On my way back to Manitoba I seized the opportunity to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills, of South Dakota.

The memorial is on the Avenue of the Chiefs, which is located just off Highway 16, a few miles north of Custer, SD. It was easy to find as there were plenty of signs pointing me to the site. As you drive up Highway 16 you will be able to see the memorial, but to get a good view you have to turn up the Avenue of the Chiefs and pay the admissions. A warning though, once you make the turn onto the Avenue of the Chiefs there are no u-turns allowed and it seems that you are committed to go through the toll gate. It cost me $10 to enter.

The memorial depicts an image of Crazy Horse, the Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance. The memorial was originally commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, to be sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski.  Really though, the only part that is currently complete is the face.

There is a bus that will take you closer to the monument, but it costs $4 and in seeing the lineup for the bus I decided to remain near the visitor centre. I have a telephoto lens so I was able to get some good shots of the memorial regardless.

Construction equipment is parked on the mountain. Are they working on it?

The monument as wonderful as it is at the moment, has been in progress since 1948. Any visitor can see that it is still far from completion. In fact, I heard more than one person mutter complaints about the slow progress. According to the information available at the site, there has been some progress on the memorial, however I think that the progress has been slow and therefore difficult for visitors to comprehend.

Currently the memorial is operated by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, a private non-profit organization. It receives no federal or state funding. They also operate a gift shop at the site which also makes money for the foundation. Also at the site you have an Indian Museum of North America and a Native American Cultural Center.

Thunderhead Mountain, where the memorial is being carved, is privately held land that is considered sacred by some Oglala Lakota. In fact some of the Lakota criticize the monument as a desecration of a natural land. Also, Crazy Horse was known to have always resisted being photographed, and was deliberately buried where his grave would not be found. Critics claim that Crazy Horse himself would not have wanted to be memorialized in such a fashion. Thirdly, critics claim that it was not traditional for the Lakota to point, and in fact, pointing was considered to be bad luck to the Lakota.

To all the critics, this memorial will always generate bad vibes. But if you want to visit something that is beautiful, located in a beautiful part of the world, then stop in to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial. Further, if you don’t want to pay the admission price, bring along a pair of binoculars and go ahead and view it from Highway 16.

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Location

The Golden Gate Bridge

The Marin Headlands is a hilly peninsula located just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is actually part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The Headlands are famous for their views of the Bay Area, especially of the Golden Gate Bridge.  To access the Marin Headlands take the last exit before you cross San Francisco Harbor on the Golden Gate Bridge.

The road winds along the cliffs, going higher and higher, with each overlook being more spectacular than the previous. When I went up, there were a lot of people and the overlook parking lots were mostly full. I managed to get a spot in one of the top most outlooks and took some photos.

There are several overlooks to view San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Of course you know, I don’t really have to tell you, the view is beautiful!

Once you have visited the last overlook, you can return back to the freeway going down the same way you came, or you can take an impossibly steep (18%grade) one-laned road that continues on, and takes you down the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

This is what I did! I did not take any photos as I was busy driving and braking. Thanks to the google street-view you can see for yourself what it is like here.

View Larger Map

After the trip down the cliff, you will find a Visitor’s Centre, and a Nike Missile historical site. You will also pass a multitude of old military bunkers. There is a lot of history in this area.

To get back to the freeway I had to take a one-laned tunnel back through the mountain. That was so cool, it alone was worth the side trip.

Marin Headlands Photo Gallery

Location

The Avenue of the Giants

An awesome scenic drive is a 31-mile portion of old Highway 101 which is called the “Avenue of the Giants”. It actually parallels the freeway version of highway 101, so if you are travelling 101 it is an easy detour to take the scenic route.

The Avenue of the Giants passes through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which has the largest remaining stand of old growth redwoods in the world. It is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in Northern California.

Some of the giant redwoods almost stand on the highway itself

The highway is narrow in places and the giant redwoods stand tall at the very side of the road. When I went through the area traffic was light as it was a weekday morning, but still, speed is not a factor on such a winding highway. You are best to relax and enjoy the scenery.

The beginning of the drive there was a stop where you could pick up a printed guide for an Auto Tour of the drive. The numbered stops are listed and explained on the guide.

Also along the Avenue there are a number of small towns including Pepperwood, Redcrest, Weott, Myers Flat, Miranda and Phillipsville. Each of these scenic towns seemed to have their fair share of tourist shops.

There are many places to pull over to get close to the forest and also to hike, picnic, camp and fish. There is great access to numerous hiking trails and the various redwood groves.

Also, a little south of the town of Weott is the Humboldt Redwoods Visitor Center. It is a great place to stop and gather additional information about the area.

If you are in the area, don’t miss it!

A Video Tour of the Avenue of the Giants

Photo Gallery

Location

Ferns fill the forest floor in many places

Located in the very northwest corner of California, the Lady Bird Johnson Grove is a great place to get up close to a giant Redwood.

The trail is a few miles off of Highway 101. The road off the highway to the trailhead is an uphill climb all the way. Once you go under the wooden bridge that marks the beginning of the trail you know you are there.

The trailhead has a parking lit, washrooms and signage. Also near the beginning of the trail is a box with pamphlets that explain the marker posts on the trail. It was empty when I was there. I guess I should have checked to see if these are available online.

The trail is a 1.2 mile loop. It is fairly flat, with a few uphills but all slopes are very gradual. The trail is dirt though, and it really is not very accessible to the disabled.

The grove itself is very remarkable. The redwoods tower over you. As you look up to gauge their height you may find yourself getting dizzy from the experience.

It is quiet in the forest. There were a few other people on the trail, but mostly there was solitude. I did hear the rustle of small wildlife in the bushes from time to time. At one point in the trail a bright blue Steller’s Jay came wildly flapping out of the bush I front of me. It was like I disturbed his afternoon solace.

Throughout the trail I kept thinking that this would be a great place to see a Sasquatch, but even with my hopeful thinking none appeared.

At one point in the hike you will come across a dedication plaque that was originally placed by Lady Bird Johnson when the trail was opened.

There are benches at various points along the way, so if you want to sit down and enjoy the forest, you can do that as well.

I highly recommend this hike if you are in the area. It won’t take you long, the rewards are great.

Photo Gallery

Location

Haystack Rock at Sunset

The Oregon coast is a dreamland.  Highway 101, which runs along the coast from Astoria down to Brookings, is the gateway to a 340-mile collection of misty beaches, wide sea stack filled bays, and incredible endless surf.  Around every turn in the highway is an amazing new vista, the view often better than the last, promising that the next viewpoint will be even more breathtaking.

One such incredible vista, Cannon Beach, is located about 20 miles south of Astoria.  Cannon Beach has to be considered as the jewel in the Oregon Coast.  A popular destination, it has been visited by humans for centuries.  It is both scenic and wild in its demeanor, and always memorable, mainly due to its key feature, a 235-foot basalt sea stack named Haystack Rock.

You may have seen Haystack Rock before.  Undoubtedly, it is the most photographed natural feature in Oregon and is featured on many travel guides. It is also Hollywood famous, being shown in the opening scene of movie “The Goonies” and also in one of my favorite flicks, Steven Spielberg’s “1941”, where it poses as the California coast in the opening beach scene.

Haystack Rock is mighty and magical. It seems that every time you look at it, the Haystack takes on a different persona.  In the morning sun it is green and lush, in the fading sunset it is dark and ominous.  At high tide it stands tall as wide Pacific breakers crash all around it.  At low tide it is more serene as a mossy home to mollusks and seabirds. In fact, the rock is a protected nesting site for sea gulls, terns and puffins.

The sunsets at Cannon Beach are second to none. I was there for two nights and each sunset had a different look and feel.   People gather on the beach just for the sunset event, most of them arriving with a camera in hand. Groups pose in front of the setting sun and many more gather near Haystack Rock for a chance to include the behemoth in their sunset memory.  People stroll in the surf, or ride rented bicycles up and down the beach, providing additional photographic fodder to eager shutterbugs.

Tandem bicycle on the beach

The beach stretches out in both directions as far as the eye can see. I walked pretty far on the beach but I never reached the end. The brown beach sand is loose, but if you walk near the surf it is hard packed and easy to stroll upon. Or better yet, take off your shoes and walk in the surf. The water is cold but it is refreshing. Cannon Beach was never really crowded. Maybe there are more people at the beach on the weekend, as I was there on a Sunday evening through Tuesday morning.

Haystack Rock sits in the “intertidal” region of the beach, meaning that it can be reached by land at low tide.  The Haystack Rock tide pools are home to starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs.  Included in my hotel room was a small book of current tide tables. The first thing you are to look up is the time of low tide. Low tide is a prime time to walk on the beach and also to get up close to Haystack Rock.

A view of the Haystack from my hotel room at the Surfsand Resort

At the Surfsand Resort, where I stayed, the rooms are cozy and they are all very close to the beach. My room included a balcony overlooking Haystack Rock, which was nice.  When I woke up in the morning I could see the towering sea stack, in all its glory, absorbing the heat of the morning sun.It was nice to be staying so close to the beach.  The soft sand was only a short stroll from my door.  A walk on the beach did not have to involve any footwear what so ever!

Other than Yellowstone, this is one location that I visited that I really want to come back to. I will be back!

Cannon Beach Gallery

Location

The valley between the Johnston Ridge Observatory and the mountain is remarkable

Today I drove from Vancouver, Washington to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, overlooking Mount St. Helens.

It was overcast, so the chance of seeing the mountain in all its glory was slim, but the opportunity to visit the blast zone and take some amazing photos was still there.

The drive up was great. It was Sunday morning, so the traffic was light. Still, It took two hours to reach the mountain.

The highway that leads all the way to Johnston Ridge is excellent. It approaches Mount St. Helen’s from the west. It includes many spectacular viewpoints and a few serious bridges that span rivers and canyons. There is a lot to look at on the way up the mountain.

The sun was shining when I arrived, and the valley below the mountain could be seen. It was beautiful. However the top one-third of the mountain was mostly obscured by clouds.

Every now and then a hole in the clouds would give a peek at a portion of the summit. As another visitor pointed out, it was like looking through a puzzle piece.

The summit features an interpretive centre with viewing windows, plus outdoor patios with benches, both for viewing the mountain or for interpretive talks given by the National Parks Staff.

Also at the summit, there is a great little walking trail that takes you up higher and away from the building, to even more spectacular viewpoints. The trail loops back to the parking lot, or at one point you can tackle other hiking trails that will lead you to Spirit Lake or even Windy Ridge, where I was two days before.

There were many sights to see other than the mountain. In the valley far, far below elk could be spotted. As well, wildflowers shared the landscape with gnarled stumps and snapped-off tree trunks that remain in the same state as they did following the eruption in 1980.

On the walking trail you will also see a memorial monument that shows the names of all the people that perished in the disaster. The monument is placed so that it faces Mount St. Helens.

After being on the summit for three hours, I decided that I had seen enough and headed down the mountain. It was wonderful to see so much, and to witness how nature is reclaiming this beautiful spot on our earth. It was definitely worth the trip.

Johnston Ridge Photo Gallery

The Spruce Goose!

Today I made a leisurely drive from Beaverton, Oregon to McMinnville, just to visit the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum.

The drive down was only 40 miles, but the route went through several populated areas.  Due to traffic, it took about an hour.

The draw of the Evergreen Museum is the one and only Spruce Goose. Though the museum campus is huge. As well as an Air Museum, there is an Aerospace Museum, IMAX Theatre and a waterside complex.

Built by Howard Hughes for the war department, the Spruce Goose is the largest wooden airplane ever constructed, and it was only flown once.  The project to build this aircraft was born out of a need to move troops and material across the Atlantic Ocean during WWII.  Due to the US government’s restrictions on materials critical to the war effort the plane was constructed of wood.

The Spruce Goose was originally designated HK-1, but it was later re-designated as the H-4 “Hercules”.  In fact, Howard Hughes did not like the name “Spruce Goose”  as the press invented that nickname and they insisted on using it.  In fact, the plane is made almost entirely of birch.

By the time the plane was complete it was clouded in controversy. Hughes was under investigation for how he handled the government contract, however Hughes wanted to prove that the plane was functional, so he took the flying boat out into Long Beach harbour to perform a taxiing and maneuvering test. After these initial tests, and to the surpise of reporters that were on hand, Hughes actually took the plane up to speed and flew it a distance. Mind you, he only flew a few feet off the water but he proved that his plane could fly.

In fact, that day in Long Beach was the only time it ever flew.  After the war, Hughes kept the plane locked up in a hangar in Long Beach, CA. After his death the plane was put on display. It remained in Long Beach until about 10 years ago when it was barged up to Portland and trucked into the new museum in McMinnville.

The Spruce Goose is the centerpiece of the museum. It is so large it fills the space, with other planes residing around it and under its wings like a mother goose to her ducklings.

You can go inside the Spruce Goose, however visitors only get to go inside the planes cargo area.  To  go up the spiral staircase to the cockpit cost $25 extra. An interesting feature of the cargo area is that it contains a pile of beach balls. As the story goes, Hughes had the cargo area filled with beach balls as special flotation in case the plane started to sink.

Among the Spruce Goose there are many other planes which were remarkable such as a Mig 29, Mig 23, F15 Eagle, WWII Corsair, P38 Lightning and a B17 Bomber.

In a separate building there is also an Aerospace museum featuring an actual Mercury Capsule and replicas of the Gemini and Apollo mission equipment. There is also a SR71 Blackbird and a Israeli drone to gawk at.

McMinnville is a beautiful area. There are many vineyards in the area to see and visit. In fact, the museum itself sports a very large vineyard in the area between the buildings and the highway. The Museum also bottles wine and sells it in a special wine store within the museum.

Photo Gallery

I am planning to visit Johnston Ridge on Sunday.  Today, though I planned on visiting the east side of Mount St. Helens at the lesser visited Windy Ridge Viewpoint.

The reason I planned to visit Windy Ridge is that I was intrigued by seeing Spirit Lake.  Also the terrain on east side is supposed to be more spectacular.  And it was!

The trip there was challenging. After driving about 4 hours form Pendleton, OR I turned south on Highway 25 at Randle, WA. Then it was 18 miles of twists and turns to Highway 99 and then another 19 miles on a very narrow mountain road that was most fogged in.  There are no guardrails and the road is very narrow in places.  Travelling between 20-40MPH, it was a lot of work.

As you drive up highway 99 there are many viewpoints.  Once of the stops is to see what is called the “Miner’s Car”.  You are still nine miles away from the mountain, but this car was hurled 60 feet into the air and then flattened during the eruption. The car’s owner and two family members tragically perished in a miner’s cabin nearby.

The Miner’s Car, flattened by the blast

One of the places I wanted to witness was Spirit Lake, and when I got to the lookout for the lake the clouds had parted.

Spirit Lake is interesting as the lake that lies beneath the shadow of the volcano. When the eruption happened all the water in Spirit lake was blown up and out onto the surrounding mountains. The water came back down and carried all the trees back down into the lake.

Spirit Lake still has many logs

While I was at the Spirit Lake lookout a young Park Ranger came by and told me the story of how Harry Truman lived at Spirit Lake and how he refused to leave when warned that the mountain will soon erupt. She pointed out the approximate location where Truman had lives as owner and caretaker of Mount St. Helens Lodge. Sadly, he did not survive the event.

After seeing Spirit Lake I continued on to Windy Ridge.  It was partially fogged in, but you could only see the bottom skirt of Mount St. Helens.

A Park Ranger gave a 25 minute interpretive talk at the summit.  She did a great job as the talk was very good, funny and interesting.  She gave us all postcards of the Mountain, since we couldn’t actually see it.

The view at Windy RIdge sis not include a montain, but it was spectacular. In this photo you see the plain in front of Mount St. Helens which was once decimated, but is now rejuvenating,

I spend about 45 minutes on Windy Ridge before I left.  The drive back down was very long.  I left Windy Ridge at about 3:00PM and I never made it to Cougar, WA until about 4:30PM.  A distance of 40 miles.

All in all it was a great side trip.  It was hard driving.  If you plan to go make sure you plan for a lot of time.

Windy Ridge Gallery

Location

This is a seriously high bridge

As you swing through Idaho a great place to visit is Twin Falls

The Snake River forms a pretty dramatic canyon on the north side of the city. You have to cross a serious bridge to get into town.

On the south side of the bridge there is a visitor centre with a great viewpoint of the bridge and the canyon.

Apparently the bridge is a favourite locale for base jumpers. I didn’t see anyone parachuting off the bridge when I visited.

There were kayakers in the Snake River below. They were the size of ants.

Evel Knievel’s Big Stunt

As well as a wonderful view, there is a plaque that commemorates Evel Knievel’s attempt to soar over the canyon on a rocket powered “motorcycle”. The location of his stunt is about 2 miles east of the bridge.

In fact the dirt ramp that he used is still there, though it is on private land and it can only be viewed from the distance.

The ramp Evel Knievel used iin his Snake River stunt is still there

Shoshone Falls

Shoshone Falls. The Niagara Falls of the west.

Shoshone Falls is a wonderful natural spectacle a few miles east of Twin Falls.

It is billed as the Niagara falls of the west. Though I have never been to Niagara Falls I can’t make a real comparison. However, I can tell you that Shoshone Falls are worth a look.

There are signs in Twin Falls that will lead you to Shoshone Falls Park. There is a $3/vehicle charge to get into the park. The park has a very nice walkway with several superb viewpoints of the falls.

I am told that the falls are even more impressive in March/April, when the Snake River is swollen with spring runoff. Still, in July, it was worth the side trip.

You can see for yourself in the photo I have posted!

Grand Prismatic Spring

One of the most spectacular features at Yellowstone is the Grand Prismatic Spring.

The spectacular colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red.  The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water and the high purity and depth of the water in the middle of the spring.

You can view the Grand Prismatic Spring when you visit the Midway Geyser Basin. There is a wonderful boardwalk that takes you along the north edge. The colours are amazing. Unfortunately it is hard to see the entire feature unless you do so from above.

Hike to a Viewpoint – Fairy Falls Trail

There is a popular hiking trail that many people take to view the spring.  When I took the hike it was 2.8 km round trip. (Based on GPS iPhone APP)

If you want to try the hike you should park at the Fairy Falls Trail parking lot, which is just south of the Midway Geyser Basin turnoff. The parking lot is always small and it can be very busy. You should try to go in the morning when there is a chance of less hikers.

At the trailhead there is a beautiful green pool. Don’t miss taking a picture!

The trail is fairly flat, but the grade is slight uphill. Look for ospreys in the treetops who are trying to spot their next meal in the nearby creek.

You will walk about 1.2km up the trail when you should notice well worn paths leading off the main trail and up the hill to the left.

The first trail you see leads up to the top of a very high hill. If you walk another 40-60 meters you will see more trails leading up to another hill.  This hill is not quite as tall. You can decide which path you take, depending on your fitness and adventurous spirit. I chose the second path.

The path up the hill is strewn with logs. Be careful as you go up. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not very fit, but I made it. I equate the climb to the lower viewpoint to be about 6-8 flights of stairs.

At the top the view is excellent, especially on a sunny day. Your efforts will be rewarded. Make sure you point the camera at yourself and pose with the Grand Prismatic Spring!

The descent is the hard part. My advice is to take it slow and go parallel to the slope as much as you can. If you are wearing hiking boots, or shoes with lugs the descent will be much easier.

Enjoy the hike!