Natural Wonders of the USA – Finale

Posted on March 11, 2023March 10, 2023 by Dusty Roads

The Final Natural Wonders

The results are in and clearly I can’t count. I’ve compared the states we’ve covered with an alphabetical list of states and everything matches. I’ve gone back over each post and checked and can’t find a counting error but I still come up with states 48 & 49 to finish off. Obviously I can’t count. So aside from my challenge with numbers, we will wrap up this series with California and Texas. I am proud to say that I have been to both states. However I have not been to the Natural Wonders that are on the LIST.

California- Yosemite National Park

California is a big state with so much to see and do. I’ve been to San Diego for work so didn’t get to explore much. I’ve been to LA several time. I got to visit the Queen Mary and take a harbor tour past Alcatraz. Neither of which can be called a natural wonder. The Channel Islands are on my bucket list as well as Big Sur and Redwood country but according to the Natural Wonders list the top Natural Wonder in California is Yosemite National Park.

The massive national park extends into Tuolumne, Mariposa, Mono, and Madera counties, and covers about 1,169 square miles. Yosemite Valley is a 7 mile wide canyon with incredible rock formations, including El Capitan, the world’s tallest granite monolith and one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations. Yosemite Falls is the largest waterfall in North America with breathtaking views. Peak visitation at the falls is in the spring as it is comprised entirely of melting snow. The park is also known for its Giant Sequoia trees, which are estimated to be over 3,000 years old

Spectacular Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California - PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search Engine Public Domain Search

Yosemite Falls – Photo from Internet

Texas – Palo Duro Canyon

On my trip to Texas, we stayed in San Antonio and explored the Alamo and the Spanish Missions. We dined on the River Walk but we didn’t explore the wilds of the state.

Spanish Mission San Antonio TX- Photo Credit Deb Neumann

The River Walk- San Antonio – Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Called the Grand Canyon of Texas, the Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the country. You don’t have to rough it to explore either. Glamping (luxury camping) is now available! Each glamping site is fully furnished with air conditioning, luxury rustic furnishings, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, games, bicycles, gas grills and gas fire pits, covered porches with rockers, porch swings, and much more. More information on glamping at Palo Duro Canyon.

Lighthouse - Palo Duro Canyon, Texas | Thomas Shahan | Flickr

Lighthouse- Photo Credit Thomas Shahan Flickr

That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for joining me on our exploration of the Natural Wonders of the USA. As for me, I’ve added a lot to my travel bucket list.

The “least” Favorite Vacation

Posted on March 5, 2017March 5, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

If I have a favorite vacation then I guess I should have a least favorite. Doesn’t mean it was bad, just not one I care to repeat.

That one would be the Amtrak vacation Sandy and I took that covered San Antonio and New Orleans.

Yellow roses of Texas

San Antonio was great. I loved the River Walk and the tour of the old Spanish Missions.

dsc_1400-copy

Seeing the Alamo was interesting too.

dsc_1347a

It wasn’t what I expected but then I’m, not sure what I did expect. There is so much written about the Alamo. It’s been immortalized and romanticized in so many movies, books and folk lore. I was disappointed that they were repairing the façade so there was no way to take a photo for myself without the crane in front but I do understand the need to maintain the building to keep it from crumbling. I could have bought a post card.

dsc_1412-copy

The train ride from San Antonio to New Orleans was pleasant. We met some nice people in the dining car and the motion of the train and the clickity clack made it easy to nap along the way. There was a nice observation car with a dome and comfy seating if you wanted to sight see.

Once in New Orleans we had some minor issues with the room. That was fixed quickly but it was late (after 10 pm) so it was a bit annoying.

dsc_1516-copy

We didn’t have a car so we walked to the tour bus stop on the waterfront. We had to be there early and I found myself watching over my shoulder. The street was pretty messy and with the garbage pickup still sometime in the future it was pretty smelly.

dsc_1498-copy

Not too many people were out walking and although we did pass a jogger or two, I still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. I was very happy to see the ticket booth come into sight.

dsc_1506-copy

I got the same feeling when we were out in the evening. We passed obvious “ladies of the night” and were accosted by hawkers and street vendors. Some even continuing to follow us after we said no thank you. I was just very uncomfortable. In all my travels I have never felt this way anywhere else.

On the plus side we had a nice time riding the steam boat up the Muddy Mississippi and the aquarium was great. Our trip into the bayou got rained out. That was disappointing but even with the pouring rain we got to the Court of 3 Sisters for an amazing, elegant dinner. So I can’t say New Orleans was a total loss, just not someplace I’m anxious to return to anytime soon. I’m sure that comes as a surprise to many. I know all my friends said I would love it. Maybe once I’ve seen all of the other states I’ll go back for that missed trip into the bayou.

Rain Forest Exhibit, New Orleans Aquarium

Riverwalk to French Quarter

Posted on November 27, 2015November 27, 2015 by Dusty Roads

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day.

Now it’s time to get back to my tale of our most recent adventure. We were about to embark on the Amtrak portion of our trip. We had to be ready to board by 6:30 am so we arranged the cab ride the night before.

The cab was early. It was still dark and rainy when we arrived at the station so we didn’t see much of the exterior.

San_Antonio_Train_Station

Inside was much smaller than I expected and there were plenty of people waiting for trains. As we checked our luggage I joked with the clerk who assured me that they had a better track record than the airlines for getting our luggage where it was supposed to be.

He told us the conductor would come in to announce our train so we could have a seat and relax. Time passed and I watched the clock progress toward our departure time and still no “All Aboard” announcement. Finally I got concerned and started asking other passengers. One said our train was boarding right now and that we’d better get out there. So much for the conductor!

Outside we were immediately given our “room” assignment. By having upgraded to a “sleeper” all meals were included and we had a little bit of privacy. The room was tiny and if we wanted to sleep one of us would have to climb to the upper bunk. It was adequate but I think the full size sleeper would have been nicer. Next time.

One of the nicest amenities was the lounge car, a windowed dome car with tables and more comfortable seats.

Amtrak’s lounge car feature windows that reach into the ceiling which makes it the best place to soak up the scenery on a long trip. (Photo by Josh Noel/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images)

Meals were served in the dining car. The conductor came around with a form for us to sign and choose the time we wanted to eat. You don’t just wander down anytime you get hungry. Snacks are in the the Lounge Car. Anyway, when they call your seating you go to the dining car where seating is 4 to a table. We had lunch with a French couple and dinner with a German couple. The food was excellent which amazed me considering the size of the galley and the wait staff was top notch. I was quite impressed.

The views along the corridor from Texas to New Orleans weren’t the most scenic that I’ve ever seen. One of the most interesting to my mind was refineries we passed, at least one was burning off gas which was quite something to see. Up until now, I’d only seen it on TV.

marli-miller-burning-off-gas-at-oil-refinery-sinclair-wyoming-usa

We passed cotton fields but I seem to have missed them. The German couple told us they had seen several.

cotton field

We wondered what the grassy crop was that we were seeing. It was clearly cultivated so we asked the dining car staff. They told us that was sugar cane.

sugarcaneplant

I never would have given Sugar cane a thought. I think of Sugar cane as an island crop not something on the mainland US. Its wonderful what you learn when you travel!

Before we arrived in New Orleans the sun had set and we were back in the dark. Once in New Orleans we retrieved our luggage, hailed a cab and soon were checked into our hotel in the French Quarter, Wyndham New Orleans.

hotel

Our Final Hours in San Antonio

Posted on November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 by Dusty Roads

Usually my vacations are go , go , go while I try to cram in every possible attraction and sight because who knows when I will get to return. So the first day in San Antonio with the City tour filling the hours was right in style with the way most of my vacations go.

Day two was much more laid back. Being on our own with no car limited the amount of running around we could do. The rain was another deterrent. In the end once we returned from the botanical garden and got dried off, we had lunch and retired to the back veranda of the hotel. There they had tables and chairs which overlooked the River walk.

I confess I embraced the Southwestern tradition of siesta and snored my way through the afternoon comfortably ensconced in the cushioned chairs.

-Holiday_Inn_Riverwalk-20000000006140298-240x180

Dinner was with our travel voucher at the Hard Rock Cafe on the River Walk. Sandy had Salmon and I had the only Bar-B-Que of the whole visit. It was so good and in true Texas fashion, way too much food!

hard Rock

While we were at the Alamo I was pleased to learn that they have an Alamo Cat. We spotted one large, fluffy, orange and white cat while we were at the Alamo but it didn’t look like C.C., the official Alamo Cat.

Alamo Cat

We missed out on the San Fernando Cathedral thanks to the rain. Founded in 1731, it is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas. The Cathedral building has the added distinction of being the oldest standing church building in Texas.

Cathrdral

The Cathedral of San Fernando is said to be the resting place of the remains of the heroes of the Alamo. At night there is a light show that is projected on the sides of the structure.

We also missed visiting the Tower of the America’s. Maybe next trip.

DSC_1429 copy

But these were small oversights. The next morning we’d be on the train heading to New Orleans and bidding adieu to the Lone Star State.

A Rainy Day in San Antonio

Posted on November 22, 2015November 22, 2015 by Dusty Roads

As I was thinking about this post I thought it was appropriate that I write it today as it’s a rainy and dreary day in Massachusetts. Perfect for putting me in the mood for telling you about our rainy day in San Antonio.

We’d had a full day with the City Tour and the rain had held off until the end at the Japanese Garden so I guess we don’t have too much to complain about.

This morning we woke to more drizzly rain. This was our personal day. We got the grand tour yesterday and now we had the whole day to explore on our own – in the rain.

DSC_1457 copy

We had breakfast in the hotel restaurant looking out over the Riverwalk while we considered our options. I wanted to go back to the Alamo to pick up some gifts I’d spotted the day before. The various tours, trolleys and buses all leave from the square in front of the Alamo so that seemed a good place to start.

DSC_1472 copy

We didn’t want to start the day soaked so we asked the valet to call us a cab. Let me tell you, New York City doormen have nothing on our guys! A piecing whistle and a leap into the street and we had our cab.

DSC_1470 copy

Walking would have been a couple of blocks straight down the street but taking a cab was an adventure because so many streets are one way. Once again I was happy I didn’t have a rental car!

DSC_1463 copy

After loading up with souvenirs and gifts we crossed back to visitor center where we spotted another T shirt that Sandy wanted to get. Unfortunately they were all out of the size she wanted. Thus began the great T shirt hunt while we explored up and down the street in every T shirt store and gift shop within sight. Eventually we found a shirt similar enough to satisfy Sandy.

DSC_1465 copy

Now it was time to figure out San Antonio’s transit system.

DSC_1475 copy

We each bought all day tickets for about $3.00 each and climbed aboard a trolley that would take us to the Botanical Gardens.

DSC_1455 copy

It was in the Botanical Gardens that I got my angel wings. I must say they are pretty heavy.

Along with the Angel Wings were “birdmen” sculptures throughout the gardens. These were from an exhibit by famed Mexican artist Jorge Marín called “Wings of the City.

DSC_1477 copy