Oregon

Posted on October 12, 2013October 12, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Oregon is high on my list of “need to visit”…”must see”…”can’t wait to go”…states. Why?…In a few words…Cannon Beach, Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake National Park, Mount Hood, The Oregon Coast, and Steens Mountain & Malheur National Wildlife Refuge!

Ok so I need to slow down.

Lets start with one of the most well known and photographed locations in Oregon, Crater Lake.

Crater Lake is widely known for its intense blue color and spectacular views. During summer, visitors may navigate the Rim Drive around the lake, enjoy boat tours on the lake surface, stay in the historic Crater Lake Lodge, camp at Mazama Village, or hike some of the park’s various trails including Mt. Scott at 8,929 ft. .

Next the Columbia River Gorge.

Vertical basalt walls along the Gorge are graced with the greatest concentration of waterfalls in North America, especially on the Oregon side of the Gorge.

Cannon Beach…with the distinctive Haystack Rock and Needles marking its shoreline, Cannon Beach is one of Oregon’s quaintest and most picturesque destinations.

Nine miles of beach make a perfect setting for strolling along the seaside, watching diverse wildlife in its natural habitat and building a sand castle in the annual sand castle competition.

Mount Hood….I love Native American legends and the one surrounding Mount Hood and Mount St, Helens is a perfect one.

The Multnomah name for Mount Hood is Wy’east. In one version of the legend the two sons of the Great Spirit Sahale fell in love with the beautiful maiden Loowit who could not decide which to choose. The two braves, Wy’east and Klickitat, burned forests and villages in their battle over her. Sahale became enraged and smote the three lovers. Seeing what he had done he erected three mountain peaks to mark where each fell. He made beautiful Mount St. Helens for Loowit, proud and erect Mount Hood for Wy’east, and the somber Mount Adams for the mourning Klickitat.

Mount Hood is often in the news because of the many climbing accidents each year and of course Mount St. Helens became a household name May 18, 1980 when it blew it’s top (I mean side)becoming the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States.

Fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47bridges, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway were destroyed.

There is a scenic train ride to Mount Hood that may figure in my eventual travel plans. Something to think about.

Oregon Coast…Scenic , breathtaking, awesome are some of the adjectives used to describe the Oregon Coast. There’s another scenic train ride or you can drive highway 101 and take your time with the sights. I’m running out of space so any more details will need to wait for another post but I think you get the idea. Maybe my next one will be chronicling my own visit! That would be nice.

So Oregon may be on a must see list but it hasn’t been visited yet. So my tally still stands at 12 visited but is up to 25 still waiting for me.

Oklahoma!

Posted on October 11, 2013October 11, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain
And the wavin’ wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain…

Oklahoma is closely tied to the relocation of Native Americans to “Indian Country”. Tribes like the Cherokee and Choctaw were forcibly moved from their traditional homes to new lands in the Oklahoma territory so naturally any visit to Oklahoma would involve an exploration of Native American History.

From early history, the fates of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations have been closely bound. The Chickasaw homelands in western Tennessee, Kentucky and northern Mississippi brought them into close contact with the Choctaw in central Mississippi.
With removal to new homes in Indian Territory, the nations remained neighbors sharing the struggles of rebuilding their lives in present-day Oklahoma.

Take a road trip through southeastern Oklahoma and trace the Choctaw and Chickasaw Heritage Corridor as you stop at points of interest that were significant to the tribes’ history along the way.

Head to Oklahoma for an authentic look into the Old West. If Oklahoma had “Indians” it also had cowboys. From nationally acclaimed Western Heritage museums to relaxing guest ranches, the Sooner State has a rich history for you to explore. Whether you’re looking for an action-packed getaway complete with mock shootouts or want to mosey through a frontier prairie town on the hunt for some ice cold sarsaparilla, you’re sure to find your Western adventure here.

Cheer on skilled cowboys and cowgirls at an exciting Oklahoma rodeo like the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo or the Freedom Rodeo and Old Cowhand Reunion, or learn about the American cowboy experience during cattle drive events at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan. After a full day of riding and roping, savor a tasty meal cooked over the campfire at one of Oklahoma’s guest ranches, where you’ll be treated to the ultimate Western experience complete with horseback rides and chuckwagon dinners.

Learn how the West was won with a trip to the Fort Washita Historic Site or Historic Fort Reno where living history events are held throughout the year.

Visit the the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, where you’ll see vast displays of internationally renowned Western art by masters like Remington, Russell and Bierstadt and browse top notch exhibits on everything from life as a ranch hand to singing cowboys of the silver screen. Come celebrate Oklahoma’s Western heritage and unleash your inner cowboy.

Oklahoma! Added another state to the “must see” side of the ledger. The count now stands at 12 / 24.

An Iowa Marvel

Posted on October 10, 2013October 10, 2013 by Dusty Roads

When we covered the “I” states I wimped out on Iowa. I bumped into so many options for searching that I gave up. But today I ran into a really worthwhile attraction that I know I will put on my “Must See” list when I visit Iowa.

Located in Gladbrook, Iowa is a museum dedicated to matchbook art.

Iowa artist Patrick Acton has glued over 4 million ordinary wooden matchsticks into 65 incredibly detailed scale models of life-like sculptures, complex machines, and world renown architecture with more in the works.

http://www.matchstickmarvels.com/

Plan your visit at the right time of year and you can enjoy the simply a-maizing Corn Carnival of Gladbrook.

The Gladbrook Corn Carnival is an annual event well known for its Friday evening Grand Parade and free nightly entertainment.

As long as I’m revisiting Iowa, did you know that the Iowa State Fair was the inspiration for the 1931 Phil Stong novel State Fair that eventually caught the attention of Rogers and Hammerstein? It became a Broadway musical and 3 motion pictures and it continues to run today for 11 days in August.

Another story set in Iowa that gained fame on the big Screen is The Bridges of Madison County. The movie itself was shot on location in Winterest, Iowa. Madison County had 19 covered bridges but floods , arson and old age have taken their toll. There are just 5 left so if you have a hankering to photograph an original Madison County Covered Bridge, well you’d best not delay.

One last thing to mention are the “bear mounds” or Effigy Mounds.

It is located in Allamakee County and Clayton County, Iowa. According to the literature these mounds are best viewed from above if you want to see them as bears.

Information about the park, a National Monument is limited because of the government shutdown.

So there Iowa, I hope I have made it up to you for cutting corners on my first post. Wait until I actually get out to visit!

Ye Olde Faire

Posted on October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Superstitious Time of Year

Posted on October 8, 2013October 8, 2013 by Dusty Roads

It’s October and everyone knows that this is the month that imaginations run wild. Little ghosts and goblins, witches and ghouls come knocking on your door demanding a treat or suffer a trick.

I thought today I’d take a break from the state countdown and visit some of the common superstitions, this time about cats and dogs. Most everyone is familiar with the belief that black cats bring bad luck or that a howling dog signifies that someone is about to die. (If that were truly the case, people would be dropping right and left every time an ambulance goes by with its siren blaring.) I’ve looked up some of the opinions about this, and believe me there are many, and thought I’d share a few today.

Black cats bring good luck. In Britain, a bride and groom who encounter a black cat on their wedding day are ensured a happy marriage. Sailors, a notoriously superstitious lot, avoid saying the word “cat,” but having a black cat aboard ship is believed to bring good fortune. In fact, the wives of sailors used to keep black cats to ensure their husbands’ safe return.

A cat in the cradle protects babies. A well-known (and need I say unfounded) myth
is that cats will jump into a crib and suck a sleeping baby’s breath. In
Russia, however, new parents used to put a cat into a cradle to drive off evil
spirits that might harm the baby. Smart thinking! Who better than a loving and
protective cat with super night vision and an alert nature to ward off any
natural — or supernatural — meanies? (Of course, folklore notwithstanding, you
never want to leave any pet with a baby unsupervised.)

Cats won’t run away if you take certain actions. Moving? Bring your cat into the new place through the window and he won’t leave (presumably because he doesn’t know where the door is). Or rub his paws with butter. The theory behind this one is that by the time he finishes licking all the butter off his paws, he’ll be used to the new place and won’t want to leave. My opinion…feed them. I never have any trouble getting them to stay.

And in the case of our Canine friends

The lick of a dog has healing powers. Ancient Greeks and Romans had temple dogs whose licks were believed to cure disease. Maybe they were onto something — we know today that petting a dog can lower blood pressure. Some dogs can also scent out cancers and other signs of illness such as high blood sugar.

Dogs lead us to the next world. Cultures around the world associate dogs with the
path to heaven — or Hades. A three-headed dog named Cerberus guarded the
entrance to Hades, ensuring that no one went in — or out — who wasn’t supposed
to.

Meeting a dog is good luck. I always think I’m fortunate whenever I meet a dog, and plenty of superstitions support that belief. According to folklore in various parts of the world, it’s good luck to meet a Greyhound with a white spot or a Dalmatian (spotted dogs must really be something special). If a strange black dog follows you home, you’ll have good luck. Seems to me that it would be even better luck for the dog if you decide to adopt him.

Dogs and cats can predict the weather. For instance, if a dog retreats underneath your dining room table or curls up in a corner, cold weather is coming. The same is said of a cat sitting with his back to the fire: It’s a sure sign that frost is on the way.

There’s more but maybe we should save some for another time. I seem to have run out of space. Excerpts from Lifestyle Blog and Dr. Marty Becker, Vetstreet.com