Natural Wonders of the USA part 9

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More Natural Wonders

Whew! You don’t realize how long a list of 50 places is until you start discussing each one! So far we’ve covered 31 Natural Wonders in 31 states. Those have been amazing. I can’t believe how many I didn’t know about. So lets get back to the list and see what’s still out there. 19 states left. Have we covered your state yet? 

32. Oklahoma- Turner Falls

I haven’t made it to Oklahoma in my travels yet.  I admit that I am afraid I’ll bust out on song when that trip comes- 

OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain,
And the wavin’ wheat can sure smell sweet, When the wind comes right behind the rain.
The wonder for Oklahoma is Turner Falls, It’s the tallest waterfall in the state at 77 feet and there are 2 pools where you can swim. Accommodations in the area include camping, RV camping or you can rent a cabin!

Photo credit- Internet

33. Oregon- Crater Lake

I haven’t made it to Oregon yet either. I will admit that Crater Lake fascinates me but the wonder I have always want to photograph is not the lake, but Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls is in the Columbia River Gorge and is 620 ft!. My understanding is that it is visible from the road so easy to see. In addition to the falls the Columbia River gorge is an awesome place to see wild bald eagles as they migrate through every year. 

Oregon’s tallest waterfall, Multnomah Falls, cascades down sheer cliffs, through bright green plants, passing under a footbridge ending in a dark blue pool.

Photo credit- Internet

Crater Lake is more challenging if you chose to hike to it.  It’s beautiful with many Native American Legends attached to it. Some even say Bigfoot lives near it. Crater Lake is in the caldera of a collapsed volcano. The lake is known for its deep blue color and clarity. The lake is massive with a surface area of 20.6 square miles and 2,148 feet deep.  You can view the lake by car by driving the 33 mile Rim Drive that circles the lake. 

Photo credit- Internet

34. Kentucky- Mammoth Cave

Here we go with another cave. I’ve already shared my feelings about exploring caves but I have to mention that having survived Wind Cave in South Dakota I’d probably explore Mammoth Cave too. The thing about Mammoth Cave is that it’s the longest cave system in the known world featuring 400 miles of passageways. I wouldn’t want to get lost in there! The national park service provides tours of the cave that range from one hour in length to six hours.

Photo credit- internet

That’s all for today

These are amazing places and I can’t wait to go  but I hope I get to some more that I’ve already visited. I like to compare notes! I’ll be back with more next time.

Whipping Cream Biscuits

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Whipping Cream Biscuits and More

Have you ever heard of Whipping Cream Biscuits? I had not. I’ve heard of Baking Power biscuits, Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky layer biscuits (from a tube) but never Whipping Cream Biscuits. I guess they are also called just Cream Biscuits if you want to shorten the name.

Blackberry jam on a cream biscuit

Photo from Julia’s Simply Southern

 

Where did I hear about them you ask. Well as a retired person I have time to indulge in one of my favorite pass times- reading.  Currently I’m reading Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series.

You may remember a 1980’s TV show called Spenser for Hire. Robert Urich played Spenser, a Boston based gum shoe who played fast & loose with the law in order to catch the bad guys. Spenser is an enlightened thug who enjoys cooking and quoting poetry. He is consider a wise guy even though his comments are kind of lame at times. 

Spenser works with Hawk, played by Avery Brooks. I always loved the Hawk character. But I digress, I heard about Whipping Cream Biscuits in one of the early Spenser novels. Spenser mentions making them for his breakfast and it made me curious. I needed to try them. 

Whipping Cream Biscuits the Recipe

Light, airy and slightly sweet. Very Tender and delicate

Ingredients

  • 2 C All purpose flour
  • 1 Tbs. plus 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
  •  4 Tbs. Butter, Chilled and cut in cubes
  •  1 C plus 1 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F
  2. In mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder , salt and sugar together
  3.  Next, cut  the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly
  4.  Add Heavy Whipping Cream to flour mixture stirring just until combined.
  5.  Lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out
  6.  Use your hands to press out dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Fold into thirds then press out again. Repeat fold once more  then press dough for cutting.
  7. Using a Biscuit Cutter, press straight down (do not twist) to cut each biscuit. Place  the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet
  8.  Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown on top
  9.  Brush top with melted butter if desired.

My Results

Photo credit- Deb Neumann

 

I made extra large biscuits because I planned to use them to make bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches and wanted the eggs to fit without falling over the sides of the biscuits. I don’t think these biscuits were the best choice for that. They came out super soft and and light as advertised with a very nice rise.  The sugar gave them just a hint of sweetness but they just didn’t hold up to the task of the sandwich. They crumbled too easily. Tasted great but kind of messy.  However they are absolutely the best with butter and jam or honey or for strawberry shortcake.

Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Sorry for the fuzzy photos. I used my call phone and those pics are always a little out of focus.

Natural Wonders of the USA Part 8

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More Natural Wonders

50 States so 50 wonders. We’re about 1/2 way through the list. Let’s see what we can get to today! 

27. Virginia – Great Falls

At Great Falls, the Potomac River drops 76 feet in less than a mile through a gorge that narrows from 1,000 feet wide to less than 100 feet through Mather Gorge. It is one of the steepest and most dramatic rapids of any eastern river. And there are ghosts near an abandoned canal. Don’t believe me? Check out Expedition X , season 3, episode 4, Ghosts in the Canal. 

Photo- Internet

28. New Jersey- Palisades Cliffs

I’ve been to New Jersey. I had an uncle that lived there plus I’ve been to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty but I’ve never considered Natural Wonders in New Jersey. 

The Palisades | bluffs, New Jersey and New York, United States | Britannica

photo- Encyclopedia Britannica

What’s the best way to view these cliffs?  A search rewarded me with  the suggestion of a scenic drive. I think I’d like to do a river float or boat ride to get the best view. I will have to continue searching.

29. Michigan – Sleeping Bear Dunes

During the Ice Age, continental glaciers spread southward from Canada repeatedly burying the area under ice. Those massive glaciers enlarged river valleys and carved out the wide, deep basins of the Great Lakes. They also created “Perched Dunes” which are dunes formed by glacial sands deposited on plateaus high above the shore. The Sleeping Bear Dunes are an easily accessible, beautiful example of this type of dune.

 

File:Sleeping Bear Dunes + S Manitou Is.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Photo – Wikimedia Commons

30. North Carolina – Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina is a beautiful state. I vacationed there. I stayed for a week in the Sapphire Valley. My explorations took me in and out of Pisgah National Forest. There had been a lot of rain so there were numerous rapids and waterfalls to photograph and enjoy. 

Photo – Internet

31. Georgia – Lookout Mountain

OK this one threw me. I’ve been to Georgia quite a few time both for work and pleasure. I’ve visited the Georgia Aquarium, ridden a Segway, and went to a mountain, just not Lookout Mountain. My visit was to Stone Mountain where we admired Gutzon Borglum’s Robert E. Lee carving. Borglum would then go on to carve Mount Rushmore.

Stone Mountain

Photo- Internet

Lookout Mountain is a different Mountain. 

Photo- Internet

Lookout Mountain features a spectacular view with a waterfall and pool right on the side of the cliff. Although swimming there is not recommended. It does look pretty spectacular.

 

Natural Wonders of the USA Part 7

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Natural Wonders continue to Amaze

Back to the now famous Natural Wonders  list. Coming up we’ll take a look at Maquoketa Caves, Iowa; The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah; and Connecticut, Dinosaur State Park. First of all I have not been to any of these. You can go back to previous Natural Wonder Posts if you’ve forgotten any so far. Lets explore together. Shall we begin?

24. Iowa – Maquoketa Caves

Photo from the internet

Let me say right off that I am not a fan of caves.  I’ve explored some caves on well planned paths with a park ranger. They have all been amazing but when I see a show on TV where the hosts are  “caving” or spelunking I get uncomfortable just watching. I think it goes back to when I was a kid and the family went to Howe’s cavern and the guide turned off the lights so we could experience total darkness. Caves have made me uneasy since then. 

But these caves have quite a history. They say you can find arrow heads, pottery shards and tools. Maquoketa Caves is part of a Maquoketa State Park and encompasses a 5 mile trail system as a total of 323 acres to explore.

25. Utah – The Narrows

Located in Zion National Park.  Zion is on my  bucket list right next to Bryce Canyon and Arches.  But back to the Narrows,  at the bottom of the narrows flows a shallow river known as the Virgin River. However, water levels can vary greatly and the narrows are prone to flooding. Best time to hike the Narrows is late spring (after the run off) or summer. 

Internet Photo

26. Connecticut- Dinosaur State Park

Now this is a surprise. I’ve been to Connecticut many times. It’s our neighboring state but I have never hear of Dinosaur State Park. I will definitely have to check this out. 

The dinosaur tracks are protected in a Geodesic dome along with interactive exhibits and activities. There are over 750 dinosaur tracks  preserved exactly as they were found.

File:Dinosaur State Park (Rocky Hill, CT) - prints.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

photo: Wikimedia

 

Natural Wonders of the USA Part 6

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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.