7 Wonders of the United States

Posted on January 23, 2017January 23, 2017 by Dusty Roads

I love traveling but so far I’ve stuck to US travel. I figure as much as I would like to see some of the sights in Europe and Asia and South America or go on a Safari in Africa, I want to know my own country first.

So I was tooling around the internet and stumbled on the Seven Wonders of the United States so I wondered if I’d seen any of them.

Well, here’s the list:

1. Brooklyn Bridge – Crosses the east river at Park Row, Manhattan to Adams St, Brooklyn. Work started in 1870 and the bridge officially opened in 1883. It still has the 44^th longest main span among the world’s suspension bridges. Today the bridge is a National Historic Landmark.-–I’ve driven over it but did not know it was a “wonder”. I need to go back again and appreciate it.

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2. Empire State Building – 350 5^th Ave. NY,NY. The iconic building has seen its share of cinematic fame , from King Cong to Ghostbusters. It was a marvel of depression era building, a work of determination and pride. Construction began in March of 1930. This is also a National Historic Landmark. —I’ve been there too but so long agao that I don’t remember much about it. I think it was a high school trip. Will have to make a day of it and go back again.

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3. Golden Gate Bridge – Located on US highway 101 in San Francisco, CA. One of the most photographed landmarks in America I have yet to visit San Francisco or see the Golden Gate Bridge. Construction began in 1933 and the Golden gate bridge welcomed its first visitor in 1937. To everyone’s surprise it opened under budget and ahead of schedule.—Once I finally take my California vacation this will be on my bucket list.

4. Hoover Dam—Located 30 miles south east of Las Vegas on US Highway 93. (Nevada-Arizona Border) t took over 60 years from the time Maj. John Wesley Powell began to conduct geological studies of the Colorado River in 1869, to the concrete being poured in 1933, for Hoover Dam to be materialized. During this time the 7 basin states had to go through lengthy negotiations on how the water would be distributed, and of course, there were bidding wars on what construction company would get the job. In the end, a group called Six Companies was awarded the contract — the winning bid was over $48 million. Despite the long years of bids, planning, site inspections and more, it took just five years to complete the mammoth structure. Today, the dam is a testament to the dedication of the country’s ability to construct such a structure, especially during the years of the Depression. Hoover Dam is also a National Historic Landmark.—Been there, been there, been there. Great Experience. I highly recommend it.

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5. Mount Rushmore- Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota along Highway 244-Mount Rushmore has a truly interesting history. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed the enormous sculpture after he abandoned the Stone Mountain, GA relief under a cloud of suspicion and accusations of fiscal mismanagement. Sculptor Borglum arrived in 1925 to begin carving. The monument was officially completed on Oct. 31, 1941. Today, Mount Rushmore sees over 2.6 million visitors per year….I’ve been there. Amazing monument.

6. Seattle Space Needle- located 219 4th Avenue N, Seattle, WA
Designed for the 1962 World’s Fair by Edward E. Carlson, this 605-foot-tall structure was to represent the future but quickly became a symbol for the city of Seattle. The structure is designed to withstand winds of 200 miles per hour, but earth tremors and storms have caused the structure to sway occasionally and close for a day or two. Today, the Space Needle is getting a face-lift as the city of Seattle begins to revitalize the entire centerpiece, including the observation deck, restaurant and surrounding grounds.—I was there in 2013 and it quickly became my favorite place to photograph the city of Seattle and Mount Rainier.

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7. Washington Monument – 15^th St SW Washington DC… It doesn’t matter what part of the world people come from, one sight of this obelisk design and they know they’re in America. Similar to other memorials such as the Taj Mahal or the Great Pyramids, the Washington Monument is a celebration of 1 person’s life or legacy — in this case, the life of America’s first president, George Washington. Work on the monument began in 1843, and was completed in 1884. It is 555 feet tall and contains over 36,000 blocks. …I was there a long time ago. I want to go back during the cherry blossoms in the spring.

So how many have you been to?

(Thank you Travel Channel)

Hoover Dam

Posted on March 21, 2016March 21, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Day 2 of our Las Vegas visit started cool and bright. We were up early as we had to catch the Hoover Dam tour bus. With the construction going on around Polo Towers, the driver had a challenge maneuvering the big, full sized bus around the sharp corners to the loading area at the West entrance.

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Our Dam guide explained that the strong desire to harness nature’s power drove the human mind and body to build a dam in the hottest, driest area of the United States. People wanting to irrigate low lying plains, known as low desert areas, without suffering from flooding and the battle over water made it obvious to the United States government that the Colorado River was part of the solution and the perfect location was the deep gorge of the Black Canyon of the Colorado.

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As a survivor of the “Big Dig” , Boston, one of the facts that most impressed me was that this giant project came in not only under budget but 2 years ahead of schedule! A consortium called Six Companies Inc. won the right to build the concrete arch dam.

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They created a planned community to house the 5000-man workforce. Miles of street were paved and railroad tracks were laid to connect the canyon-side village to the project site and neighboring Las Vegas. The community, known as Boulder City, is still standing and is one of only 2 cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling. The casinos near the city are actually outside the city limits.

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Our tour took us inside the dam to view the huge turbines that generate electricity for customers in California, Arizona, and Nevada and creates enough power for 1.3 Million people.

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The Bureau of Reclamation, the department subsidizing the project, supplied a whopping 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete for the dam itself, plus another 1.11 million cubic yards for the power plant and additional facilities. This quantity of concrete would be enough to build 3000 miles of road—a full-sized highway from one end of the United States to the other. Additionally, the dam required about five million barrels of cement, nearly equaling the total quantity of cement utilized by the Bureau in its previous 27 years of existence.

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Lake Mead formed behind the high walls of Hoover Dam creating a huge reservoir called the Hoover Dam recreation area. DSC_2432 copy

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The dam, the gorge and lake Mead all combine to make a spectacular vista.

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A Little bit more about Vegas

Posted on March 29, 2014March 29, 2014 by Dusty Roads

You know how I mentioned that once you pick a destination it seems that’s all you hear about? Well as predicted I’m tripping over Tennessee but also Las Vegas. Facebook is a wonderful thing for keeping up with people and what did I see today? A post from a friend from the Bellagio. He’s in Vegas now and posted pictures of the floral arrangements in the lobby.

I asked if he was staying there and he said no, at the Flamingo! So of course I mentioned the Wildlife Habitat. I hope he stops in there and posts some comments or pictures.

Speaking of Vegas I think we’re coming to the end of the Free list. One last Free attraction that I found is the Volcano at the Mirage, nightly shows from 7 – 11 pm, all free.

I hope we have time to take an break from the fire shows and lights and get outside the city. Believe it or not, Las Vegas is within a few hours drive of some of the most uniquely beautiful state and national parks in the United States.

Nevada’s Great Basin National Park lies near Las Vegas. It includes the limestone Lehman Caves, the Wheeler Peak glacier, and Lexington Arch, a natural limestone arch more than six stories tall.

Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, dedicated in 1935. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs.

A National Historic Landmark, Hoover Dam is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. Attracting more than a million visitors a year, Hoover Dam is located in Black Canyon, just minutes outside of Las Vegas.

There are several animal and bird sanctuaries and Desert National Wildlife Range. My reading about Desert National Wildlife Range or Desert NWR make me think this might be a good place to skip on this trip. It sounds rugged and many of the roads can become unpassable or require 4 wheel drive. But if we get bored there’s always the Grand Canyon. There are a number of tours to the Grand Canyon that depart from Las Vegas and even though I’ve seen it twice it would still be worth another visit.

I think it’s going to be a great trip.

Another 8

Posted on September 24, 2013September 24, 2013 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Can you believe it? Another letter of the alphabet is used to start the names of 8 more states. Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and North Dakota.

Lets go for Nebraska and Nevada. Nebraska first.

Nebraska …No

Nebraska is a Great Plain State. Miles and miles of treeless prairie, ideal for cattle-grazing but not so good for breaking up thunderstorms. Nebraska lies right in the heart of Tornado Alley.

So what is there to do in Nebraska, well one thing comes immediately to mind and that’s storm chasing. Would I do it? I don’t know. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s safe. It is not. Not when seasoned storm chasers like Tim Samaras can be killed by these deadly storms. At one time I would have jumped at that kind of vacation. Now I am not so sure.

So if I’m not going storm chasing, what is there to do? Explore Nebraska’s historic routes – Pony Express, Lewis & Clark, and the Mormon and Oregon trails. Discover things to do – fossil beds and the Niobrara River – canoe, kayak, fish, tube and waterfalls. At Lincoln, the capital, take in the Great Plains Art Museum and Historic Haymarket. Omaha is home to attractions – a zoo, General Crook House. Gerald R. Ford Birth Site, Hot Shops Art Center, gardens, Union Pacific trains and Boys and Girls Town, plus nearby Chimney Rock and the Strategic Air and Space Museum.

So I guess there’s plenty to do in Nebraska.

On to Nevada…Yes, I have been to Nevada but I prefer it’s neighbor to the east, Arizona. Of course the biggest draw for Nevada is Las Vegas….what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…isn’t that what they say?

Big on most tourist lists is Hoover Dam. I haven’t gone to it but I know many people who have and they all highly recommend it.

My first trip to Nevada was way back in the 1970’s and since I am not a gambler I spent most of my time by the pool or going to shows.

I was only about 5 rows back from the stage for Tom Jones and only a little father back for Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton.

Both entertainers really worked hard and put on great shows.

About 10 years ago my sister and I accompanied my mother to Reno.

We took a tour to Virginia City and Lake Tahoe, (Lake Tahoe is actually California) but the high point for me was a show by a group called “RAIN”. They are Beatle impersonators and I love the Beatles.

They did an awesome show taking the Beatles through the years. They had costume changes that matched exactly the way the Beatles looked at different times in their career. It was amazing. It was easy to think you were watching the real thing!