Rivers, rails, and a Trace

Hasn't all been just great food and music.  Made a brief visit to Hot Springs NP, but the leisure aspect was a little ho-hum.
Hadn't really grasped what a crossroads and focal point Tennessee was until doing research for this trip.  Major rivers, the Natchez Trace, east-west and north south rail lines.  But we first had to cross the Mighty Mississippi...
Our first contact with the Mississippi was in Helena and standing on the levee, we read the historical markers about the Trail of Tears when the tribes from the southeastern US were relocated to Indian territory (Oklahoma) in the 1830s.  Some traveled via water up the Mississippi on barges pulled by paddle wheels, although 300 perished when one of the barges capsized in the river.  Many of the 'civilized tribes' passed along the road we had just driven.

At the exact same point, the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863 when CSA troops attacked the fortified Union positions along the river and just inland at a redoubt known as Fort Curtis.  The USS Tyler with her guns turned the tide against the Rebs and they were forced to withdraw with significant casualties.

The Union locked down rail and river travel across the South after the Battles at Shiloh and Corinth in 1862 and ultimately Vicksburg.  Transportation was the prize in both conflicts and Grant's success, though costly, surely sealed the CSA's demise.  Shiloh was perhaps most notable for showing both sides the tremendous number of casualties that could be inflicted by determined forces with improving weaponry, a sober predictor of things to come...

The Natchez Trace was the first super highway in US history.  Stretching from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN, it had been used for centuries prior to its adoption by the boatmen who had come down the Mississippi from the Ohio and headed home, the traders and trappers making their way south and west, Andrew Jackson on his way to war ... etc. etc.
Didn't realize it but one my personal historical heroes, Meriwether Lewis, died and was buried along the Trace while on his way to Philadelphia to edit his report on the Corps of Discovery.  Soph was amazed that he could travel to the northwest and back, but dies on his way from one city to another back in civilization ... that's the early 19th century I suppose.

If you ever have time to travel the Trace, there are numerous interesting pull-outs with historical discussions or displays, but perhaps none as interesting as the traditional tobacco farm, complete with drying barn where the leaves must hang for 4-6 weeks.

 

Smoke 'em if you got 'em, 'cause these won't be ready 'til after Christmas!

Food for the soul

You've already heard me rave about Basque food while in the western US.  Couldn't wait to get to the south to get my gums wrapped around some soul food.  And brother, did we strike gold.  In fact, Sophia now struggling to decide which she likes better ... told her no point in debating - like 'em all and wait for the next region's offering!
Our first night in Arkansas found us in White Hall, AR with no choices but chains, except for a local pizzeria - Frank's.  They offer 22 pizza options.  I only had room for chicken alfredo, bbq chicken, meat madness, pepperoni, and stuffed baked potato!  But, best of all was the accent of the young Arkansas gal that took our order and asked if we wanted "sweet tea or what" ... can't phonetically do justice to the syrupy sweet honey that flowed from her mouth to our ears, but even Soph was struck by the almost iconic accents we enjoyed at the buffet.
Things really looked up in Helena when we caught the tail end of Granny Dee's lunch buffet.  Let's just say Soph was sold on soul food within 30 seconds.  And not only was the sausage, meatballs, greens, beans, yams, mashataters and cornbread "slap yo mama" good, but we also got to listen to the chief detective with the Helena PoPo tells his buds about the latest bust at the Wal Mart parking lot the night before!  Satisfied many appetites with that meal!

Also found At The Table in Nashville ... well, actually Sophia found it.  I think her iPhone now has downloaded every possible app for Basque and soul food in the US.  She just vectors me in and we chow down.  Couldn't decide which meat to choose today, so mama suggested I just have one of each - coulda kissed the woman!  Had meatloaf and smothered pork chops, great greens, and home made mac 'n cheese, plus corn pone bread.

Not sure we can continue to eat at this pace, but we're going to keep trying!  Can't wait to see what the next region has to offer.......

There's just something about Helena

As we do our eastward swing, we're still targeting wanna-be Helenas along the way.  Couldn't miss out on Arkansas' offering, and weren't disappointed.
Situated along the Mississippi River in eastern Arkansas, it is a scenic setting, with some nice bluffs, lots of hardwood forest, and the inevitable levee riverside.  Downtown has numerous historic red brick buildings and as we drove along checking them out, I saw a sign in the Delta Community Center it was the home to the King Biscuit Time Radio Show, a blues program I used to listen to on KUT while at Texas.  We pulled in and started visiting with the staff at the Center and checking out the displays they had for the tremendous amount of musical talent that called Helena home and spent time on the King Biscuit program.  I was forced to confess that back in the 80s, when the show was called the King Biscuit Flour Show, I thought it was spelled 'flower' like psychedelic stuff, and not related to the local flour company that sponsored the show in Arkansas!
Of course we ended up meeting everyone associated with the museum (they'd never heard of Helena, Texas <<gasp>>), including "Sunshine" Sonny Payne, the deejay for the program since the '40s.  He didn't know where Helena, Texas was, but he was mustered out of the Army in 1947 at Ft Sam, so he knew enough about South Texas to remember boarding a train in SA and getting off in Helena, AR and starting with KFFA right after.
He then insisted we join him on his Wednesday show broadcast from 12:15-12:45.  So we sat in and chatted a bit on-air.  Then Sophia read the ad for the museum store like a pro.  Really enjoyed watching Sonny work - he's so passionate about the blues ... this was his 16,627th broadcast... and while the music was playing, he was describing the musicians, instruments, solos, and heart of each song for us.
If you would like to have a listen, here's the link for Sophia's broadcast debut!
http://kffa.dataride-previews.com/radioaudio/kffa/kbt112812.mp3

 

 

If you didn't believe in mojo before, you gotta be getting on board now!  Can't imagine planning to visit the roots of the blues and get Sophia on a national radio program ... just had to flow with it to put us in that place at that time.  Like riding along on a river.  Or closing your eyes and getting lost in a twangy blues rift.

As Sonny is so fond of saying ... "Hey!  How 'bout that?!"

How the West was done

Have a few days to reflect, swap gear, do laundry, change oil, and do other chores while hanging with Daphne and Marina.
The tree is in the living room with lights twinkling.  Kali and Pickett have renewed their friendship.  Still a bunch of e-mails and bidness stuff to catch up on and tie up again.  We'll watch the KCJH Lady Badgers' basketball games Monday, then head east.
If you have been considering a trip such as this with one of your offspring, I can heartily recommend it!  Granted, I was born under a wandering star and have never met a stranger or passed up a cafe.  I'm enthused by history and geology and anthropology, especially when they all tie together at some significant point.
Just don't let the logistics of such an adventure dampen your enthusiasm.  In a nutshell, be prepared, then forget about an agenda.  Oh sure, there are places that are must-sees, but recognizing from the start that you can't see everything and accepting and enjoying what you do is half the challenge.  Let your companion answer their own questions with the ubiquitous smart phone.  That sometimes leads to new discoveries in places that may not have been on your list.
Some general thoughts after our first 26 days on the road:

• this country is huge ... would take years to cover all the national sites alone, and that doesn't include the home made pies!  In the West, it may be 200-300 miles between stops.  Can't fight that, it's just big country.  Will be different in the East, but don't set yourself up for some specific quantity of stops per day.  Do what you can and enjoy what you do.
• have your wing man do research well in advance ... buy maps for every state along the way and find the points of interest.  One glance at the map then tells you what's in the vicinity and if it is a priority.
• forget about an agenda ... do the random walk thing.  We had several days of weather issues and a half day break down, but never stopped exploring or learning while we waited - it was just in places we hadn't anticipated.
• leave the tent at home ... I though camping might be a money-saver and get us further into the outback, but there's so much gear and time associated with setting up camp (usually in bear country) that it really robs you of valuable time elsewhere.  Or else decide all you want to do is camp in parks ... but if you're doing this in the Fall, expect brutal weather!
• build in rest days ... teenagers need sleep.  Sleeping in a few days leads to happier travels.  The road game is grinding.  Find a motel with guest laundry, go see a movie, plays cards ... do some home style stuff periodically to recharge the batteries.
• carry a small cooler with some yummy foods purchased along the way ... this saves time and money, is an excuse to explore general stores in small towns and experience new vittles, and allows you to enjoy some remote and pretty places for a quick meal.  Again, if you travel in the Fall, you don't even need ice for the cooler!
• learn from ALL of the resources ... not just talking park rangers and forest service employees.  The cultural experience comes from cafes, hardware stores, sporting goods counters, high school offices, Basque restaurants ... just about anywhere.  There's little sniglets of history and economics and ethnology you can pick up from any conversation - some of it bogus, some of it priceless.  But America is an idea, an accumulation of experiences ... I'm always amazed by the list of things I don't know and how information is always there for those willing to seek it out.

So if you and your offspring have been following along and considering a similar experience, I can only encourage you to make it happen.  The bond with the traveling companion is strengthened and you both learn along the way.  Bet I can offer you a lot more good reasons to do it than you can offer reasons you shouldn't.

Oh, and the family at home, while missed, get to bond in their own way.  And returning and sharing the adventure is special too.

The Griswolds do Thanksgiving

There's a lot of stuff between southern Utah and Helena, Texas, but we wanted to get home for the holiday weekend, so we turned the rig southeast and tried to make good travel time while taking in a few of the more notorious national parks along the way.
Zion is apparently a destination for Californians during Thanksgiving and we were amazed at the number of vehicles and folks in the park on Thursday.  No hassles about a tree on a truck though since the red rock scenery doesn't support many firs!
Made the obligatory stop at the visitors center for souvenirs (plus an interesting book on Powell's expedition), then fell into the line of cars driving the road through the park.
Perhaps its the colors or the dramatic rock faces, but I found Zion more appealing than even Yosemite.  Again, mere photos can't do it justice, but we shot many more in Zion than anywhere else!

From Zion we dashed into northern Arizona, driving through the Kaibab Natl Forest (where we'll find our Christmas tree in the future - not only are they beautiful, they're also several states closer to home!) to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  Fewer folks there, but the ranger on staff, Todd Haisachi, was as helpful and informative as any we've encountered.  Took the stroll out to Bright Angel Point and just gasped.  Not because of the high elevation (although that didn't help), but just because of the sheer magnitude and magnificence that is the Canyon.  "Grand" just doesn't seem a suitable title.
With the clear November air, we could see miles into the distance as well as the depths of the Canyon.  Not quite the Chevy Chase head-bobbing recognition of the area, but we didn't stay long ... we are committed to returning one day, perhaps doing a rafting trip along the Colorado and looking up instead of down.



 

 

What about Thanksgiving dinner?  Well, it may surprise you to know that there's not a whole bunch of options in the Navajo Reservation.  We did stop for sliced turkey sandwich meat and had a nice meal of that on Ritz with cheese and California fruits.  And were thankful for all we'd seen.

 

But there is no Thanksgiving without punkin pie, and lo and behold, on our way south we came to an intersection at Mt Carmel Junction, UT where the suburban of its own volition dove into the parking lot next to this sign....

 

 

It was only a 3-star pie - wasn't firm or spicy enough and the crust was a little mushy - but it was timely.  Sophia's apple pie with rum-butter syrup would have been a better choice for the true aficionado, rather than the sentimental fool.

 

Made our way into ABQ for the night.  If I'm anywhere in New Mexico, I can make Helena in a day, and we did ... took 799.8 miles, but we were home in time for dinner with Daphne and Marina!

 



The Trees

The Trees is more than just one of my favorite Rush songs (and perhaps one of the reasons it's taken them so long to be nominated to the Hall of Fame), it's also what the past two days have focused upon.
We drove along the eastern edge of California's Central Valley through groves of oranges, plums, olives, and others I could not recognize on our way up to Kings Canyon/Sequoia Natl Parks.  Windows down in the crisp dry air and the citrus scent filled the truck.  A few miles later it was replaced with alpine forest.
We both admit we were not prepared for the epic scale of the giant sequoia, the redwoods' big brother.  While they don't quite reach the same stellar heights as the coastal variety (325-350' vs. 350-375') they double them in mass and volume.  The stat that really stuck with me ... a sequoia's bark can be up to 31" thick!
We don't own cameras that can do these magnificent trees justice, but here are a few attempts...

And she thought playing against Poth was bad...

They must have been an inspiration to Tolkien.  Heck, I think I could write about a culture that lived in these tree tops!
Continuing with the tree theme, as we were stopping to photograph the truck by a tree for reference, noted red and blues in the rearview and got to visit with a dubious yet polite NP Ranger, Ranger Jordan.  She was curious about whether we were removing resources from the national park since we had a Douglas fir tree on the roof.  While Sophia tried to disappear into her seat, I patiently explained, then re-explained that the permit from ID was attached to the tree and the woman at the north gate would verify it was on the roof when we entered the park.  Ranger Jordan finally settled down enough to look for and check the NF permit.  Think she was convinced she had her big bust for the week and was a little overstimulated.  Perhaps I just have the affect on law enforcement.
Anyway, she handed my drivers license back and stated, "well, you don't look like a convicted felon and you haven't done anything wrong, so I'm just gonna let you go.  Just didn't want you to go through the park with that tree without someone from law enforcement checking you out."  Guess I'm glad that someone was her!  Perhaps now I have something to add to my bidness card - doesn't look like a convicted felon!
Found a wonderful fruit stand at an intersection that had an interesting shelter belt (one of my favorite agricultural features anywhere in the country) - olive trees planted to provide protection from northern frosts for citrus groves ended up being a lucrative business opportunity for the farmer.  Love stories like that!  And love the options of fresh California produce!

The transition from the Central Valley's produce basket to the Mojave Desert's harsher climes may be as stark as anything we've seen thus far.  There's plenty of life in the Mojave and I'm not one of those travelers that finds the region or those like it devoid of life or anything interesting.  Perhaps most telling are the only trees that dot the horizon for a hundred or more miles ... the joshua trees.

Just couldn't find Sam...

Okay, so now I've been to a national park where the scenery inspires as much wonderment as historical achievement.  Yosemite is worth the winding drive, the slow RVs, and even the crowds.  And this is the first NP I've been to where they are so focused on moving herds of people efficiently.  With 3.7 million visitors per year, I can understand why ... thankfully, there weren't the average 10,000 on Monday ... but there were still bunches.
At this point, will just let a few of the many photos we both snapped do the talking...

 

 

 

 

Yep, it merits a RAVE!

 

Making the turn

First stop was the Donner Memorial.  Tragic set of circumstances led to their being stuck in the pass due to a huge snowstorm.  The snow height reached the top of the statue in the photo.  Also led to discussions about what it takes to be so hungry you'd eat a friend ... and what it took to be a pioneer and even consider heading West.

Stopped our westward travels in Auburn, CA and began the south and east return loop towards Helena by driving down the eastern edge of the Sacramento Valley along CA-49, presumably so named because it was in this valley in the American River where gold was first discovered at Sutter Mill by James Marshall on 24 Jan 1848.  This began the gold rush, 49ers, western trails, etc. etc.

Standing where the gold rush began!

 

Continuing south, we came to the cabin where Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, began his writing career with the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County based upon folks and locations he encountered while in this part of California.

 

 

Also made a culinary find in Diamond Springs, CA at the Firehouse Cafe, just across the street from, you guessed it, the fire station.  One thing I have learned from my travels over the years is that fire fighters know where to find the best grub - from Slippery Rock to Diamond Springs, they've never steered me wrong.  Toasty, drippy reuben for lunch!

Basque-ing in the glow...

Our plans to go into Boise for a Basque dinner were thwarted by the BSU vs. CSU senior-day football game.  Motels and restaurants booked, we wound up in Bliss, ID for the night...and really, how bad can things be in Bliss?  Bears is an appropriately aggressive mascot, but really, shouldn't they be the Smiles?  Or the Dreams?  Or the Ignorance????
With Basque lunch on our minds, we turned south towards Nevada, stopping at the Hagerman Fossil Beds NM and 1000 Springs state park along the way.  The waterfowl migration has not begun yet, so one of our stops was at a pond so loaded with noisy ducks and geese, you couldn't speak in a normal voice.

And then, along a county road, we stopped and watched and listened to a covey of valley or California quail busily go about their day, chasing each other, whistling, and acting all quail-ly and cute.  Most satisfying perhaps for me was Sophia's appreciation for the birds, their beauty and their habits, without a blood lust desire to whack 'em.  Make no mistake, I love chasing them with Kali, and yes, they are tasty, but quail - all quail - are my favorite birds with their jaunty personalities, gaudy plumage, and family instincts.  Wish there were more and we certainly drove through places in southern ID where they were probably once abundant.  When it comes to upland hunting, I was definitely born a generation too late.  But, I'll not RAGE on about clean farming for now...

Basque cuisine was brought over from the Basque region along the Spain/France border by the shepherds who found work and a familiar environment in the region that encompasses southern ID, northwestern NV, northeastern CA and southeastern OR.  They built communities of immigrants complete with motels for lodging and meal houses for communal dinners using foods and spices reminiscent of home, especially lamb and garlic!
Suffice to say I'll drive a long way to sit at a Basque table.  Unfortunately, Basque tradition also means that Sundays are family days, so no lunches were available at any of the Basque joints in Winnemucca.  We pressed on for Reno, not one of my favorite destinations due to its size and gambling focus, but necessity required it.
Did go out to see Lake Tahoe along the way.  Averages 1,000' deep - jeez!  I'm sure it's very appealing, and crowded, during the summer, but we had the beach to ourselves...

Headed over the mountains into Reno at dusk and had a white-knuckle drive over ice and snow down the mountain.  Parked right outside Louis' Basque Corner and were seated immediately.  Sure coulda used a carafe of the house red wine, but settled on really toasty black coffee.
Soph had the NY Strip and I had the lamb chops.  We were joined at our table by a couple from Reno and one of their long-time companions, all probably retired and well-traveled.  Conversation quickly turned to Sophia's carschooling and then to upland hunting!
The hour and a half dinner just flew by.  The food and conversation were exactly what I had hoped for Sophia to experience.  All were in agreement that a Basque restaurant would be hugely successful in Austin!
We'll continue to seek out Basque establishments for the rest of the journey, as Sophia has become as big a fan as me ... and Funk ... and Burf!
Shut down in Truckee, and will visit Central Pacific RR and Donner sites before dropping into the Sacramento Valley, then beginning our turn to the south and east for a return to Helena for Thanksgiving.
So how far would I drive for a Basque meal?  Did 640 miles on Sunday!!!
Oh, and had an interesting conversation with the CA agricultural inspectors at the border about the Douglas fir on top of the truck ... but, we stil have it!

Fa-La-La-La-La La-La La-La

We spent a couple of hours afield with Jim and his drahthaar, Kenai on some BLM south of Salmon.  Crisp morning and great company.  After a few miles in the canyons, we were on our way back to the truck when we crossed one set of fresh bird tracks. 

 

Sent Kali that direction and she was in hot pursuit, as the single set of tracks turned into several.  Crossed two arroyos with a purpose and we had to run to keep up. 

As we crested the second hilltop, we saw her locked up on the arroyo edge.  Sophia put up six Hungarian or grey partridge, but her second barrel failed her this time.  Absolutely made Kali's day though - no thoughts about being 10 years old when there's a hot trail to follow!

On Jim's recommendation, we 4WDed up Iron Mountain to search for a Christmas tree.  Took a few miles and we were the only folks to have gone that way since the snows, but Sophia found one she liked... 

 

 



 

To quote Monty Python, "I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay..."  Hoisted it on top of UPLNDR for the 7-day, several thousand mile return trip to Helena.

 

Last stop of the day was Craters of the Moon Natl Monument, a lava flow caused by rifting rather than eruption.  Great geologic displays inside the visitors' center that tie in perfectly with Mrs. Wiatrek's lesson plans, so Sophia was taking notes and photos.  Truly eerie landscape, especially under the low clouds...

 

 

 Looked more like Mars to me, but haven't actually been there since they don't have any upland bird species, so what do I know...

Sophijawea

We spent time at the 1300-student Helena High School, discussing their lack of bad weather days (despite the ice+snow on the ground) and big-city problems and securing HHS Bengals gear.  They were ready to recruit Sophia for their 9th grade class on the spot, but she's too much of a Badger for that.
Drove south through Butte, MT, an historic mining community with thousands of building from the turn of the last century.  With the frosting of snow and gratuitous Christmas decorations along the streets, took on a very Dickens Londony atmosphere.  Could imagine some of my geology friends and family spending a lot of time around here!
Then off for one of my target destinations, the Big Hole Battlefield, where the fleeing Nez Perce were surprised in their village and attacked at dawn from an elevated and wooded vantage point.  Despite significant loss of women and kids (shot before they could exit their tipis), the warriors regrouped and assaulted the Army positions, inflicting heavy casualties and again providing time for the clan to pack up and pull out.
Made it 39 miles out MT-43 before the white-out conditions sent me scurrying back to plowed roads.  Dang it!

With undaunted courage, we continued south and made the westerly turn towards Lemhi Pass, this time on a county road that doesn't show up on any websites for road conditions.  Dropped it into 4WD and headed up.  Crunched and slipped and clumb our way up to the ID/MT line where the sun was shining and looked west into the Columbian basin.
While she was navigating, not sure Soph speaks any Shoshoni; while I was driving, not sure I would have had Jefferson's confidence for such an endeavor; and while she's along for the ride, not sure Kali would ever want to be Seaman, the Newfoundland!  But we made it, with a similar sense of satisfaction and accomplishment as the real explorers.

Slid our way down the ID side into Salmon where we visited the Sacajawea memorial site and then enjoyed dinner at Bertram's with Jim Foster, long-time hunting companion and a real outdoor writer.

Bertram's brew their own tasty IPA and also serves a nice prime rib on Fridays with very horsey sauce.  No fruit pies, but their punkin pie earns 3.5 stars just for the extra spices they add.
Stayed at the Stage Coach Inn with the Salmon River literally just outside our window.

Corps of Discovery

We're really into Lewis & Clark country now, working our way up the Yellowstone to the headwaters of the Missouri River. Even with highway, rail lines, farms and towns, this is breathtaking country. I can only imagine the overwhelming emotions the Captains felt as they pressed farther west.
I'd be in trouble with them all of the time for dropping my grip on the pull rope of the boat and climbing the river bank to get another view of the prairies, mountains, forests and wildlife.
We went north out of Cody to link up with the Nez Perce trail, another bit of history we'll criss-cross the next few days. Two miles across the Montana border, I saw a chukar in the grass on the edge of the road (Dad's got pretty good eyes when it comes to spotting birds), and even with her freshly laundered jeans on, Sophia's jaw was set on getting one of those dadgum things. We backed up (you can do that on a lot of Montana highways) and watched the bird and a couple of buddies, cross the fence into ... public land - BLM! As described before, hunting down on them is preferable, so we made a wide swing east and scrambled up an 80' outcrop. Kali did her thing and pinned the birds against the edge of the drop-off and Soph was reminded yet again how fast chukar can get gone.
Watched where they landed across the canyon, confirmed her fervent desire to get one, scrambled down the outcrop, across the canyon, up the taller outcrop to the south ... swung way south to get the wind, then came back into the wind along the edge of the drop-off.
This time Kali pinned them under the only tree on the hill in as pretty a point as I've ever seen her lock into...
Have decided as a parent that referring to Alectoris chukar as mother chukars is okay, even for a 13-year old. The revenge quest continues...
North of present-day Laurel, MT, Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce selected Canyon Creek as the point to turn and face the pursuing cavalry of Capt. Sturgis. Joseph stationed sharpshooters on either side of the canyon walls and poured a galling (I love that word) fire into the approaching troopers while the women, children and pony herd made their way up the canyon and out onto the plains beyond. The Army was forced to withdraw and the Nez Perce continued their escape towards Canada. They wouldn't make it... the Crows decided it was better to stay on the white mans' good side than assist their longtime friends, so they stole most of the Nez Perce pony herd, the primary strategic advantage they had over the Army. That and familiarity with the area - hence the mad dash for Canyon Creek.
There'll be lots more about the Nez Perce in the coming days as we move along the MT/ID border.
Also stopped at the headwaters of the mighty Missouri River, just east of Three Forks, MT. The confluence of the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin Rivers creates a deep, dark and powerful stream, laden with history, commerce, adventure, and despair. Have already admitted I'm a weird tourist, but when I stand on that spot, overlooking the dark swirling waters that ultimately end up in the Gulf of Mexico, I can feel history.

Helena, at last...

 

 

Closely-held subsidiaries of the Center of the Universe...