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National Parks and Lands:

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    • National Parks and Lands:

      Death Valley, CA:

      I thought we should have a thread dedicated to our various National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Sanctuaries, etc. Kind of a reviews and recommendations thread.

      I'll start out with some photos from my recent drive through Death Valley National Park...



      Mesquite Sand Dunes: Not a place to walk in the hot sun, I just enjoyed this site from the road. It was recommended as a nice place to explore at night when the wildlife comes out, but watch out for the 'sidewinders'!

      Harmony Borax Works: Right off the road. An interesting historical site. I piggybacked on a small tour group, so I learned some things listening to the guide. These people (mostly Chinese immigrants) worked under very harsh conditions!



      Badwater Basin: The lowest elevation in the United States at 282 feet below sea level. Since I will never climb Denali, at least I have this :)

      Salt Crystals at Badwater Basin. Lots of interesting geology formations in Death Valley.

      Scott's biggest recommendation; you will enjoy Death Valley much more if you DO NOT visit in the summer time :)
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Couch Lou was referring to a FB comment I received from my wife.

      I am home now, she was at work. She gave me a call. She could tell I wanted to get off the phone (I hate talking on phones), so she kept stretching it out. Finally I told her I had things to do. Big mistake.

      She really is mad Lou :)
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Ash Meadow National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada

      Few things are as beautiful as water in the desert.


      This water filled cavern is the the only native home of the 'Devil's Hole Pupfish,' the rarest fish in the world. It is not assessable by the public.

      'Kings Spring' at 'Point of Rocks,' Ash Meadow.

      If you look carefully you can see some endangered 'Amargosa Pupfish' in this photo.

      Crystal Spring

      The day I visited I had the entire park to myself. It was boiling hot out, so there was me and one Ranger at the Information Center. Well worth the visit. I loved it.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Since I just visited...

      Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina
      The Cape Hatteras National Seashore encompasses most of Bodie, Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The existing villages were grandfathered into the National Seashore, but all new construction needed to be set-back from the dune lines. The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is at the north end of Hatteras Island.






      As these islands are barrier islands, there is a conflict between the NPS on the preservation of the natural environment and the state of North Carolina which wants to preserve the tourism dollars. NC Route 12 is the only road connecting the three islands and North Carolina operates the ferries connecting Hatteras to Ocracoke. There is a constructive partnership between the two for access, but any attempts to protect private property within the National Seashore are highly regulated. Residents may receive a permit to add a bulkhead or rip-rap on the sound side of the islands, but a request to install a seawall to protect oceanfront properties will be denied. As a result, several oceanfront houses in the northern village of Rodanthe are now ocean houses. The moral of the story: don't mess with Mother Nature on a barrier island!

      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

      The post was edited 1 time, last by StalkingTortoise ().

    • I love the OBX. I can can get there in just a few hours. We especially love Ocracoke Island. As a kid I would go there with my dad and his best friend and his friend's brother and we would live on the beach in tents for a week or more following the fish up and down Hatteras. I've literally been going there my entire life as I was conceived on the island.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • In the mid-1970's, we used to vacation at a cottage in Rodanthe NC. It wasn't far from the long pier there. We'd stay a week and went on 4 or 5 trips, we did everything you could for tourist stuff. Including the ferry to Ocacroke. There were still parts of ship wrecks to be found in the surf and dunes. My mom has been cleaning out some more of her house and handed me three hardback books from those times. History of the Outer Banks. Graveyard of the Atlantic. Its about all the wrecks going back to the late 1600's along the Outer Banks. Interesting reading. And a book, "Ocacoke". It was written in the 1950's and is quite interesting to read how simple life was.

      My uncle briefly considered purchasing land along the banks. In 1974 he purchased 5 acres along the Chesapeake in an area called "Robins Neck". That is the IH Robins family plantation land, who brought us Robitussin. That 5 acres is still owned by my aunt and my cousins keep it up. We spent some days there this summer. Uncle always said you only purchased land on the Outer Banks, on the SOUTHERN end of any cut through the banks. The water breaks all slowly move south. And then again, a hurricane could always just cut a new one, right thru your property. So he purchased on the bay. they still struggle with erosion but with rock walls, they keep it pretty constant.
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork

      The post was edited 2 times, last by rhjanes ().

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      I love the OBX. I can can get there in just a few hours. We especially love Ocracoke Island. As a kid I would go there with my dad and his best friend and his friend's brother and we would live on the beach in tents for a week or more following the fish up and down Hatteras. I've literally been going there my entire life as I was conceived on the island.
      I've always loved maps. in 1990, I was looking at an Atlas to figure out how to get to and from Myrtle Beach from Pennsylvania and saw this intriguing thin island chain off the coast of North Carolina. We took I-95 down but took the slow road home. Back then, the Cedar Island Ferry was reached by driving through Camp Lejeune. A uniformed guard stopped us at the gate with M-16 slung on his shoulder and issued our transit pass. I still remember laughing at the tank crossing signs. We camped on Ocracoke then took the first ferry to Hatteras Island the next morning. Vacationed in Salvo from 1991 through 1996 with day trips down to Ocracoke.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • We had a wedding to attend in PA this past weekend, so I used the opportunity to visit...
      Valley Forge National Historic Park.

      The National Park service had an interesting problem when this park was recreated, most of the original conditions had been erased by the hands of time. Instead or trying to recreate what Valley Forge was like in 1777/78, they made it a 'commemorative park' with memorials. We purchased an 'audio tour' for our drive around the park, spent some time at each site, and the experience was quite educational.

      Recreation of the huts the soldiers quickly built to survive the winter of their encampment.


      The National Memorial Arch

      George Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge.

      The park service has done great work 'naturalizing' the landscape here again (there was a limestone quarry and other places of industry). We did the driving tour so we could see the mayor sites, but there are also lots of walking, biking and horse paths too. Clearly the park is well used by the locals for this purpose.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes NL on a fall color weekend.

      We stayed at a country inn outside Leland. From the harbor in town, you can catch the ferries to North snd South Manitou Islands, previously inhabited, now wilderness areas of the NL. You can also buy whitefish right off the fishing boat.


      View Sideways, Sorry
      We drove down a side road that led to a spectacular overlook of Glen Lake


      and Sleeping Bear Point on Lake MI


      We drove down to the point, site of the NL's local history museum at the ghost town of Glen Haven. Mrs OMO is having a picnic at the beach.


      The beach is typical of the NL - miles of empty white sand, blue water beaches. No sharks. Most have views of the Manitou islands iff shore.


      The premier attraction at the NL is the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. There are several overlooks high above the lakes. Looking north is the view of the vast Sleeping Bear Dune areas. Below is the historic DH Day farm, one of many maintained by the NL to exhibit the agricultural heritage of the region. Beyond is Pyramid Point. The hike to the edge of the bluff above the lake is quite popular.


      The overlook looking south view North Bar Lake, one of the best beaches in the NL, sandwiched between the Sleeping Bear Bluffs and the Empire Bluffs. The view from Empire Bluffs is the most famous in MI.


      View sideways, Sorry.
      Dinner at the Cove in Leland. Our window-side table had a view of the spillway at the dam separating Lake Lelenau from Lake MI. Salmon try in vain to jump up the two falls (look closely to see one). This is part of the historic Fishtown at the harbor. The restaurant has Whitefish served eight ways.

    • i was taking son on my phone for quick posting and some with my real camera (Fujifilm XE3 with 18-55 mm zoom). Someday i with start making high quality prints for display. I'm thinking photography will be a retirement hobby. This weekend was bright, sunny, and warm, so the lighing was great for fall foliage pics. We've done and Oct weekend up here every year for 30 years, and weather like this is rare.

    • Keep the photos and trip reports coming everybody!
      Since our dog requires so much care we won't be getting away any time soon. All of our walking is in a local county park that is mostly wooded. The only problem with that is we're so familiar with it we could probably walk the trails with our eyes closed.

    • Here is the view from Empire Bluffs. You are looking at the bluff on the scenic drive.a few miles away. This is perhaps the most iconic view in the park. It is at the end of the very popular, easy out and back hike (1.5 mile round trip). These bluffs drop 300 feet directly into the lake. Similar views can be hiked to at Pyramid Point and on South Manitou Island, but the bluff on the scenic drive is the most accessible. The only other place you can see this type of perched dunes above lakes is at the Log Slide in Pictured Rocks NL on Lake Superior in MI's UP.



    • If you find yourself near Millinocket, Maine check out Katahdyn Woods And Water National Monument. We spent 3 days there and only saw 2 other people. One day we hiked to the top of some mountain, another day we hiked to a waterfall, and the third day we hiked an out and back on the IAT. We had reserved a lean-to but the bugs made us use our tent at night.

    • Kilauea Iki Crater Trail Loop: Our six mile hike in Volcanoes National Park


      The Hike started n the Rim Trail with a rainbow.


      And through a nice forest




      Despite the warnings from the ranger, the hike down to the crater was pretty easy. This is my daughter Rory contemplating the hike across the crater floor. Rory is in the Air Force serving in South Korea. We are in Hawaii because it was a half-way point to get together with her for Christmas.


      And my wife, Kathleen.


      Walking across the lava fields. Lava has so many different textures. This part was smooth. Other parts were as rough as can be. The crater was created in 1959, the same as me :)


      A mother and son moment.


      Kathleen, Rory and Nolan getting ready for the climb back out.


      Back up on the rim, looking back.


      There is lots of beauty to be found in Volcanoes National Park.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • My son and his wife honeymooned in Hawaii last year and got to see the September eruption through a telescope from HVNP. I mean literally seeing lava spurting into the air.

      I flew over Kilauea in 2005 and got to see lava running down to the ocean.

      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      My son and his wife honeymooned in Hawaii last year and got to see the September eruption through a telescope from HVNP. I mean literally seeing lava spurting into the air.

      I flew over Kilauea in 2005 and got to see lava running down to the ocean.


      People love hot springs, but that is taking to a whole another level. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park: This was a place of refuge for Hawaiians sentenced to death for breaking one of the many 'Kapo' laws. Of course to live, you had to reach this place. Today it is still considered a sacred place by the Hawaiians and is a very nice park to visit.

      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site: Does not look like much, but this sacred site is very important to the Hawaiians. This is the last Hawaiian temple built by King Kamehameha and helped him fulfill the prophecy that he would unify the Hawaiian Islands. The NPS has an excellent interpretive movie that tells the story.



      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • IMScotty wrote:

      Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park: This was a place of refuge for Hawaiians sentenced to death for breaking one of the many 'Kapo' laws. Of course to live, you had to reach this place. Today it is still considered a sacred place by the Hawaiians and is a very nice park to visit.

      BTDT

      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard