October 30, 2009
The Milkman’s Son
By Tracy C. Baker
Lost In America #1379200 Miles To Go ‘Ere I SleepWinnie, who constantly tells me “I am on the downside of my life,” has developed a “bucket list.” Among the many items on her list is to be able to say that she has visited all 50 of these United States. I must admit, I find it an admirable item for a bucket list…perhaps because I have the same item on mine.
And so it came to pass after many years of hemming and hawing over time, money, gas prices etc. we decided to fulfill at least a good chunk of what we have left of that dream. With a Hertz rental car, a cooler, camping gear (just in case we felt adventurous…which we didn’t), a new GPS system that we named Minnie Winnie, and credit cards at the ready, we set off to cover the Midwest.
Well, let me back up a bit. You see, a road trip is unlike grabbing a plane somewhere and joining a tour. It requires planning that must go deeper than how many pair of underwear one needs to pack. There is the car emergency kit, which in our case included various and asunder snacks and treats to munch on the road, a couple bottles of good White Crane wine, several beers, sandwich meats, bread, mustard, mayo, lettuce, a case of water, etc. I loaded up the IPod with some good tunes and several for Winnie, too. Of course, I threw in a set of jumper cables, a few tools and a basic first aid kit.
Ready for anything (or so we thought), we loaded up the rental, a 2009 Mazda 5, put Buffy in her crate, and hit the road for our first stop…my brother and sister-in-law’s house in Gardnerville, Nevada. The Buff was going on a vacation of her own, staying with them and being thoroughly spoiled for the month we were on the road.
I honestly thought we were ready for anything, yet, we found once again that being “ready for anything” means that we were ready for nothing. After a few hours on the road our GPS, Minnie Winnie, was running low on battery power.
“Wait a minute”, I said, “How could this be low on battery power when I have it plugged in?”
How indeed?
After unplugging, re-plugging, turning, pushing, and beating the plug it finally dawned on me…it wasn’t the plug. The fuse had blown. No problem. They always put extra fuses in the fuse box, right? Wrong. Once I found the fuse box (not an easy task in and of itself), a thorough search revealed not a single extra fuse to be found. A stop at an auto parts store solved that problem and we resumed our trip.
First Things First
We have driven through Utah on many occasions and each and every time, I have wanted to take a side trip to Promontory Point north of Ogden to see the Golden Spike National Monument. Time never allowed such a trip, but this time I had worked it into our plans. For those readers a little fuzzy on their history, this is where the Union and Central Pacific railroads met to form the first transcontinental railroad.
Having grown up near the Southern Pacific tracks, I have always loved trains. We had seen one set (there were several) of the actual Golden and Silver spikes used in the ceremonial joining of the rails at the Cantor Museum on the Stanford campus and had read Stephen Ambrose’s wonderful history of the Transcontinental Railroad – Nothing Like It In The World. Now we had the chance to actually stand on the rails where it all took place.
And the Baker travel luck shined on us that day. During the summer months, the park service volunteers stage a recreation of the two trains meeting. This recreation usually ends after Labor Day, but this year they had some extra funds and extended the recreation into October. Our small group made it an intimate showing and allowed us a lot of time to meet the engineers, hold the prop spike for pictures and take in the details of the intricately built recreations of the Central and Union Pacific Engines that met on this dusty plateau 140 years ago.
My train history love satiated, we pushed on across Utah and Wyoming on the way to new state #1 – Nebraska.
The Immigrant Trails
We crossed into Western Nebraska and turned north, heading to Scott’s Bluff, a giant sandstone monument that rises from the Great Plains like a lighthouse on the ocean.
Scott’s “Bluff” is really a misnomer as there is more than one Bluff. Long a buffalo route marker for the Plains Indians, the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails (even the short-lived Pony Express); all passed through the Mitchell Pass formed by these bluffs. You can still see remnants of the wagon ruts along the route. We crisscrossed these Pioneer trails throughout our trip.
Named after a Fur Trader who died here, Scott’s Bluff became a National Monument in the early 1900s. The WPA built the road to the top in the 1930s, passing through three tunnels to spectacular views east, west, north, and south.
We continued north and made a quick stop at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, a rich Miocene (23 million to 5 million years ago) mammal fossil site. The name comes from the Agate Springs Ranch that the land was once part of. Thousands of fossils have been found, many very well preserved. One of the most unusual is the corkscrew burrow of the Paleocasto, an ancient beaver-like animal. The burrow is called a Daemonelix, or Devil’s Corkscrew and was dug into ancient river banks. After filling with silt and mud the burrows were fixed in time until erosion brought them to the surface again.
A Presidential Prep Stop
On this trip, we had planned to stop at two Presidential Libraries, Clinton’s in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Truman’s in Independence, Missouri. We ended up stopping at 6 in total and so, on reflection, it seemed only appropriate that we had stopped at Mt. Rushmore on our way to North Dakota. This was our third trip to Mt. Rushmore, so we didn’t spend long. Winnie loves it though and I couldn’t just drive by when it was so close.
It truly is an impressive sight – 4 huge heads exploding out of the granite and looming over the amphitheater below. As you wind your way up the Black Hills toward the parking lot the sculptures come into view over and over again. If you are like Winnie, you just can’t get enough and I had to drag her away.
After an overnight in the most expensive, but truly the nicest Motel 6 we had ever been in we headed toward New State #2 - North Dakota. Gorgeous fall weather made for a wonderful clear day. Our first stop was the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the Badlands of North Dakota. Although his Maltese Cross and Elkhorn ranches encompass some of the current park lands, most of his ranching operations were north and south of Medora along the Little Missouri river. His original cabin from the Maltese Cross ranch has been moved to the park and contains many of his artifacts from his time here in the late 19th century. The park is split into two sections. We explored the south entrance near Medora, ND, driving up the road through the many geologic shapes. We turned a corner and ran smack dab into a heard of buffalo. Most moved off the road, but one decided he was not going to let some city slickers disturb his spot and stood there glaring at us until finally sauntering away.
It is quite fitting that this President should have a National Park of his own after all he did to expand and preserve the National Parks of this country in the face of tremendous opposition from the lumber and mining industries.
On The Northern Plains
As we made our way out of the badlands of west North Dakota, we passed through miles of farmland, dotted occasionally by small towns. As we neared Bismarck, we noted that we were along the Lewis and Clark trail. It was here, in the Mandan Indian Villages on the Missouri River that the Corp of Discoveries first wintered, meeting and recruiting Sacagawea and her French trapper husband.
Once in Bismarck, we made our mandatory visit to the State Capitol and the North Dakota Heritage Center Museum. Filled with North Dakota history, from the prehistoric to the present, it is a fascinating stop. The dinosaur and Ice Age displays alone are worth the trip.
Pushing further east we made it to Fargo before we had to call it a day. Of course, it looks nothing like the Cohen Brothers movie…which had nothing to do with Fargo anyway…guess they just liked the name.
Frostbite Falls
The next day we crossed into New State #3 - Minnesota; home of The Twins, The Vikings, Jesse Ventura, Freshman Senator Al Franken, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and, of course, the largest shopping mall in all of America aptly named Mall of America.
This 4-story, nearly 5 miles of store fronts, 25-ride theme-parked behemoth monument to American Capitalism gets nearly 40 million visitors annually…and I believe they were all there at once the day we showed up. A scrap-bookers convention was going on right there among the stores, rides, and restaurants. I have never seen so many sweat-shirted ladies lined up for a handful of free scrapbook paper, leaving Dad and the kids to hang out in the Nickelodeon theme park, the huge Lego store, or taking their daughter’s American Girl dolls to the full-service hair salon for a new coif.
We spent a couple hours in absolute amazement and totally lost before using the GPS to find our parked car and heading toward the state capital in St. Paul. As it was the weekend we could only enjoy the outside of the building. After a few pictures, we decided to squeeze in New State #4 and crossed the river into charming Hudson, Wisconsin before heading south to New State #5 – Iowa.
King Corn
I have been to Des Moines a couple times for business, but hadn’t really explored anything other than the inside of my hotel room. Winnie is a member of the Oakland Art Guild and they have planned an art trip to Des Moines for 2010…for $4,000 a head! So, Winnie, ever the economist, decided we could see the same things as part of this trip for a lot less.
And we did! The beautiful Papajohn Sculpture Garden is just down the road from the State Capitol and contains the large sculpture collection of local philanthropists John and Mary Papajohn. Statues and sculptures by Deborah Butterfield, Richard Serra and others dot the landscape of this large park that replaced some rundown industrial buildings. From there we drove through the beautiful Terrace Hill area to the Des Moines Art Center. Although small in comparison to major city museums, the collection is magnificent thanks in part to local philanthropist James Edmundson’s bequest.
After our short but satisfying visit to Des Moines, we headed north again to the small farm town of Beaman to visit Winnie’s half-brother Brian and his wife Pam. While we have kept in touch over the years, we hadn’t seen each other for 24 years.
When we showed up on their doorstep, it was as if we had never been apart. Our gracious hosts took us to dinner and insisted we spend the night. Winnie was able to visit her father’s grave and see pictures and movies of him she had never seen before. It was a wonderful experience and we vowed to not let another 2 ½ decades go by before we saw each other again.
Not Quite The Amish
The 6 Amana Colonies lie in Eastern Iowa off Interstate 80. They began as a religious sect called The Inspirationists in Central Germany. After years of persecution from both the Catholic and Lutheran churches, the sect left Germany for the New World, settling near Buffalo, New York in the 1830s. As the colony grew, they needed more farmland for their agricultural needs and moved to the fertile plains and cheap land of Iowa. They established six colonies a mile or two apart, each based on the sect’s idea of communal living. While their story is similar to the Amish, they were never so strict as to not adopt new inventions and other ways of modern life. The communal way of life persisted until the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was at this time that the colonies formed The Amana Society, Inc to manage the mills, farms, and larger enterprises, including a new enterprise, the Amana Refrigerator Company, producing some of the first freezers in the country. The plant remains, although it is now a part of the Maytag Corporation.
In 1965 the colonies were declared a national landmark and in came the tourists helping to keep the 19th century flavor alive. We did our part by partaking of a couple souvenirs, some delicious apple jelly and a bite or two of the wonderfully smoky Amana ham.
Another Unplanned Stop
As we drove along one of the many routes of the old Lincoln Highway, we spotted a two-lane bridge from the early 1930s with LINCOLN HIGHWAY spelled out in concrete on each side. After the obligatory picture, we headed east toward Illinois until we spotted an exit for the Hoover Presidential Library and Birthplace.
Now, we are not big fans of President Hoover (Hoover was another of those Presidents that were better off as private citizens than as President), but we are history buffs and I also had to get that stamp for my National Park Passport book; so, it was off the Freeway to West Branch, Iowa and the first of 6 Presidential libraries and birthplaces/homes we stopped at on this trip.
It was a great lesson in history (and Ex-Presidential attempts to rewrite history) and we learned of his fascinating life as an engineer traveling the world working on dams, drainage, and other engineering feats. When it came to the Depression, however, the writings tended to blame his cabinet and predecessors – which may have been true to some extent – rather than his own actions which were conveniently downplayed as “ineffective, but we had to try something.”
We pushed onward and crossed the Mississippi into Illinois (new state #5) making it to Aurora on the outskirts of Chicago before calling it a night.
A Quick “Wright” Turn
The next morning we were driving into Chicago when we spotted the exit for Oak Park and the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Museum. We planned to make a side trip out here anyway, so as opportunity knocked we took advantage and exited the Freeway once again.
There is a wonderful novel called Loving Frank (by Nancy Horan) that Winnie and I both read. It tells the story of the love affair between Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the wife of one of Wright’s Oak Park clients. It weaves all the facts known of this 11-year affair, while filling in the gaping holes in their story (most of their letters, writings etc were lost in a fire) with fiction and educated speculation. Reading this book piqued our desire to know more about Wright and we were not disappointed with our stop here.
After we signed up for the house and office tour, we were handed a self-guided audio walking tour of several blocks in the general vicinity where Wright and other contemporaries designed and built homes. When you start the walk, you see two of his earliest works which do not look much different from the late Victorian, early Edwardian styles that abound in the area. There are those “Wright” touches in the geometric shapes of windows and doors, but nothing to prepare you for what was to come further up the street – The Heurtley House.
If you saw this home in Palo Alto or Los Altos Hills, you would think it to be a fairly modern rendition of a McMansion built by one of the Silicon Valley’s millionaires…but this home was designed and built in 1902! It is a wonderful example of Wright’s Prairie Architecture.
The tour of his home and office was a step back into his early professional life. He even designed the furniture, lighting, and his wife’s clothes to reflect his taste. His offices were way ahead of their time. Open and airy, his clients were lead through the drafting tables and models to his office where they consulted with him (actually were told) on what their homes would look like.
After lunch we toured the Unitarian Church he designed in 1909. After 100 years, it is currently in the process of being restored, and yet the layout, pews and lighting all scream Wright!
Our Frank Lloyd Wright yearnings sated, we headed for our hotel in Downtown Chicago.
That Toddling Town
The Harrison Travelodge Hotel was quite adequate, didn’t break the bank, and, best of all, it was right off Michigan Avenue a block from the loop. As icing on the cake, it came with Lester! Lester was the concierge, bell hop, and all round Chicago encyclopedia and he was a delight. We took a short break to renew our energies and then headed out for a walk through Grant and Millennium Parks. We happened upon a free concert at the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion. The acoustics are fantastic and the concert was a lot of fun. The threatened rain never did materialize and we continued our walk through this marvelous addition to the Chicago waterfront. Much of this was still being built the last time I was here, so it was great to see the finished product.
We walked past the Cloud Gate sculpture and took the obligatory reflective picture of ourselves in the highly-polished stainless steel of this giant jelly bean shaped sculpture. We continued on to the Crown Fountain designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa – two 50-foot towers of video images with a rectangular pond in the middle, the fountain’s light and images change culminating in two large faces “spitting” water into the pond. It is a hoot!
We finished the evening with some great Thai food at “Hot Wok, Cool Sushi”, a great little restaurant on Michigan Ave.
Art and Architecture
Chicago is the home of Modern American architecture and Daniel Burnham is the father of The Chicago School, the name given to the styles brought to fore by Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Holabird and Roche, among others. The Chicago Architecture Foundation works to keep the history of this style alive through tours, lectures, and educational activities.
After a hearty breakfast, we walked over to join our scheduled tour of the pre-1934 skyscrapers within the loop. The CAF has put together some fantastic tours, each led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide and equipped with a wonderful short wave radio system that allows you to hear clearly the guide descriptions despite the noise around you.
Our guide Paul took us on a wonderful jaunt around and into many turn-of-the-century buildings that reside in and around the downtown loop. One of my favorites was the Marquette Building designed by Holabird & Roche and built in 1894. It was one of the very first tall buildings to have a steel frame and was clad in terra cotta to make it fireproof. (Memories of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire were still fresh in many minds. On the other hand, the devastation and destruction caused by that fire gave rise to the Chicago School. The architects no longer had to follow what came before. They had a fresh canvas.)
The Marquette building is decorated with bass reliefs, mosaics and sculptures telling the story of French Explorers Marquette and Joliet’s journey to this area in 1674. The lobby area we toured has been lovingly restored with a grant from The McArthur Foundation. It is something to see.
On the Art Deco side, we toured The Field Building (now known as the LaSalle Bank Bldg) built in 1934 on the site of the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building. It was the last skyscraper built in Downtown Chicago until 1955. The lighting and elevators, in fact, the entire lobby area screams Art Deco. I loved it…wish I could have stolen one of the lights for our house.
Our walking tour ended and we were starved, but only had a short time before our next tour, a boat cruise covering the modern architecture of the City. We decided to grab a Chicago favorite, a deep dish stuffed pizza at Giordino’s near the river. We shared a “small” one and were stuffed ourselves!
We boarded our boat at the foot of the landmark Michigan Avenue Bridge. Built between 1917 and 1920, it was originally conceived by Daniel Burnham as part of his grand Chicago City Plan in 1909. The design of the bridge was uniquely Chicago, built in the bascule style. While it is a draw bridge, it now is only raised occasionally for sailboats to pass through to and from their winter storage yards and Lake Michigan.
Passing under the bridge, our tour docent, Patricia, pointed out some of the prominent architecture along Wacker Drive. We floated along, relaxing and digesting both our meal and the magnificent architecture of this city. One of my favorites is the Lake Point Tower, a residential high-rise that is set apart from the cluster of downtown buildings. I don’t really know why I like it, but its three-leaf clover styling just strikes me right.
After the tour, we did the obligatory tromp down Michigan Avenue, stopping at the Water Tower, a few stores, Lake Michigan, and making our way back to the John Hancock Tower Signature Lounge on the 96th floor for drink and a view of the city from above. Afterwards we crossed the street to walk the other side home and, looking up a street, spotted (to our great surprise) a Trader Joes! It was a sign! A Godsend! And we loaded up on salad, cheese and nice, crusty sourdough rolls. We returned to our room tired and ready for a wonderful “home cooked” meal. It was heavenly!
Question - What does the Lake Michigan shoreline and Montgomery Ward have in common?
Answer: Everything!
Any visitor to Chicago may note that the majority of the Lake Michigan Shoreline within the City limits is mostly park and/or public buildings. When I first saw this I assumed it was because the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 was staged here. Wrong! The World’s Fair was a bit south of the downtown area in Jackson Park and while its parks and open space were preserved that is not why the rest of it is to this day.
For that we can thank Aaron Montgomery Ward, the founder of the now-defunct Montgomery Wards department store. His philanthropic work was renowned and “Ward fought for the poor people's access to Chicago's lakefront. In 1906 he campaigned to preserve Grant Park as a public park. Grant Park has been protected since 1836 by "forever open, clear and free" legislation that has been affirmed by four previous Illinois Supreme Court rulings. Ward twice sued the city of Chicago to force it to remove buildings and structures from Grant Park and to keep it from building new ones. Ward is known by some as the "watch dog of the lake front" for his preservationist efforts. As a result, the city has what are termed the Montgomery Ward height restrictions on buildings and structures in Grant Park. Daniel Burnham's famous 1909 Burnham Plan eventually preserved Grant Park and the entire Chicago lakefront.” (Excerpted from Wikipedia.)
Sweet Sue
We started our third day with a trip to The Field Museum of Natural History. Originally opened in 1893 as part of the Chicago World’s Fair, it housed a vast collection gathered together from around the country and the world for the exposition. Since then, it has become a preeminent museum of Natural History. Its most famous resident is Sue, the nearly complete and best preserved skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found. She was found in South Dakota in 1990 and purchased by the museum at auction for 8.4 million dollars in 1997. After research, analysis, and careful reconstruction, she was put on display at the museum in 2000. Only the head had to be replaced with a plaster cast…not because they don’t have it, but because the massive head is too heavy to mount on the skeleton. It resides in a case on the mezzanine level of the museum.
The Field Museum contains one of the world’s largest collections of fossils…and the way they have chosen to display them is indeed unique. The Evolving Planet exhibit brings visitors through 4 billion years of life on earth. The fossil record at the beginning is slight, but still exists. Microbial animals left their imprint on sandstones and these imprints have brought theory to reality.
From there, you travel through time as well as the exhibit – from the early oceans, to inland seas and forests, then on to the age (I should say ages) of the Dinosaurs, the rise of the mammals, the development of humans and, finally, what the future may hold. It is truly an amazing exhibit and I could have spent several days exploring it in detail.
One of the highlights are the 23 murals of Charles Knight. Between 1926 and 1930, Knight created these murals for the museum. They have been incorporated into the Evolving Planet display, mostly in the Hall of Dinosaurs section and are a sight to behold. Anyone over 50 who thumbed through an Encyclopedia probably saw many of these murals printed under “D” for Dinosaur.
After a wonderful lunch break overlooking Lake Michigan, we finished our time here walking through the full recreation of an Egyptian tomb and wandering through the gem and rock exhibits.
We made our way back downtown and did the touristy and expensive trip to the top of the Sears (now Willis) tower. We should have paid attention to the weather as the clouds prevented the great, far-reaching views we were hoping for.
Street Art
Like many major cities, street art abounds, yet here in Chicago, the collection of artists is surprising. Calder, Picasso, Miro, Moore, Chagall, etc have left their mark on Chicago’s streets. Picasso’s untitled but immediately recognizable sculpture looms in Daly Plaza. Calder’s Flamingo shines bright even on a cloudy day in the Federal Plaza. Calder’s friend Joan Miro has a sculpture entitled Chicago off the street in a breezeway near the Cook County Admin Bldg. while March Chagall’s Four Seasons, a fantastic mosaic, resides near the Chase Bldg. Henry Moore’s 17’ bronze Large Interior Form serves as a beacon for the Art Institute. And that is just within or very near The Loop! Many, many more can be found on nearly any stroll you take. Turn the corner and a Richard Serra will surprise you; wander down a side street and you run across a Claus Oldenburg. For an art admirer, it is a gem of a city!
We then went over to Navy Pier, Chicago’s bigger version of Pier 39. With its rides, attractions, shops, restaurants and convention space, Navy Pier is actually keeping with its history. It was originally conceived as part of Daniel Burnham’s master city plan in 1909. The name came later as a tribute to Navy personnel who served in World War I. The Grand Ballroom built in 1916 is restored to its magnificence and The Crystal Palace is absolutely beautiful. Both now are used as convention and trade show venues most of the time.
We finished the day at The Chicago Art Institute, a massive museum with over 130,000 pieces of art spanning 5,000 years. We focused our limited time on our favorites, the Impressionists. Gallery after gallery filled with thousands of paintings representing Monet, Manet, Renoir, Van Gogh and others. It brought back memories of our trips to Paris.
We also made a quick trip to the modern galleries and, of course, the gift shop where we bought a book called Chicago: Then and Now and some art supplies for our granddaughter Ali.
When In Chicago, Eat Pizza!
We took a break at our hotel before heading out to our last dinner in Chicago. Lester gave us two recommendations for Chicago Pizza and we chose the closer of the two, Eduardo’s. As we expected, the pizza was great, the beer ice cold and we slept like babies with visions of Gauguin’s island girls dancing in our head.
On The Road Again
We finished up our Chicago sojourn with a trip to Lincoln Park. We walked through the zoo and conservatory and then drove across town to see the site of the White City, Chicago’s famous and infamous 1893 World’s Fair.
Only the Museum of Science and Industry (The Palace of Fine Arts Bldg.) remains of this fair. Much of the area is now Jackson Park and Frederick Law Olmstead’s landscaping still abounds throughout the area. Of course, America’s own version of Jack the Ripper, Dr. H.H. Holmes used the Fair’s attraction to young women to lure his many victims. (If you haven’t read it, Devil In The White City is a fantastic book on both the World’s Fair and Dr. Holmes.)
Lincoln, Lincoln, and More Lincoln (and a little Route 66 thrown in)
Back on the road, we were heading for our next destination, St. Louis and the Arch. Fate and Winnie took hold, however, and a side trip to Springfield, Illinois came first. When we arrived we found out the town was geared up for the year-long Lincoln’s 200th birthday celebration. We arrived too late to tour the Lincoln Home and Capitol Bldg. so we decided to find a hotel and explore this town of Lincoln thoroughly.
We ate dinner that night at the local hangout known as Gabatoni’s. We read about this place in the AAA guide which insisted we order something called The Horseshoe. Thank God we split this heart attack on white toast. It had a breaded pork cutlet, topped with steak fries and then smothered in spicy cheese sauce. It was huge and even splitting it, we couldn’t finish it.
We awoke early and got ourselves on the first tour of the Lincoln Historical Home and Park. The National Parks have owned his home here in Springfield for nearly a hundred years. It stayed in the family (through Robert Todd Lincoln) until the late 1800s. The National Park Service has expanded the area and restored the homes over several blocks, many open for tours, bringing the entire park back to Lincoln’s time here.
Lincoln’s home, the only home he ever owned, is quite nice for the time, reflecting his upper-middle class status during this time. Because it remained with his surviving son until it was turned over to the State and then the National Parks, many of the artifacts have been with the home since he lived here, something that rarely happens. He worked hard to provide for Mary and the boys. A stereopticon (an early Viewmaster) sits on the parlor table and Lincoln took pride in being able to spend around $30 (that’s $600 in today’s money) for it for his family.
Next we went to the State Capitol for a tour. Designed by the same architect who did the Iowa Capitol, it is in the French rococo style, very ornate. After the tour, we walked through the Route 66 Festival that happened to be going on the same weekend. Great classic cars lined the streets. It was fun to see a 1967 Mustang like my father had (I loved to borrow that car!) We then toured the Old Capitol Building where Lincoln and Stephen Douglas served. In a small alcove under a set of stairs I was surprised to see a portrait of Ulysses Grant. The guide explained that Grant had retired from the Army when he was recruited back to head the State militia for the Civil War. The Illinois Capitol was a very busy and crowded place during the Civil War and so, with space at a premium, an office was carved out of this small alcove for him. He didn’t need it long, however, as he was destined for “other” things.
Afterward, we continued our day of Lincoln and toured the Lincoln Presidential Museum, which was a little disappointing. Too Disneyesque for our taste. We went from there to Lincoln’s Tomb. His elaborate tomb was built in 1874, but fell into disrepair. After two thieves attempted to steal his body in 1876, his body was moved several times until it was interred, along with Mary and three of his sons, in a marble vault far below the memorial. (Robert Todd Lincoln, his only surviving son, is buried in Arlington Cemetery) The interior was restored and added to in 1930. As you enter the tomb, you wind your way down to the burial chamber, passing bronze statues of Lincoln as a young man, a lawyer, and as the President.
The Gateway Arch
Thoroughly “Lincoln”ed, we moved on to St. Louis, Mo. (we couldn’t count that as a “new state” as we had been to Branson together 12 years earlier). Opened in 1965, the Gateway Arch – officially known as Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - rises 630 feet on a hill near the Mississippi River. Its 900 tons of stainless steel make it quite a sight to see. I toured the Arch and museum on one of my many business trips here and enjoyed it so much I wanted Winnie to see it. We arrived too late to get on a tour this day, but then the day wasn’t a total loss as we took in the Museum of Western Expansion which follows the opening of the west from Lewis and Clark throughout the Nineteenth Century.
When we left, a beautiful full double rainbow traced the arc of the arch on the opposite side of the river. It was a rare site and I only wish I had a nice wide angle lens on my camera to take it all in.
The next day we took the unusual capsule trams to the top. The architect had searched far and wide for a company that could build this unique transport system. After checking with many elevator companies, he finally found what he needed in a man who designed car park elevators. As you ride to the top, the capsules adjust to the shape of the arch. Looking out the small windows at the top the view was spectacular. The storms from the previous day had blown over and the day was crystal clear. You could see all of St. Louis and further west. On the opposite side you could see quite a ways up the mighty Mississippi and deep into Illinois.
We spent some time exploring the museum further and then headed off across Illinois toward new state #6 Indiana.
4 States, 1 Day
So, we left Missouri, drove back across Illinois and ended up in Evanston, Indiana for a short visit. We walked along the waterfront of the Ohio River and enjoyed a quick trip through the local art gallery before hitting the road again. We drove through new state #7, Kentucky, getting to see some of the magnificent horse farms before the sun went down. We made it as far as Union City, KY before calling it a night.
Two Kings and a Saint
The next day, we crossed into new state #8 Tennessee. Our goal was Graceland, palace of The King. Winnie has wanted to visit Graceland for a long time and I couldn’t disappoint. After paying $10 to park in the near empty lot (should have just grabbed a spot on the street) we paid $30 each for the Platinum Tour. When they said Elvis has made millions more dead than alive, I didn’t think I would be such a big contributor. We then loaded onto a little tour bus and were whisked across the street for our Mansion Tour.
If you haven’t been to Graceland, you may expect it to be a very large, grand Antebellum Mansion. It is not. It is actually a comparatively small (don’t get me wrong…it is still quite large) neo-colonial style home built on some farmland acreage in 1939. Elvis bought the property in 1957 and lived there until his death in 1977. The family opened it for tours in 1982 as the cost of running the estate and his various enterprises had nearly drained Elvis’ money.
The house is literally frozen in time, looking like a tribute to the late 1960s. Eclectic, gaudy and grand, the house is filled with pictures and memorabilia, fur-covered furniture, fluorescent yellow and green vinyl, and many other oddities. The best part for me was the trophy room which has all his gold and platinum records, memorabilia from the 1950s, movie posters, and a complete history of his comebacks.
In what used to be his squash court, you will find many of his sequined costumes from his Las Vegas shows. Outside are the graves of his Mother, Father, Grandmother, and, of course, the King himself. Flowers and tributes cover the area, reminding us that 33 years later he still is worshiped like the self-proclaimed King he was.
Back across the road, we went through exhibit after exhibit of his cars, his Hollywood period, his private jets (amazing), and ending at our favorite, his time in the military. It was the only one that didn’t seem trite and overproduced. (Okay, Winnie probably like more of it. I just was never much of an Elvis fan.) Winnie bought her shot glasses, postcards, and a couple knick-knacks and that was that.
On the way to the hotel, we stopped downtown to see the sight of Martin Luther King’s assassination, The Lorraine Motel and Civil Rights Museum. It and the building next door have been turned into a tribute to Dr. King and the civil rights movement. The cars parked out front belonged to him and his entourage and the room he stayed in has been restored to 1968.
Next came my favorite part of Memphis. After dumping our bags in the hotel, we went downtown to Beale Street. BB King’s blues club sits on the corner; across the street, we grabbed a great meal of catfish and ribs at the Bay City Blues Cafe. We took our giant 54 oz beer down the street and found a wonderful band playing in the William Handy Square. This was a down and dirty blues band, playing the real thing, none of this pseudo-blues/rap crap. It was heaven for this blues lover and proud owner of one of the rarest blues album of the 1960s/70s – Fathers and Sons (Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles, Otis Spann etc)from the legendary Chess Records (yeah, I know…you have never heard of it…no one has.)
We finished up in Memphis with a tour of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the Danny Thomas/ALSAC (American–Lebanese/Syrian Assoc. Charities) Pavilion. Children’s Hospitals hold a special place in my life and in my heart. I was born with a congenital defect in my esophagus and windpipe. In the 50s, this was no easy task to repair, especially on a 6-week old, but thanks to Children’s Hospital, Oakland, and my Thoracic Specialist, I pulled through.
St. Judes is one of the preeminent children’s hospitals and research facility in the world. Started by Danny Thomas, it is an amazing place. At the Pavilion, you walk through both Thomas’ career and the hospital’s discoveries. One of its biggest accomplishments (and one that brought Dr. Peter C. Doherty of the hospital a Nobel Prize) was research in Childhood cancer, including the nefarious acute lymphoblastic leukemia. When St. Judes started treating this disease, the survival rate was less than 5%. It is now nearly 95%. That is just a fantastic accomplishment. Thomas and his Wife Rose are buried on the Pavilion grounds in a beautifully designed crypt and garden area.
A family’s ability to pay is never considered for admission to St. Judes and their administrative overhead is one of the lowest in the country. If the spirit moves you a donation here will go a long way.
Nashville – Another President, A Little Country, and the Parthenon
With some prodding from the wife, we headed off for a visit to the Tennessee capitol of Nashville (that is State Capitol #5 if you are keeping count). Our first stop was the home and museum of our seventh President, Andrew Jackson. Jackson’s estate, The Hermitage, was purchased in 1804 in what was still considered the “frontier.” He and his wife Rachel originally lived in a log house built on the property by the previous owners. In 1819, construction began on the current Federal style brick building. Enlarged and revised several times during his lifetime, the mansion has 8 rooms and two wings with a library and parlor. A Jackson Museum was added to the estate entrance and this is where you start your tour. You then walk to the house and are escorted by a period-costumed guide through the rooms. A wonderful history lesson is included in the tour. Many slave cabins dot the landscape around the mansion. Between 100 and 150 slaves worked the land and in the home. He was truly a reflection of his times, torn between supporting the Union while living in the ever restless south. He was the first President to expand his powers and use his office to bully the Congress into doing his bidding. On one hand he would support Indian rights, then turn around and boot the Cherokee tribes living peacefully in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina (the local plantation owners wanted the land) out of the area in an event that became known as The Trail of Tears.
(American Lion by Jon Meacham is a great book on his Presidency and I was fortunate enough to have read it before going on this trip.)
From there we went to the Grand Ol’ Opry to secure tickets for that night’s performance. We just had enough time to grab a hotel room and eat before getting back to the Opry. Going to the Opry reminded me a lot of Branson, MO. It is really geared toward Country Music lovers and older folks from the Midwest. Plus, the Headliner was the Charlie Daniels Band. Daniels has become a rabid right-winger and made a few comments that would offend anyone who wasn’t white, protestant, and from the South…in other words, he is the epitome of a redneck.
The next day we toured the State Capitol with our southern belle of a guide, Jennifer. She was a delight and we learned a lot of Tennessee history from her. There have been three Presidents and three Vice Presidents from Tennessee, as well as Adm. Farragut (who has a local connection as he came to California to establish the Mare Island Naval Shipyard). Tennessee was one of the last states to succeed in the Civil War and even during the war many of its residents remained pro-union. Andrew Johnson from Tennessee was Lincoln’s Vice President and remained loyal, succeeding Lincoln after his assassination.
After soaking up a little more history at the State Museum across the street, we went to the Parthenon – I know it is a bit of a drive, but we couldn’t resist going further east. Okay, that’s a fib – The Parthenon was built for the 1897 Centennial Exposition. It is as exacting a replica of the original in Greece as possible. Plaster casts of the marbles and statuary were made from the originals held in London’s British Museum. The final masterpiece was added in the 1991, a recreation of the huge statue of Athena that stood in the original Parthenon, but was lost or destroyed in 400 AD. No one knows too much about the original sculpture but enough was written about it that the modern sculptor was able to recreate it. The statue stands nearly 42 feet tall and is gilded with gold leaf and painted. In one hand stands a 6-foot, 4-inch tall statue of Nike. It is an impressive sight and we spent some time taking in the details.
The Parthenon also doubles as the city’s art gallery with over a 100 permanent and temporary art pieces.
It was time again to hit the road and we headed back toward Memphis and our next stop, Little Rock, Arkansas…but not before we snuck in new state #9, Mississippi. Since Memphis is just a short distance from the Mississippi border, we decided to drive across, just to be able to say we have been there and stick another pin in the map.
Those who know us, know Winnie is not that big on souvenirs, but there are two little knickknacks that she cannot do without; postcards and shot glasses. So, for the next two hours we hunted (in vain) for a Mississippi shot glass. I gotta tell you; sometimes those dang things can be very elusive. (In China, where all of them are now made, we couldn’t find any.)
Arkansas Redux
We headed for Arkansas (not a new state; we had been in 1997). When on the road and looking to save a few bucks, we have found that, for the most part, one hotel, motel, or inn is just about as good as another…the only difference being the price. However, occasionally one gets stuck in a…how do I say this…dump! If I hadn’t been so damned tired, I would have said “no!’ and searched out another place. It wasn’t that the place wasn’t clean and for one night we can put up with a little shop worn, but this place was in need of demolishing and rebuilding. After checking into one room where the lights wouldn’t work, we got another room that was stripped of any amenity that might have once been there, was in desperate need of carpeting, and also didn’t have working lights in all places. We suffered through and made our way the next day to the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in Little Rock.
As this was our third Presidential Museum, I knew that the difference between fact and obfuscation is definitely blurred in these places. Yet, still, it was a fascinating trip through the 90s and at least he did mention the Monica Lewinski affair. It is a very nice building set on the Arkansas River.
We went on to the Arkansas State Capitol for the obligatory visit. Our self-guided tour took us through Arkansas history, a state that was part of the Louisiana Purchase and first explored by Americans in the early 1800s. We saw a local art exhibit in the Treasurer’s Office and a gentleman who worked there invited us to take a closer look at the late-1800s vault, a massive steel and brass beauty. He then invited us into the vault and gave Winnie $100,000 to hold inviting me to take a memorable picture! I was amazed and humbled by his generosity and trust (but I guess we wouldn’t have gotten too far if we decided to abscond with the money anyway.)
Our next stop was the Little Rock Central High School National Historical Sight. For those of you too young to know, Central High was the sight of an early test of integration required by the Supreme Court Decision of Brown vs. The Board of Education. In September 1957, 9 black teens faced an angry mob that drew the attention of the world. President Eisenhower was forced to use Federal troops to ensure their safety after white mob violence broke out. The national media spotlight and an interview of Governor Faubus by Mike Wallace showed the world the unabashed racism and hatred of anyone of color by the white majority in the south.
Of the nine, only two completed High School at Central High. Many were chased out, one was expelled on trumped up charges. After she was expelled, white students passed around notes that read “One down, eight to go.” A sad time in our history and not that long ago.
We left Little Rock, heading to Oklahoma City, but we had one more Arkansas stop to make - Fort Smith National Historic Site. Fort Smith on the Arkansas River was established in 1817 and served as a remote outpost guarding the newly acquired western territories. A second Fort was built in the 1830s at a higher elevation away from the river.
The Fort became a frontier Federal courthouse and jail in the 1870s, with Federal Judge Isaac Parke (known as the hanging judge) in charge. Criminals from the Indian Territories were brought here by Federal Marshalls, tried, and, depending on their crimes, executed by hanging or transferred to a Federal prison back east. It is a fascinating history of life on edge of “civilization.”
To top it all off the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Rain clouds and sun mixed to cast shadows and sunbeams across the grounds of the Fort. A couple of my pics were the best I had taken on the trip.
A Sad, Yet Uplifting Revisit
Our trip to Oklahoma City had one specific goal – to revisit the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. We had been here shortly after the bombing when the growing memorial was ruble and cyclone fencing full of flowers and homemade placards. First, though we had to make a stop at the Capitol Building. We were here on Memorial Day last time so the capitol was closed.
After a good night’s sleep in a clean and comfortable room, we went to the Capitol for a tour. If you have not been, the Oklahoma Capitol is the only one with an oil well right on the grounds. The derrick and old Philips 66 sign still stand, although the pumping is now done completely underground. We also discovered something new…the dome of the Capitol Building was now actually in place! The dome was slated to be built with the original building, but funding and a lack of materials due to World War I ended construction before its completion. In 2001, construction was begun to complete the dome and it was completed in 2002.
We didn’t know anything about this and so it was quite a surprise to see it. Our tour guide was, once again, very knowledgeable and we had a wonderful walk through Oklahoma history.
Not All Terrorists Are Muslim
In case you didn’t know or have forgotten, The Murrah Federal Building was blown up on April 19, 1995 by home grown terrorists. 168 people were confirmed dead (19 were children at a daycare center), nearly a thousand were injured. The blast destroyed not only the Federal Building, but surrounding buildings, parked cars etc.
When we came previously, President Clinton had just declared the site a memorial and turned control over to the National Park Service. 168 chairs of glass and brass sit on a hill side representing each of the victims. At night they are lit from underneath casting a glow over the memorial area. A local Oakland artist, John Lewis, created the glass base for each of the chairs and Winnie happened to meet him on an Art Guild trip shortly before we left for this trip. “Make sure they are still standing.” He instructed Winnie. We saw him around Christmas and informed him that all was well.
Two bronze “gates” sit at either end of a reflecting pool, framing the moment of the blast which occurred at 9:02 am. One is inscribed “9:01” just before the bombing; the other 9:03, just after.
The Survivor Tree, a tree that is over 100 years old, was moved from the parking lot to the site. It is dedicated to the survivors and rescuers of the blast. On the outer walls of the memorial are sections of the makeshift memorial we had seen. Lengths of chain link fence still baring mementos, photos, message, flowers etc.
It is tasteful, respectful and a proper memorial to this close-knit city.
Bricktown
In what looks to be a failed attempt to revive a section of the downtown area, Bricktown, an old warehouse district, was rebuilt into a convention center, dining, and shopping area. A canal offers waterfront dining to some restaurants and there is an NBA arena and a AAA Ballpark. It looks to me that, if there are no games in town, the place is dead. Many of the shops, including the visitor’s center, are closed. Too bad. Another San Antonio wannabe bites the dust.
We did, however, enjoy the Buffalo sculptures (much like the cows in Chicago or the Hearts in San Francisco).
Enough of O.K.L.A.H.O.M.A! It was on to new State #10, Kansas, which at this point we were using the Interstate to get back to Independence, Missouri and The Truman Library and Home. This was really the only Presidential Library we had planned on seeing ever since we read the book by David McCullough. So, it was a quick stop at the Welcome Center, a couple shot glasses, and it was back on the road. We reached Independence at 7:30 pm and decided to call it a night.
Oh, Winnie wants me to mention that we passed through Blue Springs, Mo. where a big sign announced that this was the home town of American Idol winner David Cook. Yes, that is right…a big freeway sign! And that, my friends, is America!
Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!
The next morning we arose early, ate a quick breakfast and went to the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site. We met up with another couple who were from San Francisco and the four of us were the only ones on the first tour of the Truman home.
Harry moved into his in-laws home when he and Bess married in 1919. Except for his time in Washington DC, they lived there until their deaths. The amazing thing to me is that, after he retired, the Secret Service was not providing protection to retired Presidents. He went back home and acted as if he were never President. He walked around town, drove his car to the store, chatted to anyone and everyone and worked on putting together his book and library.
Then things changed…sort of.
Congress ordered Secret Service protection for ex-Presidents in 1965 and the agents dutiful showed up wanting rooms. Truman told them to get out and they took a house across the street instead. Bess and Harry went on living their lives as if the agents weren’t there. He would constantly leave the house and, by the time the agents knew he was gone, he would be returning as they were driving down the street looking for him.
After a very quick tour of the home (the guide must have had to pee he rushed us through so fast) we were back on the road to the small exhibit and Historical Sight visitor center. From there we went on to the Truman Library.
The Truman Library was opened in 1957. It was the first built under the Presidential Libraries and archives act of 1955 and, thus, is administered under the National Archives. Truman had an office built in the library part of the museum and he would regularly walk to it from his home, working sometimes six days a week. Many visitors report calling the library and getting Truman himself on the phone, giving directions and hours, and telling them it was his library so he should know. He would train the docents and often surprise people touring the museum.
The museum itself is a fantastic piece of history. No punches are pulled and the good, the bad, and the ugly are all included, I am sure at Truman’s urging. A favorite display of mine was the Life Magazine covers and stories from the 1940s and 50s, laying out the history of a decade of change for America. Another highlight was the recreation of his Oval Office with the original “The Buck Stops Here” sign sitting on the desk.
Afterwards, we hit the road again and drove on through Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas), Topeka (a quick stopped at the closed Capitol) and on down the stretch of Interstate 80 that was the first to be built under Dwight Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway Program. And speaking of Eisenhower, we hoped off the Freeway at Abilene to catch a bit of his Museum and Library, too.
From there we cut down to Highway 50 and called it a night in Great Bend, Kansas. We found a room and a marvelous Mexican Restaurant Kiowa. We had a great waiter by the name of PJ and a fantastic and filling meal.
“I said, get out of Dodge!”
We got into Dodge (City) early the next morning, but not before a stop at the 150-year old Fort Larned National Historic Site. This fort was established for protection of the people passing on the Santa Fe trail and also for the stagecoaches and supply trains heading west. The Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Calvary were also stationed here during the wars with the Plains Indians.
Dodge City, Kansas was known as “The Wickedest Little City In America.” We all know it from Gunsmoke, but its real history is even more interesting. Long a crossroads for travelers in the 1800s, Dodge City was established near Fort Dodge in 1872. Businessmen knew that the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad was on its way. As soon as the railroad was completed, Dodge City became the center of the cattle trade. It was also the center of the Buffalo hide trade and buffalo hides were stacked as high as the roofs. Sadly, the buffalo were hunted nearly to extinction and the cattle ranchers took over, running their cattle to the railroad lines to be taken to the slaughterhouses of Chicago and the east.
Dodge City was a lawless town and there where many murders. If you had no money or were a criminal caught and hung by vigilantes, you were buried in a cemetery in a hastily dug hole, usually not deep enough to cover the tips of your boots sticking out; thus the name “Boot Hill.” With all the murders, however, Boot Hill quickly filled and the bodies were dug up and moved outside of town.
We walked along the restored Front Street, a combination museum – roadside attraction and stopped in at the Long Branch Saloon (Miss Kitty’s place in Gunsmoke, but, in reality, it was a very popular saloon for nearly two decades.) The “Bartender” on duty was a hoot and we stayed and had a sarsaparilla talking to her for awhile.
Bat Masterson and his brothers, Wyatt Earp and his brothers as well as many others were lawmen of one type or another in this area. The “law” as it was, was simply keeping the cowboys out of trouble long enough until their pay could be drained by the bordellos, saloons and gambling houses. Despite popular myth, there wasn’t a lot of “law and order” going on here…more of a containment officer than anything else.
We hitched up our spurs, climbed back in the saddle and headed west into the setting sun on our way to our next stop, Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
Rocky Mountain High
First on our list was a trip up Pike’s Peak. This 14,000 foot mountain rises up from the Great Plains. In the early 1900s, a wagon road was improved enough to allow autos to drive up it. Shortly thereafter, the Pike’s Peak international Hill Climb auto race was started. Since 1916, this annual race is against the clock and includes several classes of cars.
Our race to the top was stopped short at the 12 mile mark due to high winds and road construction. The drive up this pink granite mountain has fantastic views, especially to the wide-open east and south. We were very luck as the clouds gave way enough to open the views up and the quaking golden aspen gave us our first real glimpse of fall.
Afterwards, we headed west to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. This is the site of hundreds of petrified redwood trees, insects and small animals that was first “discovered “by homesteaders in the 1860s. Sadly, before it became a National Monument, most of the visitors carted away thousands of specimens. Luckily many more remained buried underneath the soils and are now protected by the National Park Service.
Our final stop this day was at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. This State park was owned by railroad man Charles Perkins. He loved this place and hoped to open it as a park. After his death, his children honored his wishes and bequeathed the land to the city of Colorado Springs as long as it remained open and free to all. It has. The park is a collection of red rock formations and offers an abundance of hiking, rock climbing, and even easy sightseeing.
Our full day was capped off with a drive to Denver though a downpour and thunderstorm.
Mile (plus) High
After a good night of laundry (Winnie caught up on Dancing with the Stars) and a nice little breakfast, we went to the State Capitol for our scheduled tour of the Dome, one of the few State Capitols that allow such tours. As luck would have it, our tour “group” consisted of us and the guide and we had a lot of time to learn the history of the dome (it is coated in gold leaf over a copper shell) and to see the views of the snow-covered Rockies.
We then toured the Capitol itself, taking in the in a few ghost stories along with the history. Before we left, another docent told us about the Fairmount Cemetery and its Mausoleum that has one of, if not the largest collection of stained glass windows anywhere in the world. With the sun shining in, it made the windows even more dramatic and there were so many, we couldn’t even see them all.
We left Denver heading south to rejoin Highway 50 and our final stop for the day, The Great Sand Dunes National Park. Looking out over the huge black sand dunes, we watched the sunset and made our way west before calling it a night.
Back on the Grand Circle
The Grand Circle is a large region of the southwest United States that includes parts of 5 states: Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. It encompasses over 30 National Parks and Monuments. If you have ever been to The Grand Canyon, you have been on the Grand Circle. Winnie and I have visited many parts of the Grand Circle over many different trips and we still haven’t hit them all.
We decided that, as time and weather were on our side, we would finish our trip by visiting some new sections, and revisiting some of our favorites. Our first stop was the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP in Colorado. Cut by the Gunnison River, the black walls of the canyon are very deep and narrow in many places. We stopped and hiked to many lookouts and in some, it was if you could reach out and tough the other side.
Our next destination was the Colorado National Monument, a red rock canyon of plateaus, spires, and monoliths. The Rim Rock Drive takes you through the park from east to west offering dramatic views and great lookouts of balanced rocks and canyon depths. One interesting stop shows a tunnel that was attempted through a portion of the canyon in an attempt to straighten a sharp curve in the road. The tunnel collapsed killing and injuring many workers and a new location for the tunnel was selected around a long horseshoe turn. I’ve always marveled at the work these men did to build these roads, most of which was done with pick, shovel, dynamite, and brute strength.
We ended the day on the outskirts of Arches National Park, one of our favorites. We first visited here in 1991 and fell in love with the colors and formations. We had since been back two more times and still cannot get enough of this park.
Our 4th visit began with an early morning journey to the Windows, two huge Arches that are grouped with a formation called the Turrets and balancing rock. We walked out on the newer trail, but came back on the “primitive” trail where you can get a grander view of both Windows together. I find it funny they call it the primitive trail as that was the only trail when we visited before.
As our time was limited, we hiked the shorter ½ mile trail to the Delicate Arch viewpoint rather than the longer, steeper trail to Delicate Arch itself. Our next stop was the Fiery Furnace formation of spires and hoodoos and finally we did the Skyline walk. We left, but would return in the evening for the sunset colors.
We drove into Moab for lunch and then headed to Canyonlands. Canyonlands was formed through erosion and the power of the Colorado River and its tributaries. Mesas, buttes, and arches, canyons: all present a marvelous landscape. We went into the Island In The Sky part of the park. We first stopped at the Grandview Point for a view of nearly the entire park. We then hiked to Mesa Arch, an arch that has just (geologically) broken through the Cliffside. We continued down the park road to Buck and Shafer Canyon Overlooks before heading back to Arches for the sunset.
Fiery Furnace is beautiful at sunset. The reds explode from the rocks and the oranges and purples that shine last in the sky are stunning to see. I think Arches National Park was made especially for sunset and sunrise.
After another night in the Sleepy Hollow (great little motel, well kept and a wonderful price for the area) we headed out to Arches to take in the sunrise. Our morning walk to Landscape Arch was enhanced by a half moon hanging in the sky. You can no longer hike up to Landscape Arch but an overlook is nearby offering some great views of this longest natural arch in the world. The trail under the arch was closed after several large slabs broke off in the 1990s and a new trail that takes you deep into the park was opened. Partition Arch is nearby, but Winnie had enough hiking and I went on to see Tunnel and Pine Tree Arches myself.
A funny side story: Winnie was wearing her In & Out Burger t-shirt, but had forgotten she was. All along the trail people kept making comments:
“Wow! That makes me hungry.”
“Hey – Love the double-double!”
She just kind of blew them off until she realized why they were saying this. The power of advertising!
We grabbed a quick lunch and headed to our next park, Capitol Reef. On our previous visit, we ran out of daylight to see this park much. This time, we were determined to see as much as we could. The unusual rock formations, called domes, are white in color as compared to the red rock common to the area. This is the Navajo Sandstone which is stronger than the Entrada Sandstone below it. With a slower erosion rate, it forms domes that resemble the Capitol of the US. The “Reef” part of the name is because this park is located on a fold in the earth created by an ancient fault. One side is much higher than the other creating a “reef” of land like a coral reef in the ocean.
It is a unique geology and quite different from the other parks in the area. We drove into the Capitol Gorge scenic drive and took two spur roads up washes to see some of the more prominent formations. We walked the Capitol Gorge road up the wash area which doubled as the original road into the area. Indians have used this trail for thousands of years as evidenced by the petroglyphs carved into the sandstone. Mormon pioneers came through in the 1860s, adding their names to the sandstone walls.
As drove back towards the visitor center, the sunset lit the cliffs on fire adding to the beauty of this park. We left heading for the little town of Torrey.
A Gastronomic Blast From The Past
When we came through this area in 1997, we had no intention of spending the night. Our goal was to get to Bryce Canyon and have a full day there, but when the sun set, a 2 ½ hour drive on a two lane highway didn’t sound very appealing. A park ranger had told us about the Capitol Reef Inn in Torrey and we decided to call it a night. Back then, we got a wonderfully funky room in this small motel for $23. 12 years later, it still isn’t too bad at $59 a night. If you are adventuress, you can stay under the stars in the Kiva.
The Café is a delicious surprise. When we stayed here in 1997, we picked up a copy of Gourmet Magazine in the room and found it was written up as a great place. They were not wrong. Our dinner was fantastic and our breakfast even better. So, even though they were sold out for the night on rooms, we still had to eat there.
I brought one of the bottles of White Crane wine in and we split a huge 10-vegi salad, a ribeye steak with all the fixings and a bread pudding ala mode with coffee, all for $41 (including tip!). The 10-vegi salad with the house made raspberry vinaigrette was a meal in and of itself. The Ribeye was melt in your mouth perfect and the bread pudding was the best I have ever had. Splitting it, you would think we would be sated, but not as stuffed as we were. We rolled our way to a nearby motel (great huge room for $57) and flopped for the night.
Across The Escalante Staircase
The next morning we drove back to Capitol Reef to see the Petroglyphs outside the park. We were going to hike to the Hickman Natural Bridge, but Winnie decided it was a little too far a hike for her, so we left for the Escalante Staircase National Monument. The Escalante Staircase takes its name from the shape of the landscape. It begins with high cliffs, mountains, and terraces and sweeps down to the rugged Kaiparowits Plateau, before running to the river canyons that crisscross the landscape.
At one point the road follows a ridge along a mesa with shear drops on either side (another reason not to drive this stretch at night). This was just part of the Bureau of Land Management before, but received National Monument status in the late 1990s. It is kept wild and undeveloped, one of the few places left in the country.
We arrived at our final destination for this leg of the trip; Bryce Canyon. Bryce is a gorgeous representation of this entire area. Spires, called Hoodoos dot the eroded landscape. You drive along the rim among the trees, stopping at overlooks along the way to look down on the different configuration – Thor’s Hammer, Rainbow Point, Wall Street, Queen’s Garden, Sunset and Sunrise points etc. Our time was limited and we only did the short rim hike from Sunset to Sunrise points. On our last visit we hiked down the switchbacks and through the Queen’s Garden on the Navajo Loop trail, a wonderful fairly easy hike.
One Last Backroad
Our next destination took us through some very lonely country on the Utah – Nevada border. The sun set and we found ourselves nearly alone on the high desert scrub of this area. We rolled into Ely, Nevada about 8:00 and found a nice place to lay our heads in this old railroad town.
The next morning we rose early for a trip to our last National Park, Great Basin. Great Basin sits in the valley floor below 13,000 foot Wheeler Peak. It is rather strange to see this large uplift in the middle of the flat desert, but the mountain provides its own microclimate with pines (including the oldest living thing on earth – the Bristlecone Pines), shrubs and an almost Alpine setting.
We drove up Wheeler peak looking out over the flat “basin” surrounding it. At the top, we attempted a short hike, but the wind was so cold and biting that we rushed back to the warmth of our car. The Lehman Caves are also within the park, but we were surprised to find the tours for the day were sold out.
So, we hit the road and headed out onto Highway 50 across Nevada – the “loneliest road in America.” It was rather deserted, but not all that lonely. The fun thing is that you can get a “Passport” at local stores and shops. If you get it stamped at all 5 towns along the way, you can send it in and the Chambers of Commerce will send back a “I Survived The Loneliest Road In America” certificate, suitable for framing!
We got our first stamp at the Ely Railroad Museum where we had a wonderful chat with the ladies working there. They told us we would have a great time doing this drive and also recommended a place for lunch along the way.
Other than when you go over hills the road is as straight as an arrow. Along the way you will see markers for the old Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental route for automobiles in this country. We had driven quite a bit of the Lincoln Highway on this trip as it alternatively follows Interstate 80 and 50 through a lot of states. You will also see markers designating the route the Pony Express riders took on their way to Sacramento and San Francisco.
Cattle ranches are about the only thing you will find on the open scrub of this area, but during the gold and silver rushes, thousands of people populated the towns we were visiting. Many came from the California and Virginia City mines, heading back East after finding very little, but deciding to settle and raise cattle on this homestead-able land.
Eureka was our next stop, an old mining town that once had a population of 11,000, but now is more in the 500 range. Mining still happens in these hills, but not on the scale of the turn-of-the century mines. The Eureka Opera House, built in the 1880s, still produces shows and a few gambling houses and hotels still run.
Off we drove toward the next town, Austin, but not before being pulled over by the Nevada Highway Patrol:
“Have you been drinking, sir?”
“Uh, no, officer, nothing but Pepsi.”
“Well you were weaving and you almost hit me.”
I really didn’t, but I did weave a bit when I tried to find a song on the I-Pod. He let us go with a warning and we were back on the road, driving a little more carefully.
In the little town of Austin (another old mining town) we found the suggestion for lunch the Ely ladies gave us - the Toiyabe Café. We were told they have some of the best burgers around and let me say they were right on the mark. It was delicious!
On the road to Fallon, the sun began to set and we were treated to one of the most colorful sunsets of our trip. Purples, reds and oranges glowed on the mountains and hills before us. It seemed to last forever. We passed a dry lake bed used by the Navy for bomber practice and a mysterious bunch of buildings, some underground, where I’m sure the military builds Republican military contractors. (Shhhh)
In Fallon, we decided to relax and do a little gambling. I actually won $20 playing video poker! (Understand I haven’t won anything on video poker or slot machines for decades!) Sweet! Flush with cash, we called it a night.
Our final stop was Fernley – A quick passport stamp and our trip across the Loneliest Road was complete. We drove on to Gardnerville, picked up the Buffy from my brother and sister-in-law and headed back across the Sierras.
Side note: Buffy had a marvelous time on her vacation, too. She got to run in the snow for the first time from an early snowfall that had hit, swim (also for the first time) in Topaz Lake, and was spoiled rotten by her Uncle Steve and Aunt Kaki!
After 30 days on the road our marvelously eclectic trip came to an end. We had visited 19 states, 18 National Parks and Monuments, 10 State Capitols, 6 Presidential Libraries, a King’s Palace (Graceland), the great city of Chicago, and a plenitude of wonderful small towns. We chatted with the locals and met some wonderful characters along the way. In short, we accomplished everything and more on the Bucket List!
An incredible journey through a incredible country. Next up, the East Coast – 11 more to go!
Fini
Tracy
Copyright 2010, Tracy C. Baker, The Milkman's Son
