Posts Tagged ‘Travels’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Watery Wednesday #149: Mill Creek Falls

July 20, 2011

Mill Creek Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. May 23, 2011.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

I’ve posted before that Betsy and I took a back-country road, Parson Branch Road, through the Smokies a couple of months ago.  We enjoy the scenery off the beaten path, and we enjoy the fact that we often come across some unexpected waterfalls.

We found the pretty little waterfall above shortly after leaving Cade Cove Loop Road.  I almost drove right past it, but I saw it out of the corner of my eye and backed up to a pull-over so we could get out and enjoy our discovery.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 17 Comments »

My World: The Painted Desert

July 19, 2011

Our first look at the Painted Desert from the Tiponi Point overlook. June 13, 2011.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

The Painted Desert was our first major stop on our recent trip west.  The Painted Desert encompasses over 93,500 acres and stretches over 160 miles.  The Painted Desert gets its name from the multitude of colors raining from lavenders to shades of gray with vibrant colors of red, orange and pink.  It is an expanse of badlands hills and buttes in a beautiful landscape of a rainbow of colors.

The view from Tawa Point. June 13, 2011.

The Petrified Forest National Park, which we visited, contains part of the Painted Deserted.  We entered the park through the northern entrance  and saw the Painted Desert first before going on to the Petrified Forest.

We hiked a short trail at Kachina Point to capture these views of the Painted Desert. June 13, 2011.

The colors of the sandstone and mudstone layers of the landscape are the result of varying mineral content in the sediments and the rate at which the sediments were laid down.  When sediments are deposited slowly, oxides of iron and aluminum become concentrated in the soil and create the red, orange, and pink colors seen in the northern part  of the park.  During a rapid sediment buildup — such as a flooding event — oxygen is removed from the soil forming, blue, gray and lavender layers.  These colors are prevalent in the southern portion of the park.

Our final stop in the Painted Desert was at Nizhoni Point. June 13, 2011.

The park is covered by the “Chinle formation”, a very soft layer of earth consisting many of mud, sandstone, and volcanic ash.  The softness allows for fantastic erosion, which contributes to the remarkable beauty of the Painted Desert.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in My World | 17 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: San Felipe de Neri Church

July 17, 2011

San Felipe de Neri church, Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, New Mexico. June 12, 2011.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

We got to Albuquerque late on the afternoon of Sunday, June 12.  After finding our motel and checking in, we headed toward the Plaza in Old Town to vista San Felipe de Neri church.

The original church of San Felipe de Neri was started in 1706, and completed by 1718-19.  During the very rainy summer of 1792, the original church collapsed.  The current church building was constructed the following year.  This church, in the shape of a cross, was constructed of adobe; the walls are 5 feet thick.

The former Sisters of Charity convent attached to the church.

The two towers were added in 1861, and a two-story convent was added in 1881.  The church was renovated in 1916, and again in 2000.  But except for the tin ceiling, brick floor, and south entrance, the church is the same structure it was in 1793.

The rectory garden of San Felipe de Neri church.

Unfortunately, we arrived too late in the day to see the interior of the church.  I guess we’ll just have to go back to see that.

Tags:,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 19 Comments »

Wide Open Spaces of Texas

July 14, 2011

The Texas landscape west of Amarillo. June 12, 2011.

One of the first decisions Betsy and I had to make when planning our trip west was to fly or to drive.  There were advantages and disadvantages to each means of travel, but since our Prius, Mrs. P, is comfortable and gets 50+ MPG, we decided to drive so we could see more of our great country.

I must admit that I found the different landscapes we saw on our recent trip to be fascinating.  I’ve spent most of my life in the Midwest, in the Carolinas and here in Tennessee.  The wide open spaces of Texas were amazing.  At times it seems you could see forever.  We thought Texas looked as dry as it is in fact.

We passed a corral around an old-fashioned windmill.  We didn’t see any cattle around what I assume is a water station, but it did help break up the horizon.

Trees with green leaves were so rare that we were excited to see the trees around those buildings in the distance.  If you look closely you can see wind turbines on the horizon to the left of the trees.

As we got closer to New Mexiico, we began to see some mesas on the horizon.  We also noticed a little more green in the landscape.

There were even more windmills now and then.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Travels | 17 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: A Village in New Mexico

July 10, 2011

Laguna, New Mexico, and the surrounding countryside. June 13, 2011.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Our trip last month was the first time I had been in New Mexico, and I found the scenery to be fascinating.  Some people might say that the landscape is desolate, but the wide open spaces under a clear blue sky were very appealing to me.  The green we see in this part of Tennessee was missing, but the different shades of brown were interesting in their own way.

When we spotted a little village on a ridge away from the interstate I had to stop and get a picture.  The village, Laguna, New Mexico, is a former Indian Pueblo village west of Albuquerque.  In 2000 it had a population of 423.

The picture above makes the village seem almost insignificant compared to the open spaces around it and the mountains in the background.

The church in Laguna, New Mexico. June 13, 2011.

My telephoto lens revealed some of the homes in the village and the church overlooking them.

Tags:,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 14 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Oklahoma Sunset

July 8, 2011

Clouds and sunbeams in the evening sky near El Reno, Oklahoma. June 11, 2011.

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

As we were driving toward Weatherford, Oklahoma, on our trip west, we were treated to a beautiful display of light and clouds in the evening sky.  I simply had to pull off the interstate to snap this picture of a sunbeam showing us the way.

Tags:, ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 19 Comments »

Fort Smith National Historic Site

July 7, 2011

The uniforms of soldiers involved in Fort Smith's history. June 11, 2011.

One of the first places we visited on our recent trip west was Fort Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas.  During our visit we  were fortunate to be able to hear a presentation by a park ranger on the history of Fort Smith.  The ranger was supported by the re-enactors wearing the uniforms of soldiers during the different periods of the fort’s history.

Fort Smith was established in December, 1817, by a company of the U. S. Rifle Regiment (the soldier on the extreme left in the photo above).  The fort was established to maintain peace between the Osage and Cherokee Indians.  The original fort was abandoned in 1824.

In the 1830s Fort Smith became a supply depot for Indians and soldiers (next two soldiers in white) moving westward along “The Trail of Tears”.  In 1838 a new Fort Smith was constructed near the site of the first.   This was a masonry fort, but it was also used primarily as a supply depot.

Confederates (the soldier in butternut in the middle of the group above) took possession of Fort Smith when Arkansas seceded in April, 1861, but was recaptured by Union troops (next two soldiers) on September 1, 1863.

In 1872 the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas took over the fort.  The barracks were modified to serve as a courthouse and jail.  During this time the fort was a base for U. S. Marshals (the man on the extreme right).

The re-enactors described the uniforms they were wearing and gave a firing demonstration of their weapons.  The early muskets certainly made for an interesting show.

Firing 1830-era muskets. June 11, 2011.

This gives new meaning to 'the smoke of battle'.

Betsy at a portion of the wall of the second fort. June 11, 2011.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Travels | 11 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #147: The Frozen Variety

July 6, 2011

Betsy enjoying the snow banks along a trail near the Visitor Center at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah. June 20, 2011.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

Cedar Breaks National Monument, near Cedar City, Utah, was a last minute addition to our itinerary.  After we arrived in Utah on June 18, our good friend Neal suggested that we visit Cedar Breaks.

We did an internet search and found that the roads in Cedar Breaks had been opened on June 17.  We also found we could include a visit to the Monument while driving to see some of the places we had planned to visit.

The elevation at Cedar Breaks varies from 10,100 to 10,500 feet.  As we approached the Monument, my little bride was delighted to see snow on the mountain tops.  As we drove into the park with snow piled high on both sides of the road, Betsy was like a kid in a candy shop, as you can see from the picture above.

We asked a ranger how much snow they had gotten over the winter, and he said they had 395 inches by May 31, which was the ‘official’ end of their winter season.  However, it had snowed several times since then, including the day before we got there.

Betsy enjoying the snow at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah. June 20, 2011.

If you know anything at all about Betsy, you know she was excited with all that snow around.  And, of course, we had to find a place where she could get out and walk in the snow.  She did not, however, make a snowman for me.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 12 Comments »

My World: Is Full of Wonderful People

July 5, 2011

Betsy with Becky and Michael, Jackson, Tennessee. June 10, 2011.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

One of the nicest things about the trip that Betsy and I took last month was that we got to meet three good friends for the very first time.  On the very first day of our trip we met Becky of Thoughtfully Blended Hearts and her husband Michael for lunch.  They were both as charming and as friendly in person as they are in Becky’s blog.

Betsy and Vedarae, Amarillo, Texas. June 12, 2011.

On our way through Texas we met Cotton Lady, Vedarae, for lunch.  Vedarae doesn’t have a blog, although I’m confident she could write many fascinating and interesting posts.  Vedarae and Betsy have been e-mail buddies for quite some time, and it was a pleasure for me to meet and get to know her.

Betsy and Linda, Grand Junction, Colorado. June 24, 2011.

On our way to Rocky Mountain National Park we met Linda — Colorado Farm Life — and her husband, Terry, for lunch.  (Are you beginning to see a pattern here?).  Meeting them was truly like seeing old friends again.  Linda’s blog is full of insights into the joys — and trials — of farm life and both Betsy and I enjoy following her.  The time with the two of them went entirely too quickly, but we hope to meet them again either here in Tennessee or when we return to Colorado.

If you ever get the chance to meet a blog friend in person, I encourage you to do so.  I promise you won’t regret it.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in My World | 12 Comments »

We’re Home!

July 1, 2011

Betsy and I have returned from a wonderful 19-day trip out west.  The picture above, which can be enlarged by clicking on it, shows the highlights of our trip.  We drove 5,414 miles, passed through 14 states (counting Tennessee), visited nine National Parks, did some hiking and even saw some waterfalls.  Oh, yes, we also took many, many pictures.

I have to admit that Bryce Canyon was my favorite place — the hoodoos were absolutely fantastic.  But the Grand Canyon was every bit as grand as the name implies.

I think the high points for Betsy were the snow we encountered at both Cedar Breaks and Rocky Mountains National Park.  Six-foot drifts of snow in the June were a treat for my Beautiful Bride.  It almost made up for the snow we didn’t get here last winter.

Tags:
Posted in Travels | 22 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »