Scenic drives – Page 2 – Wandering Dawgs

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Oregon

July 6, 2017July 6, 2017Posted in Lighthouse, Oregon, RVing, State Parks, Wandering around America, WildlifeTagged America the Beautiful, Beverly Beach State Park, Highway 101, Humbug Mountain State Park, Pacific Ocean, Scenic drives, Weekly Photo Challenge Bridge17 Comments

State 34:

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

Oregon

Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859. The capital is Salem.

Our visit to Oregon was entirely along the spectacular Pacific coast along Highway 101. In order to have easy access to the scenic overlooks we traveled south from Washington. After crossing the Columbia River bridge our Oregon journey began.

20070427Columbia-River-(8) — Crossing the Columbia River into Oregon

We were towing our fifth wheel as we drove south. Lucky for us the overlooks were big enough that we didn’t have any trouble finding parking places.

20070427Oregon-Coast-(9) — Tillimook Rock Lighthouse

20070427Oregon-Coast-(10) — Northern Oregon Coast

20070427Oregon-Coast-(25) — Northern Oregon Coast

We enjoy camping in state parks so before we left home I called the Oregon State Parks to find out if I needed campground reservations. We were traveling in late April and the ranger assured me we would not have a problem finding a campsite that time of year (this was ten years ago and campsites may be harder to get now). Our first two night stay was at Beverly Beach State Park in Newport. With the fifth wheel parked in our campsite we were able to take the truck on several scenic drives.

20070428QDevils-Punchbowl-(9) — Devil’s Punchbowl

20070428QDevils-Punchbowl-(26) — Surfer’s on the beach looking for the right waves

20070428Depoe-Bay-(7) — Bridge at Depoe Bay

20070428Otter-Crest-Drive-(15) — Bridge on Otter Crest Drive

We visited two lighthouses near Newport.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse, OR

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, OR

After climbing to the top of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse we walked down a series of stairs for a stroll along the beach. We came upon Harbor Seals sunning themselves on the rocks.

Harbor Seals at Quarry Cove

Harbor Seal

Henry and Blondie on the Beach at Yaquina Head Lighthouse

I love the Oregon bridges and this one we saw from the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was one of my favorites.

20070428TYaquina-Bay-Lighthouse-(18) — Bridge near Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Our Oregon adventure continued as we continued south from Newport on Hwy 101. The first stop of the day was at the Sea Lion Caves near Florence. The caves are 250 feet below the visitors center. After a long elevator ride we were down in the caves for a close up view of the Stellar Sea Lions. The waves crashed into the cave while the seals held on to the rocks and barked at each other.

Sea Lion in the Sea Lion Caves

Sea Lions in the Sea Lion Cave

Haceta Head Lighthouse as seen from the Sea Lion Caves

As we continued south we passed the huge Oregon sand dunes and stopped for lunch at the Umqua Lighthouse State Park.

20070429Umpqua-Lighthouse-(6) — Umpqua Lighthouse

We settled into our campsite at Humbug Mountain State Park near Port Orford for our next two night stay. Our campsite was a short walk from the beach.

Bridge at Humbug Mountain

View from the beach at Humbug Mountain State Park

View from the beach at Humbug Mountain

The campground was just a short drive to the Port Orford Heads State Park and Lifeboat Stations. The ocean views were breathtaking as we hiked along the trails on top of the cliffs. At the museum we learned the Coast Guardsmen used to go down over 500 steps to launch their lifeboats.

Beach from an overlook at Port Orford

Port Orford Lifeboat Station

Port Orford at Coast Guard Lifeboat Station

Along the nature trail in Port Orford

When we weren’t enjoying the rugged coast, lighthouses, dog friendly beaches, bridges, seals and lifeboat stations in Oregon we took time out to enjoy some amazing fresh seafood in Newport and Port Orford. Our time there was short and we didn’t waste a minute of it.

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

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – North Carolina

June 20, 2017July 9, 2017Posted in Historic Sites, Lighthouse, North Carolina, RVing, Tourist Attractions, Wandering around America, Waterfalls, WildflowersTagged America the Beautiful, Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Parkway, Cataloochee, Great Smoky Mountains, Outer Banks, Scenic drives18 Comments

State 30:

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

North Carolina

North Carolina became the 12th state on November 21, 1789. The capital is Raleigh.

From the Great Smokey Mountains to the Outer Banks, there is a lot to explore in North Carolina. Waterfalls and beaches, hikes and scenic drives, mountains and racetracks, wildlife and wildflowers – these are just a few of the things that make North Carolina memorable.

Back before our RVing days we wandered around the Outer Banks seeing the lighthouses and beaches, visiting the Wright Brothers Monument where they took their first flight, and taking the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke. Another ferry took us from Ocracoke back to the mainland where we visited Bath where the pirate Blackbeard once lived.

Hatterras Light

Ocracoke Lighthouse, NC

Bodie Island Lighthouse, NC

Wright Brothers Memorial

Ocracoke Island Ferry

Hatterras Beach

If you love waterfalls, you won’t be disappointed in North Carolina.

Waterfall along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Dry Falls

Tom Branch Falls

Juney Whank Falls

It doesn’t get any better than a campsite with a beautiful view. Our campsite at Campfire Lodgings in Asheville was perfect for hanging out after hiking or touring the fabulous Biltmore Estate.

20090807-3Campfire-Lodging-(5) — Blondie taking a break at our campsite at Campfire Lodgings in Asheville

20090807-2Biltmore-Estate-(4) — Biltmore Estate in Asheville

20090806Sunset-(5) — Sunset at Campfire Lodgings in Asheville

I felt as if I had gone back in time to Mayberry as we wandered around Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mount Airy.

Andy Griffith Statue in Mount Airy, NC

Wally’s Service Station in Mount Airy, NC

Andy and Opie on the water tower in Mount Airy, NC

Downtown Mount Airy, NC

We ended our tour of the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the winner’s circle.

20100514Charlotte-Motor-Speedway-(32) — In the Winner’s Circle at Charlotte Motor Speedway

One of the hikes we made was on Whiteside Mountain in the Nantahala National Forest.

20070817Whiteside-Mountain-Nantahala-Natl-Forest-(22) — Whiteside Mountain in Nantahala National Forest

Whether it’s the leaves showing their fall colors or the flowers showing their brilliant blooms, the vibrant colors of the North Carolina mountains change with the seasons.

20071006Blue-Ridge-(8) — Fall Colors on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Tiger Lilys at Mabry Mill

Rhododendrons along the Blue Ridge Parkway

North Carolina Wildflower

Swallowtail and Wildflowers

Jewel Weed

Rhododendrons

We explored Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mingus Mill in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park near Cherokee.

Mabry Mill, the most photographed spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Mingus Mill in Great Smokey Mountains National Park

And if it’s wildlife you’re looking for, try visiting in the fall where you might see the bugling elk in Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

Bull Elk Bugling in Cataloochee Valley

Bull Elk in Cataloochee Valley

Two young male elk lock antlers in Cataloochee Valley

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – New Mexico

June 10, 2017July 9, 2017Posted in Historic Sites, New Mexico, RVing, Wandering around AmericaTagged Albuquerque, America the Beautiful, Roswell, Sandia Crest, Santa Fe, Scenic drives, Taos23 Comments

State 28:

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 is

New Mexico

New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912. The capital is Santa Fe.

We have traveled through New Mexico several times in our travels. The first time was in 1985 in a mini van on our way to the Grand Canyon to tent camp with our two kids. Each time we were in the state we made sure to eat some of the delicious New Mexico food. From blue corn tacos to green chile stew it’s all delicious. One year we visited my brother and his wife near Albuquerque and they took us to some of their favorite restaurants. Nothing better than eating where the locals eat!

In New Mexico many restaurants give you a choice of red salsa or green salsa. If you want both, when the server asks you what salsa you would like, the answer is “Christmas”. And where else would you have green chile stew and nachos for breakfast?

20110520Old-Town-and-Coronado-(2) — Green Chile stew and nachos for breakfast at the Frontier Restaurant in Alburque

When we left home on our first RV trip in 2006, one of our must see stops was Roswell, New Mexico to visit the UFO Museum.

Street Lamp in Roswell, NM

UFO Museum and Research Center

UFO Museum in Roswell

New Mexico is one of the states that meets at the Four Corners.

Four Corners – States of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada

Our campsite at Santa Fe Skies was a perfect home base to explore Santa Fe and the surrounding area. We enjoyed wandering around Santa Fe, shopping at the Palace of the Governors and visiting the Georgia O’Keefe Museum.

20060721Santa-Fe-to-Taos-(5) — St. Francis Cathedral Santa Fe

20060723Santa-Fe-to-Los-Alamos-(2) — Camel Rock near Santa Fe

20060721Santa-Fe-to-Taos-(1) — Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe

When we asked one of the staff at the RV park the best way to get to Taos, he told us we could take the high road or the low road. Of course given two options we decided to travel to Taos on the scenic high road through high desert, mountains and small towns and return to Santa Fe on the low road through the valleys beside the Rio Grande River.

The scenery changed along the high road as we drove from Sante Fe to Taos.

High Dessert on the High Road to Taos

On the high road to Taos

We visited the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge outside of Taos before exploring Kit Carson’s home and enjoying tacos from a vendor at a Fiesta in Taos.

20060722Santa-Fe-to-Taos-(29) — Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

20060722Santa-Fe-to-Taos-(35) — Kit Carson’s home in Taos

As we drove back to Santa Fe on the low road there were great views of the Rio Grande.

20060722Santa-Fe-to-Taos-(41) — Rio Grande River on the Low Road between Taos and Santa Fe

Santa Rosa is one of the places to see some of the neon signs along historic Route 66. The Blue Hole was also worth a visit.

Historic Route 66 in Santa Rosa

Blue Hole in Santa Rosa

Historic Route 66 in Santa Rosa

Mater from the movie “Cars” in Santa Rosa

There is so much to see in and around Albuquerque. Although we had visited before, my brother and his wife were great tour guides and knew the best places to go. After attending a Navajo Rug sale with them we all took a hike through Petroglyphs National Monument.

Petroglyphs National Monument

On our most recent trip to New Mexico we wandered around Old Town Albuquerque and visited the Coronado State Monument.

20060724Albuquerque-(4) — Historic church in Albuquerque

20110520Old-Town-and-Coronado-(11) — Coronado State Monument

The highlight of our stay in Albuquerque was the drive on the Sandia Crest Scenic Byway. The views along the way and at the peak were amazing.

20110522Sandia-Crest-(26) — View from Sandia Crest

20110522Sandia-Crest-(15) — View of Albuquerque from the Sandia Peak

Wandering Around America One State at a Time – New Hampshire

June 5, 2017July 9, 2017Posted in Historic Sites, New Hampshire, Wandering around America, WaterfallsTagged America the Beautiful, Brick Store, covered bridges, Harman's Cheese, Sabbaday Falls, Scenic drives, White Mountains18 Comments

State 27:

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 is

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is one of the original 13 colonies and became the 9th state on June 21, 1788. The capital is Concord.

Before we began our RV adventures, during an early spring trip to New England we traveled along some scenic back roads in New Hampshire. Instead of spending the nights in RV Parks, we spent our nights in inns along the way. We came across three historic covered bridges as we wandered through the beautiful countryside.

014New-Hampshire-(3) — Covered Bridge in Bath, New Hampshire

014New-Hampshire-(4) — Covered Bridge in Bath, New Hampshire

014New-Hampshire-(8) — Swiftwater Covered Bridge

015White-Mountains-(36) — Covered Bridge in Jackson, New Hampshire

We picked up some New Hampshire cheese at Harman’s Cheese and Country Store in Sugar Hill and fudge and other goodies at the Brick Store in Bath.

014New-Hampshire-(7) — The Brick Store in Bath, NH

There was spectacular scenery as we drove along the Kancamagus Highway through the White Mountains. A hike on snow and ice beside a partially frozen creek was worth it for a close up view of Sabbaday Falls.

White Mountains

We took a scenic drive on the Kancamagus Highway

Hike to Sabbaday Falls

We took a hike in the snow and ice to Sabbaday Falls

Sabbaday Falls

More of the beautiful Texas Hill Country around Inks Lake

April 7, 2015August 13, 2015Posted in Birds, Restaurants, Road Trip, RVing, State Parks, Sunset, Texas, Tourist Attractions, WildflowersTagged barbeque, birding, bluebonnets, Cooper's BBQ, Devil's Waterhole, Inks Lake, Llano Texas, Longhorn Caverns, Scenic drives, Texas brisket13 Comments

Bluebonnets lined the roads around Inks Lake

Inks Lake State Park in Burnet (pronounced BURN-it DERN it) was our home for the 4 nights before Easter weekend. Thanks to my friend Tim in Arlington for recommending this park.

We arrived early in the day and were able to get a beautiful waterfront site. The bad news is we would have to leave on Good Friday because the park was full for Easter weekend. I knew we would love the area when we saw bluebonnets lining the roads to the park.

Our waterfront campsite was a great place to watch ducks, geese and all the water activities. We saw people paddling canoes and kayaks, floating on tubes, and fishing from motor boats. The sunsets were gorgeous.

Mallards at Inks Lake

Dove at Inks Lake

Canada Geese at Inks Lake

Hooded Merganser at Inks Lake

Turtles on a log at Inks Lake

Sunset at Inks Lake

I love talking to locals to find out the best places to see. We stopped at Longhorn Caverns State Park one morning to ask about the tours. The ranger had seen me taking pictures of bluebonnets beside the road and he told us about a great scenic drive south of Llano. We were headed to Llano for lunch so we were off on a bluebonnet hunt after we stuffed ourselves with brisket and ribs.

Cooper's Barbeque in Llano, Texas — Cooper’s Barbeque in Llano, Texas

Indian Paintbrush

Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush along Park Road 4

Bluebonnets beside a stream

Boots and bluebonnets

Beth in the bluebonnets

One afternoon we toured nearby Longhorn Caverns. During prohibition the cavern was privately owned and the cavern was run as a honky tonk and restaurant. In one of the large rooms was a bandstand with tables set up all around. When prohibition was repealed the owner gave the land to the state of Texas.

Crystals in Longhorn Cavern

This dog was formed naturally

Longhorn Cavern

Eastern Pipistrelle bat about three inches long at Longhorn Cavern

Longhorn Cavern State Park

Built by the CCC in the 1930’s at Longhorn Cavern State Park

One morning we took a hike on the Valley Spring trail in the state park. The trail started out beside the lake and wound through the woods with wildflowers growing beneath the trees.

Blondie getting her feet wet at Inks Lake

Deil’s Waterhole on Inks Lake

Bluebonnets beside the Spring Valley trail at Inks Lake

Top of the waterfall

Beside the waterfall

Waterfall at Inks Lake

Inks Lake State Park has moved up near the top of my list of favorite state parks. Our site was a back in paved pad with water and electric hookups, a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern hook. We had a huge area beneath shade trees to set up our chairs and watch the world go by. There are two fishing piers, a marina and boat launch, canoe and kayak rentals, playground, camp store, and several hiking trails. Click to read my campground review of Inks Lake State Park.