Good Pursuits – Page 18

The Great Expanse of Nothing

Post author By TravisGood
Post date April 11, 2010
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The Rockies-to-Plains contrast is stark no matter how many times I’ve experienced the transition. Whether I’ve just spent days running up and down and around mountains and drop into the plains or whether I’ve spent a week driving across the flat middle of our country and encountered the wall of the Rockies, I’m still never prepared for the contrast. That such great heights abut endless expanses of flatness is striking.

This time was no different though this time approaching the transition was complicated by weather. Knowing that a storm was approaching the Pacific Northwest, I tried to leave early and outrun it. My goal was to be on the east side of the Rockies before the snow hit. I almost made it

Historical River Road Travel

A Once Every 100-year Flood: Revisited

Post author By TravisGood
Post date April 10, 2010
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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.

Historical Road Travel

Carnegie Loved Libraries

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.

Animal Bike Falls River Road Travel

World’s Fair Riverside Park

Post author By TravisGood
Post date April 9, 2010
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Arrived in Spokane in the late afternoon but before finding my hotel I visited two spectacular parks: Manito and Riverside. The former was designed by the firm that did NYC’s Central Park while the latter was done for the 1974 World’s Fair. Both are varied, beautiful, well-maintained and very appealing.

Historical Mountain Road Train Travel

Great Northern over Stevens Pass

Post author By TravisGood
Post date April 8, 2010
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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.

Road Summary Travel

Summary: Time with Kelsey along the PCH

Post author By TravisGood
Post date April 7, 2010
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“They grow up so fast” is a cliche but I feel the lament in my heart. With Courtney half way through college and Kelsey just two years away from high school graduation I know our days with them are numbered. “Cherish the time you have!”

On the eve of Kelsey getting her driver’s license we took a 10-day trip along the West Coast. It was the latest in our series of road trips with one BIG difference: Kelsey would drive. Days covering lots of miles and packed with full agendas with only enough motel idle-time to check mail and sleep, that was the plan and that’s exactly how we rolled!

Bridge Road Travel

Tootling Towards Seattle

It was time to take a day to catch my breath. Being in Hillsboro, OR on a Sunday is a good time to do that. I’m able to attend church with my mother, see old friends from decades ago, and spend time “doing things with mom”. A great way to unwind and prepare emotionally for the next push.

My plans for a return up the Inside Passage and down the Yellowhead Highway weren’t working out. Winter ferries were few and all were fully booked as evidenced by the first available slot: May 17! Also, getting over the Rockies and having ready access to Jasper and Banff wasn’t looking likely with a winter storm en route. I needed a different plan

Bridge Family Hike River Road Travel

Two States of the Gorge

Let me set the stage. Kelsey hadn’t been to Oregon since 1998 when she was six years old. She’s now 16. Most of my family lives in Oregon and after a 10-year gap they all had expectations of seeing her … in the 20 waking hours we had scheduled for Kelsey to be in the area. We had a LOT of ground to cover. Ready. Set. Go!

Bridge Family River Road Travel

12-hour Dash Through Canada

Post author By TravisGood
Post date April 2, 2010
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Hold on to your hat because the crazy-fast pace isn’t slowing yet! In the next twelve hours we entered Canada, ferried across two bodies of water, drove 180 miles, and toured two cities before reentering the U.S. Where we done then? No! We still had sixty miles to drive till we reached our hotel!

We awoke in Port Angeles very early to get in line for the 8:00AM ferry but thankfully I was able to get Starbucks coffee to help me pass the time in line. As we pulled away from the dock I looked back to see the town and rising quickly behind it the Olympic Mountains. An awesome site.

Animal Family Lighthouse Mountain Road Travel

Wet Coast in a Storm

Our comfortable sunny weather was about to turn wet as we headed north toward the Oregon border. Actually “wet” isn’t strong enough. After driving many hours through the lovely winding roads of the Shorline Highway, we turned inland just above Fort Bragg and the weather became soggy.