No. 2 Shaft-Rock House at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, Michigan
Copper mining plays an integral role in the history of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and there are remains of these mines scattered throughout the land. A few of them have been partially preserved for tourism, including the Quincy Mine, part of Keweenaw National Historical Park near Houghton.
No. 2 Shaft-Rock House at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganNo. 2 Shaft-Rock House at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganNo. 2 Shaft-Rock House at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, Michigan
Kathy & I spent a few hours visiting the park and touring the buildings that are open to the public. They offer a tour into one of the mines using one of the former mining cars, but I’m a little squeamish about underground and enclosed spaces so we decided to pass. Perhaps another time, he says…. 🙂
Abandoned mining equipment at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganAbandoned mining equipment at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganAbandoned mining equipment at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganAbandoned mining equipment at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganAbandoned mining equipment at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, Michigan
The most fascinating aspect is the size of the machinery that was used to move both man, equipment and materials in and out of the mine. But they produced a lot of copper over the years the mines were in operation. Once the copper ran out, the mines were abandoned and left to the elements. Fortunately there are a few of them still remaining, as reminders of the importance of copper to the area.
No. 2 Shaft-Rock House at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganAbandoned mining equipment at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganNo. 2 Shaft-Rock House at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganModel train layout at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganModel train layout at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, MichiganModel train layout at The Quincy Mine, part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Houghton, Michigan
Cruise on Rainy Lake aboard The Voyageur. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
We capped off our road trip with an unplanned visit to Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. Unplanned, because when I first thought about visiting the Northernmost Point I never even bothered to see what else there was to do near International Falls. Rookie mistake!
When we drove into International Falls and saw the signs for Voyageurs, I did a forehead slap and said “you dummy – how did you not remember this was here?!?!?” We were able to book a boat cruise on Rainy Lake and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Fortunately for us, Rainy Lake was not rainy on the day we visited, and I got a bunch of nice photos. We didn’t see much wildlife, but we did get to see lots of beautiful scenery. The lake is dotted with thousands of little islands like this one.
I’m posting way out of order, but we have begun our final leg toward home, so I wanted to post one final photo from the road. I’ll have more photos and stories once I get home and am catching up!
Views from Mohave Point Overlook, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
It’s a bit of a paradox for me – it’s hard to make a bad picture of the Grand Canyon. But yet, it’s hard to make a really good picture of the Grand Canyon. Not because it is one of the most photographed places on Earth and has been done a bazillion times and a bazillion ways, but because it is so darned BIG!
View from Grand Canyon Village near the El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon National Park, ArizonaDesert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, ArizonaView from Mohave Point Overlook, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Of course it is impossible to imagine what something like the Grand Canyon will look like in person. I’ve been to Niagara Falls, and it is big. I’ve been to Alaska, and places like Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Denali? Indescribable. But the Grand Canyon? I’ve seen it from the air and didn’t realize what it was, because it is so vast. And down on the ground where you can only see a small part of it, while that part was so big, well. Words fail me although it doesn’t stop me trying. 🙂
Views from Maricopa Point Overlook, Grand Canyon National Park, ArizonaHermits Rest, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
We originally weren’t planning to stop at the Grand Canyon, figuring it would be overrun with people, with no place to park, overlooks and shuttle buses crowded with people. But no. We arranged our schedule to get there on a Monday in early May, which turned out to be a great choice. We got a good place to park, never had to wait for the next shuttle, had very few people at the overlooks, and relatively light crowds in the Grand Canyon Village. We even got a reservation for lunch at the El Tovar Hotel and a table with a canyon view. Sweet!
Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, ArizonaDesert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, ArizonaDesert View Watchtower at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
We only had a day, so we made the most of it. We didn’t try to get there for sunrise or stay until sunset, partly because I knew that early and late in the day, when the canyon is all in shadow, is generally not the best time to photograph it. The middle parts of the day provide good, even lighting, while the hours before and after can provide some dramatic shadows. It’s also important (I think) to have some nice clouds to provide an interesting sky. We sort of lucked out on all those counts.
Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, ArizonaDesert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
It was a good day and we were both very glad to have made the effort. There are a lot more parks that we want to see, and once we finish up our 50 states project, getting to those parks is going to be one of our priorities. The list is long! 🙂
As I’ve been doing, for those who are interested or just bored 😉 I’ve added a Grand Canyon gallery to my Adobe Portfolio site.
Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
I’m back at the computer and trying to finish up my photos from our visit to the southwest. I’ve recently posted new galleries to my Adobe Portfolio site and am continuing to add more as I go. It feels like I’m only halfway, but I think I’m a little further along than that!
Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
We visited Saguaro with our friends Cheryl & Mike, over the course of two days. The park is divided into the West and the East, and we visited the East on a cloudy afternoon, and the West the following day with sunshine and blue-sky. The sunshine and blue sky made all the difference in the world in appearance, quality of images, and not least, the heat! It gets warm in the desert, although not nearly as warm in April as later in the summer!
Red Hills Visitor Center at Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
The Red Hills Visitor Center in Saguaro East was especially picturesque, with the lattice roof casting dramatic shadows at mid-day. Interestingly, I’ve seen very few photos of this, although I managed to make more than a few of my own! Maybe I just didn’t look in the right place.
Saguaro National Park near Tucson, ArizonaSaguaro National Park near Tucson, ArizonaSaguaro National Park near Tucson, ArizonaSaguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
Anyway, here is a sampling of my photos from our visit. There are more to be found on my Adobe Portfolio site.
Saguaro National Park near Tucson, ArizonaDead cactus at Saguaro National Park near Tucson, ArizonaSaguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
According to my metadata, I only photographed for about 30 minutes on our evening at White Sands. But other than perhaps the evening I spent in The Palouse last fall, it was perhaps the most productive 30 minutes I’ve had with a camera in a long time. The most fun, too!
White Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New Mexico
I “only” took 43 photographs, but have marked 33 of them as “Picks” in Lightroom. That’s a very high percentage for me. 🙂 Of course not all of them will end up on a wall or even on my website, but a few of my favorites definitely will.
White Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New Mexico
White Sands is the kind of place where you can shoot for as long as you have. And unless you really mess something up, you are likely to come back with something you like. Interestingly, as huge as the park is, I only moved a total of about 100 yards (after trudging through the sand and scrub to get to the spot I had found) in that 30 minutes. I shot exclusively with my 55-200 lens, on a tripod, in manual focus mode. All of the scenes I found were that small. For me the tripod is essential in situations like that, because in addition to allowing for critical focus, it is a must for precise composition.
White Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New Mexico
The biggest issue in a park like White Sands is finding places that haven’t been covered with footprints and sled tracks. In fact, there is one setup where I had only taken one frame before a head popped over the horizon, and some dude came sledding down the pristine slope I had been set up to shoot. Luck of the draw.
White Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New Mexico
When we returned the following morning, we found that we didn’t get the benefit of the wind that often “erases” the footprints and that results in pristine conditions. But in a few places I was able to make use of the softened textures in the sand – still remains of footprints but worn down just a bit – superimposed against a crisp blue sky. It was different from the evening before, but very nice.
White Sands National Park, New MexicoWhite Sands National Park, New Mexico
White Sands is one of those places where you can get something interesting however long you are there. Whether for an hour or two, a day or two, or a week or two. Like The Badlands or The Palouse, it is a place I would love to revisit with more time. But what I came home with is good until I have a chance to do that.
Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas
Another one of our off the beaten path places to visit was Fort Davis, Texas. We spent a couple of hours there on our way to a tour of McDonald Observatory, which is about 30 minutes “up the hill.”
Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas
Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars’ frontier military post in the Southwest. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail.
Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas
Many of the buildings have been restored to close to their original condition, and for others only the foundations remain. We’ve enjoyed visiting these different forts, understanding the role they played in American history and in the expansion and settlement of the west.
Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, TexasFort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas
When people ask us what the highlight of our recent trip was, it is easy to respond that it was the Grand Canyon. But Big Bend National Park was probably the most unexpected. It is a beautiful park with rugged mountains, deep valleys and a wide variety of plant and animal life.
Big Bend National Park in TexasBig Bend National Park in TexasBig Bend National Park in Texas
Other than the scenery, we were not prepared for how dry it was there. It’s a desert climate, and we knew that. And while it was not hot – upper 80s to low 90s during our day there – the dew point was in the teens, and you could practically feel the moisture being sucked out of our bodies. We had plenty of food and water with us, and we never strayed too far from the car. But by the end of the day we were thirsty and exhausted. It just wore us out!
Big Bend National Park in TexasBig Bend National Park in TexasViews from the Sotol Vista Overlook at Big Bend National Park in TexasViews along the trail to Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff at Big Bend National Park in TexasViews along the trail to Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff at Big Bend National Park in Texas
The Rio Grande River runs along the southern border of the park, and it was interesting to look across and realize that it was another country – Mexico – on the other side. Signs warned against crossing the border illegally, but that didn’t stop people from wading across to the other side for a photo. The Rio Grande, after all, isn’t all that Grande. At least for most of the year!
Big Bend National Park in TexasThe Rio Grande River near Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park in TexasThe Rio Grande River near Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park in TexasThe Rio Grande River near Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park in Texas
Big Bend is an example of a park where you really need multiple days to truly experience it. And to do that ideally means staying in the park, either by camping or staying in one of the many privately operated lodges in and near the park. We stayed in Alpine, TX which is about 1.5 hours away. That was not a big deal since we only visited one day. But if you wanted to see more, or photograph sunrise or sunset, it would be worthwhile to be closer. On a return trip we may decide to do just that. Although we probably wouldn’t consider camping. That just isn’t our thing. 😉
Big Bend National Park in TexasBig Bend National Park in TexasViews of Goat Mountain at Big Bend National Park in TexasBig Bend National Park in TexasBig Bend National Park in TexasBig Bend National Park in Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, Texas
Probably because I started to become “world aware” in the mid to late 60s I had always associated Texas with Lyndon Johnson and The Alamo. I remember hearing references to the “Texas White House” on the news and it conjured up images of a place far away and quite foreign from western Pennsylvania.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, TexasLyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, TexasLyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, TexasLyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, TexasLyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, Texas
We didn’t get to The Alamo this trip, but we did visit the LBJ Ranch, which is a National Historical Park, operated by the National Park Service. None of the buildings were open, and we got there pretty late in the day, but we did have a chance to drive the loop road, stop at the house and view some of the exhibits, including a former aircraft nicknamed “Air Force One Half” because of its small size. It was used to shuttle Johnson and company between the LBJ Ranch airport and Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio.
“Air Force One Half” Lockheed Jetstar VC-140 used as a shuttle to the LBJ Ranch airport from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, TexasRunway at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, Texas“Air Force One Half” Lockheed Jetstar VC-140 used as a shuttle to the LBJ Ranch airport from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, Texas
Visiting the ranch gave us a little taste of US history, and made real something I had only heard about and had seen only on television.
In 1978 a couple of Waco, Texas locals were searching for arrowheads and came across a large bone. They took the bone to a scientist at Baylor University, who identified it as a mammoth bone. A Baylor undergraduate started an archeological exploration of the site in 1979, uncovering 5 mammoths over a 2.5 year period. In the following years, another 16 mammoths were discovered.
Waco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, TexasWaco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, TexasWaco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, TexasWaco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, Texas
The area is managed by the National Park Service in cooperation with the City of Waco and Baylor University, and became a National Monument in 2015 under President Obama.
Waco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, TexasWaco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, TexasWaco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, TexasWaco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, Texas
The site is much smaller and much less dramatic than Dinosaur National Monument in Utah that we visited last fall, but interesting nevertheless in that it is one of only a few places where prehistoric remains in situ can be easily viewed by the public. A building erected over the site provides viewing access while providing access to students and scientists for further study of the area.
Waco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, TexasWaco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, Texas
The place was also practically deserted on the day of our visit, making it even more attractive to us! 😉
Demonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, Utah
Another one of those historical place I learned about when I was a child was the story of The Transcontinental Railroad and The Golden Spike. The meeting of the railroad lines from the east coast and the west coast met at Promontory, UT on May 10, 1869.
Demonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, Utah
As is often the case with history, the actual events leading up to and surrounding the eventual joining of the eastern and western routes is a lot more dramatic than we learned in grade school. Although the two railroads had agreed to meet somewhere in the western US, it literally took an act of Congress to actually get the tracks to meet. Instead, the two companies laid miles of track in opposite directions through the area, sometimes within sight of each other! Wikipedia has a pretty good summary and pretty much agrees with what we were told when we visited.
Demonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahDemonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahDemonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahDemonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahDemonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahDemonstration runs of locomotives Jupiter and Number 119 at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, Utah
At the visitor center, replicas of the two original trains make demonstration runs. These runs often occur daily but the schedule varies seasonally. We planned our visit to coincide with the runs, since seeing the trains in operation was one of the highlights of being there. The trains don’t actually run at the same time, as the same engineer and fireman operate both trains. At the end of the second run, the trains are parked nose-to-nose in front the observation area, making for a scene that is reminiscent of the original, albeit with people wearing much more modern clothes today!
Auto tour on the Transcontinental Railroad National Back Country Byway at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahThe Subie earns her next car wash. Auto tour on the Transcontinental Railroad National Back Country Byway at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahAuto tour on the Transcontinental Railroad National Back Country Byway at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, UtahAuto tour on the Transcontinental Railroad National Back Country Byway at Golden Spike National Historical Park near Corinne, Utah
In addition to the trains, there is an auto tour route that traces a portion of the original railroad bed. The tracks are long gone, but there are places where the road travels through cuts made in the terrain to accommodate the tracks. In some areas it is easy to see both sets of parallel rail beds within sight of each other. Especially noteworthy is an area where 10 miles of track were laid in one day, in response to an unofficial challenge between the two crews to see who could reach the meeting place first.
Promontory is practically in the middle of nowhere in Utah, which makes it really out there! It was worth the time and effort, however. And it gave us a great way to document our visit to the state of Utah for our quest toward all 50 states!
For anyone wishing to see more photos, I have created a photo gallery on my Adobe Portfolio website.
