45 posts tagged “joshtrek”
People who know me know I love visiting National Parks. I try to see my closest parks Yosemite and Sequoia/King's Canyon (highly underrated) at least once every year or two. One of my happiest moments on my trip across country was purchasing my annual National Park Pass (at Crater Lake, the first of many NP's on my journey) and knowing it would get good use. I planned my trip around National Parks, visiting (among others) Crater Lake, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Mammoth Cave, Smokey Mountains, Shenandoah, Rocky Mountains, and a bunch of historic parks and battlefields. And I wasn't disappointed once.
I'm really excited to see the new Ken Burns documentary series on the National Parks. It starts Sunday on PBS. I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting stories about the people who were instrumental in setting aside the land, etc. But of course, the reason to watch is the amazing footage from the various parks. This is really going to make me wish I had HD.
Here's a Viewer's Guide, care of the National Parks Conservation Association (great organization).
And here's the preview. If you're not convinced already, this should do it:
Yeah, I know, it's been over a year now since my trek around America.
But I'm still making slideshows from my pictures, and just finished another one...
For JoshTrek readers who didn't see all the pictures, and for those who just want to see them again, here are a couple slideshows from the more memorable locations:
Day 3 of my trip back (from Indiana through Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska) was stultifyingly dull.
Except for the quick glimpse of giant strawberries on the road:
And this momentous occasion (apologies for the bouncy camera and for the Patti Page soundtrack):
To continue my journey back from Boston to San Francisco (many days after I actually made the journey), here is leg #2.
I started the day in Buffalo, NY and headed to Niagara Falls. I had been to Niagara Falls once before, but it was a quick stop on a dreary rainy day, and after visiting a second time, I came to the conclusion that at that time I hadn't even really seen the whole falls (I think I missed the best part).
You can't miss Niagara Falls as you get close. There's a big cloud rising from the bottom of the waterfall that's visible miles away.
The park around the falls is actually very nice, including an island between Horseshoe Falls (the part that most people think of when they think Niagara Falls) and the other 2 falls, whose names are clearly not as memorable as Horseshoe. Actually, I think one was Bridal Veil Falls, but I only say that because I remember
Notes from Niagara Falls:
- Niagara Falls is the most gay-friendly tourist attraction in the world (see picture, right).
- The river is actually very peaceful leading up to the falls. I can just imagine the horror when the first Indian, paddling his birchbark canoe, realized what was ahead. Although it's hard to imagine anyone really that stupid, the calmness has perhaps inspired halfwits to go for a bathe, prompting this sign:
- The fact is, from the park, although you can get incredibly close to the top of the falls, the views aren't all that spectacular. I highly recommend those visiting Niagara to spend enough time there to take the ride on the Maid of the Mist for the truly great view. (I didn't have the time, because I had many miles to drive that day.)
And I had to lose a few hours when I made a stop in Cleveland, Ohio at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock Hall, besides residing in one of the coolest museum buildings you'll ever see, has one of the most impressive collections. The memorabilia (and really, it's basically just a gigantic collection of memorabilia. In fact, it could stand to have a little more of the music and less of the 'stuff') is incredible. Like the baseball hall of fame, there's too much to remember. I can say that the most impressive piece, to me, was the actual smashed bass guitar which Mick Jones is seen destroying on the famous cover of London Calling. Second to that, for sentimental reasons, and because it's totally cool, was David Byrne's Big Suit from his performance of the song Girlfriend Is Better in the live concert film Stop Making Sense (which has the illustrious distinction of being both the first CD and the first DVD I ever bought.) There is also a wall of mementos from Rolling Stone magazine, including letters to and from the editor and various writers (like Hunter Thompson) that's very interesting.
And there was also a temporary exhibit on the early Bob Dylan (thanks for the heads-up on that, Aunt Jan). Although I pretty much knew about all his influences, etc., there was some fun stuff to be seen there, too. Like a high school yearbook he had signed with a typically inane high school message (everything but "Let's keep in touch" and "BFF"). Or a few early records that he had autographed for someone with short messages. And, best of all, some handwritten Blowin' In The Wind lyrics, and a video presentation of some early live performances. Good stuff.
From there, I headed off to Indiana, but I had spent so much time at the Rock 'n Roll HOF, I didn't have time to stop and see Notre Dame as I passed through South Bend.
Faulty or non-existent internet connections and sheer exhaustion prevented me from blogging while on my route back from Boston to Palo Alto, so here is a belated look at some of the highlights of my return trip...
First leg: Boston to Buffalo. Key stop: The baseball hall of fame.
I have been a passionate baseball fan for over 20 years now (I read a baseball book every March to get myself psyched for the upcoming season, I can name all 25 names on the Red Sox major league roster almost any day of the season, I slept outside Fenway Park for playoff tickets - twice, and I even bought tickets for the World Baseball Classic), so it's a little sad that this was my first trip to the hall of fame. Even just entering Cooperstown and getting close to the Hall, I could tell this was something I had been sorely missing. The town is all baseball -- restaurants are named for players, stores are almost all baseball-related, and signs point proudly to little league fields. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to hang around town. Just barely enough for the museum.
I waited in line to enter, reading my Boston Globe Sunday sports section (best baseball reporting in the country, ever since hall-of-famer Peter Gammons wrote the baseball notes column that fed my fanaticism as a kid). I was quickly accosted by a typically obnoxious New York baseball fan, who argued with me why a DH should never win the MVP trophy. This was even before he had looked down to see I was wearing a #34 Ortiz jersey. I finally silenced the guy with a dismissive "well, when was the last time YOUR team won the World Series?" Small victories, in the midst of a 5-game series sweep that effectively ended the chances of MY team doing it again this year.
And finally, into the Hall and instant respect for the Olde Towne Team, as the lobby of the museum honors only three players, all one-time Red Sox. A painting of Cy Young and life-size sculptures of Ted Williams and The Babe (who could have been the greatest pitcher ever if the idiotic Yankee management hadn't wasted his talent by making him an outfielder.)
And, of course, the bloody sock from Curt Schilling's valiant ALCS game 6 performance vs. the Yankees in 2004 and the controversial ball that delivered the final out in the '04 Series.
Then, of course, the gallery of inductees, found on the bottom floor. The players' busts are mounted by the year they were inducted, and it's fun to walk around and find the players you know. I didn't have time to peruse them all, and discover unknown greats. I barely had enough time to find Wade Boggs wearing the Boston "B" and say, "Ha ha, take that, Tampa Bay."
And then I was on my way, knowing that was my first trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but almost certainly not my last.
With only 2 legs left on a 10,000 mile journey, I decided to take the scenic route to Reno, NV, and here is what happened:
Now, I do not advise any of you to shred a tire on a cattle guard in the middle of nowhere, somewhere near the Utah-Nevada border. (How nowhere was it? The road I was on, US 50, is called - no joke - "The loneliest road in America" in Nevada.)
Luckily, a nice park ranger came by and helped me put on the spare:
OK, that wasn't really a park ranger. That's just me in my awesome new hat from Rocky Mountain National Park:
But, as Frank Sinatra sang, it's oh so nice to go home...
Heading back to California starting tomorrow. 39 days to get across, and I'm planning to get back in just 7. So don't expect much blogging -- I'm only making a few stops (Baseball Hall of Fame, Niagara Falls, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Rocky Mountain National Park) and the rest will be interstate highways and Econolodges.
Here's the route (otherwise known as I-80):
