Yellowtail Dam in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort Smith
Even though Kathy & I had considered Wyoming and Montana to be “visited” in terms of our 50 state quest, we knew that we had short-changed both states on our previous visit. Since we needed to traverse both of those states on our way to the west coast, we decided to rectify that shortfall with a few more stops. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation fit that bill, as it straddles the border between both states.
Yellowtail Dam in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort Smith
The southern end of the park lies in northern Wyoming, and was the subject of my previous post. There are more places that we didn’t get to due to time constraints, and we spent the better part of a day on the northern end of the park, in southern Montana.
The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.The upper side of Yellowtail Dam and reservoir.
Yellowtail Dam is another one of those places that you can’t really appreciate until you have seen it. I’ve not been to Hoover Dam or Glen Canyon Dam, but this is certainly the biggest dam I’ve ever seen! An exchange I had on Instagram with Paul Maxim describes the relative size of some of the “famous” dams in the US:
Yellowtail is 525 ft. tall and 1480 ft. wide. Glen Canyon is 710 ft. tall and 1560 ft. wide. So Glen Canyon is bigger (185 ft. taller). But the only dam in the U. S. bigger than Glen Canyon is Hoover Dam, which is 726 ft. tall. All of them, of course, are big. We’ve got nothing in the east that comes close!
The park is surrounded by Crow Indian land, and there are several references to Crow history throughout the park, including the remains of a medicine wheel that we didn’t get to.
Exhibit describing the role of the medicine wheel in Crow Indian culture and history.Exhibit describing the role of the medicine wheel in Crow Indian culture and history.Exhibit describing the role of the medicine wheel in Crow Indian culture and history.
It is rugged and scenic territory, and with all the red rock and lack of trees, far different from what we see in the east, or even in other parts of Wyoming and Montana. Another example of how unique but also how uniquely beautiful the different parts of our country can be.
Yellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort SmithYellowtail Dam area in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana near Fort Smith
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
One of the things that maps don’t always tell us is what the terrain is like on a given road or in a given town. We’ve been surprised by this numerous times when we get to a place and it is either hillier than we expected or not hilly at all. One such place came up on our drive through Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming.
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
We had spent the night in Rapid City, SD and wanted to get to Billings, MT via Lowell, WY in order to see the southern section of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation area, which stretches from Fort Smith in southern Montana, where the Yellowtail Dam is located, to Lowell, WY, the southern end of the reservoir. That route took us on 60-ish miles of Alt-US 14 – known as the Bighorn Scenic Byway – through Bighorn National Forest, from near Sheridan, WY to Lowell. And I have to say that it was one of the most stunning drives of any I have ever taken, including Trail Ridge Road in RMNP. The terrain was rugged and beautiful, the road was wide and smooth, and the views were amazing. In hindsight, that might have been a bigger highlight than Lowell, but at the time, who knew?
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central WyomingScenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
How rugged is the country in Bighorn National Forest? The road is closed in the winter, as the elevation reaches 9,033 feet at Granite Pass. That’s getting up there, as the highest point on our side of the Mississippi is a “mere” 6,684 feet (Mount Mitchell in NC). By comparison, the elevation difference between the valley near Dayton, WY to Granite Pass is nearly that whole amount – almost 6,000 feet!
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
I hadn’t paid much attention to this area before, but now that we’ve been there I am anxious to get back. There are a lot of interesting things to see and do in the area. Perhaps a few days in Sheridan on our way to or from Yellowstone or Grand Teton, when we decide it’s time to visit that part of the country again.
Scenery along Alt US-14 through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in North central Wyoming
Kathy & I have been a little surprised by the questions and comments we’ve gotten from people since we returned from our western road trip. Questions like, “did you have any trouble finding places to stay?” “Where did you eat?” “Are there a lot of people on the road?” And comments that begin with phrases such as “One of these days…” and “When this is all over…” and “If it’s ever safe to travel again…” Yeesh. Of course we’ve gotten our share of “Good For You’s” and “That’s Great.” and we really appreciate that.
US 183 in north central Nebraska
When we tell people that we were in Oregon, we sometimes get a shocked look and some kind of question about “how bad was it?” The News would have you conjure up images of us driving down some rural highway with flaming trees falling across the road as we passed. Yes, there were fires nearby. “Nearby” as in 40-50 miles and in another valley and over a ridge or two. Yes, there was sometimes a lot of smoke and at times it got stinky. The fires have been devastating for a lot of people, but for those of us just passing through it was just an inconvenience. Mostly it was like driving in the fog. Yes, in some towns the restaurants and wineries with outdoor seating had decided to close. Who wants to eat or taste wine in the smoke? But there was plenty to see and do and we just had to adjust a bit. There is nothing like a road trip to teach you to be flexible!
US 183 in north central Nebraska
My message is that the world is still out there. It’s a big country, and you don’t have to sit at home and watch The News telling you how bad things are. Everything – or just about everything – is open. We stayed away from the “famous” places like Yellowstone and Glacier, mostly because this trip was not about seeing those places. This trip was specifically intended to take us off the beaten path. We’ll get to those famous places at another time.
Passing Zone
Restaurants on the road are operating just like they are at home. We carried a cooler with breakfast and lunch, to give us the flexibility to not have to go in search of food in the middle of nowhere. Hotels have scaled back their services a bit but they welcomed us everywhere. Gas is readily available everywhere and we had very little trouble finding a restroom when we needed one.
US 183 in north central Nebraska
Not everybody has the travel bug but we do. And if you do, this is really not a bad time to travel by car. Trains, buses, planes and cruise ships? Not yet. But car? No big deal. It’s fall color time – get out there! Figure out how you can travel in a way that makes you comfortable and go. Try an overnight, a weekend or a week. But go! Someday is today, and times a-wastin’!
Former camera store – long closed – in downtown Billings, Montana
We traveled a total of 8030 miles in 24 days, and I took 4,459 photos for 168GB!
We saw rain on the first day and the last day, and very little in between. We had one very windy day in Washington, and we saw lots of smoke – way too much – in Oregon. Otherwise the weather was very pleasant, not too hot, not too cold.
We live in a beautiful country. There is something for everyone, and the scenery changes by the hour. Except perhaps in Kansas, where it changes a bit more slowly.
Cape Girardeau River Tales Mural along the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
It’s interesting how you can tell when you have entered a new state. It’s not an immediate change, but if you took a picture before and another after about an hour, you can tell.
People ain’t staying home! The roadways and motels are all pretty full, especially the interstate highways.
Evening in downtown Ogden, utah
In most places, people were well behaved, doing all the disease prevention stuff and generally staying away from each other. Hotels have used Covid as an excuse to not clean your room or provide breakfast, but as long as we can get coffee that is perfectly OK with us. Chain hotel breakfasts are usually not that good anyway (except sometimes the waffles!).
We have generally been avoiding “chain” restaurants for several years. But a few times, due mostly to convenience and location, we found ourselves at a few chain restaurants – Red Lobster, Outback and Rafferty’s to name a few. They were OK and we didn’t get sick or die! We still avoid “fast food” except to pee.
Mostly with eating out is that you just need to think about where you are. For example, don’t try to order fish in Nebraska or Montana – they know beef and pork. In Washington or Oregon? Chinook salmon in Washington is amazing, plus they have freshwater walleye and trout – no problemo. In Montana? No fish.
Carrying our own food and having most breakfasts and many lunches on the road saved us time and money, and by avoiding all those restaurant meals we each gained less than 3 pounds, a miracle for us.
Near the Perrine Memorial Bridge over the Snake River in Twin Falls, Idaho
We saw lots and lots of RVs and travel trailers of all sizes, shapes, speeds and apparent driver ability. It’s a little scary that people who can’t pull their Buick into a parking place straight are now driving tour bus-sized behemoths.
It’s interesting that in many cases the larger the motor home or trailer, the more crap that was hanging off the back or on top or in a vehicle being towed behind. Boats, 4-wheelers, golf carts, motorcycles, bicycles, etc. I guess people are trying to prove that you can take it with you after all. How about just taking less stuff? Hauling all that crap around is not my idea of getting away from it all. But I guess that’s not the point.
Despite all the RVs on the road, all across the country we saw dozens of sales lots with hundreds of units sitting unsold. Plus many more storage centers with units sitting in storage. Who has that kind of money to just let stuff sit around?
We saw nothing to convince us to buy an RV. Or to get a dog.
Public Library in Cannon Beach, Oregon
As is often the case, the famous places (which we avoided) are packed with people while the less famous places are empty. We were literally the only visitors we saw at Fort Larned National Monument and George Washington Carver National Monument – both in Kansas, which might explain something.
Sign at a restaurant in Valentine, Nebraska
Thank goodness for US Highways. No trucks, virtually no cities, lots of passing lanes and 65-75 mph speed limits. We use them whenever we can.
Happy Day Rock found near Short Bridge covered bridge on High Deck Road over the Foster River near Foster, Oregon
I don’t know what they’re hauling, but there are many more trucks on the road than I ever remember in previous travels, especially on the main interstates between major cities. Between the trucks and the RVs that can’t or won’t maintain the speed limit, driving the highways can be nerve-wracking. But we managed!
Evening in downtown Ogden, utah
An informal poll of people willing to put up political signs gives a decided edge to the incumbent. No conclusions can be made of this data, as the margin of error of this poll is +/- 50%
It’s amazing how much better things seem when you stay away from the news!
National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KentuckyAlong US-20 near Foster, Oregon
Kathy & I had just left our motel in Hayes, Kansas and were speeding down the highway when I spotted this barn alongside the road. It had a very interesting character to it, the light was beautiful and I knew immediately it would make a nice photograph. But I didn’t stop.
Old barn along US-183 near La Crosse, Kansas
I don’t know how it did it, but soon after I passed the barn I started hearing this voice. It said, “hey dumba$$, come back here and take my picture.” It took nearly 2 miles, but eventually I started slowing down and told Kathy, “I’m going back.”
Old barn along US-183 near La Crosse, Kansas
As I was walking back to the car the farmer drove by in his pickup. I waved at him and he waved back. Maybe he had heard the voice, too. 😉
Old barn along US-183 near La Crosse, Kansas
A few days earlier I had passed another barn in Colorado where there was no safe place to pull off the road, and I stewed about it for a long time. So I didn’t really want to pass this one by. But I was already in “Get There Mode” and almost let it go. I’m glad I didn’t!
Sunset from Morton Overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
“We must take all resources under consideration; all resources, because they relate fatefully to our life on earth, reflect certain grandeurs , and deserve not only our attention, but our reverence. Hence, while it is as essential as ever to protect the National Parks and Wilderness Areas, it is also essential that we protect the forests, the crops, the minerals, and the oceans, and it is essential that we preserve the purity of the air we breathe and the water we drink.” – Ansel Adams
Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Kirk Tuck recently used this phrase in regards to making choices between camera options, specifically about different lenses. The full quote follows:
The “science” of optical design can not have changed a tremendous amount in four or five years so you have to understand that the “new versus old” shift is largely a recalibration of compromises. Buy the new one and watch your left biceps atrophy. Buy the old one and suffer the dreaded effects of manual portage. Suffer the ruinous added weight of the original for the extra 1% of quality in the corners or choose the lightweight version and forever wonder how much optical magic they had to remove to get the lens corpulence under control.
It occurred to me, however, that the concept applies in a much broader context, especially in recent months.
Every decision we make requires some effort to balance the options, to compromise. Do I want the camera with the big sensor that is huge, heavy and requires a large suitcase to cart around, or am I better off with the compact camera with a smaller sensor, small but excellent lenses and “good enough” image quality? We want to travel – we love to fly but not not any time soon. We have spent a lot of time on cruise ships but won’t for a while. Our trip to the beach worked out really well – just like living at home but with better scenery. 😉
We love to eat our but have limited our restaurant outings. We’ve gotten even better at preparing simple but delicious meals at home – much to the delight of the bathroom scale!
Kathy and I are currently in the process of planning a road trip to the Pacific Northwest. The places we’re planning to visit are the places where we’re less likely to encounter big crowds. As crazy as it sounds, we’ll probably drive within a few miles of Yellowstone or Glacier National Parks, but have no intention of stopping. First, crowds are not our thing. We probably would be doing pretty much the same thing even without all the Coronacrisis hoopla. But second is that we don’t want to have to deal with the logistics of large crowds. Third is that when we do go to those parks we want to be able to spend several days or even a couple of weeks there. That isn’t the plan for this time.
Our recent drive to Ohio and Wisconsin taught us that we can eat, sleep, pee and get gas just about anywhere. Sometimes it requires a little compromise on location or timing, but it can get done. Ultimately, once we solve that basic equation we can go just about anywhere!
People ask us why we don’t buy an RV. For some people it’s the perfect solution. For us, we like knowing that when we get to the motel, tired after or driving or exploring all day, we don’t need to spend another hour setting up camp. I can have cocktails made within minutes after arrival! And the next morning, we grab a cup of coffee, drop the keys at the front desk and get on our way again. Neither option is right or wrong, just different ways to calibrate the compromises.
None of our choices are either/or or yes/no. We need to consider what we can do instead We have to look at the options and recalibrate our compromises. Our priorities, if you will. It can be hard, particularly for those of us who don’t care for change. But the effort is worth it, because there are still plenty of things to do once we have worked out the details.
Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
NEW VERSION: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
I’m going back through my old photos for a website update. This one is already on my website, but I thought I would see what the current software (and my current Lightroom chops) could do with some of the files. This is the first one I’ve tried this go-around, and I think I’ve made significant improvement.
I made a Snapshot in case I messed something up, then hit Reset. Using the Adobe Landscape profile, I went though my usual routine with contrast, etc. I added a gradient to the sky, using a Luminance Mask to apply the settings only to the lightest parts. Overall contrast and saturation is much better, which is hard to see in the web versions.
It will be interesting to see what I can do with other files. This may take a while…. 😉
Canon 20D w/17-40 f4
PREVIOUS VERSION: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Our first overnight stop on the return home from Wisconsin took us to the town of Jasper, Indiana. We chose Jasper primarily because it was just about the right distance for the day, but also because it looked like it had an interesting downtown area for us to check out.
Historic train depot in Jasper, IndianaHistoric train depot in Jasper, Indiana
I was initially attracted by the fact that Jasper has a train station, but we noted that the train station was an anchor for a new mixed-use development called River Centre. A brand new Fairfield Inn sits along the Patoka River and is connected to the Jasper Riverwalk, a 4.5 mile multi-purpose trail that connects several businesses and restaurants, and winds through a scenic section along the river.
Fairfield Inn & Suites in Jasper, IndianaFairfield Inn & Suites in Jasper, IndianaFairfield Inn & Suites in Jasper, Indiana
Across the river from River Centre and connected by a very nice steel bridge is the historic Jasper City Mill. The current mill building is a replica of a mill that was established on the site in 1817 and was in operation until 1933. Among the customers of the mill is said to have been Thomas Lincoln and his son Abraham Lincoln, who bartered goods for corn meal in 1828.
Jasper City Mill in Jasper, IndianaJasper City Mill in Jasper, Indiana
We got into town late and left early, and it was a Sunday so not too many businesses were open. But we got a good look at the town – enough to determine that it would be worth a re-visit. It is “on the way” to a lot of places we hope to visit, so we will be sure to add Jasper to the itinerary on a future road trip!
Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station on Historic Route 66, Dwight, Illinois
For our drive from Wisconsin back to Charlotte, we decided to stick completely to back roads. Taking 2 1/2 days to make a drive that many would make in 1 is just the way we roll. We encountered a number of interesting places along the way, some planned, many unexpected.
Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station on Historic Route 66, Dwight, IllinoisAmbler’s Texaco Gas Station on Historic Route 66, Dwight, IllinoisAmbler’s Texaco Gas Station on Historic Route 66, Dwight, IllinoisAmbler’s Texaco Gas Station on Historic Route 66, Dwight, Illinois
Case in point is our stop in Dwight, Illinois. We were attracted to Dwight because of the old Texaco gas station that is associated with Route 66. While at the gas station, I spoke with the docent there who encouraged me to visit some of the other landmarks in town, including the historic railroad depot. Never one to pass up a railroad depot unknowingly, we headed into town.
The Chicago & Alton Railroad designed Dwight in 1854 around a “depot ground” between two main streets. By 1891, the expanding town needed a new station. The railroad hired Henry Ives Cobb to design this Richardson Romanesque building. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.The Chicago & Alton Railroad designed Dwight in 1854 around a “depot ground” between two main streets. By 1891, the expanding town needed a new station. The railroad hired Henry Ives Cobb to design this Richardson Romanesque building. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.The Chicago & Alton Railroad designed Dwight in 1854 around a “depot ground” between two main streets. By 1891, the expanding town needed a new station. The railroad hired Henry Ives Cobb to design this Richardson Romanesque building. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
In addition to the depot, there is a bank building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and a building that once housed an at-that-time famous treatment center for alcoholism. We couldn’t find the windmill or the church immediately and decided to not take more time looking.
Built in 1905, the First National Bank on West Main in Dwight, IL was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Of the three banks he designed, it is the only one still in existence. Its simple yet dignified style rejected classical influences of the time.William Fox Developmental Center in downtown Dwight, Illinois. The building originally housed The Keeley Institute, founded by Leslie Keeley in 1879, was the first to treat alcohol addiction as a disease rather than a vice. At its peak, 800 patients arrived here by train each week, and over 200 branches of the Institute were operating in the US and Europe. The famous “Keeley Cure,” reputedly gold chloride injections, we never accepted by the mainstream medical community.Dwight, IllinoisDwight, Illinois
