TONOPAH ARIZONA

PART 2

 

One day Linda, Gina and I decided that we would all hike out and see the desert tortoise.  The tortoise was just basking in the sun and didn't offer us much in the way of entertainment.  We took the usual amount of touristy pictures of him and then started hiking back to the truck.  Gina, ever on the lookout, noticed a round object lying in the sand up ahead.  It turned out to be a bowling ball, cracked by the sun but still intact.  We have since wondered how it came to be in the middle of nowhere?  (You may insert the bowling ball joke of your choice here)

On another day, Linda and I were driving on a gravel desert road when she suddenly yelled at me to stop the truck.  She had noticed a basketball out in the desert.  Now I gotta ask anyone who might know, whats up with the Indians?  Was there a secret bowling league for Indians, somewhere around area 51?  I don't think I have ever seen an Indian in the NBA?

 

 

 

We did manage to find the petroglyphs out at Saddle Mountain.  Chuck commented that he had read somewhere, "petroglyphs may be taken home but only one per customer". 

 

Tonopah is a special place, and its the people you meet there that make that a true statement!



 

TONOPAH ARIZONA

 

Tonopah, Arizona is one of our favorite places, it offers so much to do and see.  The main attraction is the Saddle Mountain area.  It is located on BLM land and that means it is government land and can be used by the public for various reasons.  Linda and I hiked as much of it as we could while we were there, we did manage to hike all the way around it.  The cactus where starting to bloom on the back side of the mountain.

Linda and I hiked with several different couples while exploring the area.  While hiking one day I came upon a desert tortoise.  The next afternoon I took Linda and Gina back out to the mountain to show them what I had found.  The tortoise was suning himself when  we arrived and we didn't want to bother him as they are protected.



One of our day trips was a 4-wheel drive ride up Harquahala Mountain Trail.  Harquahala Peak Observatory was constructed in 1920 by the Smithsonian Institute to monitor solar activity.  The ride to the top is great but the views of the area mountains is spectacular.  On the way up Keith thought he had run over a snake so we all got out to check it out.  Charlotte was concerned that it might get hurt if we left it in the road, I got a stick and tried to move the snake to the side but instead I flipped it between her legs.  In case you are wondering the snake is fine?




 

 



Lucky for me that Chuck and Gena were willing to share their dog with me.  Rio usually stopped by daily for some good pet'n or just to pick up a treat.  He always gave more than he got.



 







TUCSON, ARIZONA  2013

Tucson is one of the best places to spend a few months, it offers plenty of hiking and sightseeing.  Linda and I have been here on several occasions.  We always like to stay at Desert Trails, as you can just hike out the back of the park and enter Tucson Mountain State Park.  It is a short ride in the truck to Saguaro National Park, making this stop a hikers paradise.

 

We took a day trip to Kitt Peak for a look around.  Bill and Cindy Linscott  had never been there before so it was nice to help them see it for the first time.  Its always an adventure when you do a day trip.  As we started up the Kitt Peak we encountered a dog that I thought was a coyote.  We all agreed that is was just a regular dog but we don't know how it got halfway up Kitt Peak? 

 

Bill and I went to a GUN SHOW, at the Tucson Fair Grounds.  It was my first show and I thought is was amazing.  Guns of all types were available.  The thing I noticed the most were the characters of all types, who may or may not have been available.  I did buy some ammo and enjoyed talking with the man who worked the booth.

 

Linda and I now know a little about Geo caching.  Bill and Cindy have done it for several years and offered to show Linda and I about it.  We did manage to find a  couple of caches on the BLM Land behind the  RV park.

 

 

 

CORALVILLE IOWA

CORALVILLE IOWA

We have visited Coralville several times over the years and always enjoyed exploring the gorge for different fossils. 

 

Historic floods during the summer of 1993 poured over the emergency spillway at Coralville Lake and eroded a deep channel into the underlying bedrock deposits.  It is now possible to walk across acres of Devonian-age sea floors and get a first-hand look at features normally hidden from view or glimpsed only in vertical cuts along roadsides or in quarries.

 

Excellent fossil remains of marine life that inhabited the clear, warm, shallow Devonian seas can be observed.  Some of the coral masses are upside-down, overturned by ancient storm surge.  The sedimentary rock originated as lime-rick deposits accumulating on sea floors during the Devonian period of geologic time, some 375 million years ago.

 

Its a great place to spend a day or two.  They also have some great hiking trails that run along Coralville Lake.  The campground is a Corps of Engineers so its a good place spend some time.  They also offer 11 full hook ups sites.

 

GULF ISLAND

NATIONAL SEASHORE

MISSISSIPPI

Gulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation opportunities and preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi.  The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of 7 islands.  The Mississippi District of the seashore features natural beaches, historic sites, wildlife sanctuaries, islands accessible only by boat, bayous, nature trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds.  The Davis Bayou Area is the only portion of the National Seashore in Mississippi that is accessible by automobile.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Linda and I really liked the Gulf Island National Seashore, the Davis Bayou.  We managed to hike all the trails that they offered.  We bumped into a man that had found a baby squirrel.  He said that he thought it was sick so he took it to a vet.  It turned out the little thing was fine and he was told to turn it loose.  We found a large alligator that hangs out in the bayou, they say he hangs out there everyday.  We talked to a ranger and was told that the Civilian Conservation Corp built most of the park.  It has been destroyed by several hurricanes but always manages to be rebuilt.

 

We did manage a day trip over to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane Refuge.  The ranger there took a bunch of us on a tour of the refuge, in search of the Sandhill Cranes.  We did manage to see a few cranes and also an eagle.  The Mississippi Sandhill Cranes don't migrate and were just about extinct.  They have been brought back from the edge and are now about 110 strong.  In order to get to where we went you have to sign up to take a tour, when they are offered.  Linda and I were just lucky to get to go, we took the last 2 seats available, the cranes are starting to nest and there won't be anymore tours for awhile.

 

 

 

 

HILLSBOROUGH RIVER STATE PARK

FLORIDA

Hillsborough River State Park is located near Zephyrhills which is located in Pasco County, Florida. It is a popular park due to its proximity to the city of Tampa.  The park offers many activities including fishing, canoeing, kayaking and birding.  The park also has a swimming pool and a real good campground. 

 

 

Hillsborough River State Park is one of the eight original Florida State Parks created in 1938.  The park is cut into to halves by the swiftly flowing section of the Hillsborough River.  This section of the river is noted for having several clusters of small rapids; it is one of the few rivers in Florida to have a system of rapids.  Located on park land is a replica of Fort Foster, which was originally built in 1836 during the Second Seminole War.  Tours of the fort are given on weekends, with many artifacts on display from Florida's pioneer history.

 

 

Linda and I enjoyed the day at this park.  We hiked several of the trails that go in and around the park.  We managed to find one rather large alligator.  He followed us along the river, we were beginning to wonder if he was thinking about us as lunch.

 

 

RAWLINGS WYOMING

We literally blew into Rawlings and stayed at RV World Campground.  Its located right off interstate 80 and easy to get to.  We had some great neighbors, Elwin and Vikki Dillon, who had the spot right next door. They had a problem with their 5th wheel, the wind caught the under side and blew the undercover off.  Elwin and I worked on putting a cover back on their unit.  It was nice to have something to do and Elwin and I did some outstanding work.

Our first adventure was a trip up to Martin's Cove, Devil's Gate and Independence Rock.  Martin's Cove and Devil's Gate are at the same stop.  When we arrived, the first thing that I noticed was the visitor's center is manned by members of the Church of Latter Day Saints.  They were very friendly and knowledgeable about the entire story of what happen at Martin's Cove.  We were told by the woman at the visitor center that handcarts were used because most people could not afford to purchase covered wagon.  Each person could place 17 pounds of goods on a cart and then you and your family pulled it along.

In November 1856, about 500 Mormon emigrants in the Martin Handcart Company were halted for five days in the Cove by snow and cold while on their way to Salt Lake City.  The Martin Handcart company had begun its journey on July 28, 1856 which was dangerously late in the season and would ultimately lead to the disaster.  Although the number who died in the Cove is unknown, more than 145 members of the Martin Company died before reaching Salt Lake City.  A few days prior to their arrival at Martin's Cove, the company was met by a small rescue party with food, supplies and wagons that LDS Church President Brigham Young had sent from Salt Lake City, Utah.  On November 4 the company and rescuers forded the bitterly cold Sweetwater River and sought shelter in the cove.  That evening a powerful north wind blew the tents to the ground.  The tents were set up again, but a blizzard brought heavy snow.  The company remained in the camp for five days, unable to proceed due to the snow and cold.  After five days the weather warmed and they were able to move on toward Utah.  With the assistance from the original rescue party and from additional rescue parties that met then along the way the survivors finally reached Salt Lake City on November 30.

Devil's Gate Wyoming is a natural rock formation, a gorge on the Sweetwater River a few miles southwest of Independence Rock. The site, significant in the history of western pioneers. was a major landmark on the Mormon Trail and the Oregon Trail although the actual routes of travel did not pass through the very narrow gorge. 

  

We traveled on to Independence Rock, which would have taken the pioneers at least a day to get to.  Independence Rock is a large granite rock, approximately 130 feet high.  During the middle of the 19th century, the rock was a prominent and well-known landmark on the Oregon, Mormon and California emigrant trails.  It was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961.  It appears that a lot of the signatures are fading away.  I don't think that there is anything anyone can do about it, its something everyone should see.

The Old Wyoming State Penitentiary, in use from 1901 - 1981, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers hour-long guided tours that take visitors through three cell blocks, the cafeteria, the grounds and the Death House.  This prison housed over 13,500 inmates, often under brutal conditions, over the 80 year operation of Wyoming's first state penitentiary.

Linda and I toured the prison and the young girl that gave the tour talked about the brutal conditions the prisoners where forced to endure.  The prison opened in 1901 and had no electricity, running water and inadequate heating. 

I would like to visit the prison around Halloween.  They have about 60 people that work the "haunted prison", i guess its really scary!

On one of our adventures we drove out to where the Continental Divide Trail runs by Rawlins.  It was a bit confusing, finding the trail, but we did find a new born antelope.  Momma Antelope placed her baby by a big rock and tried to  lead us away.  We took a few pictures but were careful not to get to close