Older structures

Long before there were covered bridges and furnaces, there were people building in southern Ohio.  At the Hopewell Culture NHP, there are mounds and berms that were constructed by indigenous peoples from 200 B.C.-500 A.D. using stone digging tools and wicker baskets.  Scientists can only speculate how long the construction of the numerous sites may have taken, ranging from decades to centuries.  Their purpose is purely speculative as well ... perhaps burial or some other ceremonial reason.  They were not defensive nor used as a village.  The artifacts found here can be traced to points across the country, whether its shells from the Gulf Coast or obsidian from out west or copper from Canada.
Archaeologists are amazed by the symmetry and precision with which they're designed ... each site is laid out with a large circle, a large square which would fit inside the circle, plus another circle.  I figure there was some big chief who had a radius rope and a precise stride, plus they had figured out how to do equal diagonals to make squares, so not that amazed by the precision.  But the work involved ... and the motivation?  That's something to make you go hmmm.  Aliens perhaps?!

Copper working

Ceremonial pipes

 Perimeter berm about 2' tall, extending for hundreds of yards around the site ... and in a perfect square.

Structures

The industrious folks that populated and thrived in the Ohio River Valley were incredible craftsmen undaunted by the numerous obstacles the area presented, whether it was forests, rocks or streams...some of their handiwork that has lasted over a century.

Note that the barn door curves with the round side of the barn!!

We came upon this old bridge while grouse hunting in southern Ohio ... old road to somewhere, I suppose.  Not to Grouseville, though...

The hills between Ohio and Pennsylvania were rich in limestone, iron ore, and timber, the three ingredients mixed together in the 65 furnaces built across the region where the timber was used to make charcoal which was used in the limestone furnaces to melt the iron ore into slabs known as "pigs" which were then shipped to manufacturing centers in Cleveland, etc.

And of course, there are numerous Amish in the region, even at Wally-world.  Sophia got a big kick out of cart parking!

The other Clark

Would be remiss if I failed to mention the George Rogers Clark Natl Park in Vincennes, IN on the Wabash River.  We crossed into Illinois so Sophia could notch an extra state on her list, then crossed the bridge just above the memorial.
The impressive structure is suitable for Clark's accomplishment with his small band of frontiersmen during the Revolutionary War when he caused the British to surrender Ft Sackville, thereby allowing the colonies to establish a claim to the western frontier.  His forces including French from the area (plus volunteers from VA and PA) whose feelings were still a little hurt by the prior French-Indian war.  The Brits also had Frenchmen in the fort, but they basically said they weren't going to fight their brothers, so they did the French surrender thing from the beginning.
It's a fascinating story, especially given the lack of communication and roads on the frontier and the hardships Clark's men endured en route to the fort.  The net result was the opening of claims to territory as large as the original colonies.
He may not be as famous as his little brother William ended up being, but his contribution to the opening of the West is indisputable.  Full story here:  http://www.nps.gov/gero/historyculture/inside.htm

The Old Cathedral pictured in the background is St Francis Xavier, a parish that was formed in 1764.  Mass was at 5:15 so we enjoyed Advent services there, but only after Sophia got to fold another U.S. flag at another national park!!!

Here comes Santa Claus

Indiana that is ... complete with Holiday World amusement park, Lake Rudolph, and all the other kitschy things you might expect.  But we did get the family Christmas card postmarked and mailed...

Tenn-tucky roads

The forest and hills of Tennessee and Kentucky make for beautiful winding two-lane roads.  There usually a little town every 8-12 miles along the way.  Not many pull-outs which is unfortunate since there are numerous scenic overlooks.
There are a lot of rivers and streams in the valleys as well.  Too many to build bridges over, so they still operate a number of ferries, just as they've done for centuries.  Couldn't help but think of the scene from the Outlaw Josey Wales and his Missourah Boat Ride.  Fortunately that didn't happen!

The hardwoods and crops also provide plentiful forage for the region's white-tailed deer population.  Makes 'em grow big too.  But, not necessarily smart.  One spike in particular, about 150 lbs., just refused to ignore my flashing lights and swerving on the Western Kentucky Parkway.  It was either him or the ditch.

If you don't have a grille guard for your vehicle, let me try to talk you into one ... and putting an extra spare tire on it can be helpful as well.  Do the math on a 150# deer hitting a 2006 suburban doing 65 mph about 1,000 miles from home and you'd calculate an expensive and complicated trip back to Helena.  Nope ... buck-fifty at the car wash because the front of the truck looked and smelled like it had hit a deer, and $18.50 for a headlamp and turn signal and we were back on the road.  Have about $350 into the grille guard and a $500 deductible, but moving on to Sophia's next state ... priceless.

Mammoth Cave NP

This Park falls into my 'favorite' category because of the combination of geologic and natural significance coupled with man's interaction and ingenuity.
Discovered by a bear hunter in the late 18th century, the owner discovered the cave had an abundance of saltpeter, an essential ingredient for gunpowder, an essential ingredient for the US victory in the War of 1812.  With the British naval blockade during the war, internal production of gunpowder was crucial and Mammoth Cave provided the saltpeter for Mr. DuPont to make the gun powder.
Perhaps most interesting of all, the slaves (the cave is in Kentucky) tired of hauling water into the cave to make the slurry from which the saltpeter was produced.  So they took the poplar trees in the area, cut them into 8'-12' section, bored them out, tapered the ends, and created a conduit or pipeline to transport the water into the cave from the spring at the entrance.  Brilliant!  And lucrative!

The cave has 27 entrances, but we went into the main, or largest, entrance for this tour.  The tour passages are huge, the size of subway tunnels, except for a passage known as Fat Man's Misery.  They forgot to mention Tall Man too...

One long-standing tradition at the Cave has been for the area residents to donate a Christmas tree and light it up at one of the trail intersections.  Then, on the first Sunday in December, the Park allows visitors into the Cave free of charge to sing Christmas carols.  Except, unfortunately for our guide, Ranger Joe, he now has to call it a holiday tree and refer to them as seasonal songs ... and you could tell it pained him to do so.

Lincoln Heritage Trail

I knew we were near the Land of Lincoln, I just didn't know how many states that actually covered.  Honest Abe was born near Hodgenville, KY ... his dad, Tom, picked a really nice place next to a spring with good soil and lots of timber for the cabin.

Next stop for the Lincolns was across the Ohio River in Spencer County, IN, where Tom again picked good soil and timber and a nearby spring as the homestead for his family.  It was here that Abe's mom died and where his new stepmother similarly encouraged his passion for reading and education.  The NPS created a very nice facility at this place with homage to the places Lincoln lived via the twelve stones and the sculpted murals on the edifice...

The entire structure was built with sturdy hand-hewn timbers and solid chunks of limestone ... very simple and sturdy, like the man they honor.

The trail continues into Illinois where Lincoln began his political career and then of course jumps to D.C.

For the Birds

There may be those who believe we brought Kali and shotguns along on this trip so we could bird hunt.  Well, maybe ... but there's a lot to be learned when afield in pursuit of upland critters.
In September I had called a WMA in Tennessee to discuss the likelihood of finding a wild covey of quail or two.  Spoke with Pam McDonald, a former game enforcement officer who had recently made the transition to wildlife management.  She asked me to stop by when we could so she could tell Sophia about that career from a woman's perspective.
Pam has some beautifully managed acres ... 15,000-plus ... and she spent a full hour of her busy day chatting with Soph about the opportunities and challenges for women in wildlife management.  We then spent a couple of ours coursing the fields with Kali ... looked nice, but no bird sign.
This part of the world is waterfowl central, especially around Stuutgart ... just clouds of them.  Fine if you like those clunky Lab-type dogs...

We also wanted to try the most highly-regarded WMA for quail in Kentucky, then found out you have to put in for a draw, can only be drawn once each season, and are only allowed three hunters with a two-bird limit.  Didn't sound very promising, but since we hadn't put in for the draw, we hunted another section - again, very nicely managed property, but no bird sign ... well, except for turkeys.

Interestingly, on our way further east, we saw one of those knot-headed pointers running along the highway with its locator collar whistling away.  She came to my whistle right away and as I called the number on her collar, her owner rolled up.  Said he'd been hunting KY his whole life and watched the constant decline in quail.  Had just hunted four dogs for four days in the area and hadn't seen a single wild bird.  Grim ... and it doesn't look at all promising.  Where have they gone?

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.