.All Trips / Central USA / North America / Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park’s beautiful Hayden Valley!

00 Hayden Valley

There are many beautiful valleys in Wyoming, but this one deserves a closer look.  Hayden Valley contains the outflow of Lake Yellowstone, with its Yellowstone River continuing north to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, then on towards the Missouri River.  The valley is named in honor of Ferdinand Hayden who did important early geologic surveys in the Yellowstone region.
The valley was known to pioneer trappers and explorers who made their way to Yellowstone Lake along the Yellowstone River.  Today it’s best known for a migrating herd of bison, which my wife and I have seen every time we’ve visited Hayden Valley.

(Bison herd, Hayden Valley)

If you’re lucky you might spot a grizzly or black bear, fox, coyote or wolf.  Elk, …

Read More

Tagged , , , , ,
.All Trips / Central USA / North America / South Dakota

Dinosaur Park, Rapid City

06 Dinosaur Park

A good family travel destination in Rapid City is Dinosaur Park.  It was one of the first free tourist attractions in the Black Hills region, opening in 1936. The park was designed to divert travelers traveling to and from Mount Rushmore into Rapid City.
The dinosaurs in the park were designed by Emmet Sullivan, who also created the Christ of the Ozarks statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  Dinosaur Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1990.
Dinosaur Park is located at 940 Skyline Drive, high on a ridge overlooking Rapid City.  On a clear day the park provides views that extend for dozens of miles east to the Badlands.  When we visited it …

Read More

Tagged , , ,
.All Trips / Central Canada / North America / Saskatchewan

“Pic of the Week”, February 24, 2023: Regina Lace, Saskatchewan

01 Regina Lace

An interesting piece of art is Stephan Braithwaite and Douglas Bamford’s Regina Lace.  It was completed in 2009 as part of a public artwork project and is a two-part sculpture celebrating the immigrant history of Regina.
1) On the east side are nine bronze figures cast from residents of Regina, representing a variety of backgrounds symbolizing the mixed cultural diversity of the city.  Part of this is show in the photo above, with more detail views attached.

(West portion of Regina Lace)

2) The west facing portion is a monolith that appears to be a massive pamphlet filled with stories.  The piece is actually steel plating, a lace pattern worked into its borders.  Sitting at its base is a young African immigrant.
I thought it …

Read More

Tagged , , ,
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America

Hiking to Lake Annette, Banff National Park

00 Annette Lake, Banff NP

Banff National Park, on a usual summer day, has many areas that are quite busy — even crowded.  I’m thinking particularly of Lake Louise and the Banff townsite, places I avoid until the off season.  But there are lots of places in Banff National Park where you can go to enjoy spectacular mountain scenery, have a nice hike and nature experience, and see almost no people.

The Lake Annette trek is one of these spots.  My oldest nephew and I did this hike a few years back and I don’t think we encountered more than 10 people in a half days’ worth of hiking. 

(Paradise Creek and Paradise Valley)

The hike starts at the Paradise Creek parking lot, not far from Lake Louise.  …

Read More

Tagged , , , ,
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America

The Iceman and the Biscuit, Cardston, Alberta

00 Remington Carriage Museum, Cardston

Sitting on the grounds of the Reynold’s Carriage Museum in Cardston, Alberta is a statue of jockey and his mount, seeming to move at top speed while standing still.
The statue captures a moment in time when local boy turned legendary jockey, George Woolf, rode Seabiscuit to one of the greatest victories in horse racing history.  On November 1, 1938, in what was dubbed the “Race of the Century”, Seabiscuit was pitted against Triple Crown winner War Admiral.  During the race Seabiscuit broke War Admiral and as he surged to victory, Wolff turned to War Admiral’s jockey (Charley Kurtsinger) and said, “So Long Charley”.  It’s one of those phrases that has become part of our everyday vernacular.
Another great moment …

Read More

Tagged , , , , ,
.All Trips / Central Canada / Manitoba / North America

Gimli’s Seawall Murals, Lake Winnipeg

01 Gimli Seawall Murals

It had been at least 35 years since I visited Gimli.  The town had grown quite a bit and its reputation as an ethnic travel destination is now firmly established — a bit of Iceland in central Canada.
Gimli has an active summer-time harbor, used by local sailing and boating enthusiasts and commercial fisherman (who harvest Lake Winnipeg’s bountiful walleye, goldeye and whitefish, among other species).  To protect the harbor from strong winds and tall waves, a six foot high concrete sea wall was constructed that extends almost 1000 feet from shore.
The seawall was an ugly grey slab so in 1977 the Gimli Art Club decided to transform it.  Local artists donated thousands of hours to create scenes about the life and …

Read More

Tagged , , ,
.All Trips / California / North America / Southwestern USA

California’s Mammoth Lakes Basin

09 Mammoth Lakes Basin

California’s Sierra Nevada mountains have some pretty spectacular scenery! 
The “Lakes Basin,” as it is commonly referred to, is only a few miles from the town of Mammoth Lakes.  Mammoth Lakes sits on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada range and is best known as a top notch down-hill ski destination.  It is especially popular with skiers from the Los Angeles area.

(Mammoth Lakes Basin)

The Mammoth Lakes Basin is mostly a summer destination, being a popular spot for hiking, biking, rock-climbing, camping and fishing.  There are more than a dozen lakes set in this beautiful environment of mountains and forests.
We visited the area several times when we lived in California and our kids were young.  Always had a pleasant half …

Read More

Tagged , ,
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America

A Visit to the Remington Carriage Museum, Cardston

00 Remington Carriage Museum, Cardston (114)

Every now and then a trip takes you to fascinating destinations in the least expected places.  Most people visit Cardston because of its close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta) and Glacier National Park (Montana).  Little did I expect to find a world-class museum in this town of less than 4,000 residents.
The Museum tells the story of horse-drawn wagons in North America and is the largest museum of its kind in the world.   Most of the collection deals with wagons and carriages from the 19th and early 20th century, when horses provided the main means of transportation.  You’ll be impressed by the depth of the collection, with more than …

Read More

Tagged , , , ,