Wandering around America – Page 2

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Utah

August 15, 2017August 14, 2017Posted in National Parks, Nature, RVing, Utah, Wandering around AmericaTagged America the Beautiful, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Dead Horse Point, Kodachrome Basin, WordPress Photo Challenge Elemental, Zion23 Comments

State 40:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically. The next state in my series is

Utah

Utah became the 45th state on January 4, 1896. The Capital is Salt Lake City.

As we drove through Utah exploring national and state parks the scenery was spectacular. There were red sandstone cliffs and hoodoos, multicolored striped mesas, white cliffs, red slick rock, arches and balanced rocks, canyons carved by river water, and twisting narrow highways with steep grades.

We had our first views of Utah as we entered the state from the southern border with Arizona.

B20060730Red-Canyon-Utah-(2) — Red Canyon

Our first Utah destination was Bryce Canyon National Park. After setting up camp at Ruby’s Inn we headed to Bryce to take an afternoon drive through the park. Just a few overlooks later our drive was cut short as the rain started coming down. By the time we got back to our campsite the rain was coming down in buckets. With better weather the next morning we returned to Bryce for some more views of the red sandstone formations called hoodoos.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Rainbow Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

Natural Bridge, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

As we traveled on scenic Utah Highway 12 from Bryce Canyon to Torrey we stopped for lunch at Kodachrome Basin State Park.

20060731Kodachrome-Basin-State-Park-(4) — Henry and Blondie are standing at the base of this hoodoo in Kodachrome Basin State Park

20060731Kodachrome-Basin-State-Park-(11) — Kodachrome Basin State Park

After lunch we continued to Torrey. The narrow highway climbed upward with several 8% and a couple of 10% grades. We were both happy when we arrived at Sand Creek RV Park safe and sound. There were no other campers in the park and our site had a great view of red cliffs and mountains.

The next morning we left the camper in the campground to make the 20 mile round trip scenic drive through Capitol Reef National Park.

20060801Capitol-Reef-NP-(6) — Capitol Reef National Park

20060801Capitol-Reef-Petroglyphs — Capitol Reef Petroglyphs

Traveling on Highway 24 from Torrey to Moab the scenery changed from red cliffs to all white cliffs to grey and gold mesas near a town called Luna Mesa.

20060801Driving-on-24-Luna-Mesa-3 — Driving through Luna Mesa on Highway 24 we felt like we were on the moon

Portal RV Park in Moab was our home for a few days while we toured Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, and enjoyed several Moab restaurants.

We made several visits to Arches National Park and went on a few short hikes. I have a terrible fear of heights and was hesitant to do the Delicate Arch hike because there is a section where the trail is very narrow and high above ground. I am very happy that I didn’t let my fear keep me from making the hike that was the highlight of our visit to Arches.

20060803Delicate-Arch-Hike-(7)Henry-under-Delicate-Arch — Henry standing under Delicate Arch

20060803Delicate-Arch-Hike-(32)Petroglyphs — Petroglyphs at the bottom of the Delicate Arch trail

There were many other arches and formations in Arches National Park that we saw as we toured the park and walked on many short trails.

20060802Arches-NP-(9)Three-Gossips — Three Gossips at Arches National Park

20060802Arches-NP-(20)Balanced-Rock — Balanced Rock at Arches National Park

20060802Arches-NP-(33) — Arches National Park

20060804Landscape-Arch-Hike-(37)Double-Arch — Double Arch at Arches National Park

20060804Landscape-Arch-Hike-(38)Elephant — One of the Elephants on Parade at Arches National Park

Dead Horse Point was a short drive from our campground in Moab. The view from one of the overlooks provided a spectacular view of the Colorado River and the deep canyon.

20060804Landscape-Arch-Hike-(57) — Dead Horse Point State Park

We arrived at Canyonlands National Park just as the afternoon storms were rolling in.

20060804Landscape-Arch-Hike-(63)Canyonlands — Rain over Canyonlands National Park

Of all the Utah parks we visited, Zion is my favorite. Maybe it’s because we had this view from our campsite beside the Virgin River in the Watchman Campground. Or maybe it’s because our first night we watched the moon rise over Watchman.

20070528Zion-(23)Moon-rising-over-Watchman — Moon rising over Watchman in Zion National Park

Or maybe it’s my favorite because of the beauty of the park. To hop on the shuttle for a ride through the canyon all we had to do was take a short walk from our campsite to the Visitor’s Center. One day we took Blondie on a four mile hike on the Pa’Rus trail beside the Virgin River. Another day we took a ranger guided shuttle tour through the canyon in the morning and drove through the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel to the East entrance after lunch. The landscape changed on the other side of the mountain and we discovered a herd of Big Horn Sheep.

20070529Zion-Blondie-in-Virgin-River — Blondie takes a dip in the Virgin River

20070529Zion-(19)Virgin-River — Virgin River in Zion National Park

20070529Zion-(51)The-Narrows — The Narrows in Zion National Park

20070530Zion-(20) — Menu Falls at Zion National Park

20070530Zion-(34)Three-Patriarchs — Three Patriarchs in Zion National Park

20070530Zion-(69) — Checkerboard Mesa in Zion National Park

20070530Zion-(78)Big-Horn-Sheep — Big Horn Sheep in Zion National Park

20070530Zion-(87)Big-Horn-Sheep — Big Horn Sheep in Zion National Park

Our adventures in Utah continued as we towed our fifth wheel through the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel to our next destination, Gouldings Lodge and Campground in Utah near Monument Valley which is in the Navajo Nation Reservation in both Arizona and Utah.

John Wayne's Cabin from "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" — John Wayne’s Cabin at Goulding’s from “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”

20070531Monument-Valley-(29) — View of Monument Valley from Goulding’s Lodge and Campground

The elemental effects of nature on the earth are evident all over the state. Water and wind created these magnificent formations on the earth.

To read previous posts about the states featured in this series just click on the state name: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Texas

August 8, 2017Posted in Birds, Nature, RVing, State Parks, Texas, Tourist Attractions, Wandering around America, WildlifeTagged America the Beautiful, Palo Duro Canyon, Texas Bluebonnets, Texas Longhorns, Whooping Crane23 Comments

State 39:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically. The next state in my series is

Texas

Texas became the 28th state on December 29, 1845. The Capital is Austin.

Texas is the second largest state by area and unless you’ve driven through Texas it is hard to comprehend the size. Our Texas adventures have taken us through the Texas Panhandle, mesquite and cactus covered plains, the green rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country, and the beautiful Texas Gulf Coast. Along the way we camped by beautiful lakes, near the Gulf Coast, in the second largest canyon in the United States, and a quite a few places in between. As we drove around the back roads we saw canyons and creeks, dance halls and wineries, historic sites and ranches, quaint small towns and old homesteads, toured museums, made a few hikes, attended a fiddle fest and chuck wagon races, met wonderful Texans, and saw more wildflowers than I ever imagined.

The lighthouse trail at Palo Duro Canyon, Enchanted Rock, and the Devil’s Waterhole Trail at Inks Lake were some of our favorite hikes.

Starting the Lighthouse Trail

Enchanted Rock

At the Summit of Enchanted Rock

View of the Lighthouse from the trail the first overlook

Devil’s Waterhole Trail at Inks Lake

The official Texas Longhorn herd is divided between a few state parks. At Copper Breaks State Park and Palo Duro Canyon State Park we saw them up close.

One of the official Texas Longhorn herd, at Copper Breaks State Park

Part of the official Texas Longhorn herd at Copper Breaks State Park

Longhorn kiss at Copper Breaks State Park

T-Bone, one of the Texas Longhorns

We planned a spring trip to Texas so we could see the bluebonnets in bloom. Texas is the only place on earth where some of the bluebonnet varieties bloom naturally. There were also many other wildflowers along the way.

Texas Bluebonnets in Laredo

Bluebonnets beside boot topped fence

Unknown wildflower beside a rest area in the Texas Plains

Bluebonnets at Lake Arrowhead

Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush along Park Road 4

Texas Bluebonnets in Laredo

Bull Thistle, Copper Breaks State Park

Wildflower growing along the road

Prickly Pear Cactus, Copper Breaks State Park

Wildflowers at Padre Island National Seashore

Bluebonnets near Stonewall, Texas

We found some wonderful places to camp. We especially enjoyed camping at many Texas State Parks.

Palo Duro Canyon

Copper Breaks State Park

Green all around at Lake Arrowhead

Relaxing behind our campsite at Inks Lake State Park, Burnett, Texas

Rain and fog couldn’t keep us from enjoying the three state parks and Padre Island National Seashore along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Sand Dunes at Mustang Island State Park

Hazy day at Padre Island National Seashore

Morning sky from our site at Goose Island State Park

Sunrise over the Gulf at Galveston Island State Park

There are many varieties of birds along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Sandhill crane and Whooping crane near Goose Island State Park

White Pelicans, Goose Island State Park

Whooping cranes, near Goose Island State Park

Roseate Spoonbills and Egret,Goose Island State Park

Green Heron

Great Blue Heron near Goose Island State Park

Whooping Cranes and Sandhill cranes near Goose Island State Park

Mallards at Inks Lake

Sandpiper with a tasty crab

Tri-Colored Heron

Texas Horned Lizards, Cottontail Rabbits, mule deer, white tailed deer, prairie dogs, and wild turkeys are some of the wildlife I was able to capture.

Texas Horned Lizard, Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Mountain Cottontail, Copper Breaks State Park

Wild Turkeys, Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Mule Deer, Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Prairie Dog, Lake Arrowhead State Park

We saw deer almost every day at Cranes Mill Campground

Being serenaded, attending a fiddle fest, listening to music in a dance hall, touring the Buddy Holly museum, going to Luckenback, and seeing signs about Willie Nelson reminded us of how important music is to the Lone Star State.

We were serenaded with a Bob Wills classic while we enjoyed our steak at the Big Texan

Llano Fiddle Fest 2015

Luckenbach, Texas

Buddy Holly Statue and West Texas Hall of Fame

Gruene Hall is one of the oldest dance halls in Texas

Gotta love Texas

For us, no trip to Texas would be complete without sampling some of their fantastic steaks and barbecue, especially the brisket.

Cooper’s Barbeque in Llano, Texas

Salt Lick Barbeque

Chopped brisket sandwich at Triple J Chop House, Lubbock

Brisket Sandwich at the Branding Iron in Wichita Falls

The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo

In Paris, Texas we stopped to see the Eiffel Tower with a red cowboy hat and attended chuck wagon races.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas

Start of a Chuck Wagon Race

Spectators at the Chuck Wagon Races

There were interesting things to see all around the state.

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo

The Big Tree in Goose Island State Park in Texas is a 1000 year old live oak

A common sight in the Texas Plains

At the LBJ Ranch

Big Blue Crab in Rockport, Texas

Sculpture at the entrance to a ranch

One of the best things about visiting Texas is meeting native Texans. Without fail, every Texan we met was proud of their state and eager to share their favorite places to visit or where to find the best brisket. One woman I met had so many good suggestions about places to go I had to get a notebook out of the truck to take notes!

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Tennessee

July 28, 2017July 27, 2017Posted in Nature, RVing, State Parks, Tennessee, Tourist Attractions, Wandering around America, Waterfalls, WildlifeTagged America the Beautiful, bear, Cades Cove, Chattanooga, Graceland, Jack Daniels, Old Stone Fort22 Comments

State 38:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically. The next state in my series is

Tennessee

Tennessee became the 16th state on June 1, 1796. The Capital is Nashville.

Elvis, BBQ, Blues and the Mississippi River in Memphis. Country music, The Grand Ole Opry and camping beside a lake in Nashville. The Tennessee Aquarium and other attractions in Chatanooga. Waterfalls near Crossville. Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Sevierville. Waterfront camping at J. Percy Priest and Normandy Lake. Touring a famous distillery in Lynchville. These are just a few of the things we loved in Tennessee.

Before our RV days, the Opryland Hotel was our home base in Nashville for a night at the Grand Ole Opry, cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs as they played the Vanderbilt Commodores, and a night at the Wild Horse Saloon.

20031017Opryland-Hotel-(8) — Atrium at the Opryland Hotel

20031018Wildhorse-(4) — Line Dancing at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville

On our way home from our first RV trip out west we spent a couple of days wandering around Memphis. We toured Elvis’ Graceland, ate our fill of ribs at two different restaurants, listened to blues at B. B. King’s BBQ and Blues on Beale Street, and strolled along the scale model of the Mississippi River at Mud Island River Walk.

20060908Graceland-(47) — Elvis’s grave at Graceland

20060908Graceland-(52) — Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis

20060908Graceland-(70) — Elvis Presley’s Pink Cadillac

Mud Island River Park river walk in Memphis, Tennessee is a 5-block long replica of the lower Mississippi river, from Cairo, IL, to New Orleans, LA.

Beale Street in Memphis

BB King’s BBQ and Blues Club in Memphis

While wandering near Crossville we discovered two waterfalls.

20090810Ozone-Falls,-TN-(1) — Ozone Falls near Crossville

We enjoyed the campground at Old Stone Fort Archeological State Park and have camped there twice. Both times we hiked beside the Big Duck River to see the waterfalls.

20100623Old-Stone-Fort-(2) — Campers cross this bridge to get to the campground at Old Stone Fort State Archeological Park

20070405Old-Stone-Fort-SP-TN-(14) — Waterfalls on the Big Duck River in Old Stone Fort State Park

One November we traveled to Sevierville to take in the beautiful fall colors and scenery of Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Cades Cove in Great Smokey Mountains National Park

John Cable Grist Mill at Cades Cove

Fall in the Great Smoky Mountains at Cades Cove

Horse pasture on Cades Cove drive

Millstones at Cable Mill

A mama bear and her cub were hanging around the picnic area when we stopped for lunch in the park. Mama kept a close eye on her cub as he searched for a bite to eat. When the rangers chased them off the cub scampered up a nearby tree.

20081105Cades-Cove-(63) — Mama bear watching out for her cub at picnic area in Cades Cove

20081105Cades-Cove-(53) — Bear cub at picnic area in Cades Cove

20081105Cades-Cove-(70) — The cub escaped to a tree when the rangers chased them away

Seven Points Corps of Engineers Campground in Nashville is a favorite of ours. Seeing this sunset from our campsite was a great way to end the day.

20090811Seven-Points-Site-23-(11) — Sunset over J. Percy Priest Lake at Seven Points COE Campground

In Chattanooga the Tennessee Aquarium was a highlight of our stay.

The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga

The penguins were my favorite at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga

We chose a waterfront site at Barton Springs TVA Campground as our home base for taking a tour at the Jack Daniels Distillery in nearby Lynchburg.

Blondie enjoying our site Barton Springs

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – South Dakota

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017Posted in National Parks, RVing, South Dakota, State Parks, Tourist Attractions, Wandering around America, WildlifeTagged America the Beautiful, Badlands, Bison, Custer State Park, Deadwood, Mount Rushmore, Needles Highway, Wordpress Photo Challenge17 Comments

State 37:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically. The next state in my series is

South Dakota

South Dakota became the 40th state on November 2, 1889. The Capital is Pierre.

Our travels have taken us through South Dakota a surprising number of times. The Corn Palace in Mitchell and Wall Drug Store in Wall are two fun places to take a travel break along Interstate 90.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota

Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota

Like so many other people, we made the Black Hills our primary travel destination in South Dakota. There is so much to see there we couldn’t do everything we wanted on our first trip so we returned five years later. In addition to the spectacular scenery, the highlights of our visits were Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Custer State Park, the wildlife, Deadwood, Wind Cave National Park and Badlands National Park.

20060831Mt-Rushmore-(6) — Mount Rushmore National Monument

20060831Crazy-Horse-(3) — Crazy Horse Monument in 2006

20110602Needles-Hwy-and-Wind-Cave-(116) — Crazy Horse Monument in the summer of 2011

Five years after our first trip to the Black Hills, we camped at Game Lodge Campground in Custer State Park. We loved being close to so much wildlife.

Custer State Park is home to herds of Bison, also known as American Buffalo. Many can be seen from the scenic Wildlife Loop Road. Some also like to hang out in other parts of the park and we often saw them near the Game Lodge Campground. There were many calves when we were there in early June. As we drove through the park and on the drive through Wind Cave National Park we saw bison, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs wild burros, and even white tail deer. This collage of the bison and other wildlife we saw in and around Custer State Park shows just a small sample of the wildlife that is there.

Bison on Wildlife Loop Drive

Huge bison herd on Wildlife Loop Drive

Bison in Custer State Park

Mama and Calf

Young bison

Take my picture!

Pronghorn Antelope

This buffalo was hanging out by the lodge

Friendly chipmunk at one of the overlooks on the Needles Highway

Pronghorn Antelope

Wild burro’s on the Wildlife Look Drive are not shy

Just driving through the Black Hills is an adventure and there are several scenic drives to enjoy. Iron Mountain Road and the Needles Highway are both narrow, steep, curvy roads with single lane tunnels. There were spectacular views from the Mount Coolidge Overlook at the end of another narrow road. Another day the views were spectacular as we drove through Spearfish Canyon but I forgot my camera that day!

20110602Needles-Hwy-and-Wind-Cave-(16) — Along the Needles Highway in Custer Sate Park

20110602Needles-Hwy-and-Wind-Cave-(80) — Eye of the Needle on the Needles Highway

20110602Needles-Hwy-and-Wind-Cave-(98) — Needle Tunnel

20110601Custer-SP-(204) — Mount Rushmore from one of the tunnels on Iron Mountain Road

20110601Custer-SP-(157) — View of Crazy Horse Monument from the top of the Coolidge Overlook in Custer State Park

Deadwood is famous for being the town where Wild Bill Hickok was shot by Jack McCoy in the Number 10 Saloon in 1876. In the new Number 10 Saloon visitors can see a reenactment of the shooting of Wild Bill and there are reenactments in the street with gunslingers. We took the drive to his grave in the nearby Mount Moriah Cemetery.

Wild Bill Hickock was killed in Deadwood

Gunslingers in the streets of Deadwood

Reenactment of the shooting of Wild Bill Hickock (with the long hair and mustache playing cards)

At her request, Calamity Jane was buried next to Wild Bill Hickok at the Mt. Moria Cemetery in Deadwood

View of the town of Deadwood from the Mt. Moriah Cemetery

We discovered a couple of delightful campgrounds outside of the Black Hills during our South Dakota journeys. The owners are hard working and helpful at the Belvidere East KOA. Blondie enjoyed the dog park and we loved the Indian Tacos at their restaurant. The sunset was great, too.

Mina Lake State Recreation area near Aberdeen was a perfect place to chill after our time in the Black Hills. The park was practically empty and the camp hosts were friendly and helpful. They even brought us some pheasant appetizers one evening.

20110609AMMina-Lake-(1) — Mina Lake State Recreation area near Aberdeen

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – South Carolina

July 15, 2017March 29, 2020Posted in Lighthouse, RVing, South Carolina, State Parks, Wandering around America, WaterfallsTagged America the Beautiful, beach, Charleston, Hunting Island Lighthouse, Hunting Island State Park, Lake Wateree State Park, Oconee State Park15 Comments

State 36:

Welcome to the next post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I hope you will enjoy coming along for the ride!

I will be featuring the states alphabetically. We have never been to Rhode Island so the next state in my series is

South Carolina

South Carolina became the 8th state on May 23, 1788. The capital is Columbia.

For most of my life I have lived about 30 minutes from the Georgia/South Carolina state line. We’ve crossed the Talmadge bridge from Savannah into South Carolina many times to travel the beautiful lowcountry roads for day trips to Hilton Head, Bluffton or Beaufort. We’ve also enjoyed many boat rides in the waters around Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head Island.

Haig Point Lighthouse, Daufuskie Island

Harbor Town Lighthouse, Hilton Head

Before we started our RV travels we made a couple of weekend trips to Charleston. When we weren’t browsing the booths at City Market or enjoying one of the many great restaurants we wandered the streets admiring the antebellum homes with their beautiful gardens. Our walks would usually end up at the Battery where we strolled along the promenade by the seawall and explored the waterfront park.

1997Charleston-Rainbow-Row — Rainbow Row in Charleston

1997Charleston-Batterywatermark — Charleston Battery

1997Pineapple Fountain — Pineapple Fountain in Charleston’s Waterfront Park, The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality.

1997Charleston Battery — Charleston Battery

Henry and I have fond memories of the days we took our children tent camping in Hunting Island State Park so we planned a trip there in our fifth wheel. The Hunting Island Lighthouse is located in the park and the beach is just a short walk from the campground.

The Hunting Island, SC Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in South Carolina which is open to the public

The Beach at Hunting Island State Park Campground, SC

A narrow paved road winds through the campground at Hunting Island State Park, SC

One year the mountains of the South Carolina Upcountry were a great place for a getaway from the August heat of coastal Georgia. Our home for a few days was Oconee State Park, located about 30 minutes from the Georgia state line in one direction and the North Carolina state line in another direction. Scenic drives near the campground took us to waterfalls, unfinished tunnels and swimming holes.

Lake at Oconee State Park

Old mill at Oconee State Park

Issaqueena Falls

Blondie wanted to swim at Bull Sluice

Bull Sluice on the Georgia/South Carolina line is a popular swimming hole

Whitewater Falls

The Stumphouse Tunnell was never finished

Columbia is the capital of South Carolina and the home of the University of South Carolina. We’ve been there for concerts, football games, and to see our grandson play in a soccer tournament. On RV trips it is sometimes a convenient place to spend the night when traveling to another destination.

20121006GA-vs-SC — Georgia fans in red and South Carolina fans in garnet at Williams-Bryce Stadium

On one of our RV trips we enjoyed stopping at Little Cedar Creek Campground. The park is a nice county park in Ridgeway, South Carolina and we had a great meal at the Old Town Hall Restaurant.