04:00

First off, my apologies to all my “regular followers” (all 3 or 4 of you), I have been away, gathering new material for my blog, and so I haven’t posted in a while.

All the Bells and Whistles

As my “regulars” know, this is not a blog devoted to food and fine dining. While I am beyond the mere “fast food joint,” I do not consider myself enough of a connoisseur to evaluate food, its ingredients, preparation or presentation. And this particular blog does not deviate from my intention. For even though today I am blogging about a Restaurant, The Roaring 20’s Pizza and Pipes (Ellenton is near Bradenton FL) I am not blogging because of the food. Rather, I am blogging because their “entertainment” a “Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ.”

Their instrument was originally installed in 1931 in the Paramount Theater in Oakland CA. The theater lasted only a year. The organ was finally “resurrected” in the early 1960’s in a restaurant down the coast near LA. Next it was moved to Indianapolis IN where it also played in a restaurant for a while. Then, there was the chance that it would go to Germany, however, these plans fell through, it was sold again and ended up here in Florida playing for the crowd of “Seniors” who live and visit in the Bradenton/Sarsota area.

The figures concerning this instrument read almost like the specs for a new car:
20 Horsepower Blower, delivering 3,000 cubic feet of air per minute 42 ranks of pipes, 3,000 over all with the largest 16 feet tall; 14 " diameter
26 miles of wiring
350 controls with 278 tabs
31,250 lbs in weight
In short, it is one big, art deco machine!

And the organists concerned know how to play it, all of it, not only the pipes, but all the bells, whistles, horns tweeters, celestas, “birds” etc. It was a lot of fun to listen to Chattanooga Choo Choo, songs from Phantom of the Opera, and other like-minded pieces.

Oh yes, the Pizza, well, I guess it’s okay. But as I said above, this is NOT a food blog.

Bradenton Florida

2009-03-17T20:01:00.003-04:00

The Gamble Plantation State Park

I had wanted to stop by this small park for some time, and thus, in planning my route to and from the DeSoto Monument I made sure that we went past this park.

There is not really too much to the park. It is just a tabby house that was obviously built in sections during the 1840’s (it is, however, the only Ante-Bellum house in South Florida) after the conclusion of the Second Seminole War. Robert Gamble was the man who built the house. He was the son of a wealthy sugar planter from the around Tallahassee area, and claimed 3,400 plus acres. He worked the plantation with about 180 or so slaves for about 10 years. During this period of time he raised mostly red ink, as opposed to sugar, his supposed crop. Consequently, he began selling off portions of the property to satisfy his creditors.

Finally, he moved away just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Consequently, during that conflict his property, now abandoned, was taken over by the Confederate Government and used as a “commissary.” Thanks to its location, close to a waterway leading off of Tampa Bay, the house and its surrounding buildings were used by the blockade runners. It is reported that one of the Blockade runners, Captain Archibald McNeil moved into the house in 1865.

It is also believed by many that Judah P. Benjamin, the Confederate Attorney General, Secretary of War, and finally Secretary of State made his way to the Gamble Plantation House after the fall of Richmond VA. Reportedly Benjamin stayed here a few weeks while he arranged passage for himself to England. Whether it was from this house or not, the fact remains that Benjamin was one of the very few members of the Confederacy’s Executive Branch to successfully flee to Europe in the immediate aftermath of the war. Shortly after he landed in Victorian England he passed his Bar Exam and became a successful, albeit somewhat quiet, lawyer who even tried cases before the House of Lords.

For us, this trip also had a family interest as well. Since Benjamin was one of our family names, I thought I needed to find out a bit more about the man on the off-hand chance we might have been distantly related. However, after a few short minutes with the Ranger at the house I found that it is very unlikely that Judah P. Benjamin was one of my Benjamins. Judah was born into a family of Sephardic Jewish settlers, and had to detour with his family to the West Indies on their immigrant voyage to America owing to the outbreak of the War of 1812. I already knew that my Benjamin family came to this country from England to work for Lord Fairfax in Virginia during the middle 1700’s. Thus, I have determined that if there ever was any relation between our families it would have been way back, particularly since Judah P. Benjamin’s folks traced their heritage to Spain.

Family issues aside, the house was very interesting. Despite the imposing-looking Doric Columns across the front, the Gamble Plantation House is basically a tabby structure with many features that were designed to make it more livable during the hot times of summer of which this area has a lot. Out in back of the house there was an old cane press that had been used for making sugar in ante-bellum times. We examined this machinery after touring the house. There is also the ruins of a sugar cane mill on the property, however, the press of time, it was near closing, precluded a side trip to the mill.

Bradenton Florida

2009-02-24T15:19:00.007-05:00

De Soto National Memorial

For those of you who have been followers of this blog, particularly over the last 6 months, I have some news, its badness or goodness depends upon your perspective. I think that the sharing our 2008 trip to the Pacific Northwest is at an end. For those who have followed each posting with a raptured suspense I am sure you are saddened. No more pictures of Lava, no more musings on how this all came to be, no more comments about life as we know it today. For those of you who were of the opinion “Can’t the fool talk about anything else?” I am sure you are thrilled to find out your agony is at last at an end. (When I was growing up, a standing joke held that nothing was more boring than going over to a neighbor’s house to be treated with a slide show about their latest trip to Aunt Mabel’s. Sometimes, I thought my blog was degenerating to that level.)

Out of a desire to depart from the boring sameness the recounting of our exploits in Oregon might arouse, on occasion, sights from other current happenings in my life broke in. One of the first blogs to depart from our Oregon trip was my posting about Florida’s Manatees. I had so wanted to see them in the wild, I was so thrilled to do so, and I was so saddened by what I saw, I knew I would have to break into my on-gong narrative.

Well, that Manatee posting was from our trip to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with my OLDER sister. So now that we have left Oregon behind, let us move onto the sunny south, Florida, once more (Oh no, another travelogue? Well, maybe, after all that is what this blog is mostly about, traveling through the stations of life.)

One area of Florida that we (A. & me) had never seen was the Bradenton area. One place I particular I wanted to see was the De Soto National Memorial area. Now you must understand, I have enough knowledge of the history of the early Spanish explorers to be dangerous. So I was well aware of the fact that the spot within the city limits of Bradenton Florida designated for the memorial to the landing is just a spot that tradition holds was the place based, in part, on a reading of the extant records of the expedition and interpreting the topographical features in light of what the coast line looks like today.

That is to say, I am aware of the fact that no one is exactly sure at what precise spot, Hernado De Soto and his band of “explorers” splashed ashore in Florida in May of 1839, just as we are not sure at exactly what spot Narvaez landed in 1528, or Ponce De Leon landed in 1513 (though most scholars agree this last landing was on the Atlantic Coast). And, for that matter, there is some debate about where the Englishman Frances Drake put up on the Pacific Coast for repairs in the midst of making his around the world sojourn. I mean, give all these guys a break. They didn’t have GPS. Most of the maps they were carrying with them showed that the area we now know is the continent of North America was “incognito” and in particular the idea that there might be a huge land mass in that vicinity was non-existent. And if there was any land shown for this area, it was just a few islands.

But someone somewhere, in this case a local Tampa Bay Historical group, a unit of the Colonial Dames of America, erected a monument to De Soto’s landing at a spot on Shaw’s Point near Bradenton Florida. To be fair, apparently their decision was based, in part, on the considered opinion of a few historical researchers hired by the Federal Government during the 1930’s. This monument was erected in 1939 just in time to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the original landing. Nine years after the monument was unveiled the Federal Government designated the area surrounding the monument, comprising in all slightly less that 30 acres, the De Soto National Memorial. (For a more complete description of this process see: http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2008/03/park-history-de-soto-national-memorial.)

At any rate, even if we are not sure whether De Soto landed here, or even saw the place, the National Park Service has made an effort to at least give visitors to the monument an idea about who De Soto was, what he did, and did not do, and the overall significance of his 4 year odyssey in the new world. Since this is supposed to be a Memorial to his landing, an attempt has been made to re-create the first “camp” that De Soto and his men made upon landing. The exhibit is called Camp Uzita. During the winter months it is staffed with interpreters, but we were there “out-of-season” and were unfortunate enough to arrive just after a Ranger talk had been given. Thus, we missed the full “treatment of this area.

There is also a “nature walk” through the park area. When De Soto landed (whether or not it was exactly here), most of this coastal area was a Mangrove Swamp. Thus, this was a walk through a Mangrove Swamp. As we walked along the path we had a very interesting walk, albeit it was obviously not anything at all like what De Soto and his men sloshed through. Nevertheless, as we went along we stopped and read the various displays relating to the “natural history” as well as the history of De Soto’s expedition.

After a short distance, we reached a point of land jutting out into Tampa Bay. I am sure at the time of De Soto’s landing, this point looked out on a shoreline of more mangrove swamps. But obviously today it looks out on Bradenton Florida. Who needs a mangrove swamp when you can have a boat dock or a beach (unless, of course, you are concerned about protecting the eco-system from damages during a hurricane)?

As we returned from our “swamp walk” we passed the monument again. As we did, we took time to notice the immense tree growing near-by. It is a “Gumbo-Limbo” tree, a tree native to Florida and much of the Caribbean area. It is also called “The Tourist Tree” by many native Floridians because (and here I quote from the above noted web-site else my family think this is just some more of my own brand of “corn”): “In South Florida, gumbo-limbo has been called the tourist tree because of its red, flaking skin.”

All in all, I think we all appreciated the chance we had to visit the De Soto National Memorial, whether it is, or is not, the actual spot where De Soto landed. They have appeared to have done a good job with what they had, and at least helped us to see the importance of this period of our history for us today.

Milwaukee Wisconsin

2009-02-20T21:31:00.007-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Epilogue 3: Milwaukee

A “Hot Time” in the “Old Town” That Night

Well, after our magnificent sunset in the Columbia River Gorge, I was in hopes that the weather would hold for our eastbound trip on The Empire Builder. Alas, it was not to be. After a promising start the next morning, promising, but not as pretty as it was on the trip I made Eastbound on the Empire Builder in 2004, the weather steadily deteriorated.

However, we arrived on time the next morning in the Twin Cities. Unfortunately, we were there on Monday September1, 2008, just as the 2008 Republican Convention was getting started. Anyway, the Republicans (warning, the site may load slowly, due to political philosophy no doubt), you remember them, the ones with all those big Amtrak supporters such as John McCain and all that (oh, I’m sorry, I forgot, I thought this was a site devoted to fiction), . . . well, anyway, there were so many private rail cars in the yards that our train could not leave using the normal route. We had to back out of the station and take an alternate. The end result of this maneuver was that we lost 30 minutes. We spent another 30 minutes just east of Winona MN waiting on a drawbridge across the Mississippi to be lowered.

Thus, we pulled into Milwaukee 1 hour late (still not bad considering the distance we had traveled since Portland OR). I had scheduled a stop-over in Milwaukee because I knew that there was not much time between the Empire Builder’s arrival time in Chicago and the Cardinal’s departure. So rather then run the risk and worry about “Will I make it or not?” all across the upper mid-West (and also maybe hold up fellow passengers on the Cardinal), I had intentionally scheduled a stop-over in Milwaukee and had tickets for one of the Hiawatha runs for the next day.

Besides, even though I had been through Milwaukee now several times, I had never stopped there. Even more specifically, I had never spent time in Wisconsin before, just ridden through on the train.

The first item of business upon our arrival was dinner. I had wanted a good German meal (I remembered that Milwaukee had a good German heritage) and a fellow passenger on the Empire Builder absolutely insisted the only restaurant to even consider for German Food in Milwaukee is Mader’s. Well, obviously in one night we couldn’t sample them all, but I must say Mader’s was a fine restaurant and yes, I would like to go there again (but no, I am not including pictures of my meal, recipes etc., those of you, all 1 or 2, who regularly read this space know that this is not that type of blog).

After our meal we walked through a little bit of the city, and were awed with what we saw. Those of you with long memories will remember, we had started off on this trip with an architectural tour of Chicago, some old buildings such as Marshall Fields for sure, but mostly new ones with curves, spikes, angles, glass reflections and all. Well, here in Milwaukee we did sort of a mini-tour. And what we saw amazed us.

I had seen a building in the Second Empire style of architecture on the short cab ride from the station to our hotel. This amazed me. I had not seen a structure like this since the Philadelphia (PA) City Hall or the Executive Office Building west of the White House in DC. So, not surprisingly, on our walk we took a closer look at this French Empire Building, and at its neighbor, a fine specimen of the Richardson Romanesque design. Both of them were not “public” buildings, but had been built as office buildings. We assumed they were still fulfilling this function in elegant fashion.

In our meanderings, we walked along the Milwaukee River several times. I knew, from what I had read before starting on our trip, that at one time the river front was a “heavy” industry area (the industry being mostly beer or beer-related concerns of course). But I also knew that most of that industry was gone, and in its place Milwaukee was trying to make over its river front. They even have an citizens organization, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, involved in their efforts.

Well, at least from what we saw they seem to have done a fine job. Of course, we were there on the shank end of the day, and the lighting was great for picture taking!

Our Sleeping Car Attendant on the Empire Builder lived in Milwaukee and he strongly recommended that we get over to the lakefront to check out the Milwaukee Art Museum’s building. He mentioned that it had movable wings (I understand the technical term is “brise soleil”) on it. So, the next morning, we set out to do just that. We knew we didn’t have time to take a look inside, but the building alone promised to make our efforts worthwhile. Indeed it did. As you can see from the picture, during the period of time we were there the wings appeared to be spread. According to the web-site the position of the wings is dictated in part by the winds, obviously a vital concern for a Lake Michigan site. The structure, really only a part of the entire Milwaukee Art Museum, was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

We would have liked to have tarried a bit longer, but we had “a train (actually 2) to catch.” So, too soon, our short stay was over. Milwaukee, you were a nice closing to a wonderful trip.

The Columbia River Gorge

2009-02-17T21:52:00.003-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Epilogue 2: The Columbia River Gorge

An Evening Cruise

One of the real starting points for this entire trip was when A. suggested we take a cruise on the Columbia River. She showed me the brochures and asked me what I thought. I agreed with her it would be a beautiful trip. However, upon looking at the price they wanted to sail for 8 days in cramped quarters up an inland river, I suggested an equally scenic possibility, taking Amtrak's Empire Builder through the gorge.

Unfortunately, on our way out the weather was not all that great. It wasn't bad, mind you, it just was not as good as it could have been. I knew, I had come through the Gorge on an early morning ride in 2002 that was magnificent.

However, I held out hope. Even when, on our trip back into Portland, the clouds gathered around us once more.

Even as we finished touring the Chinese Garden, it still appeared that we would once more have a cloudy trip. And then, just as we boarded the Empire Builder that evening, the sun broke through. And thus we had a wonderful trip up the gorge away from the setting sun.

The only problem was, it was one of those settings, which is hard to capture on a photo, especially if you are using "point and shoot" equipment from a moving train. So, while the following gives some idea of the beauty that we saw, even now, months later, in my minds eye, I know that what we saw far surpassed our abilities to capture the moment.

But that is the way it often is.

Portland Oregon

2009-02-13T20:23:00.006-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Epilogue 1: Portland Oregon

Classically Chinese

Well, we finally did make it down from McKenzie Pass, and completed our circle route by arriving once more in Eugene, over 1000 miles after we started from there 10 days ago. The next morning we caught the 9:00 AM Cascades Train up to Portland. Our train back east didn’t leave until 4:00 P.M. but the way the schedules worked out, it was best to take this early train, plus it left us more time in Portland.

One of the really good features about Amtrak travel is that in most cities, Richmond VA’s Staples Mills Road station being one of the worst exceptions, when you arrive at the station you are in the heart of town already. And if you have a lay-over, as we did, you have options other than sitting in a straight-backed plastic chair attempting to read the latest novel, the newspaper, or even, horrors, papers from your place of business.

Instead you can check your bags (there is a fee per bag), and walk to a nearby “destination” and check it out. And that is what we did.

I had had a layover in Portland on 2 previous occasions (including the layover on the way out on this trip). Each time I/we had considered visiting the Portland Classical Chinese Garden which is within easy walking distance of the station. But for various reasons I/we had not gone. But today would be different. So we checked our bags and off we went.

The Portland Classical Chinese Garden occupies an entire city block (about 40,000 square feet) that used to be a parking lot. The garden is the result of a Sister Cities agreement between Portland Oregon and Suzhou China. Artisans from Suzhou came over and built this garden in downtown Portland, and in return, Portland gave Suzhou a Rose Garden (Portland prides itself on its roses). Ironically, the rocks used in the garden (more on these later) were imported from the area around Suzhou China, but the plants were strictly American-grown descendents of Chinese plants that had been brought over many years ago. This is because of the strict agricultural importation requirements in place today.

I have been in Chinese (and Chinese-influenced) gardens before. When I was stationed in Korea back in the late 1960’s I visited several of the palaces in Seoul, and walked through their gardens. However, these visits were all in the winter, and, to be honest, everything in Korea was a bit ragged from a seasonal and an economic point-of-view at that time. Korea in the late 1960’s was just beginning to overcome the ill effects of having your front yard, your back yard, your kitchen etc. in the middle of a war zone with bombs, rockets, bullets, mines, runaway tanks etc. They had not yet produced their economic miracle (though evidences of its emergence were all around us). Accordingly, the palaces I visited, while public recreation areas, were not necessarily being kept up to the standards of a strict oriental garden.

More importantly, when we were in Vancouver BC about 4 years ago, A. and I visited the Sun-Yat-Sen Garden in that city. Thus, we both had some idea of what we would see in this garden. And this helped because often when an American goes to visit a “Garden” one expects to see lots of flowers such as these poinsettias at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh.

Then again, one often expects to see certain total plant environments replicated, as in this steamy tropical forest at the United States Botanical Garden in DC.

And if the garden is outside, one often expects to see elaborate designs made using the plants as the materials, such as in the maze in the Governor’s Palace gardens in Colonial Williamsburg VA.

But a Chinese Garden is a bit different. It is composed of five elements. The first element is water, both still, as in this shot of Zither Lake in the Garden, and also in waterfalls.

The second, and most obvious component is “flowers” such as this lotus blossom. Flowers in a Chinese garden are chosen to provide the maximum amount of beauty, the maximum amount of the time during the year. Further, they are often chosen with an eye towards whether or not they might be edible.

These two elements, water and flowers, are common in many western gardens. However, they are only the beginning of a Classical Chinese Garden.

The third element of a Classical Chinese Garden is the presence of many rocks. Some of these rocks have been placed upright in this garden. They are called Tai Hu, and are from a particular limestone quarry located at a freshwater lake near Suzhou. They are considered especially auspicious due to their porous nature and their weight distribution. Now I must admit, having spent a lot of time in Greenbrier County WV, I have seen, touched, moved, got mad at, etc. many limestone rocks. I knew that for all their hardness when struck with a pick ax, or a drill bit, they are water soluble. That is to say, when exposed to water they will quickly erode. All of that said, I had never quite seen anything like the limestone rocks I saw standing in this garden.

But not all the rocks are standing up in the garden. Many small river pebbles were laid out in intricate patterns to form the walk-ways that one uses as one strolls through the garden. There are several designs for these stones, only one of which is shown here.

The fourth element of a Chinese Garden is the architecture. A Classical Chinese Garden is noted for having many structures, such as the ones pictured in the first shot up above. This is because a Classical Chinese Garden was not only a place of beauty to visit, it was often considered to be an essential part of the home’s living space.

But it was not only that the Classical Chinese Garden has many structures, many American Gardens of late have been sprouting wooden decks, patios, gazebos and metal equipment buildings. In a Classical Chinese Garden it is important to consider the way in which these buildings were designed.

One of the more prominent features in the buildings is the presence of “Leak Windows” as pictured in this shot. They received this name because they allow the beauty in the garden to leak through the wall into the adjoining space.

But there is more to this type of architecture than just windows. There are stone carvings on the walls, around the eves and even on the roofs. Also there is a generous use of wood, in furniture, and also in many elaborate carvings around the windows and sometimes on the walls.

Finally, and this is the 5th element, in a true Classical Chinese Garden there are literary inscriptions, such as seen on the two banners. These inscriptions are found at several places in the garden both inside the building and outside, on rocks, over the waterfall, and even hidden in amongst the plants. These inscriptions are pieces of Chinese poetry. The poems used are chosen with an eye towards deepening one’s experience of the garden.

All in all, we had a very delightful lay-over in Portland. It sure beat sitting around an airport reading a week-old magazine and eating greasy fast food.

Abraham Lincoln

2009-02-08T12:26:00.005-05:00

For those of you who may be wondering, no, I do not intend to leave my narrative of our trip to the Pacific Northwest stuck out at McKenzie Pass Oregon, as magnificent as that scenery was. I will get us back. But too much else is happening right now. For example:

A. Lincoln in Kentucky

This February 12, 2009, starts a year long celebration of the 200th Birthday of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. In honor of this event, I too wish to start where Lincoln did, in Kentucky. While Kentucky has many places that honor the memory of Lincoln and his family, for they were, after all, from Kentucky, three stand out in my mind.

The first, and most obvious place, is the farm where he was born, “Sinking Creek” Farm. Visitors there today will find an immense Neo-Classical Marble structure covering a “symbolic birth cabin.” The reality of the situation was that by the time the nation got around to honoring the nativity of Lincoln, the cabin of his birth had long since rotted away, that being the nature of structures composed of untreated logs erected in a place of dampness such as the vicinity of a sinking creek. And so, those eminent-thinking Victorians who developed the site erected what they considered a fitting memorial, and placed within it the next best thing to his nativity, a cabin they found on a neighboring place.

The second place, and just a few short miles down the road, is the farm where Lincoln and his family moved when he was a young boy, Knob Creek Farm. Here too, the actual cabin where Lincoln lived with his family had disappeared into that moist soft loam that untreated log cabins sink into by the time the restoration folks came around. And so materials from another cabin, again a neighboring cabin this time one of Lincoln’s boyhood friends, was used in a restoration of the Knob Creek Farm Cabin.

The third, and for me the most meaningful, place is the Talbott Tavern in Bardstown KY. This building, still largely the same as it was back in the early 1800’s (despite a fire during the 1990’s) is reputed to be the “oldest stage coach stop in America.” It also became the home for the young Abraham Lincoln and his family when they were evicted from “their” Knob Creek Farm after losing a Land Title dispute (early frontier Kentucky was notorious for Land Title Disputes and many both the famous, Daniel Boone, and otherwise, found themselves thrown off “their land” from time to time).

Lincoln and his mother and sister stayed at Talbott Tavern while his father crossed the Ohio River to enter the newer frontier of Indiana in search of a new non-disputable place for the family to live. Lincoln’s days in this Tavern weren’t too long in time, as time goes in one who lived as eventful a life as Lincoln. But, the fact of the matter was, and is, that during these formative years of his life, for a while, A. Lincoln, later the 16th President of the United States, was, in modern-day terms:

“HOMELESS.”

But after Kentucky there was Indiana, then later Illinois, and still later, the fame of the world.

Happy 200th birthday President Lincoln.

Robert Frost

2009-02-04T20:50:00.004-05:00

It snowed all day today. Snow always reminds me of this poem.

Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T15:49:00.004-05:00

How Big is Your Shadow?

Well it’s Groundhog Day again, that day of the year when we all wait around for one of nature’s lowliest creatures to tell us what our weather is going to be. Most of the country recognizes Punxsutawney Phil as the chosen prognosticator, and for the record, he is reported to have seen his shadow today. But here in West Virginia, we rely on good old “French Creek Freddy” a renown resident of the French Creek Game Farm. Now Freddy’s “handlers” have been very assiduous about keeping their scientific records about his prognosticating ability. As such they have offered the scientific opinion that he is “usually” correct. As of this moment I have not heard about his report for the year.

However, based upon our situation here, today, I would say that no self-respecting groundhog in our area would even deign to leave the comfort of his hibernation just to offer us his opinion on the weather. No, I suspect this year, as most years, any groundhog in our area will stay buried within his sleep and wound not even consider coming out until the middle of March, or later. And when he does come out, it will be spring.

Concluding Scientific Postscript: Those of you who are avid followers of this site (all 2 or 3 of you) may be wondering how my previous column about the weather is holding. If you will remember, I had offered my “Wooly Worm Forecast” regarding the winter weather. If you will recall, his prediction said we would have a mild winter after a rough start. Now I ask you to remember, my prognosticator lived in eastern Greenbrier County WV, and while we in the Southwestern portion of West Virginia (and Kentucky) have just been through 2 terrible weeks of snow, ice, rain, cold temperatures etc., in Greenbrier County, for the same period all they got was some rain. So, as far as MY Wooly Worm is concerned, his prediction is holding. Now as for the other reports I had from Wooly Worms in the other parts of West Virginia, well, let’s just say their advocates may be following the lead of French Creek Freddy and maintaining that they are “usually” correct (scientifically speaking).

McKenzie Pass Oregon

2009-01-31T20:31:00.006-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part D: Central Oregon

Crossing the Cascade Mountains

Finally, the time came when we had to begin our trip home. And so, early that morning we left Bend and headed west to Eugene.

We had two options open to us in terms of making the trip, Santiam Pass and McKenzie Pass. We chose the McKenzie Pass (State Route 242) option. The maps and books had warned us it was not suitable for truck traffic (a real plus to my way of thinking), and other vehicles over 38 feet in length. Since we were driving a rented “compact car” I guessed that we would fit. It was also mentioned that the road was not open in the winter, but after all this was the end of August. Plus the books had mentioned the road was a mountain road that was filled with curves, but hey, I’m from West Virginia, that sounds like home.

We left Bend on US Highway 20 and headed to Sisters. We paused in this burg very briefly (mainly looking to see if there were per chance any items of railroad interest). But the longer we stayed, the louder we heard the siren call “Tourist Trap!” And so we left.

Outside of Sisters we found our turn, with a minor amount of difficulty (remember we are old fashioned and use a paper direction finder a/k/a a map). Of course, we were hardly 2 miles down Rte 242 when . . . that’s right. . . a truck passed us. Now, it was not a big semi-tractor trailer. Nevertheless it was a big truck. We both said to each other almost simultaneously, “I thought they weren’t allowed!” Oh well, we moved on (and passed them about 1/4th of the way up the grade).

For the first part of the trip we felt like we were home in West Virginia already. And then we rounded a curve and saw something you never see in West Virginia. . . a field of lava rocks. We pulled over and got out and just looked around. There were rocks everywhere. And the road still was headed up, so we knew we were not at the pass.

And so we got in our car and drove on up through all the rocks until we did reach the pass. I already know the C.C.C. boys had built another “shelter” very similar to the one they had constructed out at the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area at McKenzie Pass. It was called the Dee Williams Shelter after a forester who had worked in the area at the time. I knew we would be able to stop there and get a better look.

A better look was definitely what we got upon reaching the turn-off at the head of the pass. We parked and A. went off to explore a trail that went out on the rocks. I, however, climbed up to the top level of the shelter to get a better perspective on all the Lava.

The Cascades have been, and will continue to be a very active, and interesting, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. I had been to Mt. St. Helen’s and so the sight of lava all around was not new to me. Nevertheless, the sheer scope of it here at McKenzie Pass still almost overwhelmed me. Everywhere I looked, all I saw was black rock and sharp peaks.

Now standing here looking at the lava, and the string of volcanic peaks (for the record, the first one you saw was Belknap Volcanic Shield, followed by Mt. Washington and then followed by Mt. Jefferson) and surrounded by all this black lava, I knew for sure this one thing. Above all else, we had been traveling through a Land of Fire.

Cross Lanes West Virginia

2009-01-27T13:59:00.007-05:00

The January Blahs

Well, it’s January. Thinking about Oregon last summer is fine. But this is January in West Virginia. And you know what that means.

Ah, and this year it seems particularly cruel. After all the “Obama-mania” of the transition and Inauguration, it is now beginning to set in. Change we have. The ideological purists of the right and their unthinking, unfeeling natures are out, for now. Replaced with, ever so slowly, the old, but re-emerging, coalition of the ideologues of the left, along with the sleaze of the center.

For example, when they put money for family planning for the poor in with an economic stimulus package, hoping no one will notice. Now, don’t get me wrong, yes there is a problem, and yes this is probably the best approach. But does that mean you put it in an economic stimulus package filled with “goodies” and pork-barrel for all so no one dares vote against it except he/she be tarred and feathered with the condemnation of those seeking to “re-build the economy”? Come on, if you have a program, and perhaps you do, be honest with yourself, oh, and yes, the American People who elected you, and put it in a bill where the merits of the particulars can be examined and not hidden among an evermounting mound of goodness for all.

And then, we have the case of the Treasury Secretary designee (as this is being posted he has now been sworn in) who can’t seem to remember to pay his payroll taxes. Oh, I know, “Mistakes were made. . . I’m sorry . . . I won’t do it again. . .” The theme of the 1990’s or as Yogi Berra might have said “Déjà vu’ all over again.” I suspect if one of us were guilty of this enfraction, well, there would be a different way to handle it starting with: “A lawyer in our Enforcement Division will talk with you about your options.” What’s next? An attempt to re-habilitate that outstanding preserver of state papers Sandy Berger?

Locally, things have been sad and grey around here. The local Avian Residents are mourning the sudden death, and disappearance, of John Q., “Red” Northern Cardinal, a resident of a nearby spruce tree. He was sitting on his branch happily singing away when the local Sharp Shinned Hawk swooped down and caught him. After a few hurried minutes of body preparation, with minimal distraction being provided by the local family of Blue Jays, the afore-mentioned Sharp Shinned Hawk flew away taking with him most of “Red’s” remains. Oh, foulness (fowlness?) of the deed!

An attempt was made to get a photographic record of the deed, but by the time the equipment had arrived, the assailant had swooped away (isn’t that always the case in these times). And so the C.S.I. crew was called in to record the “evidence” for possible future prosecution.

And now after 2 days of snow, the forecast calls for sleet changing to rain. And rain in such an amount, so now we have 3 weather advisories running, a “Cold Weather” Advisory, a “Winter Storm Warning” Advisory, and a “Flood Watch for both small stream and possible major water course flooding” Advisory.

Yes, it is the January blahs.

And then yesterday, as I went to the store to stock up between storms, what did I spy in the produce section? A small collection of those luscious delectable Red Berries of Hope:

Florida Strawberries.

Yes, they were finally here. And so I got a quart and we had some last night with cake and strawberry yogurt. And as I sat there tasting the sweet but tart goodness (and none of the straw that I get with California Strawberries that make it to our stores), I thought:

“Can Spring Training be Far Behind?”

Ah, another month of this blah-ness and then its out to see the crack of the bat, the sound of the fast ball smoking into the catchers glove. Another month of all the shades of grey associated with "this season" and then begins the speculation that most of us live for: What are the Pirates going to do this year (yea, our local team finally has an affiliation that makes sense)? And don't forget, what about the Reds? And of course, remember your roots, what about the Nationals?

Ah, sweet berries of kindness, sweet berries of spring.

Central Oregon

2009-01-25T15:01:00.006-05:00

Visit to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part D: Central Oregon

The Cascades Lakes Scenic Highway

We finally managed to tear ourselves away from the Newberry National Volcanic Area. I had only scheduled us into this area for the shank end of our day coming in from Crater Lake, and the next day. And there was more we wanted to see. In particular, we wanted to drive the Cascades Lake Scenic Highway.

And so we left the Newberry Volcanic area and crossed over to the other side of US 97 and set off for the Cascades Lake highway. Now you have to understand that to date, we are still the "old fashioned" car travelers, meaning we do not have one of the GPS doo-dads that shout out directions, yell at you when you make a wrong turn, and otherwise let you know that it is far smarter than you. No, we still use a map (my how quaint!). And so, on our way over. . .we took a wrong turn.

But hey, in this country, you can take a wrong turn and even so have a good time and see spectacular scenery. And so it was, that when we should have turned left, . . . we turned right, and lo and behold several miles down the road found ourselves at the Falls River Fish Hatchery. But as I indicated, so what, we still had a good time.

Now, don't get me wrong, fish hatcheries are not really my "thing." Plus, I have been to several fish hatcheries here in West Virginia. So it wasn't the fish in the hatchery that made the stop for me. It was, rather, a very pretty, full flowing Fall River that was filled with some of the clearest, and coldest, water I had ever seen in a river. To find out how cold it was, I even stuck my hand in it. And believe me, you would never have believed it was the end of August! The water was that cold. And so J. and I walked up and down the river for a few minutes (A. stayed back at the car).

Once we got back to the car we got out our "trusty" map, figured out where we had gone wrong and proceeded to turn around and go back towards the Cascades Lake Scenic Highway. Finally, after passing where we had made our wrong turn and traveling on a bit further, we hit "paydirt." We were on the Cascades Lakes Scenic Highway.

I had figured on stopping at 3 points. As it was we ended up stopping 6 times. Unfortuantely, our first stop, Osprey Point, was a big disappointment. There was a trail there that led out to a lake. And there were supposed to be Osprey (hence the name) and other birds around. Well, we did see a platform that could have held an Osprey nest at one time, but if there had been a nest (and it looked doubtful that any bird had nested there for several breeding seasons) it was unoccupied at present. Well, I am sure that the end of August is not the right time of year to see Osprey nesting in these parts. However, contrary to our expectations, we saw few other birds. Oh, there were some gull-looking creatures, but we were far away from them. And so, after a few obligatory snap shots, we all moved on.

Our next stop was at the Little Lava Lake Campground. Little Lava Lake is reportedly the source of the Deschutes River. And since we had seen the Deschutes where it flows into the Columbia on our way in, and since Bend itself is located along the Deschutes and we had seen the river as it flowed through town, I thought it would add a nice touch to see where it began (over to the left in this photo).

As the day was moving on, we drove on down towards Mt. Bachelor and made a few quick stops for photos. One stop, in particular, was made in order to get a good shot of this famous ski slope. But really, Mt. Batchelor may be a great ski area, however as a scenic mountain, well, I've seen a lot better, both on this trip and in other places.

We finally stopped at the Dutchman's Flat area, just to the north of Mt. Batchelor. J. and I took off on a trail down to Dutchman's Flat. The trail doubles as a Cross Country ski trail during the winter months. Consequently, as we walked along the trail we saw many long, 20-30 foot tall poles on either side. These poles were, as J. noted, markers used by skiers in the winter. The tremendous amounts of snow in this area dictated that the poles be as high as they were. While he had never been here to cross country ski, J. assured me he had seen pictures of this trail and in those shots these "poles" appeared at times to be only about as tall, or a little taller, than the figures on the trail.

At any rate, eventually we came out on Dutchman's Flat which proved to be a bare spot, probably more
pumice desert such as we had seen at Crater Lake, with this wonderful-looking mountain as a backdrop. This mountain is called Brokentop. Obviously, it was of Volcanic origin, as most of the rest of the area was. And obviously, here too, the events surrounding its creation were a bit "unusual" to say the least. This seemed to be an emerging theme of this trip.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument Oregon

2009-01-22T18:09:00.009-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part D: Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Glass Stones

This stop in the Paulina Peak section of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument was, for me, probably the second highlight of our trip (Simpson Beach at Shore Acres State Park being the first highlight). In doing my research about Central Oregon I had read about the Obsidian Flow, and as noted in a previous post, I had seen it from “up above” (Paulina Peak). But this is where I got out of the car, and with J. as my companion, set off to explore the area.

The flow towered above us as we approached, I estimate it was probably as tall as a 4 or 5 story building above the floor of the Newberry Caldera. As I paused to look at it (that is Paulina Peak, our previous stop, in the background), I marveled. Then when I read some of the interpretative signs along the trail, I was even more in awe. The flow is made up of 3 kinds of rocks, Obsidian, that is to say almost pure glass, Grey Pumice, and White Pumice. Of the 3, the Obsidian was the most unusual to say the least.

It shined in the sunlight, almost as if someone had come by with a “shining cloth” and brightened it up for a military-type inspection. I was never known in the military as a “fastidious dresser” per se (I always figured if it was good enough for U.S. Grant, it was good enough for me). Thus, shining shoes were never my forte (I was more noted for my muddy boots which I wore with pride because I got them visiting with the troops). Thus to say that these rocks would have passed my inspection is not really saying very much. But trust me, the rocks were very bright and shiny.

Obsidian was very valuable in the life of the Native American tribes in this area. They used to come to here to gather the obsidian once a year or more. After they had collected the rocks, they would form them with their crude instruments into sharp heads for their arrows. Sometimes these arrow heads were for their own arrows, at other times the arrowheads became a “medium of exchange” which they used in their trading activities. As we were walking through a particularly glassy area where the trail went over obsidian that was actually fines particles of glass (signs caution you to wear sturdy shoes on this trail, not sandals, flip-flops, or tennis shoes), J. remarked to me: “Just think, Native Americans used to come up here with nothing more than hide moccasins to protect their feet. I bet they suffered a lot for their collecting efforts.”

Obsidian is still valuable today for the same reason it was valuable to the Native American tribes. It provides one of the sharpest edges known today. It is used in several different types of applications involving cutting. For example, some medical tools used to make surgical incisions, have obsidian cutting edges. It is also a popular stone used in for various decorative purposes. Needless to say, if you search the net for Obsidian you will find that many of the entries are for businesses that are selling the stuff, mostly to jewelry makers. For this reason, several signs throughout the area cautioned visitors to look and enjoy, but do not take a “souvenir” it is government property.

The other 2 kinds of rock in the area were white and grey pumice.

The white pumice stood in sharp contrast to the rest of the rocks around it, and was easy to spot.

Pumice (both the white and the grey) is “frozen volcanic foam” (see: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/recreation/trails/3958a-obsidianflow.shtml). This means it is filled with many small pockets of air. Accordingly, big boulders that would appear to be very heavy are, in fact, very light (as J. is showing here).

This was not the first time we had seen this. J. had been with me on the Johnson’s Ridge Observatory at Mt. St. Helen’s in Washington. We had both been impressed when one of the Ranger/Guides there picked up a very large stone and batted it around like a beach ball. He explained to us that many of the rocks in the Cascades region are exceedingly light because the Cascades are very “gassy” volcanoes. Thus, many of the rocks they leave behind, particularly pumice (which as noted above is nothing more that foam that has cooled), are very light. Since that experience, I have seen several other pictures taken in the Pacific Northwest, and according to one guide I read, it is a “favorite Kodak moment” for many visitors to that area. So consider the above another “Kodak Moment.” And if you every get out that way, maybe you too can impress your friends back home with your demonstrated strength.

Of course, there was some vegetation up on this flow. But it was all very precarious, and obviously it was and is tough for plants to survive in this environment.

As I said at the beginning of this post, all in all, I was impressed, and so were my companions. I would definitely recommend this area to anyone wanting to visit in Central Oregon.

Washington DC

2009-01-20T17:28:00.010-05:00

Inauguration Day

Once again, and just as we are getting to another high point in our Oregon trip, I pause in my recounting of our Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire, to become a bit more “contemporary” and discuss a “current event:” Inauguration Day. Only, for me, Inauguration Day is not a National or International Event, rather it is for me, since I grew up in the town, a local event. And so, I wish to present a few “observations” or memories of what this day has meant to me through the years.

First off, I wish to have everyone reading this posting remember, that for me, as for countless other Americans, the current site of the Inauguration is not the site of my youth. No, for me, and countless Americans who lived between March 4, 1837 (Martin Van Buren’s Inaugural) and January 20, 1977 (Jimmy Carter’s Inaugural), the actual “changing of the power” (i.e. the swearing in ceremony) occurred on the East Side of the Capitol Building, in an area referred to by the Architect of the Capitol office as “The East Portico.” (Those of you who wish to have a recount go to: http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/chronology/index.cfm )

The change to the West Front probably occurred in recognition of the fact that Washington DC had become a changed city by 1981 when Ronald Reagan took office for the first time. Back in Van Buren’s time Washington was a small city. Only a few people lived there. And those who did, lived to the East of the Capitol, in the area known then, and now, as Capitol Hill. Today, we look out to the west and we see grass, monuments, museums, cars, and, of course today, a sea of people. But back in 1837, what one saw was swamp, mud, a slow-moving canal, and a bunch of small houses, many of some questionable character. Indeed, according to some historians, during the Civil War era (1861-65) a large part of the area between the Capitol and the White House was given over to “The Red Light District.” Also even before the War had started, railroad tracks ran across the mall connecting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad with the roads leading south (via the “Long Bridge” which was eventually replaced by what we called the “14th Street Bridge when I was a kid).

So today the view out the West is much better. It certainly is more dignified, and not as "smelly" to boot (though with the Inauguration in the Winter, the smell associated with swamps is rarely a problem). Plus, with the whole slope of the land, it lends itself to allowing more people to participate. This increased visability may even have been in the plans of the Architect of the Capitol when an extension to the West Front was made in the 1890's.

And thus, today, President Barack Obama took the oath of office on the West Front (or “Portico” as the Architect of the Capitol calls it).

But enough of that, what about my memories of Inauguration growing up?

The first Inauguration I remember was the Truman-Barkley Inaugural in 1949. What I remember most was the fact that my Dad, my sister, and I went over to a friend’s house who lived in Southwest DC near where the Inaugural Parade lines up. We spent the morning walking past the various floats that were receiving their “last-minute” touch-ups. We got much the same view of the 1949Inauguration Parade that my grandson did recently of the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

On my other site, A Collection of Railroad Stations, I recount my most vivid memory of the 1953 Inauguration. My only additional memory was that we had to go over and pick-up my grandparents and bring them over to our house for dinner and then get them back to their home. Now, that might seem an innocent task, to be sure, except my Grandparents lived in the 100 Block of C St. NE. The house no longer exists, it was taken over by the Capitol Architect’s Office and part of the Hart Senate Office Building occupies the site.

By 1953 my grandmother was in very poor health, indeed she would die only a few years later. In particular, by this time she was having trouble walking. Thus, Dad had to co-ordinate our movements carefully. I remember that we drove over as far as we could on C Street and found a place to park. Then Dad walked on down about ½ block to where there was a uniformed Marine. Dad explained he had to go get his parents and bring them out of the area to our car. The Marine let him go, and as Dad brought his parents out, the Marine, seeing the situation apologized and said if Dad could delay our return until 4 o’clock, then he would be able to drive right up to my grandparent’s house.

The 1957 Inaugural Parade is the only Inaugural Parade I ever saw in person. We had seats in one of the buildings lining the route. Our location was just where the parade leaves Constitution Avenue and turns onto Pennsylvania Avenue. At that time, there were still streetcars in DC. Thus Pennsylvania Avenue had streetcar tracks running down the middle of it. One of the state floats, I believe it was Louisiana, consisted of a big platform with a band seated on it playing, pulled by a 1957 version of a truck cab. As the platform turned onto Pennsylvania Avenue, it got stuck on the streetcar tracks. Several following floats had to “detour” around the stuck float, but they eventually got everything moving again. Streetcars were already on their way out of DC’s “life” (thanks to a certain Congressman from Michigan), but I suspect this incident hastened their demise, and the removal of their tracks from Pennsylvania Ave.

My most vivid memory of the 1961 Kennedy Inauguration was that the city of Washington was paralyzed the night before by a snowfall that exceeded 10 inches. I had been at a basketball game at Eastern High School that night, and the trip home, which normally took 30 minutes to an hour at the most, turned into a 4 hour marathon, as all the snow moving equipment was taken from the streets and applied to the parade route. They even brought in Army Flame throwers to dry the route off. The next day, Inauguration Day, we were "snowed in" at our house, and along with millions of other Americans watched on TV as the cars and the officials, and the bands, floats etc. all paraded by on a nice, clean, dry street with only a hint of snow anywere. In other words, the televised ceremony seen by millions in 1961 (and via re-runs by countless others since then) bore little resemblance to the reality for most people (but then, a lot of the Kennedy Administration was like that).

And that brings us down to 2009. No, I didn’t go there today, except on TV. But A. and I did walk by the Capitol in December. We were on a stop-over in DC waiting to catch our train back to WV. And we took a walk around the Capitol. And when we got to the west side what did we see?

And then we saw the actual construction as well.

Well, so much for memories of DC and Inauguration. Next time, I promise, the Pumice Field at Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument Oregon

2009-01-16T13:00:00.013-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part D: Newberry National Volcanic Monument

A Peak Experience

Early the next day we met up with J. and headed back down Rt. 97 (it was better this morning), to the Paulina Peak area of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. J. had talked a lot about this area being a “High Desert.” But somehow it did not look like a desert to me, there was an awful lot of water, and trees as well. Then he told me the moisture that does come, comes in the winter (I bet right about the time this is being posted) in the way of snow. Ah, that made sense.

We turned off of 97 after about 8-10 miles and headed east towards the Paulina Peak area of the Monument. I knew that this whole area was another caldera, just as Crater Lake had been a caldera. But this caldera turned out to be vastly different.

How different from Crater Lake became obvious as we reached the “rim” of the caldera. A sign beckoned us to turn off to the left for the Paulina Falls.

According to the rangers at Crater Lake, Crater Lake has no inlet or outlet. Water that falls into Crater Lake, largely in the form of snow, stays in Crater Lake, except for some evaporation, and leakage into the groundwater system. There is one falls, Vidae Falls, and a couple of springs fed by groundwater but they are not considered direct outlets from the lake.

But things were different at the Paulina Peak caldera! For these falls are the result of water was flowing out of Paulina Lake which is within the caldera. And even on this day, during August, the dry season, the water was flowing freely. And from the "trash" left behind, it was obvious in the spring the flow is much greater. Suffice it to say the water doesn't stay in this caldera.

Leaving the falls, we re-entered the main road into the caldera, went a ways, and then turned right and climbed the steep dirt road up to the top of Paulina Peak. I must say, the drive to the top on this road reminded me of the day A. and I drove to the top of Spruce Knob WV (the tallest mountain in WV). But unlike Spruce Knob, where we were at 4,863 feet, here at Paulina Peak we were much higher. “How much higher?” You may ask. This much higher:

Well, needless to say, I climbed up to the very topmost rock and looked around in the Caldera.

First, I saw a lake (I actually saw two, but I got a better shot of the first one, Paulina Lake):
And then I shifted my gaze eastward where I saw this mass of blackish looking rock, looking ever-so-much as if someone had taken a load of dark gravel and just dumped it on the floor of the caldera.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument Oregon

2009-01-13T12:24:00.006-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part D: The Deschutes River Valley

Lots of Lava

After a rather scary trip up US Route 97, we finally arrived in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument area. We had already determined that since this first day was only a “partial day” we would go to the Visitor’s Center and see what they had to offer.

The Visitor’s Center itself was very nice. However, with only a few hours before closing left we opted to go straight for the trails (particularly since I had already been to their site on the Web). On our way in we saw the “lava butte” and also a glimpse of what else was in store. So after a few minutes devoted to “checking in” we headed for the Lava Land trail.

One of the first stops we made on the trail had the following sign:

Now as one of many of my generation who stayed up until 3 AM the morning Neil Armstrong walked on the moon for the first time, I was impressed with the idea that I was, in a very loose sense, following in his “footsteps.” And, the more we walked through the area, the more I began to realize that for once NASA probably had gotten it right. I have seen many of the pictures the expeditions to the moon had brought back, and you know, it did look kind of like what I was seeing. So this was a good training ground.

There were a few sparse plants around trying to make a “go” of it. But overall, the impression one received was that you were completely surrounded by rock, dark black rock. Yes, we were definitely on something that was close to a “moonscape.”

I have been many places in my lifetime, and experienced many different types of topography, but this place was truly different.

Mt. St. Helen's Washington

2009-01-10T08:36:00.005-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part D: The Upper Dechutes River Valley

An Interlude

We are now on the road to Bend OR. But before we get there we have a few stops to make, and a few thoughts to share.

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

2009-01-07T13:01:00.002-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake

Crater Lake Farewell

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

2009-01-06T18:56:00.017-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake

Crater Lake Re-visited

Once more let us return to Oregon and the site of so many wonders. When last we were there, several postings ago, we were at Crater Lake National Park. And so, we return there once more.

On a map, it appears to be simply a lake with a road around it. But it is more, much more.

It is a land of water, blue water, clear water, and yes even pure water. Water that has gathered for over 7,000 years, and presents itself as water should be. A calm pool in the aftermath of a series of destructive blasts.

But wait, there is even more.

For as the day fades and turns into the inky blackness of night, there is one last “Hurrah” in store for those who dare to see. The light casts a reddish glow upon the ragged cliffs above the blue pool.

And then, especially after a day of clouds and rain, there is that last burst of the sun, letting one and all know that, in the words of Dylan Thomas, it is not going softly or gently into that good night.

White Sulphur Springs West Virginia

2009-01-04T13:02:00.006-05:00

For Sale:

One slightly used, but historic, luxury hotel located in the beautiful Greenbrier Valley. It was rumored at one time to actually be an island, but that ephemera has now ended. Buyer must be willing to assume all the assets and liabilities that go with it including years of neglect from an owner that really does not know what to do with it (or anything else it owns). Clients of Bernard Madoff need not apply, your credit score will not be high enough for us.
For more information contact: Goldman Sachs

On a more personal note: A. and I stayed at the Greenbrier recently and we are not surprised at this action. Aside from our group (many of whom were not actually staying at the hotel) and a few bus groups composed of GrandMa and GrandDad in for a day with the Senior Group from East Cupcake Maryland, there was hardly anyone else there. I mean, it was nice to take a mid-day swim in the pool and only have 2 or 3 other people in the water, but that does not bode well for the bottom line.

Further, when we de-trained from the Cardinal, the hotel (which after all still owns the White Sulphur Depot and uses it as a Christmas Shop), did not even have the lights on. And even though it was only 6 PM, this being early December, it was very dark. Apparently, the staff knew about the situation and had reported it, but management did nothing because when we left 2 nights later at about the same time, the lights were still off.

New York City

2009-01-01T15:58:00.005-05:00

Christmas in New York

I have been away for a while. You know how it gets around this time of year . . . And with family in New York City. Well, you understand don’t you? . . .

It was cold up there, trust me. Nevertheless, we went to the center of New York’s Christmas, the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.

And of course, what would Christmas in New York be without viewing model train displays. We saw two of them:

The one at Citigroup Center (they say this is the last year for this one, another casualty of the Recession/Depression).

And then the one at the New York Botanical Gardens. This one was enlivened by the building models made out of plant materials.

Another day we went to the Bronx Zoo where we saw winter animals, such as this snow leopard, in their true element.

But hanging over all the festivities of the season was the specter of what has happened on the financial markets. And no, before you ask, we did not see the mastermind of “the greatest Ponzi scheme ever.” But we did see the building he worked out of. It is called "The Lipstick Building" and to my way of thinking, it is aptly named. It reminds me of the "old" saying: "Even if you put lipstick on it, it is still a pig." Now in this case, I am not talking about political beliefs, but financial ones.

For more “coverage” of this event, see the “Best Blog on the Net.”

Concluding personal note: Yesterday would have been John M.’s 99th birthday. Happy Birthday Dad.

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

2008-12-17T21:05:00.006-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake

Beyond the Lake

As with many National Parks, Crater Lake is founded around one central natural object, in this case, that Big Hole filled with water and some Large Rocks. But as with other parks, there are many side “attractions” in the Park as well. This is certainly true for Crater Lake.

The first side attraction is the vegetation surrounding the lake, especially when its color is contrasted with the color of the lake. Because of the large amount of moisture the area receives in the winter, much of the vegetation receives at one time or another in its life, a healthy coating of lichens and mosses, and even some “Old Man’s Beard” (kind of a Pacific Northwest version of “Spanish Moss”). Particularly when these plants are highlighted against the deep blue of the lake, the result is quite stunning.

And then there are attractions just above the lake itself, on the walls of the Crater, I mean Caldera, I mean Big Hole. The rocks come in many hues as a result of their formation as a result of many separate volcanic actions. One of the walls (the one pictured) is even more unusual, because while part of it has eroded away, part of it, composed of a slightly harder rock than the rest has remained. The resulting rock formation, called “Pumice Castle” is quite stunning.

Going just a little beyond the lake, there is a peak which, it is believed was once part of the original Mount Mazama. This residue has been given the name Mt. Scott. It’s peak represents the highest point in the park. Further, its north side is beginning to take on the characteristics of a special type of rock formation, a “Cirque.” We had seen several Cirque’s a few years ago in Rocky Mountain National Park, and the resemblance of the two rock formations is striking. For the record, a Cirque is a valley formed on a mountainside by glaciers. The ones we saw at Rocky Mountain National Park were considered fully formed, this one is considered a "Cirque in the making." You will note in this shot in the mid right hand side of the picture, you can still see snow, and this is the end of August. Thus, this is definitely a glacier at work.

The other attraction we saw was an area about 7 miles to the south of the rim drive which circles “the Big Hole.” This area is called “The Pinnacles.” They are a series of rock formations caused when plumes of vapors from vents beneath the earth, called fumaroles, poured out ash. Over the ages, as the forces of erosion worked on the land, most of the ash was removed, except for that portion around the vent which had hardened by its close contact with the heat from beneath the earth. The residue of this erosion has become known as "The Pinnacles." While they are a little way off the beaten path, they are well worth the drive out to see.

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

2008-12-16T20:53:00.005-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake

And the Company it Keeps

Enough of cute cuddly Manatees and garish Christmas lights! Let us return to Oregon, and more particularly Crater Lake (which is no doubt covered with snow by now).

When last I posted anything about our big trip this year, you will remember we had decided that what is called Crater Lake was a Big Hole filled with water and it had some Big Rocks in it.

Well, today’s posting wants you to know there are not only big rocks in it, they are all around it as well. And these rocks, mostly the mountain peaks, reminded me, that for all the beauty of this place, it had a very violent beginning. But I get ahead of myself. Let us go back to my beginning at this place, coming in through the Cascade Mountain Range.

Our first sight in the park was not of water, or rocks or anything like that. It was of a desert area covered with the leavings of volcanism. It was called the Pumice Desert. And it lay along both sides of the road for several miles. A barren wasteland that reminded me, to an extent, of the devastation I had seen at Mount St. Helen’s in Washington in 2004.

And everywhere one looked, one saw volcanic peaks jutting skyward. Thus we knew we were in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range. Or as I like to call it, the "Land of the Pointed Peaks."

Now, once we had gotten our first look at the lake, and ventured on around to the visitor’s center we began to learn a bit more about how all this got started. We heard about a Mount Mazama. It was a large, many peaked affair, and one day it got mad and blew up (well, that is not the scientific version, but I have warned you in the past about the lack of science on this site, and the version I have just presented is more closely allied with the Native American descriptions about what happened). And it left this Big Hole that filled with water.

Of course, not all the mountain disappeared, there were a few remnants left. One of these remnants, Garfield Peak, is pictured here.

And once the fire and smoke and all were through, things began to get back to normal. Meadows once more grew and gave forth with not only greenery, but also with pretty wildflowers.

And snow fell (and in this case stuck around to the end of August). And yes, things became a bit more normal. So normal, that in the course of time, a National Park was created out of the human curiosity surrounding the place. And everywhere you looked you saw grass, trees, humans, cars, campers, etc. etc.

But still, you are left with the question, for how long will this quiet, peaceful beauty last?

Charleston West Virginia

2008-12-14T12:52:00.006-05:00

Getting Ready for Christmas

Those of you who are “avid” followers (all two or three of you) of this site may have noticed that I added a new link over in the sidebar a few weeks ago. This is purely a seasonal link which will disappear in January.

The link is to a site I discovered last January, which decries what has happened to the celebration of the Christmas season. I invite you to click on it and see what is displayed for this year.

Above is just one example from our “neck of the woods.” There are several others, including one that is not only bad, it extends over 4 adjacent yards. It looks like the neighbors have all gotten together and made tackiness a neighborhood “virtue.” I do not have a picture of it yet (though A. wants me to get one).

On our recent visit to Florida we visited Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville Beach on the first Sunday in Advent. Finally a church has picked up on this theme, as the entire front altar area was literally jam packed with tacky yard decorations (including Santa with sunglasses in a sleigh and holding a pink flamingo). During the service, several of the speakers apologized for the display and went out of their way to say that they were making a point. They promised the parishioners, that as the weeks of Advent went by, the tacky stuff would be removed gradually.

It did my heart good to see that someone in the church is finally beginning to recognize what new abuse our society has heaped upon this holy day.

Deland Florida

2008-12-08T20:41:00.007-05:00

Blue Spring State Park

A Visit to the Manatees

I am taking a break from our Journey to the Land of Water Wind and Fire, to bring you an update on our latest journey. We were in Florida for the Thanksgiving Holiday. While there, I decided I was going to do something I have wanted to do for a long time, see some Manatees "in the wild." I had seen them at Walt Disney World when we visited there back in 2000. But I had never really seen them, in their "element."

We had de-trained in Jacksonville and rented a car. After making a few visits there, we turned toward Lakeland. In the process, we made the decision to stop at Blue Spring State Park. I knew from what I had read that Blue Spring was home to a lot of Manatees in the winter, and so I was hoping for cool weather early on. As those of you who are regular readers will remember, my Wooly Worm predictor said it would turn cool early. And by golly, he was right. I checked on the Internet the day before we left and found that the Park Superintendent had posted a notice that the cool weather had brought the Manatees into the spring area. And so, it was decided, DeLand, and Blue Spring State Park here we come!

When we arrived at the park, the Ranger at the gate confirmed that they had approximately 144 Manatees in the spring at this time. He also told us where to go to see them. And so we were off.

And, yes, we saw the Manatees.

But we also saw something else, something very disturbing. Many of them, indeed once I scanned them with my binoculars, most of them, bore scars and gashes from "boating accidents." The white splotch on the mother manatee in this picture is just one example of what I saw on most of the Manatees I viewed.

Now, I know that the state of Florida has made an "attempt" to cure this problem. Indeed, I have seen signs of their attempt in many places.

But folks, I am sorry to say, that at least for the population of St. John's River Manatees that I saw at Blue Spring in November of 2008, the attempt is not working. Instead of seeing a population of healthy animals, I saw instead a collection of what we used to call in the service "the walking wounded."

Now, I do not know what needs to be done. More signs? Maybe, but I doubt it? More vigalent enforcement of existing laws (how about hiring more enforcement staff for the Fish and Wildlife Department?), maybe. Posting more areas as being completely off limits (what good would that do without increased enforcement staff?)?

I don't know. But I do know that something needs to be done. What has been tried so far is not working.

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

2008-11-17T16:19:00.013-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake National Park

"Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of R. . ."

(After all, I try to keep this a family site)

The other big "attraction" within Crater Lake itself(which I called on my last post a "Large Hole" to avoid the Crater/Caldera controversy) is a rock formation which has been dubbed: The Phantom Ship. It is found over on the southeastern side of the Lake far away from The Wizard's Hat. Further, unlike The Wizard's Hat, which I called a "Heap of Cinders" in my last posting, The Phantom Ship is composed of lava left over from some of the volcanic activity associated with the site. Again, I am not a geologist. Check some other site if you wish to have a more authoritative discussion of the make-up, origin etc. of the formation.

For me, it is sufficient to say that it is a "Big Rock," in the "Large Hole." And it is big, despite the appearances. You have to remember that you are, depending upon your exact location and water level of the lake, anywhere from 700 to over 1000 feet above the surface of the Lake. According to the Guide Books it is over 300 feet long. That means 2 NFL teams could have a game on the island, though I must say running a play amid the mass of rocks and pillars would be a daunting task. Further it rises about 160 feet (again, that is about 1/2 the distance of the proverbial football field), from the surface of the lake. Note well, this last number will vary due to the seasonal fluctuations in the water's depth in the lake. In other words. . .it is not a small thing. It is a "BIG ROCK!"

And further from most angles, it does appear to resemble a ship, something like a 2-4 masted schooner depending upon how versed you are in your "rigging" and all that jazz.

But, you may say, where does it get the name "Phantom?" It is, after all, a "ship that does not move." Well, that too has a logical explanation. Actually, I've heard two.

The first one suggests that the name arises from the weather conditions at Crater Lake, not the ones we encountered, the ones that are present most of the year (more on this in a later posting). Anyway, needless to say, it is wet a lot of the time. And there is also a lot of temperature inversions, and heat difference given the large body of water acting as a heat sink. . .Again I am getting too technical, consult a science site to understand more. . . What I am saying is, most of the year, fog and mist on the surface of the lake is very common. Thus, the formation moves in and out of the surrounding misty fog, appears and disappears as if it is a "Phantom."

Yet again, if one goes over to the area around Crater Lake Lodge (more on this in a later posting), one will find some of the main overlooks, particularly the "Sinnot Memorial Overlook." From that angle, given the location of the Phamtom Ship rock, it may appear to disappear into the surrounding rocks. In the picture to the left, look carefully near the shoreline about 1/2 way up in the shot and you will find it. And since this is the area and these are the overlooks that are open for most of the year, and hence, the most visited, one would expect that many people, through the years, have experienced the Ship's "disappearence."

Now, whatever the reason, the end result is the same. The "Ship" has a "Phantom-like" existence for many people. But, it is, in the end, a "Big Rock" in a "Large Hole."

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

2008-11-15T13:48:00.008-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake National Park

The Hat in the Ring

Many National Parks feature one predominate feature, a Canyon, a Glacial Valley, a bunch of tall mountains, etc. When you visit them, you spend your time not only looking at the "Big Thing" (the Canyon, Glaciers, Valley, etc.) but also all the little things, and yes often oddities, found within the "Bigger Thing." Crater Lake is no different.

In this National Park you have this one "Big Thing," a Crater filled with water so deep that it forms the deepest lake in North America. Well it is not really a crater, we were infomed by the Rangers, actually it is more accurately identified as a "Caldera." Now, if you have clicked on the last link given you will find that it calls a "Caldera" a "depression." I find this interesting because "The American Heritage College Dic*tion*ar*y" defines a "caldera as: "A Large Crater formed by volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone." In other words, they say it is a Crater, albeit a special one. The dictionary and the scientists don't completely agree on this point, but being a history major, who am I to argue? Therefore, let me be more neutral and simply call it a "large hole" okay? Within this "large hole" are several different rock formations sticking out of the water. The most predominate of them is called Wizard Island.

Wizard Island is actually a volcanic cinder cone. A cinder cone is, and this is my "definition" not necessarily the scientific or dictionary one, a pile of cinders and ash that have been thrust up from beneath the earth by the same forces of heat and fire that started the volcanic eruption to begin with. In other words, it is a "heap of cinders."

According to one of the rangers I talked to, Wizard Island is one of the most perfectly formed "heap of cinders" in the world. This is because the cinders and ash produced in the Cascades, and in many other volcanic areas, are not very heavy and thus can be thrown around a lot by the winds once they have been expelled from the earth. However, in this instance, because the "heap of cinders" was down in a "large hole" it was protected from the winds. Thus protected, it was allowed to build up largely guided by the forces beneath the earth.

The name of the formation, Wizard Island, was given by the early "settlers" in the area because the shape of the island resembled what they thought was a Wizard's Hat (though how many of them had actually ever seen a real Wizard's Hat is debateable, further they were living in a pre-Wizard of Oz, and pre- Harry Potter world, a real dark ages if I must say so). It is possible to go out to the island on a boat, but I will deal with the activitiy in a later post (no we didn't go out there, and you will find out why later).

The Wizard's Hat is probably the most noticable feature in the lake and can be seen from just about any vantage point available. This is unlike the other well-known feature of Crater Lake, Phantom Ship. This formation will be the subject of the next posting.

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

2008-11-12T09:36:00.006-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake National Park: An Overview

At last we arrived at Crater Lake National Park. We entered via the North Entrance and stopped at the Watchman Tower Overlook and, in the words of the National Park Service Newspaper handed us when we entered, had our first

"Wow."

However, in the interest of honesty, the above clip is not from our first view on the first day, rather it was taken the second day from Cloudcap. This is because the weather was much better the second day. On that first day, we were still following the bank of clouds and haze that had dogged us ever since we had been at Bandon.

Also in the interest of honesty, I must report that this clip does not do justice to the "Blue" of the water. It was much deeper than shown. However, with the "Point and Shoot" that I have, it was the best I could do (after all, remember folks, I am not a professional and this is not a professional site).

Nevertheless, enjoy what you see.

Umpqua River Oregon

2008-11-11T15:25:00.008-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

A Transition: Traveling up the Umpqua River

We had planned on spending the night with J. at his place near Roseburg OR and so we left Bandon OR after dinner. Thus began our journey to Crater Lake National Park.

The first part of our journey was through a beautiful, albeit sparcely settled country, the sign says it all. And yes, it leads to the town of . . .Remote Oregon. Probably its most noteworthy contribution came when William Least Heat-Moon mentioned it in his travelogue "Blue Highways."

We also passed a Covered Bridge near Remote. Being from West Virginia, we are used to seeing covered bridges. However, they are a rarity west of the Mississippi River, with one state, Oregon, being the exception. While I had not intentionally planned to stop at any of their bridges, since this one, the Sandy Creek Bridge, was right along our route of travel, we stopped for the obligatory Photo Op.

The next morning we set off up the Umpqua River valley. For the first part, it was mostly farming and small towns. The day was overcast, as the previous evening had been. And as we traveled along, we saw signs indicating that they were having fires in the area. I am sure that at least part of the "overcast" that we were driving through was, in reality, smoke from the fires (at times it certainly smelled that way).

We made it a point to stop at a place where, the guidebooks all claimed "Two Rivers Collide." They had talked about how spectacular the place was etc. etc. etc. Unfortunately, we were there in the "low water" season. Thus the view was not quite what we had been expecting.

J. had talked about all the waterfalls along this highway and had encouraged us to see a few of them. But again, this being "low water season" those few we did see, were mostly just whitewater.

One exception to this, however, was the Clearwater River Falls. We stopped there and had a picnic lunch. Afterwards we walked around a bit to see the falls. They were pretty, but again, not anything spectacular, in our humble opinion.

We finally broke out of the Umpqua River Valley and found ourselves at Diamond Lake. After a brief stop at an overlook, we turned south, and the next phase of our Journey, Crater Lake National Park.

Bandon Oregon

2008-11-06T21:09:00.009-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III i

By the Beautiful Bandon Sea

We left Cape Arago and drove south toward the resort community of Bandon, also called "Bandon-By-The-Sea." At first glance, it resembled other Oregon Coastal towns we had been in. It had a boardwalk through a commerecial section of town.

It also had a fishing dock that had obviously "working" boats tied up.

It even had a river flowing down to the sea to admire.

And, of course, there was a lighthouse which I pictured in an earlier blog.

But then the comparisons began to break down. For next we came to the sea, or rather where the sea met the land. And it was a wild meeting, for sure.

And the beach was not the soft white sand most often pictured in programs about "America's 10 best beaches", and other similar pieces of "travel fluff." This was definitely not a soft white sandy beach. It was grey, and it had lots of driftwood laying about.

And it had these rocks, sticking our of the water, just off from the beach, they called the "sea stacks." Because of the weather, we limited our time there, but I understand there are many more there than we saw in our short stay.

Because the longer we stayed there, the wilder it got. Until, we decided that we would leave the beach and head for more civilized surroundings, namely dinner. And so, with one last fond look at this amazing beach, we turned and headed for supper.

And after supper, we turned inland to begin the next phase of our journey. But we had just had an amazing 3rd day.

Cape Arago Oregon

2008-11-04T19:52:00.007-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III h

A View from the Cape

And so, we come to Cape Arago. And what a view it was. Totally unlike anything else we had seen (but then, come to think of it, in this our third day on the middle portion of the Oregon Coast, we have come to expect that). And so, first we look to the North.

When we first left our car to walk down to the overlook we had thought it might be a repeat of what we have seen on other parts of the Oregon Coast, say another Cape Perpetua. And yet, here while the elements, water, wind and the firey origin of the place were all present, nevertheless it was a different presentation.

There is water, a cold rough looking sea. There is wind, as evidenced by the growth of the tree in the picture above, constantly blowing onshore. And there is evidence of the birth of this place by the the upthrust of the earth as seen so clearly in the lines of the rocks in the picture at the top of this posting.

And speaking of rocks and the sea, there is also a lot of wave pounding against the rocks at the Cape. And as we look out into the water, we see that there are rocks out from the shore, and they are being constantly being pounded by the sea as well.

Now we look down at the very point of the Cape and see once more that this Cape, is quite unlike Capes that I have seen in the East. This is no Cape Cad MA. Nor is it Cape Henry VA, or even Point NoPoint in Southern Maryland where I vacationed as a kid. This is a hard, rocky Cape prone to much wave action.

But despite the wildness and difference of the place, we knew it was time to push on. For as we looked south, toward the town of Bandon, where we planned to eat, we could see the weather moving in. J. hoped to be able to show us the beach down there, but he was concerned that we would not see too much of it.

And so, we left. For, as Robert Frost once said: "I have miles to go before I sleep. . ."

Cape Arago Oregon

2008-11-02T13:26:00.010-05:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III g

A Barking Good Time Was Had By All

One aspect of our visit to Shore Acres State Park, I have failed to mention in previous posts, is that all the time we were there, we heard the sound of barking in the background. The sound was most prominent when we were out at the overlook near the old house site (the first posting for Shore Acres State Park). But we heard this barking everywhere we went. At first, I dismissed it as a couple of visitor's dogs who had decided to disagree with one another. But then I saw noone with a dog (for all I know they are not allowed in the park). And besides the racket went on far too long. At any rate, I was so overwhelmed by what I saw down at Simpson Beach I had almost pushed the sound out of my consciousness once we got ready to leave the park.

J. rode with us as we turned right out of the park and headed south. Our destination was Cape Arago. But when we were only 1/2 way there, we rounded a bend in the road and once more, we heard the sound of barking. Only this time there was far more force to the sound.

And, more importantly, there was a roadside park just ahead on the right. And . . . even more importantly there was a large gathering of vehicles at the park. And so, we pulled off to see what was so interesting. As we got out of our car and walked over to the railing alongside the sidewalk, we realized we were looking out into the sea. And this is what we saw:

More rocks and waves. But wait, what are those funny brown shapes on the rocks? Could it be, yes it was, there were Sea Lions, a Walrus or two and even Harbor Seals, all lounging around and barking as if there was no tomorrow. So that was where all that barking sound had been coming from!

Now, I have seen this phenomena in the "wild" before. In 1998 when we were in Juneau Alaska we took a "Wildlife Cruise." In addition to Humpback Whales, Bald Eagles, and other assorted marine creatures, at one point our boat pulled close to a rocky island that was covered with Sea Lions, Walrus, and Harbor Seals. And I remembered that they were barking then. Though I also remembered that our boat stayed a distance away from them, and hence the sound was somewhat dissipated by the time I heard it.

Again, I saw large crowds of Marine Mammals, mostly California Harbor seals, lounging on man-made "sun patios" at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco in 2000 (though this could hardly have been called a "sighting in the wild"). However, these creatures were not making much sound, they were hardly doing anything except sunning themselves. I remember thinking at the time that while this was intended to be a "natural setting" for the creatures, it still reminded me of a zoo.

I knew that there were Sea Lions around this area. We had seen them from time to time swimming around in the ocean as we would stand at various sea side overlooks. On our first day at the Coast, when we went to Cape Perpetua, we had intentionally passed by a roadside "attraction" called Sea Lion Caves. Someone has built an elevator down into a sea cave where Sea Lions came to calve. And if you wanted to, and many people seemingly did, you could pay an entrance fee and go down yourself. I had become aware of this "attraction" prior to our arrivial in the area through my reading of the local guidebooks. And after reading the various accounts, I had decided that the place was down at the bottom of the places I thought we might want to see while in the area.

My resolve in this regard was strengthened that first day when we first turned on Highway 101 in Florence and headed north towards Cape Perpetua. Immediately we saw large billboards advertizing the place and urging you to come. And my "tourist trap" sensors kicked into over-time. So, as we rounded the curve where the "attraction" was located, . . . we moved on by. I had seen enough Sea Lions to allow me to not give into this ploy for the tourist's dollar.

However, here on the road to Cape Arago, the situaton was entirely different, and for me totally unexpected. And yet, it appears to be a regular situation. There were interpretative signs about marine mammals at the wayside, and even, at least on that day, a Sunday, volunteer interpreters to help us understand what was going on.

The other treat at the wayside was to see the Fireweed in bloom. This plant, common in the northwest, was one of my nicest memories of our Alaska cruise. I remembered the Alaskan saying "When the Fireweed blooms, it is 6 weeks to the first snowfall." Well, when we were in Alaska, it was blooming, and it was early August, and the locals said that by October they would have snow. And that being Alaska, I imagine they were right. So here we were in Oregon this year in the middle of August and the fireweed was blooming. I wonder, did Cape Arago have snow in the latter half of September or the first of October? Or at least a winter storm? If the folks in Alaska were any guide, then maybe they did. But then, maybe this is as accurate as my Wooly Worm Caterpillars.

Shore Acres State Park Oregon

2008-10-29T21:13:00.009-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III f

A Trip Highlight

The thing that really impressed me then, and impresses me still, about the Simpson Beach area of Shore Acres State Park, however, was/is not the surf. Rather, the thing that impressed me the most was the rocks that I saw there. Now, again, remember, I am no Geologist, and have never even had a course in the subject. I know you have sedementary rocks and igneous rocks, one formed by sea sediment, and one formed as a result of volcanic action, but beyond that, I am just a mere tourist(Yes, I know there are more kinds, but I have to go look that up). That said, I was impressed with what I saw. And more importantly, I was impressed with how the rocks I saw left tantalizing suggestions about how things were millions of years ago when the hot lava from the Cascade Volcanoes came down and met the sea, and all the heating cooling and upheaval that occured as a result of this action. And as I walked among the rocks, in most places dwarfed by their size, I simply observed and marveled. No I don't know exactly what happened back then, but whatever it was, it was surely literally "earth-shattering."

There were a few "rocks" that were all scarred, scraped and coated with pocks. These were interesting, but not a new phenomena for me. I had seen similar rocks both at Tobermory ON, and Kelly Island Ohio. So, based upon the presence of these, while I would have liked Simpson Beach, I would not have been as over-awed with it as I became.

No, it was the combination of the sandstone with lava interspersed that put me" over the top." The sandstone was not the substantial kind such as I see on our place in Greenbrier County WV a lot of the time. Simpson Beach Sandstone was a more fragile sandstone. At one point when I rubbed two of the rocks together very gently, they still crumbled away. Further, they had swirls and strands of color in them that reminded me of a grey-like marble cake. And then into the midst of this marble cake dough-like rock, there was a hard chunk of lava suspended.

As noted in my last blog, there was a cave at the beach as well. It was a good sized one, as the picture shows. I went over to the entrance, but did not go in. J. far more adventurous than me, did go in. He said the walls of it looked much like the cliffs there at the beach. So how and why did it form? Sure it was from water erosion, I said the sandstone was very crumbly. But why just this cave? Why hadn't the water washed away the rest of the cliffside?

Oh yes, one final piece to make this stop on of the highlights of our trip for me. I found among these amazing rocks Tide Pools. I had mentioned earlier when I was blogging about Cape Perpetua, that I had hoped to see the Tide Pools there, and was disappointed I had arrived at the wrong time in terms of the tides. Well here, I was able to see a few of them.

In short, this was one amazing place. It was amazing in what it was, and in what it suggested it once had been. Would I return here again if I had the chance? You bet I would!

Shore Acres State Park Oregon

2008-10-28T19:45:00.011-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III e

On the Beach (Yet again)

Enough of worms and weather forecasting, it is already snowing outside for crying out loud! Back to Oregon and Shore Acres park.

When I last was posting about this spot, we were just leaving the Formal Gardens and headed for Simpson Beach. J. had talked about Simpson Beach in terms of "You really need to go. . ." and "You'll really like it . . ." and my experience with him has been that when he says that, listen. Still, as I caught my first glance on the trail down, I was not too impressed. It's a beach, yes, and it has rocks, yes. But to earn all this amount of concerted devotion that J. seemed to have for it?

And as I rounded the bend and got my first good look, I still wasn't sure that it was all that special. And then I took a second look and began to notice, well, . . . things are a little different here. The tear-drop shape of it, for one thing gave me a slight tip off. And over on the left side I noticed . . . a cave in the cliff. And then, . . . those rocks on the right. Well, . . . maybe there is something to this.

Upon arriving at the beach I walked over towards the right and spied these upthrusting bits of what appeared to be sedementary sandstone, with more evidence of volcanic activity in them. But it wasn't just the rocks, it was the whole scene that sparked my curiosity. And then I realized I had seen this scene several times before in promotional literature for the Oregon Coast. That was when I realized that apparently this is a favorite spot for people to come to watch the storms break onto shore. (It makes no sense to me that people would actually travel many miles just to watch a weather front come on shore, but people do. Then again, people Bungee Jump off the New River Gorge Bridge in WV on Bridge Day each October.)

Next, I walked over towards the left in order to get a better view of the rugged rocks.

Now this was mid-August and the storms were not coming in. However, the tide was, and so that meant that there was some wave action to be seen. Not as much as in the winter months, that is for sure. But still there was some wave action.

And then, I began to realize that the rocks were a lot bigger than I first had thought. "How big?" you may ask. Well to answer that I saw some boys standing along the cliff out aways from where I was. So I took a shot of them in order to provide some perspective.

Finally, I pulled back from my spot upon the ledge and just watched the waves roll in over the rocks. And I wondered: "What would it be like to be here when a storm came in? How big do those waves really break?"

And: "How far do they come rolling in on the beach? . . . And what damage do they do? What would it be like to be here and watch that ? . . ."

Oh my, what next, Bungee Jumping? (Note Bridge Day for this year is past and no way would you ever find me there. Which is to say, the spell broke.)

Winter Forecast

2008-10-26T12:06:00.009-04:00

The Woolly Worm Forecast

We interrupt the Journey to a Land of Water, Wind, and Fire, to bring you this late breaking news. No, nothing to do with the election, it's pretty much a non-event in West Virginia. No, this is far more important.

It's Woolly Worm Time in West Virginia. And as we all know that means our Winter Weather Forecast has arrived. Yes, Punxsutawney PA may have its ground-hog, but West Virginia, and many other states, such as North Carolina have their woolly worm.

And this forecast of mine has been "cross-checked." That's right, talking with one of the guys at church this morning, I found that he had seen a woolly worm similar to the one pictured above (found on our farm in Greenbrier County) while playing golf at the Stonewall Jackson Resort in Central West Virginia. To date, I have seen no others, so I can, with confidence, go with these two sightings and not bother myself with any future pesky sightings. (I'll just call any future sightings contrary to my predominate two: "Indeterminate Outlying Data.")

Now that we have our data, here we go with the "Fearless Forecast" based on what I was taught by the good folks of Greenbrier County many years ago, and officially proclaimed to a waiting world by the the late Charles Von Canon. He explained to a small crowd that huddled together in the sub-freezing temperatures at the first Woolly Worm Festival in the middle of October 1978, in Avery North Carolina: "The Wooly Bear caterpillar has 13 brown and black segments, which correspond to the 13 weeks of winter. The lighter brown a segment is, the milder that week of winter will be. The darker black a segment is, the colder and snowier the corresponding week will be."

As you can see, there is a prominent dark brown, verily black, band at the head of the woolly worm (it is headed down the Gatepost). This dark brown is followed by a long, light brown coat, with just a touch of dark "wool" at the rear. This means that winter will start off cold and snowy, then it will settle down and be a mild winter for the rest of the time, with the exception of one very brief bad spell sometime in mid to late March.

So, now you know: that's what our winter will be like.

Of course, this is a West Virginia Forecast only. To be truly accurate, you will need to read the woolly worms in your particular locale. And remember, if you see more than one and come up with different forecasts, you're on your own as to how to determine which one is right (or you can proclaim all of them are correct and wait for Spring to proclaim that winter was just as you and the woolly worm predicted it would be).

Let me know what your woolly worms say.

And keep track of your winter weather and let me know how accurate the woolly worm (mine or yours) is for your location. Who knows, we might turn this into a "true" blog dedicated to scientific research instead of one dedicated to the ramblings of an old man!

Shore Acres State Park Oregon

2008-10-25T12:22:00.010-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III d

A Bit of Formality Amid All the Wildness

Given the rock formations in the last posting, and in the next 2 postings to come, this little of bit of a Formal Garden in Shore Acres State Park comes as a pleasant break. Perhaps that was what the 2nd Mrs. Simpson intended when she first developed these Gardens.

Now, as gardens go, even formal ones, I have seen larger, more extensive and yes, prettier ones. For example, this garden is nothing like Butchart Gardens on the island of Vancouver in British Columbia. But then, they do not have all the rocks and other wild things, such as the ocean, surrounding them.

Thus, you have this formal, almost oasis, to retreat to when the wierdness of the area starts to get to you. Yes, I think I see why Mrs. Simpson started these gardens, she knew that people coming to visit would need this bit of formalized beauty to help them cope with all the other things they saw.

Shore Acres State Park Oregon

2008-10-24T19:22:00.008-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III c

Entering Another World

Sitting back in good old WV reading the guidebooks, I had debated about visiting the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve to look for wildlife, particularly birds. The Preserve is located just to the south and west of Coos Bay Oregon. But our local "expert" J. said, "I really think you folks would like Shore Acres State Park, it has lots of neat surf and rocks and gardens and things." I must admit J. has a track record with me, when we visited Mt. St. Helen's a few years ago, he insisted we not "waste time" at the State Information Center, but go on up to the Johnson Ridge Observatory. My sister (his mother) and I finally listened and went on up. We were glad we did. So this time, when he suggested Shore Acres State Park, without a moment's hesitation I said: "Let's go with what the locals say!" And we were off.

This park has an interesting history. It started out as a turn of the century (the last century, not this one), oceanside home/getaway for a local lumber barron named Louis J. Simpson. The poor guy seemed to have a bit of bad luck and after building his "dream house" and living in it for a few years, his first wife died. Then his house burned down, and in the ensuing struggle he rebuilt a house using scrap lumber. His 2nd wife liked to garden and so she started a "formal" garden behind the house. But as time, and the Depression, marched on, his position became untenable. During WW II the Army closed the road to his mansion, and he turned the whole thing over to them. They cared for it about as well as soldiers care for anything that is given to them. Thus, the place was a shambles after the war. By then, Simpson had sold the whole thing to the State. Because the 2nd mansion was such a wreck after the Army got through with it, the state razed it. Finally, about 1974 the state began to take an interest in re-developing the place as a State Park. Their first project was to rehabilitate the "formal" gardens. And so, it has been re-habilitated gradually through the years.

Our first stop was at the site of the 2 mansions. As I said, there is no more Mansion, they are both gone. Instead there is a shelter overlooking the ocean. There is also a walkway out to the overlook, and so, that was where we went first. And we looked north:

And the view was interesting. A bit like Cape Perpetua, but not as high. Then we looked south:

And things began to look a bit different. For one thing, I noticed the very definite "Uplift" in the rocks. Some mighty force has been at work here. And then I noticed that the rocks were, themselves largely sedementary rocks, not caused by volcanic action. And yet, I knew that the residue from the various Cascade eruptions had made it to the sea here, at least according to the guidebooks I had read.

And then I looked right below where we were:

And what I saw astounded me. At first I thought those things on the rocks were large barnacles. And then I thought they might be algae, or some kind of mushroom. But then I realized, no, that is rock, a different kind of rock, lying on top of a huge sandstone rock.

I asked A. with her new 10x zoom camera to get a close-up of those formations. The results were even more telling. Then she went in close-up on another rock, and something else showed up. Here was a rock, coated with another substance that had been all bubbly at first, but now had hardened. The resultant formation was stunning to say the least, at least as far as I was concerned.

And then I looked north again at the rocks and the swirling surf, and I saw more evidence of this kind of rock overlayer on top of another different rock. Further, this second overlay coating of rocks had at one time been a light and airy liquid material that almost froze its bubbles in place as it cooled.

It was obvious to me why Simpson had chosen this spot for his house. It definitely had one of the most astounding views I had ever seen.

Now if this were a geology site, I expect at this point in this posting you would be given a long explanation about how all this came to be. But since I am no geologist (I took "Bonehead Physics" in College and was thankful to walk away with a "C") but only a traveler, I will simply leave you with the view and the comment that as wild as these pictures may appear to you, they are a pale second to seeing this site in person! Explanations or not! So if you ever come this way, you definitely must visit! Watch for more in my couple of postings and you will be given more information to back up why I say this.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

2008-10-23T20:26:00.008-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III b

Into the Woods

The John Dellenback Trail was not all large sand dunes. It was also a trail through an area with a diverse population of Flora. It was a trail that took us past a stream flowing freely.

And it was a trail where the woods were definitely larger than the ones we had seen the day before at the Day Use Area.

Not only were the trees larger, some of them were entirely new species for us (but not for J. who quickly told us the name of each species we saw), such as this truly beautiful Pacific Madrone tree.

But ultimately, the John Dellenback trail led us through the Dunes past many vast patches of sand covered with what seemed to us, sparce vegation which was barely holding on.

I say "seemed" when I talk about how the plants were barely able to hold on, because around one bend in the trail I came to this patch of "sand meadow" and the sign that went with it:

The sign stated that this is "A Thriving Rare Plant Community." It went on to list all the different species found in this seemingly vacant patch of sand. Further, many of these plants were rare and on the endangered list.

All in all, the John Dellenback trail was a trip well worth taking, and all three of us enjoyed it immensely.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

2008-10-22T20:48:00.013-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast III a

Lawrence of Arabia Returns

My guide at the Oregon Dunes Visitor Center in Reedsport (see earlier posting) had recommended that in addition to the Day Use area, we really needed to stop by the John Dellenback Dunes Trail to get a sense as to how BIG the Dunes really were. He noted that a walk to the Ocean at this area was a bit further (by at least a mile) than at the Day Use area, however, we would only need to walk about 1/2 a mile to see the really big dunes. As the shot below shows, the fellow knew what he was talking about!

The Dunes on the Dellenback Trail were truly large here. How large? Well, to give you another perspective, look at this shot:Those tiny figures you see about in the center of the picture, are a party of 4 returning from a hike to the coast. Yes, it is that big. I had thought I had seen the big dunes up behind the trail at the Day Use Area (see earlier posting) but these dunes were much bigger!

But there was more than just big dunes at this location as you will see in the next posting.

Reedsport Oregon

2008-10-19T21:18:00.010-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast II g

Supper and a Sunset with Vintage Cars

Our second day ended up in Reedsport at supper with J. who had finally joined up with us.

One of the aspects of our whole 3 days of tourning the coast not mentioned to date, was that we were there during the time that Winchester Bay (see previous post) was sponsoring a Vintage Car Show. Consequently, there were vintage cars everywhere. The one pictured here was in Florence. But the parking lot of our motel was filled with them and their owners.

They were an interesting bunch of guys to be around. (And while there were wives along, most of the real attendees appeared to be male.) One morning in the Motel's breakfast room I heard a couple of them talking. One of the guys stated that he was almost finished with restoring his car.

His friend expressed astonishment. "Almost finished? What more can you do? It looks and runs perfectly! I would sure like to have it right now! What more are you going to do.?"

Then the first fellow related that he planned to completely clean and chrome the bottom of the Engine Block so that when he came in for a show he could slide a mirror under the hood so that passerbys could admire all sides of his engine. "You know, I want them to see all of it, including the bottom. That way I will feel that I have done a complete restoration."

His friend just shook his head and agreed that it would be neat to see all sides of the engine block.

Somehow that conversation took me back to my early years on the flightline and some of the mechanics I knew back then. Now most of us would not have been so all encompassing and complete about our work (it is hard to be that way when your bird is 30+ years old and you have to struggle to get parts, time etc.). But I did know one or two who would have fit into this category. And they were universally admired by all of us as great mechanics.

Funny, folks like that almost seem to be vintage themselves. They have an attention to detail, a pride in their work, that too many times is overlooked today. I wonder. . . what kind of a society would we have if more of our mechanics and other workers had the same kind of pride? It might move slower, it might be more stressful, but it would sure operate more smoothly.

It was, needless to say, an interesting 2 nights at the Salbasgeon Motel (named for the 3 fish in the area, the Salmon, Bass, and Sturgeon in an obvious attempt to appeal to the "sport fishing" trade). It was part of the Best Western chain, but the weekend we were there it was not your typical "Best Western." You had all these really classic cars, yes, some/most I remembered, and hearing all these guys talk about gears, generators, starters etc. Not your typical motel stay conversation to say the least!

Anyway, back to Reedsport and supper. After supper we went down along the Umpqua River so A. could shoot some sunsets. Then we made plans to meet up with J. in the morning and continue our exploration of the Middle Coast of Oregon.

But more on that in future postings.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

2008-10-18T11:35:00.011-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast II f

Back among the Dunes

And so, it was time, once more, to return from the ocean to the overlook and civilization as it is known in that part of the world. Our route took us through the grasslands and the forest, and back into the world of, what I thought then but found out differently the next day, the land of the high dunes.

Once we returned, J. had still not arrived, and so I took advantage of the opportunity to explore a bit back at the start of the trail. There I could not only get a panoramic view of the ocean, I could also look at the dunes as they spread across the landscape. I could appreciate why earlier generations felt a need to stabilize these "monsters." They seemed to stretch forever out into the landscape, threatening to overtake all that came in their way.

J. finally showed up and after a few more minutes of sightseeing, we departed from this our second visit to the Pacific Ocean in our second day. This visit was, as noted previously, vastly different from our first visit yesterday. I wondered what type of experience the third day and the third visit would bring.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

2008-10-17T17:46:00.009-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast II e

On the Beach

And so, we are here, at the Pacific Ocean. Only this time, unlike the day before, everything appears to be more like what we are used to from the Atlantic Coast. I mean, look at it. What do you see? You see sand, and water, and waves coming in. Everything looks like it does at Ocean City Maryland, Long Beach New York, or even Jacksonville Beach Florida, right?

Wrong.

For one thing, there are the waves continually coming in. More frequently than on the Atlantic. Now admitted, the Atlantic can get churned up as this, and maybe today is just a choppy day out here. But I don't think so. Everyone has been talking about how calm it has been.

Well, at least the waves do not appear to be all that towering. But wait, what is this? A. wades out into the surf and exclaims, it's cold. very cold.

And so I go out as well. And yes, she is right! It is cold! And this is the latter half of August, for heavens sake. Plenty of time for the water to warm up. If it is going to warm up that is.

And then I see some other things on the beach, things that used to be alive, but now are not. And they come in on a wave, and arrange themselves on the beach. And so we go over and yes, we are doing "Still Life" camera work. One shot, another one to be on the safe side and then. . .we skitter out of the way of another wave. And this wave comes up and washes our still life away, back out into the sea. And So It Goes . . .

After about a half hour of this we decide to head on back. J. is on his way up to meet us and we don't want to miss our connection. And it is a long ways back there.

And so, with a few more glances, and one more dash into the cold surf to get our toes wet, we leave. We have been to the beach.

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

2008-10-16T14:45:00.012-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast II d

Out to the Ocean

One of the main reasons I had booked us into a motel in the Reedsport area was because Reedsport also had the Visitor's Center for the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area of the National Forest Service. I hoped I could get the type of information from them that I needed. This turned out to be a good decision on my part. But there is a story behind this:

I walked into the Visitor's Center on that morning of the 2nd day and saw three people behind the desk. Two guys, one youngish, one my age, and a woman probably in her late 40's and 50's. The young guy asked if I had any questions. I explained to him that I was interested in information about the Recreation area, but that he needed to understand I was a "retired" hospital chaplain who had spent more week-ends than I would care to remember working with families whose loved one, often their teen-aged son, would now be living the life of a vegatable as a result of an ATV accident. Accordingly, I didn't want any information on dune buggies, rides etc. which is most of what you see advertised. I was sure it was a "lot of fun' but not for me. Was it possible to go to someplace on the dunes and walk and not be bothered with all the motorized demons that are so frequently pictured? The young man said it was and showed me the two best places to go. I followed his advice, and I must say it was very good advice. But be warned, if your idea about a trip to the Oregon Dunes includes use of a motorized device, go elsewhere, you will not find any information on this site.

His first recommendation was for us to go to a location just south of the Carter Lake Campground and Boat Launch, on the Ocean side of US 101. It was entitled the "Oregon Dunes Day-Use" area. There he said I could walk to the Ocean as it was only about a mile through the dunes.

And so, after our lunch in Florence, we headed south past all the "sport vehicle" signs and soon found the Day-Use area. After changing into sandals, we joined others and walked out to the beach. The trail to the beach is fairly well marked out with poles along the way. This is good, because at the beginning, it resembles nothing so much as a scene out of "Lawrence of Arabia." I had feared we might get lost on our way out. However, I found my fears to be unfounded.

After the initial portion of sand, the trail dips into what is referred to in the "literature" as a "Tree Island." And this was my first surprise. I am used to an area of dunes being devoid of much in the way of plant life. Maybe some grass, a few shrubs, but not much else. Here in the Oregon Dunes, there are patches of forest all over the place. The trees within these forests are not huge, particularly by Oregon standards (and they grow them big out there), but they are not small either.

The trail came out on the other side of this forest into a sea of grass. I was unsure whether this was native grass, or if it was grass that had been planted at an earlier time when the idea was to "stabilize the dunes" so they wouldn't blow all over the place (this idea has been rejected in recent years, but the grass that had been planted was still everywhere).

(Note: the picture shows me attempting to make a cell phone call to my nephew. I have included it in order to warn any potential visitors out there, cell phone service on most of the middle part of the Oregon Coast is awful, at least for my service. They may advertize more bars in more places, and show Spain, France, etc. But trust me, in Oregon, there are few bars and fewer places.)

But we persevered and at last, in the words of William Clark "Ocian in View, Oh the Joy!"

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

2008-10-07T11:52:00.010-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast II c

An Overview of the Dunes

I will not be posting for a few days, so for all my 'fans" (all maybe one or two of them) while you wait, here is something to "whet your appetite," so to speak, from the nest stop on our Journey . . . The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Florence Oregon

2008-10-06T22:06:00.010-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast II b

Not Always a Great Notion

We left the Little Wayside of Horrors behind us, and headed south for Florence and lunch. Florence is an "old" town, that is to say, it does not have the modernistic minimalism aspect which is combined with a barely suppressed but redolent McDonaldism, as is found in many other coastal towns, for example Reedsport. Rather Florence has a slightly older look to its buildings which I, not being any kind of "professional critic," normally refer to as early 20th Century American beach resort architecture.

We had a chance, while stopped, to finally get a good look at the fancy bridge across the Suislaw River at Florence. This is one of many bridges found on the Oregon Coast which date from the 1930's Public Works Administration (PWA) of the New Deal. These bridges were all designed by Conde McCullough. While some on these Oregon Coast "monuments" have been replaced with more modern structures, many have not. The one at Florence is one that has not been replaced.

Of course, while viewing the bridge, we also took time to admire the Suislaw River and its scenery. But we didn't do this for long, for we were intent on one thing: LUNCH! And not just any Lunch would do.

Several of the Oregon Coast Guidebooks had recommended stopping at a restaurant called Mo's and having some of the establishment's Clam Chowder. Mo's (Mo is a female) started with an establishment in Newport, up the coast, and has now opened several locations including this one at Florence.

Apparently, what really put Mo's on the "Culinary Landscape" of the Northwest was an encounter with that manufacture of many American dreams, Hollywood. Local boy Ken Kesey (he was born in Colorado but grew up in Eugene OR) had written a book about a family of Oregon Loggers and called it "Sometimes a Great Notion." When Hollywood got ahold of it, the late Paul Newman directed himself, Henry Fonda, Lee Remick, . . . and a cast of thousands in a film version, which is now called "Sometimes a Great Notion" but was originally released as "Never Give and Inch!" They did their location footage on the Oregon Coast. While in the area, apparently Newman, Fonda, and several other cast members took a liking to Mo's and to her Clam Chowder.

And so, we had Clam Chowder. Now please understand, I am conscious of two facts as I make this post:
1. Paul Newman was considered a good judge of taste, as evidenced by his line of food products.
2. He died just a few days ago.
Nevertheless, regardless of the fear and trembling that is shaking my body even now as this is being composed, I must in all honesty report, I did NOT think Mo's Clam Chowder was all that great. To be exact, I would rate it somewhat below what I can get at General Seafood in Charleston WV. A few days later, I had a chance to bring the subject up with my nephew whom we were visiting, J.O. Without expressing my preference first, I asked him for his opinion about Mo's chowder. He quickly said he did not like it: "Too Potatoey." Exactly, that is what I had tasted, too much Potatoes and not enough Clam.

I must also confess that I have been to Boston MA and while there had Clam Chowder at Faneuil Hall Marketplace and several stand alone eateries. I also had Clam Chowder at a place along the waterfront in Portland MAINE. Now those were real Clam Chowders. Much better than Mo's, and much better than General Seafood of Charleston WV (after all, they admit it, theirs comes from a commerically prepared mixture).

So what was it about the place that caused all the attention and fame? In other words, "Why did they come?" Was it the Ambiance? Perhaps a chance to feel as if they were no longer "Hollywood Stars" but rather just plain folks eating with the "Prols"? I don't know, but whatever, while Mo had decent Clam Chowder, I personally didn't think it was all that great. So, sorry, anyone who has read this far thinking this is a food blog (which it in no way is), no recipe and shot of the dish as it was served (I had it in a bread bowl, maybe that was the problem). The next time I go to Mo's I think I'll try something other than the Clam Chowder. I suspect they have fresh seafood.

I was reminded of this last thought as we left Mo's. We passed by an obviously working fishing dock with all the gear used by full-time professional fishermen. It served as a reminder to me that Florence, like many Oregon Coastal towns is not just a "tourist" town. It also still has a small commercial fishing fleet. How much longer they are going to be able to hang in there with the fuel costs, declining fish numbers due to factory ships, and environmental degradation, is anyone's guess. My hope, however, is that they will follow the old "Oregon saying" (something like an old Flight Line saying, I suppose, only it is normally phrased in language far more refined) referred to above: "Never Give and Inch!"

Darlington Wayside Oregon

2008-10-03T16:03:00.006-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast II a

A Little Wayside of Horrors

We started off our second day on the coast by retracing our steps north to see the Darlington Wayside. It had been recommended by several of the books as an interesting botanical exhibit. It is home to the rare "Darlingtonia Californila" plant, a Cobra-shaped plant of the bogs that exists by trapping insects and dissolving them for its food.

The Wayside is just east of US 101. It is very compact with a small parking lot and a boardwalk that goes into the woods only a few hundred yards. At that point it turns left and you continue along the boardwalk with a whole mass of the Darlingtonia Californila plants right by your side.

As we stopped to look at the mass of plants (and of course snap a few pictures), I noticed that there were insects, mostly flys, continually landing on the side petals and marching right up to the opening in the "Cobra Mouth." I felt like saying "Stop you fool, you are marching toward your death!" But I knew it would do no good. They were obviously drawn by some mystical power (I believe scientists would say "Sweet Smelling Nectar" by I prefer to stick with the Mystical explanation, I was a Liberal Arts graduate).

Once the insects entered the plant, they never came back, they were, so it has been said, confused by all the light coming in through the plant's walls. It was all so quick and matter of fact. There was no drama, no visible death convulsions. Just alight, walk in, and you have come in for your last meal. The insects, by and large, did not even hover for a second or two before alighting (as a bee or a butterfly does when starting to alight on a source of nectar). To add a new twist to an old song: "Walk right in, set right down, . . ." but daddy I don't think your hair will hang down or the good times roll.

All together, a fascinating, albeit somewhat philosophically challenging stop for both of us.

Winchester Bay Oregon

2008-10-01T20:26:00.006-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I i

A Seafood Supper at Twilight

As the map below shows, we traveled from Eugene, up the Coast to Cape Perpetua, then down to Reedsport to check into our hotel. But as we approached Reedsport, I figured we might want to go elsewhere in search of a decent seafood dinner. The guidebooks had warned that Reedsport was mostly motels and quick food emporiums. So when we checked in we asked where the "locals" go for good seafood. The response was quick and positive, Griffith's in Winchester Bay.

So, after dropping off our stuff in the room we headed out for the little fishing/tourist town of Winchester Bay. The guidebooks had mentioned that many of these small Oregon Coast towns were not only tourist places, there was still a commercial fishing presence around. We found Winchester Bay to be such a place. So, after an excellent seafood dinner, we walked around the small harbor and waited for the sun to do its nightly show.

It did not disappoint.

Lighthouses in Oregon and Elsewhere

2008-09-30T18:41:00.011-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Interlude: A Potpourri of Lighthouses

This blog is dedicated to all those who are "Lighthouse Fanatics." I don't know exactly who you are, nor do I know why you think like you think . . . I just know you are out there. Like my older sister and the clock she has in her kitchen, you are poised and ready to look at whatever lighthouse might come along.

Now I admit most lighthouses are rather nice to look at, tall, slender, and poised on many days against a bright blue sky. And I know that at one time they were very functional, particularly when the sky wasn't all bright and blue. But the extent to which some carry it. . . I don't know. Further, I know there is a lot to them beyond the architecture, something about lenses and candle power which I little understand and hence will probably not bother to include. Anyways, here they are:

The first one we saw was the famous Chicago Lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor to Chicago (of course). This is one of the few lighthouses that we have actually "used." We sailed past it in September 2005, when our Great Lakes Cruise ship entered the Chicago Harbor in order to dock at the Navy Pier. Our view of it on that day was somewhat obscured by an early morning haze that streamed out towards us on the lake from the city of Chicago. Obviously, on the afternoon we were there on this trip, haze was not a problem.

We also saw, at a distance, a lighthouse in Milwaukee WI. But we never got close enough, nor was the weather ever clear enough, to allow a decent shot of it.

And so we move on to the subject of the rest of these shots, the Lighthouses of the Mid-Oregon Coast. They were 4 in number.

The first Mid-Oregon Coast Lighthouse we saw has been dubbed by some of the tourist literature as "the most photographed lighthouse in America (O come on now, what about Cape Hatteras NC ?)." It was the Heceta Head Lighthouse. The Heceta (pronounced by the locals as "Heh-see-ta") Head Lighthouse has been rated as "the strongest light on the Oregon Coast" (the Oregon State Parks brochure didn't say by whom). It is sited 205 feet above the ocean and is a 56 foot tower with an adjacent building. It was first "illuminated" (i.e. the light went on) in 1894. The Assistant Lighthouse keepers house (built in 1893) is now a Bed and Breakfast, but we didn't stay there. The shot we took was from the far end of the Devil's Elbow State Park. Heceta Head is located about halfway between Cape Perpetua (see I told you we would leave there sooner or later), and the town of Florence (more on this burg in a later posting).

The next light we saw was the Umpqua River Lighthouse located just to the west of the town of Winchester Bay(more on this town in the next posting). While there is a state park with the same name nearby, the actual lighthouse is located on a small, still functioning US Coast Guard station. An earlier structure in the same spot was erected in 1857 and was the first lighthouse on the Oregon shore. The current 65 foot structure was "illuminated" the same year as the Heceta Head Lighthouse, 1894. Given the closeness of the dates of construction, it is not surprising that the Umpqua River Lighthouse is almost a complete copy of the Heceta Head Lighthouse shown above. While the county maintains a museum in the structure and tours are conducted there, the lighthouse, as I said, is adjacent to a Coast Guard station and is surrounded by Government Issue housing.

The next lighthouse is somewhat mis-named IMHO. It is called the Cape Arago Lighthouse. But we went to Cape Arago and saw no lighthouse (see a later posting). Instead, we found that the "Cape Arago" lighthouse is located about 2-3 miles north of the cape on an islet just off Gregory Point (so why didn't they call it the Gregory Point Lighthouse?). It was the newest lighthouse we saw. It was "illuminated" in 1934. Even though it is only 44 feet tall, the cliff it sits on is 100 feet above the ocean. Thus, I suspect it is very visable. It does have a very unique sounding fog horn. I realize now I should have shot a "movie" of this scene so that I could have captured the sound. (But I am still new at the "game" of blogging.) Sorry.

The last lighthouse we saw was the 40 foot tall Coquille River Lighthouse, across the Coquille River from the town of Brandon. It was "commissioned" in 1896, but my source did not say when it was "illuminated." It was later de-commissioned in 1939, and restored as a museum and interpretative center in 1979. We had hoped to get shot of this structure from the front, but, as you will see when I get to the Brandon posting, the weather moved in on us very badly and cut short our stop in that town.

There, you have it. The lighthouses we saw. I trust this posting has been "illuminating" to say the least.

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-28T18:45:00.009-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I h

Others Have Been There Before Us

Before we "leave" Cape Perpetua (yes, the next posting will not be about this area, after all, we saw a lot more of the mid-Oregon Coast), let us "tip" our hat to those who went before us.

First, we must recognize the man, and his crew, who gave this area it's name, Captain James Cook, and his band of explorers. According to one account, they passed the Cape on March 7, 1778, St. Perpetua's Day, and named the Cape after this early Christian Martyr. Then, I also heard that they had to take refuge in the area around the Cape from a winter storm and thought they would be there perpetually (but I could find no "net" backing for this idea so perhaps it is just another "Urban Legend"). At any rate, everyone agrees Captain Cook gave it it's current name so we must remember him, and his crew. One way this has been done by the National Forest Service is by naming the primary trail down to the coast at the Visitor's Center after Captain Cook.

The next group to remember were the Alsea (or Alsi depending upon which source you are using) tribe of Native Americans. They visited the site for almost 1300 years before they were driven away by the early settlers in the middle of the 19th century. However, they left behind part of their settlements in the form of their "trash piles." As they harvested the various shell fish from the waters around the Cape, primarily Clams, they left the shells heaped up on the beach. The resulting mounds, called "middens" can still be seen along the Captain Cook Trail today.

The third group to remember were the boys of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) who had a camp here at Cape Perpetua throughout the 1930's. As West Virginians, both of us are very familiar with the work of the CCC's since they did a lot of work in our area of the world. Also, one summer A.'s father did a tour of Reserve Army duty with the CCC camp in the area we now know of today as "Blackwater Falls State Park." He led a group of boys as they planted trees in that area to replace the ones that had been clearcut by the loggers in the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Century.

Shortly after the start of the Captain Cook Trail there is a wall that the CCC boys originally built to provide a level place for their camp. Evidences of the camp itself were not readily visible, but the wall is still there right beside the trail.

Also in this area of Oregon, among other things, the CCC boys built a shelter up on top of the Cape that still serves as a lookout point.

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-27T12:50:00.008-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I g

On a Clear Day . . .

But despite all the raving about the surf, and the rocks, and the waves, and the Tidal Pools and the trees, Cape Perpetua Scenic area is best described in the AAA Oregon Tour book as: "the highest point on the Oregon Coast accessible by car."

In short, "It is the view, dummy. . .," that people come here for. And on the day we were there, it was quite a view. We were 800 feet above the sea level at that point, and maybe we didn't see the 70 miles of Coastline that you are supposed to see on a clear day, but I suspect we came pretty close. When I took the shot above, I was looking south from the top of the Cape.

Now, you don't have to drive up to the top of the Cape. For those who are avid outdoors people, there is a hiking trail to the top, the St. Perpetua Trail. It is 2.6 miles round trip. The first leg is UP, and the last leg is DOWN. But given our age, the type of trip we were on, the fact that this was our first day "on terra firma" after 2 solid days of rockin' on the rails, plus the fact that there were other places we wanted to see, we drove up parked in the lot at the top. Then we took the loop trail (The Whispering Spruce Trail) out to the overlook points.

After traversing a short way through a Sitka Spruce Forest, we came out upon the view shown at the top of this posting. We also paused to look at the area right below us, where we had been earlier and seen the surf.

On our way down, we found the one overlook where it is possible to look to the north, to the town of Yachats (pronounced, I understand, Ya-hots) and a little ways beyond.

It may have not been a completely clear day, but it was the clearest day of the 3 we spent on the coast. And we were certainly fortunate that it was the day we came to this spot on the coast.

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-26T11:52:00.003-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I f

Up Close and Personal -- Part II

And down there in person, you get a different sensation as you see the surf foam being heaved up and down by the incoming tide, (Note, the blue streak that enters the camera view from the left twice momentarily, was my camera strap. I told you it was windy did't I?)

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-26T11:01:00.012-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I e

Up Close and Personal

Well, sports fans, as they say during the Olympics (the games not the National Park or the Mountain Range both of which are in Washington State) "Let's get up close and personal" with this surf. Now, use care, to be sure, for the tide is coming in. So, our fearless reporter, ever envious of A.'s new camera with its 10X Zoom function, decides to go up close in person.

And the effect not only leads to a different type of shot, but also a different experience. For here I saw the surf in all its different moods.

I saw waves being channelled into breaks in the rocks.

I saw Tidal Pools being gradually being overcome by the incoming surf (and thus allowing the life within them to live and prosper).

I saw large pockets of foam churned up by the sea gathering in the various pools and puddles formed in the rocks by countless poundings of the surf through the years. (More on this in the next Posting.)

And let us not forget, there is that unique feature of this area, a spouting horn, often called a "geyser of surf." Now a geyser is defined as a natural hot spring that shoots up water on a periodic basis. The most famous one, of course, being "Old Faithful" in Yellowstone National Park (which A. and I watched many years ago in a blinding late May snowstorm) in Wyoming.

A spouting horn is where a geyser-like spurt of water occurs where the rocks are formed in such a way, that as the waves come in spurts of water are pushed up into the air. Cape Perpetua has one of those phenomena, it is called "The Devil's Horn." And it is quite a sight to see as the surf comes in, and the spurts grow in height and in volume with each new incoming wave.

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-25T15:19:00.007-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I d

Watching the Surf Roll In

To really get an appreciation for the power that we were seeing, it might help to view the video footage I shot at Cape Perpetua that day. Because the tide was coming in, and we had been cautioned that the waves are very unpreditable particularly on an in-coming tide, I was back aways from the shore. Nevertheless, I hope you can get a sense of what we were seeing on that day. And remember, this is the summertime when it is supposedly "calm." This is not the middle of a winter storm. I don't know if I could take that experience.

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-24T19:33:00.012-04:00

Journey to a Land of Fire Wind and Water

Part B: On the Coast I c

Riding the Surf

As you may have figured from the previous video, there is something more to the Cape Perpetua area that just a big rock sticking up over the Coast. There is also a lot of surf. Now this is not the surf where the waves come rolling into a sandy beach with surf boards, wind surfers, bikini babes etc. Rather, this is a place with a rough surf that pounds in upon a shoreline composed of solid rock with a volcanic origin.

And yet, that is part of the appeal of the place. For here you can simply watch the water pound its fury out upon these rocks. And as violent as it may seem in the "summer" you can only wonder at the fury expended in the winter during the infamous storms that regularly hit these coasts.

I had originally hoped that we would be able to explore some of the tidal pools in the area. I had explored some of tidal pools up on the Washington State Coast in the Olympic National Park and was looking forward to sharing a different form of this experience with A. But it was the wrong time of day. Despite our early start, we got there after 12 noon, and the tide was coming in. So, we were advised not to get too close to the tidal pools since the tide would be completely in about 4:00 PM. (The moral of this is: check with the Hatfield Marine Science Center for the Tide Schedule when planning a trip to this area.)

We had no choice we had to be content to simply watch the tide come in. But did it ever come in. And the show of it coming in was worth the trip!

Thus, making lemonade from lemons, we decided to take a closer look at just how the tide comes into this rocky coast line.

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-23T10:20:00.005-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I b

I tried once again today to upload the video I shot of Cape Perpetua and the surrounding ocean. The first time, it did not take. But I persevered and the second time:

The sound you may be hearing is roaring in the background. Some of that is from the surf, and some of it is from the winds. And with that, there is a story.

For some years now, I have tried to give a "Title" to all of our travels. I picked up this habit from taking several W&M Alumni trips. It is something they do. Anyway, I originally entitled this trip "Journey to a Land of Water and Fire." However, after spending 3 days on the coast in constant wind, and another 3 days of wind up at Crater Lake, A. said: "You know we need to ask J. if it is always this windy out here." Well, we did, and basically his answer was "Most of the time." So, I changed the name of our trip and added "Wind."

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area Oregon

2008-09-22T20:02:00.007-04:00

Journey to the Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part B: The Oregon Coast I a

We left Eugene the morning after our arrival and drove over to the coast. At Florence we turned north because we wanted to spend as much of the day as possible at the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. The area is part of the Suislaw National Forest. I had read a lot about the Cape, and I must say, I was not disappointed in our visit there.

I had hoped to present a Video in this blog that I took of Cape Perpetua and the ocean. However, it was "in processing" for over 25 minutes. So I will forget that for this posting. Instead I will present a Panorama of almost the same view as the Video.

Both pieces were taken from the Captain Cook Trail which runs between US 101 and the Pacific Ocean.

Great Train Stations in North America: 5

2008-09-21T15:32:00.005-04:00

Amherst Virginia: Southern Railway

When you visit some train stations you just know you will never see them again. Mainly because you know they will not be in that location much longer. You know they will either be torn down, burned down, or moved. Only occasionally when they get to be this bad do they get to be "restored" and turned into something like a restaurant or Visitor's Center. Thus, you realize this is a once in a lifetime stop, and you are not sad about that situation. For this is a station you really do not want to come back to.

So it is for this station we found one day in Amherst Virginia just to the north of Lynchburg Virginia. It was an old Southern Railway Depot that was obviously on its last legs. It still sat on Depot Street beside the active Washington DC to Atlanta Mainline of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. At one time it was no doubt busy with passengers boarding and de-boarding from various passenger trains, maybe even the fabled Crescent. But now Amtrak's Cresent passes by about mid-night with nary a nod to this old station.

Surely, sadly, I suspect its days are numbered and soon will be no more. And thus, I will not see it any more.

The Coast Starlight

2008-09-21T14:46:00.011-04:00

Journey to the Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part A: Getting There IV

Through the Willamette Valley to Eugene

The Coast Starlight was pretty much on time coming down from Seattle and we boarded it and left promptly at 2:25 PM. Almost immediately we crossed over the Willamette River on the same bridge we had seen on our walk (see the last post), and curved South to begin our Journey down the Willamette Valley.

Even today with all the urban sprawl in the country, the Willamette Valley remains fairly "agricultural." I use that word advisedly because according to what my nephew John O. says, the largest "cash crop" in the Willamette Valley these days is Grass Seed. We had noticed a lot of hay fields on our trip down and John says that they gather the hay only after they have gathered the seed. The hay, by the way, is used to feed a collection of livestock, both within the Willamette Valley and also in other parts of the state.

Whatever, to me the important thing I had to remind myself was that when the Pioneers trudged across the Oregon Trail to take up "new Lands" in Oregon, they were hoping to settle in lands such as the Willamette Valley. And yet, as we both knew from our early morning travels, much of Oregon is a desert and not nearly as fertile as this narrow valley.

At last, we arrived in Eugene Oregon, our "final destination" of our westward trek. I had called the Hertz car rental place while still on the train and they came over to the station and picked us up about 20 minutes after we got there. We then made the arrangements for "our" car for the next week and drove to our Motel. As I sank into the bed that night, I knew we had arrived.

Concluding Unscientific Postscript

You may be asking yourself, "Why did they pick Eugene as the base from which to begin their tour of Oregon?" Very simply, it was the closest I could get to the various areas we desired to tour, and could find "support" (i.e. Motels and Rental Cars) that would assist us in our further travels. Plus, if you will note from the map, the way our trip finally turned out, Eugene is almost the exact center of the northern boundry of the country that we saw. An extra benefit for me, was that we were able to base this trip off of a "smaller city." We had neighbors who took a similar trip last year to the same area, but they did it by flying into Portland and renting a car from there. This way, we got a totally different experience, both in getting there by train, and by leaving from a "smaller city."

Portland Oregon

2008-09-20T19:59:00.009-04:00

Journey to the Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part A: Getting There IIIb

Portland Oregon

At last, after a rail journey spanning 5 days and 3,246 miles (with one layover), we arrived at our first, but by no means final, destination, Portland Oregon. This would be the first of two partial days that we would spend in the city, while waiting for a connecting train. Again, notice an advantage to traveling by Amtrak, when you have a "layover" of 3-4 hours, you are not stuck in some concrete structure miles out in the countryside from anything. Rather, most of the time, Richmond VA being one of the major exceptions to this rule, you are right there, in the heart of downtown, or in some cases, what used to be downtown. And so, we took advantage of the layover, to do a little sightseeing.

Our train had been 25 minutes EARLY. This is not all that uncommon for the Empire Builder. I know for those of us accustomed to the "CSX" way of handling passenger rail traffic, it seems a little unusual. But this is a train that is used to being not only on time, but often a bit early, at least westbound. I had originally planned on leaving on the Coast Starlight, and thus we now had over 4 hours. I inquired about catching an earlier bus that Amtrak runs between Portland and Eugene, but was told that it was full. (Gee we heard that phrase used a lot on Amtrak on this trip, is anyone in Washington listening?)

And so we walked down to the Willamette River near the station to take in a few sights. We had originally thought we might take in the Classical Chinese Garden, but opted to do that when we came back, weather permitting.

Instead of doing Chinese, we did Japanese. We visited the Portland Oregon Japanese-American Historical Plaza. The garden-like display was mainly about the Internment Camps that Japanese-Americans were forced into during World War II. In addition to some statues about that period of our history, there were also some displays of Japanese Haikus. Most of the verse expressed the feelings from that era. There is a special Nekkei Legacy museum in town, but we did not have the time to go there.

We also took the time to look at a few of the buildings in the area. While the architecture was nothing like what we had seen in Chicago, still it was interesting. We were, after all, just across the river from the Portland Convention Center. Further, the blocks we had walked through to reach the river were filled with buildings from a much earlier time in Portland's history.

After spending a brief time down along the River, we walked back up into the heart of what Portland refers to as "The Pearl District." Here we strolled along the North Park Blocks. When Portland was originally designed, the idea was that they would preserve a broad green promenade that would extend from the Willamette River all the way through town. Alas, this noble vision was lost somewhere along the way and instead, the town is left with two "vestiges" of this noble ideal, the North Park Blocks and the South Park Blocks. The North Park Blocks, where we were, went through a mostly commercial area. There was one exception to this, however, this was the Old Customs Building, built strong and stout, as most of those building were. Most people forget that prior to the imposition of an income tax, the fees charged for imports, tarriffs is the proper term, was the single largest generator of income for the Federal Government. Accordingly, the Customs Houses in most trading centers were prominent structures befitting their importance to the finances of our country.

We also paused at an unusual structure at the far end of the North Park Blocks, the Da Tung Elephant Sculpture. Da Tung, this is an English rendering of a Chinese phrase means either "Universal Peace" or "Large Bronze" (or perhaps both). It is a gift from a Chinese businessman who had visited Portand many times and was very impressed by the city. It is a replica of a wine vase from the late Shang dynasty (1200-1100 BC).

But soon, we had to leave and return, for we had still not arrived. We had one more rail journey of 123 miles to make before we arrived at our true "destination," Eugene Oregon. But more on that in the next posting.

The Empire Builder

2008-09-19T13:56:00.008-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part A: Getting There IIIa3

Glacier Park, Idaho, and The Columbia River Valley

By the time we had reached Cut Bank Montana, the weather had closed in on us. Thus, our trip along the southern border of Glacier National Park was somewhat subdued. While we could see some of the scenery, having been through there before in good weather, I could tell, we did not get the "full treatment" that this train routing can give.

We went to sleep that night and slept through the tiny portion of the state of Idaho that we crossed. Thus my only pictures from this portion look like this:

ZZZZZZZZ.

We awoke the next morning just after leaving Pasco WA, and just as we were entering the Columbia River Valley. The bad weather that we had had during the last part of yesterday's trip continued to be with us.

Nevertheless, since this area is normally so devoid of rainfall anyway, it was not a complete washout. We thus quickly sped down the river, dodging in and out and around the various trains also using our route, all the while marveling at the water and the rocks around us.

At last it began to be somewhat greener, and the weather began to clear up to an extent. We even began to see clear sky up ahead of us.

Passing through the Dalles we were treated to one last view of water both below, and falling from above, to say nothing of being beside us as well.

But then the weather began to clear as we entered the Columbia River Gorge. It was still cloudy, mind you, but we began to see some hope as we moved westward towad's William Clark's beloved "Ocian" (sic.). And thus it was that we entered into a green and growing land that was the goal of so many who moved west.

We knew we were getting close when we passed Portland's Airport to our South. And then Vancouver WA was upon us. Leaving there we crossed the Columbia River at last. And now, after almost 3,000 miles and 3 train rides we were almost there . . . Oregon.

But that will have to wait for the next posting.

The Empire Builder

2008-09-18T17:12:00.006-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part A: Getting There IIIa2

Montana -- The Big Sky Country

We were traveling on what folks in this part of the country call "the High Line," which is to say, we were traveling across Northern Montana, often within 50 miles or so of the US Canadian border. We were also traveling along the Missouri River Valley, paralleling the route of Lewis and Clark.

It is an area of large grain operations. And we passed many fields of wheat and other grains, some of the already harvested, others of them in the process of being harvested. And along with the fields and the harvesters at work, we also saw the other part of the production process: the grain elevators, spaced at regular intervals along our route.

And we passed the farmsteads, many of them well kept up and obviouly still part of a going operation.

There were also many reminders, such as this stockyard, of the fact that this was not only grain country, this was livestock country.

Ah, but this was not just one large "Garden of Eden" we were passing through at 89 MPH. People who live in this part of the world have to work to produce food for our tables. The country has many rock formations that break up the fertile fields.

It also is a place where when the spring ponds dry up in the heat of the summer sun, they leave Alkalai deposits around as a calling card.

And ultimately, we knew there was an end to all these fields of grain, and herds of cattle. There was coming, and very soon, the looming of the mountains, the Rocky Mountains, into this land of sky and grain and cattle.

But more on our entrance into that part of our journey on the next posting.

The Empire Builder

2008-09-15T16:41:00.016-04:00

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part A: Getting There IIIa1

The Empire Builder through

Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota

When Amtrak was formed in 1971 they took over several of the more well-known routes from various private railroads and have attempted to keep these routes going, albeit with some changes in routing and equipment. The Empire Builder has been one of those trains, and through the years it has been considered a success. Between Minneapolis and Seattle it follows the original routing for the Empire Builder, the route of the Great Northern Railway of James J. Hill, the original "Empire Builder." It even has a Portland section, which I believe the original also had. However, between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago, the routing was changed to allow the train to serve Milwaukee WI. This was done by removing the train from the Burlington Railroad tracks that the Empire Builder originally used, and instead routing it over the tracks of the old Milwaukee Road (these tracks are now owned by the Canadian Pacific) that run from Chicago up to Milwaukee, over through central Wisconsin, and the towns of Portage and La Crosse. At La Crosse the tracks cross the Mississippi River and enter Minnesota. After paralleling the river to Hastings MN the tracks re-cross the river and allow the Amtrak's Empire Builder to move onto the original Empire Builder routing for the journey into the Twin Cities area and beyond. The train has been so successful for Amtrak that a few years ago, it received the 1st re-furbished Superliner equipment. On a more personal note I had ridden Amtrak's Empire Builder twice before, once westbound to Portland, and once eastbound from Seattle.

The train left Chicago on time and quickly passed through Milwaukee and then traveled through the Wisconsin countryside. Just at dusk (we were traversing this area in the middle of August) it reached La Crosse WI where it crossed the Mississippi River into Minnesota.

Soon after that passage, we went into darkness and thus couldn't see any more scenery.

The next morning we woke up in North Dakota. And we saw what I had been hoping we would see, tremendous fields of Sunflowers. Sunflowers are a major crop for this part of North Dakota, and the tracks travel through several large fields. This being near the harvest season, the sight was obviously magnificant.

Shortly after Minot ND we crossed the Gassman Coulee on a high trestle and left the farmfields of the Souris River Valley (which flows north into Canada and the Hudson's Bay area) and began our descent through the bluffs along the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark country. At the same time, we also crossed the "magic 100 degree line" where the amount of yearly moisture decreases. Not surprisingly, we saw a change in the land use patterns. No longer did we see large crops like Sunflowers. Instead, we began to see many livestock fields. We also saw many oil wells in this area of North Dakota.

But soon, around noon, we left North Dakota and entered "Big Sky" country, also known as Montana. But I shall save that for another posting.

Advantages of Amtrak Travel

2008-09-13T15:26:00.005-04:00

" With Amtrak the journey begins once you step on board the train. "

This saying, from one of Amtrak's timetables of a few years ago, is worth considering as a reason for why someone should take a train to a destination instead of flying. Simply, for many routes and trains, you get to see a lot more scenery if you are in a train instead of in a plane. Let me demonstrate:

If you are flying over the Korean countryside (in an old, slow, low-flying C-47) this is what you see:

Or if you are flying on a Jet-liner into the Washington DC area, and have a window seat, and are alert when you are landing, this is what you will see:

On the other hand, if it is a halfway decent day and you are crossing the Mississippi River near La Crosse WI about Sundown on Amtrak's Empire Builder, this is what you will see:

Notice a big difference?

Now some will say, "Well if you want to see the scenery drive." And they do have a point, except in most cases at least one individual in the vehicle, the driver, probably will not be able to see the scenery as well as the passengers (some of whom may be watching a DVD or reading or whatever).

I am the first to admit that you can see some things best from the air, for example, I have seen Mt. Fuji in Japan from the air and the view is magnificent. But for most items of scenic interest, you have to get a bit closer than 20,000 feet straight up in order to enjoy the view.

Of course, I see people on trains reading books and magazines, watching DVD movies, playing card games, or just sleeping their life away as the beautiful American scenery rolls by. I guess part of it boils down to what you do with the time God gives you.

Just something to think about as the record of our recent trip to the Land of Water, Wind, and Fire will continue with the next posting. We could have done the travel by air, but consider what we would have missed.