Wisconsin

Posted on November 2, 2013November 2, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Land of the Cheese. I’m going to say yes but I probably should say no. I didn’t get much sight seeing done as I was only there a few days. I think I may have touched on the visit when talking about Illinois and Chicago O’hare International Airport. So rather than repeat myself; let’s just say it’s the journey, not the destination!

My brother retired from the Navy at the base in Wisconsin. He was stationed there and living in Kenosha so I had the chance to fly in for the ceremony and visit his home and that was about it. I’m sure there’s so much more to the state so let’s see what I can dig up.

Wisconsin shares it’s shores with Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, 2 of the largest of the 5 great lakes. In size Lake Superior is #1, Lake Michigan is #3, right behind Lake Heron.

Seems to me Lake Superior deserves a visit. It’s the largest freshwater body in the world and a great place to visit would be The Apostle Islands. 22 islands strewn over 450 square miles, they range from tiny Gull island (3 acres) to 10,000 acre Stockton Island.

Heading south from the Great Lakes you’ll find the famous cheese country from Monroe to Mineral Point. Here the rolling hills and river valleys attracted dairy farmers starting in the 1800’s. Today it is the heartland of Wisconsin’s dairyland where cheese making remains a generations-old fine art.

In Ontario, Wisconsin you can explore the “Driftless area” all serpentine valleys, crooked rivers, craggy bluffs and limestone. The Kickapoo River best characterizes this geology. Sometimes called the “crookedest river in the nation”. One of the oldest river systems in the world, the Kickapoo winds for 120 miles to cover a 65 mile distance. It’s a lazy spring-fed river of easy paddling except during the spring run off.

Running from Prairie du Chien to Prescott is the Great River Road or at least part of it. The 250 miles is only a fraction of the whole byway running the length of the Mississippi River. This stretch slaloms between the Mississippi and it’s towering bluffs. The road will take you through sleepy river towns, past busy barge traffic, braided backwaters, wildlife preserves and birds, birds, birds. This is part of the Mississippi Flyway. More than 40% of the Nation’s waterfowl and shorebirds pass this way.

In the southern end of the state, not far from Chicago, Illinois is Lake Geneva. The area has a resort-like feel and attracts vacationers from all over. The lake is a pristine spring-fed lake 22 miles in circumference. Being only 10 miles from the state line you can see how it would attract city weary residents of Chicago.

There’s more, from the North Country to Circus World, Amish settlements to Madison’s Dane County Farmers’ Market but I’ll leave some of that for another time.

The count is now 21/ 28. Only one more state to go.

West Virginia

Posted on November 1, 2013November 1, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

I can’t say that I’ve been to West Virginia but if singing this John Denver song counts then I’ve been many times. 🙂 I even played it in the background while I was doing my research for this post. I figured it would put me in the mood.

One of the first things I ran across was Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offers excursions that transport you back in time to relive an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life. Now that sounds like a top of the list experience in my book.

For a scenic drive West Virginia boasts the 43 mile long Highland Scenic Highway. This was built for the pleasure of mountain driving. The quiet two-lane highway takes you into the heart of the 919,000 acre Monongahela National Forest. On the 23 mile section known as Rt 150 there isn’t a house, business, utility pole, bill board or traffic signal! There’s no plowing in the winter so unless you plan to travel it on your snowmobile, plan a summer visit.

In Wheeling, a winter trip will land you in the middle of the Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights. A 6 mile driving tour set in a spectacular setting – a 19th century ridge top resort that was once a “Gilded-age” tycoon’s estate. The estate is now owned by the city of Wheeling and every year more than a million people enjoy more than 5o lighted displays.

Adventurous souls should explore the New River Gorge in south-central West Virginia. Once the coal capital of the state today tourism rules the economy and the New River and nearby Gauley River have become top white water rafting destinations.

Plan your trip for October and you might see some crazy acrobatics on and off the New River Gorge Bridge. Bridge Day is the largest BASE Jumping event in the world. Every year some 450 BASE jumpers leap off the 876 ft. high bridge doing all kinds of flips and turns before deploying their single parachute.

At the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers you’ll find Harpers Ferry, the site of John Brown’s ill fated slave rebellion. But long before this historic event, Thomas Jefferson described it as “perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature. ” Harpers Ferry is remarkably well preserved with narrow streets and a lot of history.

West Virginia is the only state completely contained in the Appalachian Mountain Range giving the state a hilly winding topography. Folks joke that if the state were pulled flat it would be bigger than the state of Texas!

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, Mountain Mama
Take me home, country roads

The count now stands at 20/28

Washington State…not DC

Posted on October 29, 2013October 29, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Only 4 more states in the countdown. Washington state is a yes. I am able to count that because of my new job. No sooner did I get back from Alaska and I was back on a plane winging my way to the home office in Seattle, Washington. Even with work, I was able to get in a little sightseeing but it wet my appetite for more.

My impression is that the locals don’t appreciate what they have. When I said I might plan my next vacation there , everyone tried to discourage me. They complained about the weather, the crime, (Seattle seems to have a lot of homeless people on the streets) but I was struck by the beauty that surrounded Seattle and I want to see more.

While in Seattle I made a point to visit Chihuly Garden and Glass. www.chihulygardenandglass.com Chihuly Garden and Glass is a new art experience showcasing the most significant works of internationally acclaimed artist and glass pioneer Dale Chihuly.

But in Tacoma, Dale Chihuly led an effort to bring glass to Puget Sound. Today a $48 million Museum of Glass calls Tacoma home.

Tillicum Village is a replica Native American Village located on Blake Island in Puget Sound. About 8 miles by boat from the bustle of Seattle, you can reach this destination only by boat. Recommendations are for a tour as even ferries don’t reach the island.

Of course while in Seattle I still need to visit Pike Place Market. Although it is the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the U.S. it really burst onto the scene when it was featured in a series of advertisements promoting entrepreneurial spirit. I think someone might even have written a book about it. A circuslike atmosphere includes street entertainers and (this is the famous scene) fishmongers tossing whole salmon while shouting “low flying fish!” the equivalent of “Fore!” on a golf course.

Down on the waterfront is another spectacular sight. The Great Wheel. The Seattle Great Wheel was built in less than a year, but its story goes back much further than that. Seattle businessman Hal Griffith had envisioned a Ferris wheel in the city for nearly 30 years, but it wasn’t until he realized he could build one on his own pier that his dream became a reality.

The Seattle Great Wheel opened to the public on June 29, 2012. Since then, it has become an icon of the city and a destination for tourists and locals alike.

Remember highway 101 from my post about Oregon? Well it’s in Washington too and it circles Olympic National Park. The park carries a rare dual designation of World heritage Park and International Biosphere Reserve! The Olympic mountain range stretches through the park where Mount Olympus climbs to 7828 ft., the highest peak in the range.

An speaking of national parks, I can’t forget Mount Rainer National Park and Mount St Helens or the North Cascades National Park.

Once again I have run out of time. I’ve hit my self imposed limit of 400-500 words. That can only mean I have many Washington Vacations to look forward to.

New Tally: 20/27

Virginia

Posted on October 26, 2013October 26, 2013 by Dusty Roads

I struggled with this state too. Virginia has so many things to offer to the exploring tourist and I’ve seen so few but I have been in the state for more than an change of planes. My brother and his family live in Virginia and I’ve been to visit them for more than a day or two. I’ve also been to Arlington National Cemetery.

Speaking of Arlington National Cemetery, this is where you have to go if you want to understand the true cost of war. Row upon row of nearly identical white headstones march across the the rolling acres of grass. More than 300,000 veterans from the Revolutionary War to Iraq have been laid to rest here.

This is where you can find the Tomb of the Unknowns and pay your respects to those lost and never recovered or identified. Those brave soldiers who have never been able to return home to their loved ones in life or in death.

John F. Kennedy is also buried here where the eternal flame is maintain for all time, marking the resting place of a president, a commander in chief.

Shenandoah Valley – Shenandoah is a Native American word meaning “Daughter of the Stars”. My brother lives in near here and another friend has gone rafting down the lazy river. I’d like to take the time to explore the Shenandoah National Park.

For me, there’s another must see…Chincoteague. The Eastern Shore runs from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (A marvel all it’s own) to the Maryland border. At the northern end of the shoreline is the island the Indians called Chincoteague; ‘Beautiful land Across the Waters” . A band of wild horses makes this island their home. Made famous in the book and later the movie , Misty of Chincoteague, the band is actually split into two herds, one located on Virginia’s side and the other on Maryland’s. There’s a yearly round up and auction in July to control the size of the herd.

Monticello, the dream home of Thomas Jefferson is located in Charlottesville , VA. Only 11 of the first floor rooms are open to the public but still worth a stop.

The vacation I am toying with for 2014 is historic Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg recreates the period from 1750-1775, the end of the Colonial era. Reenactors dressed in period clothing and speaking the dialect of the time roam the cobblestone streets.

There’s still so much more to Virginia…The Blue Ridge Parkway, George Washington’s beloved Mount Vernon, Busch Gardens, and many civil war sites such as Fredericksburg, Lexington, Manassas and Appomattox, and historic Richmond.

I have one last shout out to another blogger and new B &B owner. I want to visit Bell Grove Plantation. I’ve watched the B&B their get ready for their launch and now they are “live” so I really want to visit to see it in person. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Belle-Grove-Plantation-at-Port-Conway/271783509524776?id=271783509524776&sk=app_190322544333196

So although I’m adding Virginia to the yes side of the countdown, it really needs one or more repeat visits to see it all.

The tally now stands at 19/27

Vermont , The Northeast Kingdom

Posted on October 25, 2013October 25, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Actually the Northeast Kingdom is only a small section of Vermont, the northeast corner comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties. I’m going to address the whole state of Vermont. Vermont is on the YES side of the ledger. Like the other New England States it is close enough that I can take day trips or a scenic drive on my way to visit family in upstate New York. Growing up we had a Sunday afternoon tradition of driving to Vermont to look for deer.

White Tail deer were abundant then, and maybe still are. I haven’t made that pilgrimage in a long time. But back then we’d take a drive over to Poultney, Vermont and drive the back roads of the mostly rural area. As dusk fell the deer would begin to come out of the trees and into the fields and pastures. Sometimes we’d see 20 or more deer, mostly does but an occasional buck would turn up. We’d pull over and pass around a pair of binoculars so we could each take a turn looking.

Sometimes we’d stop at a farm stand and get a treat of real Maple Sugar Candy.

I remember we usually took the Ferry across Lake Champlain. I thought the Ferry was at Crown Point but a few years ago they torn down the Crown Point Bridge and ferry service filled in while the new bridge was being built so maybe I’m wrong about the ferry we took. I was too young to drive. I was just a kid riding with the family.

As an adult living in Massachusetts I often took the “northern route” when I went home to visit. That took me up to Concord NH the across Vermont through Rutland finally crossing into NY via RT 149 . Lately that route has been getting a lot of attention as a hot spot for Bigfoot. As many times as I drove this road I never saw anything remotely resembling a Bigfoot, maybe a cow or horse or two, but no Bigfoot.

Vermont is known for it’s Ski Areas and the Green Mountains. It is absolutely a beautiful state. On my last drive through I stopped at a farm stand for the best apples I have ever tasted. A little farther on I stopped at Quechee Gorge for quick photo op.

One of my high school classmates lives near Mad River Valley . He posts awesome photos of the area on FB. You can check out his work at https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-PhotoArt-Gallery/90884206988

At the nearby Sugarbush Resort known mostly for skiing, I was privileged to play an amazing round of golf. It was hard to stay focused teeing off on beautiful elevated tees, surrounded by vibrant fall colors. It is a wonderful memory even if I’m not the best golfer.

For the skiers you will recognize names like Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo Mountian, Stowe. The first Ski Tow was a long loop of rope hooked to a Model T Ford engine and strung at the base of Gilbert’s Hill in Woodstock. The year was 1934.