Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas :

Kerrville, TX, Library

 

    Looking up the small stream which flows through the Gulpa Gulch Campground at Hot Springs National Park.

 

    [Photos taken 27 Aug]

 

 

 

    A look down the Gulpa Gulch Campground creek. And, while it has fish in it, I was unable to identify the species since I do not recall any trout or bass which have white spots on their backs just in front of their dorsal fins. The rock wall is designed to keep all but the most agile out of the stream-bed and in the campground.

 

    Speaking of which, here's the GG Campground. [Whoever thought up that name likely got a Gold Star on his Ranger Efficiency Report!] These are the tent & small RV sites. This is one of the few National Park Campgrounds I've seen where the facilities are not cramped or worn such as those at Lassen, Yosemite, and Mt Rainier Natl Parks.

 

    And there are also full-hookup sites for those driving larger RVs or Fifth Wheelers.
    From the Hot Springs brochure "Drinking the Water":"On average 700,000 gallons are collected from the springs every day at an average temperature of 143 deg F."
    There are two "cold springs": Happy Hollow and Whittington Springs, whose temps are 62 & 66 deg F. respectively.
    It wasn't until my third trip looking for the "rural" Hot Springs Park that I realized it was entirely an urban park. (See first link below.)

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
Routes:

Su 7 Sep Actual Route: San Antone, TX, W/M - Library - Boerne, TX - Walmart

M 8 Sep Actual Route: Boerne, TX, Walmart - Kerrville Lib - Kerrville, TX, W/M

T 9 Sep Actual Route: Kerrville, TX, W/M - Library - Kerrville, TX, W/M

W 10 Sep Actual Route: Kerrville, TX, W/M - Library - Fredericksburg Lib - Walmart

Th 11 Sep Actual Route: Fredericksburg Walmart - Mason - Brady Lib - Walmart

F 12 Sep Actual Route: Brady Walmart - McDs - Lib - Eden Library - San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M

Sa 13 Sep Actual Route: San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Visitor Ctr - McDs - San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M

Su 14 Sep Actual Route: San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M - Visitor Ctr - San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M

M 15 Sep Actual Route: San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Visitor Ctr - McDs - San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M

T 16 Sep Route: San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M - Amgelo Auto Rpr - S/A VA Clinic - Lib - San Angelo Sherwood Wy W/M

Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Friday, July 25, 2014

Magazine Mountain, Arkansas

Magazine Mountain, Arkansas :

San Antonio, TX, Library

 

    Cove Lake, which is on US Forest Service property north of Magazine Mountain maintains a campground on the south shore.

 

    [Photos taken 25 Aug]

 

 

 

 

    The lack of wind made for a good photo, but, alas, it also allowed skeeters to seek out warm-blooded mammals -- like me! :-(>

 

 

 

 

 

    And, yes, there are fish in Cove Lake; however, most of the rises were from small fish; I saw no big swirls, which are more indicative of bigger fish. Given the elevation, I assume the fish are trout rather than bass.

 

 

 

    One of the viewpoints while driving to the shortest trail to the top of Magazine Mountain; believe this is a look to the north and the hills adjacent to the Arkansas River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Sunflowers at the base of a partially-dead juniper at one of the viewpoints; whether they were there when the viewpoint was built or the state of Arkansas planted them is unclear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning upward the bulk of the juniper is very much alive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Luckily, the parking spot where the road to the campground branches off was empty and I parked my rig there -- from which it was relatively easy 0.4 mile walk to the top.
    In the foreground is a map of Arkansas with a USGS base marker indicating the top of Magazine Mountain at 2,753 feet.

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
Routes:

F 29 Aug Actual Route: Hope W/M - Magnolia, AR, Lib - Springhill, LA, W/M

Sa 30 Aug Actual Route: Springhill, LA, W/M - Minden - Bossier City Taco Bell - Shreveport, LA - Carthage, TX, W/M

Su 31 Aug Actual Route: Carthage, TX, W/M - Center, TX - Jasper - Woodville, TX, W/M

M 1 Sep Actual Route: Woodville W/M - McDs - Livingston Lowe's - Walmart

T 2 Sep Actual Route: W/M - Livingston, TX, Lowe's - Walmart - Escapees - Moss Hill - Cleveland - Conroe W/M

W 3 Sep Actual Route: Conroe W/M - Luling, TX, - Columbus Lib - Colorado Riv City Park

Th 4 Sep Actual Route: Colo Riv Pk - Columbus Lib - Seguin Home Depot

F 5 Sep Actual Route: Seguin, TX, Home Depot - San Antonio McDs - San Antonio Starbucks - Walmart

Sa 6 Sep Actual Route: San Antone, TX, W/M - Lowe's - Sears - Walmart

Su 7 Sep Actual Route: San Antone, TX, W/M - Library - Boerne, TX - Walmart

M 8 Sep Actual Route: Boerne, TX, Walmart - Kerrville Lib - Kerrville, TX, W/M

T 9 Sep Route: Kerrville, TX, W/M - Library

Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

New Madrid, Missouri

New Madrid, Missouri :

Magnolia, AR, Library

 

 

 

    A tanker barge at New Madrid, Missouri.

 

    [Photos taken 13 Aug]

 

 

 

 

    Seen from downstream, note that the tanker barge at New Madrid on the Mississippi River is applying some "throttle" to maintain its position in the river.

 

 

 

    Panning right. Note that the Mississippi makes almost a 360-degree loop or circle. Since this was the site of what was almost certainly the strongest earthquake in modern times in the U.S. it's likely the loop is remnant of earthquakes during the winter of 1811 and 1812.

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning right yet again the size of the river is emphasized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Finally, a look down the river.

 

 

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
Routes:

F 29 Aug Actual Route: Hope W/M - Magnolia, AR, Lib - Springhill, LA, W/M

Sa 30 Aug Actual Route: Springhill, LA, W/M - Minden - Bossier City Taco Bell - Shreveport, LA - Carthage, TX, W/M

Su 31 Aug Actual Route: Carthage, TX, W/M - Center, TX - Jasper - Woodville, TX, W/M

M 1 Sep Actual Route: Woodville W/M - McDs - Livingston Lowe's - Walmart

T 2 Sep Actual Route: W/M - Livingston, TX, Lowe's - Walmart - Escapees - Moss Hill - Cleveland - Conroe W/M

W 3 Sep Actual Route: Conroe W/M - Luling, TX, - Columbus Lib - Colorado Riv City Park

Th 4 Sep Actual Route: Colo Riv Pk - Columbus Lib - Seguin Home Depot

F 5 Sep Actual Route: Seguin, TX, Home Depot - San Antonio McDs - San Antonio Starbucks - Walmart

Sa 6 Sep Actual Route: San Antone, TX, W/M - Lowe's - Sears - Walmart

Su 7 Sep Route: San Antone, TX, W/M - Library - Boerne, TX - Walmart

Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Thursday, July 10, 2014

Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee

Creelfoot Lake, Tennessee :

Cape Girardeau, MO, Library

    Indian legend said that Chief Reelfoot of the Chickasaws fell madly in love with Laughing Eyes, a Choctaw Princess; however, because of a deformed foot which made him reel when he walked he was refused her hand in marriage.
    Chief Reelfoot and his braves raided the Choctaws and abducted her. While they were celebrating their success with their drums, the Indian gods became angry and caused much bigger "thunder" by causing the land to rise and fall by as much as 16 feet. It filled with water and the Chief is in a watery grave at the bottom of Reelfoot Lake.

 

    The trees you see here at Reelfoot Lake State Park are Bald Cypress trees, which can survive even though their roots are under water while other trees die or drown. While I thought the cypress knees helped the trees gain oxygen, that is unproven, but they may help buttress or stabilize the tree in soft soil.

 

     One of the plaques said to think of Reelfoot Lake as a flooded forest. That is certainly true where the water is not as deep as here at the southern end of the lake, but the waves here in the afternoon are fairly substantial.
     [Photos Taken: 12-13 Aug]

 

 

 

  Zooming in on the nearly-submerged tree I also caught a glimpse of a new army helicopter with the code name of Dragonfly. :-)>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A closeup of the knees of a cypress tree

 

 

 

    If you look closely, you'll see a squirrel perched on a branch facing me. His tail is errect just to the right side of the tree. The ladies on the park staff buy corn and other edibles for him and his buddies. In fact, had I not been standing near the door, one of them would have entered the park office.

 

 

    An early-morning look at the southern end of Reelfoot Lake before the winds began blowing.

 

 

 

 

    A family of ducks swims by. Note that the ducklings are almost as big as their parents. There was a female duck sitting on some eggs in one of the planter boxes at the park office.
    Four ducklings had hatched by the day I was there.

 

 

 

 

 

    Created during the New Madrid Quakes in the winter of 1811/1812, Reelfoot Lake is 5mi wide x 14mi long and home to numerous birds, mammals, and fish including both the Golden and Bald Eagles. [For more on the quake which created this lake see the links below.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Another videw of Reelfoot Lake -- this time from the west side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    One final shot of Reelfoot Lake looking generally north.

 

 

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
Routes:

W 20 Aug Actual Route: I-55 Rest Area - Taum Sauk Mtn, MO - Centerville - Ellington - Poplar Bluff W/M

Th 21 Aug Actual Route: Poplar Bluff, MO, W/M - Corning, AR - Pocahontas, AR, W/M

F 22 Aug Actual Route: Pocahontas, AR, W/M - Cave City - Batesville W/M

Sa 23 Aug Actual Route: Batesville W/M - Greenbriar - Conway W/M

Su 24 Aug Actual Route: Conway W/M - Lib - Russellville - Dardanelle - Cave L USFS CG

M 25 Aug Actual Route: Cave L USFS CG - Magazine Mtn S.P. - Danville Lib - Ola - AR7 bd

T 26 Aug Actual Route: AR7 bd - Hot Sprs NP CG

W 27 Aug Actual Route: Hot Sprs NP CG - Glenwood Lib - Kirby - Crater of Diamonds S.P.

Th 28 Aug Actual Route: Crater of Diamonds S.P. - Murfreesbora, AR, Lib - Hope W/M

F 29 Aug Route: Hope W/M - Magnolia, AR, Lib - Springhill, LA, W/M

Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Saturday, July 5, 2014

Fort Jefferson, Kentucky

Fort Jefferson, Kentucky : Cape Giradeau, MO, Library


 

    Looking up a wide Ohio River from the site of the 1780s Fort Jefferson.
    Photos taken 11 Aug.

 

 

 

 

 

    Zooming in over the tops of the trees on the other side of the Ohio one can see the tops of the bridge over the Mississippi to Cairo, Illinois.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left or down the Ohio....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning downstream one more time....

 

 

 

 

 

 

    As you can see the trees have been cleared so that crops (probably corn) can be planted.

 

 

 

 

    From the left: a large cross which is spotlighted at night, the U.S. Flag, the top of a derrick or hoist likely used to clear floating or partially submerged logs, and my rig.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A better view of the bridge I used to cross the Ohio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A final view of a notable location, where Fort Jefferson once stood near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
Routes:

Sa 9 Aug Actual Route: West Plains, MO, W/M - Doniphan - Pocahontas, AR, Walmart

Su 10 Aug Actual Route: Pocahontas, AR, W/M - New Madrid, MO - Sikeston W/M

M 11 Aug Actual Route: Sikeston W/M - Cairo, IL - Clinton, KY - Fulton, KY, W/M

T 12 Aug Actual Route: Fulton, KY, W/M - Union City, TN, Lowe's - Reelfoot State Park

W 13 Aug Actual Route: Reelfoot S. P. - Tiptonville - Dyersburg Lowe's - Dyersburg W/M

Th 14 Aug Actual Route: Dyersburg W/M - Hayti McDs - Scott City McDs - Cape Giradeau Lowe's - Walmart

F 15 Aug Actual Route: Cape Giradeau W/M - Lowe's - Lib - Lowe's - Walmart

Sa 16 Aug Actual Route: Cape Giradeau W/M - Lowe's - McDs - Lib - Lowe's - Walmart

Su 17 Aug Actual Route: Cape Giradeau W/M - Lowe's - Cousin Marlin's - Lib - Lowe's - Walmart

M 18 Aug Route: Cape Giradeau W/M - Lowe's - Ford dealership - Lib - Lowe's - Walmart

Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Monday, June 30, 2014

My Most Useful Christmas Present

My Most Useful Christmas Present :

Lebanon, MO, Library

 

    On Christmas 2012 my brother gave me a Torch Crank Light, engineered by GoalZero of Utah. I've used it at night virtually 95% of the time since.
    It has 18 bright, white LEDs.

 

 

 

    It can be charged in several ways: via 1)sunlight, 2)12v d.c., 3)110v a.c., or 4)hand crank.

 

 

 

 

 

     From left to right: the box with a $30 price tag on it, the torch solar crank light, on top, the a.c. adapter, and the d.c. charger curled around a small operations booklet.

 

 

Torch Technical Specs     Charge Times
  • AC/DC Adapters: 6-7 hrs
  • Solar Panel: 9-10 hrs
  • Hand Crank: 1 min = 10 min light
Additional Specs
  • Weight: 11.2oz (320g)
  • Dimensions: 10x2.5x1.5 in (25.4x6.35x3.3 cm)
    • Address:

    Goal Zero

    675 W 14600 S Rd

    Bluffdale UT 84065

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
Routes:

T 5 Aug Actual Route: Bolivar Walmart - Buffalo - Two Lane - Lebanon Lib - Walmart

W 6 Aug Actual Route: Lebanon Walmart - Lebanon Lib - Springfield - Kearney St Walmart

Th 7 Aug Actual Route: Springfield - Kearney St Walmart

F 8 Aug Actual Route: Kearney St Walmart - Hardees - Seymour - Mountain Grove - West Plains, MO, W/M

Sa 9 Aug Actual Route: West Plains, MO, W/M - Doniphan - Pocahontas, AR, Walmart

Su 10 Aug Actual Route: Pocahontas, AR, W/M - New Madrid, MO - Sikeston W/M

M 11 Aug Actual Route: Sikeston W/M - Cairo, IL - Clinton, KY - Fulton, KY, W/M

T 12 Aug Actual Route: Fulton, KY, W/M - Union City, TN, Lowe's - Reelfoot State Park

W 13 Aug Actual Route: Reelfoot S. P. - Tiptonville - Dyersburg Lowe's - Dyersburg W/M

Th 14 Aug Actual Route: Dyersburg W/M - Hayti McDs - Scott City McDs - Cape Giradeau Lowe's - Walmart

Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Fort Union, National Monument, New Mexico

Fort Union, National Monument, New Mexico :

Independence, MO, Midwest Genealogy Center

    The remnants of Fort Union, once the largest military post in the SouthWest, as seen from the road to the Visitor Center.
    Even with the completion of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1879, there were a few such as my great-grandfather, George Thomas Lemmon, who still made the trip because they owned a wagon and stock.

 

    Several other locations of note according to this plaque are 1)the Samuel Watrous Store, 2)Las Vegas, NM, where Gen Kearny claimed the NM Territory for the U.S. in 1846, 3)Kearnys Gap, where, in 1821, after Mexico's independence from Spain, trading was opened up in the area, 4)Bernal (aka Starvation) Peak, 5)San Miguel del Vado, first Hispanic Church, and 6)Kozlowski's Stage Station.

 

 

        A view of what's left of Fort Union from just behind the Visitor Center. [Photos Taken: early June 2014]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Zooming in....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    "Six wards, 36 beds with a maximum capacity of 60 or more, a surgeon and assistant surgeon with a staff of 8, made this one of the best hospitals in the West." [Supposedly the best hospital in 500 miles.]

 

 

 

 

    Another view of the remainder of the post from behind the Visitor Center.

 

 

 

 

 

    It's unclear when this photo was taken. Was it by balloon sometime after the Civil War? As stated, some of the ruts you see are still visible today.

 

 

 

 

 

    Indeed -- some of those ruts are visible just over the top of the plaque.

 

 

 

 

 

    Don't know where the loudspeaker was (on the flagpole?), but it was sufficiently loud to raise the dead. [What? Union soldier vampires?!?!]

        The only way for an enlisted man's wife to live with him was to agree to do not only his laundry but that of 18 other soldiers as well.

 

 

 

 

    The Stockade -- from which many miscreants were unlikely to escape once the missing iron doors were locked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Ah Ha! There's that aggravating speaker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    An 1866 photo of Post HQ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    "Who gathers the wood for all these fireplaces, Captain?
    Now that you asked...."

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A plaque explaining the third and final Fort Union, which was built in 1863 and abandoned in 1891, 12 years after the railroad to Santa Fe was completed.

 

 

[Return to the top of the page]
Links:
Routes:

Sa 26 Jul Actual Route: St Joseph W/M - Rushville, MO - Atchinson, KS, Lib - Walmart

Su 27 Jul Actual Route: Atchinson, KS, W/M - Library - Leavenworth Lib - Leavenworth W/M

M 28 Jul Actual Route: Leavenworth W/M - Leavenworth Lib - Kansas City, KS - KC, MO - Independence W/M

T 29 Jul Actual Route: Independence W/M - Blue Sprs RV CG

W 30 Jul Actual Route: Blue Sprs RV CG - Independence Midwest Genealogy Ctr - Walmart

Th 31 Jul Actual Route: Walmart - Independence Midwest Genealogy Ctr - Walmart

F 1 Aug Actual Route: Walmart - Independence Midwest Genealogy Ctr - Walmart

Sa 2 Aug Actual Route: Walmart - Independence Mid-W Gen Ctr - Blue Sprs - Butler - Nevada W/M

Su 3 Aug Actual Route: Nevada W/M - Ft Scott, KS - Nevada McDs - Walmart

M 4 Aug Actual Route: Nevada W/M - El Dorado Sprs -Humansville - Bolivar Walmart

T 5 Aug Route: Bolivar Walmart - Buffalo - Two Lane - Lebanon Lib - Walmart

Finding Campgrounds:

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

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