Natural Wonders of the USA Part 6

More Natural Wonders

I drifted away from the series we were working on for the Natural Wonders of the USA so lets get back at it. 

The List so far

  • Wyoming – Devil’s Tower
  • Vermont – Quechee Gorge
  • Alaska – Glacier Bay
  • North Dakota- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
  • South Dakota- Custer State Park
  • Delaware – Brandywine Creek
  • Rhode Island – Mohegan Bluffs
  • Montana – Glacier National Park
  • Maine – Cadillac Mountain
  • New Hampshire – Flume Gorge
  • Hawaii- Diamond Head
  • West Virginia – New River Gorge
  • Idaho – Craters of the Moon
  • Nebraska- Chimney Rock
  • New Mexico – White Sands National Park
  • Kansas – Monument Rocks

So lets see what’s next

21. Mississippi – Deer Island

Endangered species, Ghosts and seclusion. What’s not to love. No I haven’t been there but I looked it up. If you like nature and beach going then you will probably enjoy Deer Island.  If you love ghost hunting, many claim that Deer Island is haunted by metaphysical beings: the Headless Skeleton and the Firewater Ghost.

 

Deer Island Coastal Preserve, Biloxi, Mississippi Historic… | Flickr

The Ghost of Deer Island is said to be responsible for mysterious lights and strange sounds observed on the island to this day.

The other old Biloxi legend tells of the “Firewater Ghost,” a supernatural blue light seen moving over the waters of Biloxi Bay long before the invention of electric light.

According to that legend, the mysterious light often moves across the bay between Biloxi and Ocean Springs.

22. Arkansas Hot Springs

Another location on my bucket list.  Hot Springs National Park are an ancient thermal springs.  Be careful of the water as temps can reach 143 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Image Via Pinterest

 

Today you can bathe in the hot springs, go hiking on over 26 miles of trails and find plenty of excellent camping spots.

23. Nevada – Fly Geyser

I’ve spent several vacations and work conventions in Las Vegas. I’ve taken the tour of Hoover Dam. Have you  heard of Valley of Fire State Park? Once if did I added a visit to my bucket list  but fly geyser sounds interesting too. 

 

File:Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada 01.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia

I saw loads of geysers while I was in Yellowstone but none of them had the colors shown in the pictures of Fly Geyser. Of course Yellowstone’s geysers are all natural. Fly Geyser is, at least in part, man made. Residents in 1916, seeking irrigation water, drilled a well at the spot. When they discovered was too hot for drinking, they abandoned the well. Another geyser was created when a geothermal power company drilled a test well in 1964. Because the wells were not properly capped, water started erupting from the holes and calcium carbonate deposits began forming, thus creating Fly Geyser.

Fly Geyser- Internet photo

More Wonders to come.

We’ve Played this Game Before

We’ve Played this Game Before

Have you ever seen those games of lists on Facebook. You know the ones. They ask you things like how many of the following list of books you’ve read or how many classic films you’ve seen. There’s even a list of foods you hate! Well I was trying to visit all 50 states but I kind of got off track. So let’s play another version of the game called How Many states have you visited?

Rules of the GameWe've Played this game before

For a state to count you must have spent time there. You can’t count changing planes even if you do have a long layover. No you need to spend at least one full day there. Even better is a weekend or a vacation. For example, I had changed planes in Washington DC many times but I couldn’t cross Washington DC off the list until I spent a long weekend exploring the National Mall and looking at frozen cherry blossoms. If I truly want to experience the Cherry Blossoms I’ll need to go back but I can put a check by Washington DC.

The List of States

  1. Alabama – No
  2. Alaska – Yes- Breathtaking and majestic. Loved the glaciers
  3. Arizona – Yes- Sedona and Red Rock Country. I took my first helicopter ride in Arizona.
  4. Arkansas – No
  5. California – Yes but not for vacation (I spent 3 days in San Diego at a business convention)
  6. Colorado- No
  7. Connecticut – Yes (I spent a weekend in Old Saybrook but I don’t remember why)
  8. Delaware – No
  9. Florida – Yes- Love Florida, too bad it’s going to be underwater because of Global Warming. I go often to enjoy it while I can.
  10. Georgia – Yes The Georgia Aquarium is huge and don’t forget to go to the World of Coca Cola
  11. Hawaii –  Yes  Oahu, Big Island and Maui. Still need to go to Kauai. Best time is February when the whales put on quite a show. I also snorkeled with Manta Rays and watched Kilauea prepare to blow her top.
  12. Idaho – No
  13. Illinois- Yes But I need to go again. It was a business trip to Chicago, one of the first times I’d ever been on an airplane (a long time ago) I don’t remember much.
  14. Indiana – No
  15. Iowa – No
  16. Kansas – No
  17. Kentucky – No
  18. Louisiana – Yes, New Orleans. Great food!
  19. Maine – Yes Saw my first wild Moose there
  20. Maryland – Yes Went to the Navel Academy in Annapolis when my brother was a midshipman.
  21. Massachusetts – Yes I guess I can say Yes. I live in Massachusetts
  22. Michigan – No
  23. Minnesota – No
  24. Mississippi – No
  25. Missouri – No
  26. Montana- No
  27. Nebraska – No
  28. Nevada- Yes – Vegas Baby!  Great Shows Great Food Fun Times
  29. New Hampshire – Yes I explored the White Mountains
  30. New Jersey – No
  31. New Mexico – No
  32. New York – Yes My childhood home plus I have visited Niagara Falls several times
  33. North Carolina – No
  34. North Dakota – No
  35. Ohio -No
  36. Oklahoma – No
  37. Oregon – No
  38. Pennsylvania- No
  39. Rhode Island – Yes- Walked the cliff walk and visited the Mansions. Even went to a black tie ball in one
  40. South Carolina- Yes My brother’s wedding
  41. South Dakota – Yes That was an awesome vacation- So much to do there!
  42. Tennessee – Yes – Stayed in Gatlinburg and visited Pigeon Forge. Skipped Dollywood
  43. Texas – Yes – San Antonio. Stayed right on the River Walk
  44. Utah – No
  45. Vermont – Yes Maple Syrup anyone?
  46. Virginia – Yes Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Garden Christmas Town
  47. Washington State- Yes Spent a week on a business trip in Seattle. Took pictures from the top of the space needle and visited Chihuly Gardens
  48. West Virginia – No
  49. Wisconsin – Yes Say Cheese. Actually My brother’s retirement party from the Navy was held in Kenosha
  50. Wyoming – Yes One of my favorite places. Jackson Hole (Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone)
  51. Washington DC – Yes, On a frozen , icy weekend (as mentioned above)

Now Its Your Turn

What does your list look like? How Many states have you visited? Which of my “No” States should I visit next?

 

Beautiful Bellagio Fountains, Las Vegas

Beautiful Bellagio

Back in 2015 I wrote a post called Beautiful Bellagio about the wonderful dancing fountains. https://aroundustyroads.com/2015/03/09/beautiful-bellagio/ They are an attraction that is a natural fit for me. I love water, be it streams, lakes, ponds or oceans. Have you ever noticed the way the sun turns a waterfall into a veil of diamonds? Or a lake into a mirror? Have you ever tried scuba diving? That’s really becoming one with nature.

The Fire didn’t Stop the Show

In April of this year (2017) a fire broke out at the Bellagio hotel. The fire lasted about 30 minutes causing a tremendous amount of damage.  $450,000.00 worth! My first thought at the news was what happened to the fountains? I wondered if  they were damaged? Apparently not at all. The fountains bounced and dazzled the crowd on the strip while the fire raged in the background.

One! Singular Sensation

The fountain show changes all the time. In 2015  when the background music was from the musical A Chorus Line, the fountains danced and swayed to the tune of One, Singular Sensation, every little step she takes…

After 2 years, I now present the Dancing Fountains!

The Pink Panther stole the show

The night of the fire the Pink Panther stole the show. Spectators thought the fire was part of the show. As the smelly smoke reached the crowd they realized the fire wasn’t  background to the fountains and the Pink Panther Theme Music.

The Fountains At the Bellagio

In true “The Show Must Go On” tradition, the shops reopened almost immediately in an annex. It wasn’t long before the same shops moved back to the Bellagio hotel. With the damage from the fire repaired, life on the strip has returned to normal. The beautiful Bellagio fountains continue to bounce and dance and entertain. If you are in Las Vegas it’s a free show that is not be missed.

 

Not In Vegas

All of my co workers are off in Las Vegas for the annual company meeting so it is very quiet here at work. This is the first time I’ve skipped the annual meeting and everyone wants to know why.

las vegas

 Originally I had planned to go but the company would only fly me out for 2 days, all work meetings and then I’d be jetting back. I didn’t feel the jet lag was worth it. I considered using some vacation time and staying in Vegas at my time share, Polo Towers.

polo towers

Its right on the strip and I could have used the time to do some more exploring. Vegas is a fun place even if you don’t gamble. But in the end I decided my vacation time was better spent going back to Hawaii. That trip is only a few weeks away, my birthday present to myself.

 198

I’ve booked one excursion which is a combo whale watch and snorkel trip. I’m looking forward to that. I’m still on the fence about trying a “Snuba” dive. Snuba is a cross between snorkeling and scuba. The mouthpiece or regulator that you use with snuba is connected to an air tank that is on the water’s surface either in the dive boat or on a raft with an air hose connected. You get to breathe through your regulator just like with scuba but you don’t have any clumsy tanks attached to your back. On the downside you are limited to the length of your air hose. On the plus side you don’t need to be certified for snuba. That’s important to me as I foolishly let my scuba certification lapse. I tried to get it reinstated but NAUI couldn’t find my records so to scuba dive means getting certified all over again. Not an inexpensive endeavor especially since I’d probably only go diving if I was on a tropical vacation.

 snuba-dive2

The excursion I booked is with one of the many tour companies on Maui but I also want to go out with the Pacific Whale Foundation. I follow their posts on FaceBook . They are a non-profit organization that was founded to help save the whales from extinction. Everything I’ve heard of this organization is positive and since 1980 they have been leaders in educational wildlife watching and eco-tourism. I’m just waiting until I get to Maui to book anymore tours. I can probably get a discount at the concierge desk at my time share. pacific-whale-foundation

Speaking of the Pacific Whale Foundation, they present a Festival on Maui on February.  That’s World Whale Day, a celebration of all things humpback. The annual celebration is used to raise awareness and inspire action to protect the whales and their ocean habitat. It’s on the Saturday before President’s day each year but sadly I will not be there that day. I’ll have to keep that date in mind for next year.

Close to the Boat

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In addition to my quest for the perfect breaching whale photo, I was hoping to be able to see the Iao Valley and the Iao Needle but it was closed due to rain and flood damage when we were there in November.

iao-needle-2048-cq8

  I keep checking the official web site for updates on when the area may be re-opening but so far it is still closed. Since February’s the rainy season in Hawaii they probably won’t have made enough progress to re-open but I’ll keep checking.

That’s a Wrap, Jack!

That about sums up this trip to Las Vegas. Nothing too crazy but still fun and a nice break from reality. The rumor is that our next company convention in January will be in Vegas. I may just have to add a couple of days and stay at Polo Towers again. Maybe I’ll make it to Mandalay Bay and the Shark Tank!

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I think I forgot to mention that we did stop by the Bellagio so I could show Sandy the dancing fountains. I really think I got a better feel for Vegas this trip; traveled around more.

bellagio_fountain_BIG

So now what do I do and where do I go next?

My next scheduled time off is for a short trip in July to Maine but I think I need to find some things to share before then.

This weekend is supposed to be nice but my car is going in for “surgery”. Like me it needs a new  “rear end”.

car

They said to expect to have the car tied up all day but maybe I can squeeze in a short trip to the pond in Plymouth to see if there are any baby ducks or swans.

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Another project is to learn to shoot in “raw”. (That’s photography speak to anyone who isn’t into cameras.) Well, actually it’s not the photo taking that’s hard, it’s the editing. I’ll have to learn how to edit “raw” photos. That means new software etc. Kind of boring topic unless you’re a photography buff.

But I’m sure I can find something to babble mindlessly about until the next trip. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments. I love getting dialog going.