My Civil War journey started when visiting friends in Charleston where I learning the war began with a battle at Fort Sumpter in the harbor. Since then I’ve been to dozens of battle fields, museums, and memorials because the story drew me in. All the while my admiration for President Lincoln grew and grew. Finally today I visited the site where Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to Grant thereby symbolizing the end of the war. What an odyssey. What a galvanizing event. What a tragic story!
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I thought today was the “Story of Best Friend Presidents” because at both Monticello and Montpelier they talked of the life-long friendship between Jefferson and Madison. Then I visited a place called Ash Lawn-Highland and learned it was yet another Presidential residence in the Charlottesville area. Sakes alive, three Presidents within just miles of one another! The Commonwealth of Virginia ROCKed when this nation was young!
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I don’t know what makes Acadia National Park special but each time I visit it hits me anew. Perhaps it’s the clear still water of its many lakes? Maybe it’s the beautiful vistas along Park Loop Drive? Could it be the distant views from atop Cadillac Mountain? I say “Yes” to all and will add another: the majesty of its carriage roads.
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Why don’t I remember the great flood of 1997? Apparently the entire region of Grand Forks was flooded that year and much of the downtown burned. As I rode along the waterfront I couldn’t help but notice the imposing new levee system built by the Corp of Engineers. Also, it was unavoidably apparent that the river was flooded again as my bicycle path periodically disappearing into the river! The Red River can really wreck havoc on these poor peoples’ lives.
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Honestly, I wasn’t looking for these structures but there’s so little to see in little railroad towns along Highway 2 that these beautiful libraries stand out! At first they simply caught my eye. Then I would note them as I toured the little main streets. Finally, I decided to seek them out. Sure enough, there was usually a Carnegie Library to be found.
I first became aware of Andrew Carnegie’s libraries when visiting England. As he was Scottish-American I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to see more libraries in the U.S. but I was surprised. Who would have thought Carnegie would fund libraries in such tiny towns in the middle of nowhere? Well, as I learned more, I grew to understand. Andrew Carnegie was on a mission which resulted in 2,500 libraries being built from 1883 and 1929. The vast majority were built in the U.S., Britain, Ireland, and Canada.
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I’m about to head home via Hwy 2 along the path of the Great Northern.
With the vision of connecting Europe to Asia via a transcontinental railway along the northern United States, James J. Hill founded the Great Northern Railway line. The last and largest obstacle to realizing his vision was effective rail over the Cascades Mountains at the chosen site known as Stevens Pass.
The challenge wasn’t easily met but instead took several attempts to secure a safe and predictable path. First the crossing was done by an extensive series of switch backs which took many hours to traverse. Then a two-mile tunnel was built but both snow and smoke were troublesome and when an avalanche occurred killing many passengers an 8-mile tunnel was built. For 60 years this was the longest in the western hemisphere and its still in use today.
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I’ve been in many caves and I have my favorites. Luray and Carlsbad Caverns were alone at the top of the list until today. Kartchner Caverns was revealed to the world in 1999 after over a decade of secretive development. Never before have I been in a cave so pristine, so well preserved, so artistically presented. The finale is a light show of a feature called Kubli Khan. It was beautiful and moving and extremely well done. Kartchner really rocks!
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Two months ago I tried to visit Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument but flooding from a recent snow storm had damaged the access bridge. It was closed. This time the park was open but the bridge remained out of commission so to visit you had to hike three miles. That is, you had to hike three miles if you didn’t travel with your own folding bike!
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Who could they be? The answer may become apparent when I tell you I drove through Arkansas and Texas. Can you guess? Last hints: they’re four people and three were related. OK, now you must know!
The Clinton childhood home is in Hope, a town which appears to have benefited greatly from its affiliation the President. Redevelopment was everywhere when I visited. Obviously, he was both Governor and President.
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Several times I’ve driven segments of the road around Lake Tahoe. Over the course of three visits I still hadn’t driven the western shore. Today my goal was to make it happen … and it didn’t.
But I get ahead of myself!
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