Jamestown Island, Jamestown, Virginia
July 11, 2008
Jamestown Island / Jamestown National Park (Jamestown, Virginia)
first views of settling America
waterways of Colonial Jamestown Island, Virginia
Upon exiting Jamestown Historical Site visitors are presented with an option to explore the remainder of the island, and to take the 3 or 5 mile driving tour around the loop following the higher ground of the island. Planted every 1/4-1/2 mile usually is a marker telling the tale of the island outside of the Jamestown settlement. You’ll pass the site of a Confederate fort, through the Pitch and Tar Swamp, At the point of the island is a small hiking trail that leads to the Black Point that hosts white sand, marsh, pine trees, swamps, and beautiful views. The island formed many thousands of years ago, from a series of shoals along the James River. The Colonists arrived in 1607 to find an isthmus that connected the island to the mainland as well as a “paradise” of virgin hardwoods suitable for building their settlement. Unfortunately in the 1800’s, the isthmus eroded away and the forests cleared for farming. After Jamestown moved to Williamsburg, the island became a plantation run by the Ambler and Travis families. During the Civil War, confederate forts guarded the river channel. Today its in the hands of the National Park service where it has been healed and is regenerating. I quite enjoyed the peaceful drive and walk about the area. Rating: 3 stars out of 5. Visited 5/21/08.
driving map route of Historic Jamestowne Island, Virginia
Black Point, Jamestowne Island, Virginia
pathway to Black Point
Grandview State Park (West Virginia)
March 5, 2008
Grandview State Park is located in Raleigh County, only a short distance from Beckley, West Virginia and is appropriately named for the many grand and spectacular views. The scenery is some of the best you’ll ever see!
The park offers hiking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds and game courts. There are overlooks, such as Turkey Spur, Main Overlook and North Overlook, which provide breath-taking views of mountains and the New River. A view 1400 feet down, you can see the town of Quinnimont, which holds history of where coal first shipped out of the gorge in the 1800’s.
An array of Rhododendrons, which is the state flower of West Virginia, can be seen blossoming brilliant pink in May and white in the deep woods on the gorge’s rim, in June. Many visitors flock to the park just to see this beauty of nature.
Local farmers mostly used this area for picnics until 1950 when it was developed into the West Virginia Park System. Grandview is also the name of the near-by community.
Cliffside Ampitheatre is located within the park and well-known for its outdoor musical dramas in the summer months, including “The Hatfields and McCoys”. Another drama is “Honey in the Rock”, which is a picturesque story of the creation of West Virginia during the Civil War.
Grandview State Park has a visitor’s center that is open seasonally, with park rangers available. The park has something for everyone and is a perfect place to find a spot of tranquility or to test your hiking skills along the trails of forests and unique rock formations.
The Orient Land Trust, Villa Grove, Colorado
November 13, 2007
The Orient Land Trust a.k.a. “Valley View Hot Springs”
info@olt.org, olt.org * PO Box 65, Villa Grove, CO 81155-0065 * 719.256.4315 * 9 am - 10 pm. Open to the public 7 days a week - closed December 1st - 28th.
This fantastic Land trust is dedicated to the preservation of natural resources, wildlife habitat, open space, historic and geologic features of the northern San Luis Valley for the enjoyment of current and future generations. The OLT protects a humongous bat colony, hot springs, alternative energy use, and is well known for its high altitude dark skies for astronomy, exposed active geological fault, limestone caves, numerous trails, historic buildings, town sites at an abandoned iron mine, and a working ranch. The OLT is a naturist community (clothing optional) with 24 hour access to the hotsprings when camping or renting their rustic lodging cabins. They limit the number of visitors based on space availability and environmental impact. For current pictures and views … visit their web site, linked above. The entire grounds are clothing optional - while the majority of the guests tend to swim and soak without swimsuits, there is no pressure either way. The OLT welcomes a diverse clientele of couples, singles, and families from all walks of life - children are always welcome, though require supervision. They offer camping and cabins, their indoor lodging have heat and electricity, though there are no telephones, clocks, radios, or tvs in any of the rooms. All of the ponds and pools are outdoors - there are no private pools or hot tubs - there are four natural ponds with temperatures ranging in the 90’s, an 80′ long spring-fed swimming pool (no chlorine) in the high 80’s, and a heated hot pool around 105 degrees. Our visit to this fantastic resort was over the weekend of 11/10-11/11. A must visit for any hot springs or naturalist enthusiast. Rating 5 stars out of 5.
Kettlewell, England
May 16, 2007
The Village of Kettlewell
:: Kettlewell, (Yorkshire Dales) - England ::
A thriving market town known or it’s scarecrow festival and it’s Calendar Girls. It rests between Grassington, Kilnsey, Conistone, and Starbotton lies the village of Kettlewell in Upper Wharfedale, Yorkshire, England. At the feet of the Great Whernside & Buckden Pike where the River Wharfe and Park Gill Beck merge. A market was started in the village around the 13th century which blossomed the village into a thriving community. Lead mining, marketing, arts, crafts, and tourism made the village boom. There are three famous Inns in the village - the Blue Bell, the Racehorses, and the King’s Head as well as many guesthouses, cottages, a Youth Hostel, several tea bistros/cafes, a village store, an outfittery, clothing shop, and a smithery. A late Victorian church with a gorgeous graveyard rests in the town. Each August a annual scarecrow festival attracts visitors from all over England.
entering Kettlewell, England
Cripple Creek, Colorado
October 19, 2006
| Historic Cripple Creek From Colorado Springs via US 24 and SR 67, or the adventurous “Gold Camp Road” thru the mountains Cripple Creek Welcome Center, 5th and Bennett, PO BOX 430, Cripple Creek, CO 80813; 719-689-3315 Population: 1,115 Elevation: 9,508′ “There be Gold in dem Hills” … “Pikes Peak or Bust …” and many rumors of ‘gold’ ‘color’ on what was once the Womack Ranch brought curious prospectors into the area, especially after Bob Womack made the first major gold strike in 1891. Bob rode to Colorado City (aka Colorado Springs all grown up), spending lots of money and bragging about his claim. He sold it for $500 not realizing that through history it would yield more than $350 million in gold. 1891 saw the “$300 million cow pasture” dotted with prospectors like a disturbed ant mound with ants. The town was created and within 2 years had a population of 18,000. Destroyed in 1896 by wild rampage fires, it was rebuilt and even though the boom ended in 1904, many still seek the area and the shafts still yield gold today. With the wealth came gambling, hustling, casinos, strippers, and prostitution; much of which exist today minus any blatant stripping and prostitution focusing on entertainment and tourism traps. Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5. Visited 10/13/06. |
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Florissant Fossil Beds (Florissant, Colorado)
October 18, 2006
| Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument CR-1 just south of Hwy 24, Florissant, Colorado 719-748-3253 In prehistoric times, this temperate forest meets giant natural lake hosting the flora and fauna of a landscape that would have resembled similarities with today’s Pacific Northwest. Now an extinct lake bed, with a plethera of ancient petrified redwood stumps, this small 6,000 acre park protects the area. Layer upon layer of volcanic ash accumulated in this area 34-35 million years ago, killing off the lake and the animal life that was abundant here, leaving only intact layers of fossilized shale. Here we get a good picture of the Eocene period, showing Redwoods, Sequoia’s, insects, and plant life. A historic 1878 homestead of the first single mother to own property in Colorado can be toured nearby. Rating: 3 stars out of 5. Visited 10/13/06. |
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Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (Idaho)
October 5, 2006
| Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Highway 30, Hagerman, Idaho: just off the Scenic Thousand Springs Byway 1-208-837-4793; http://www.nps.gov/hafo/home.htm
All along the Snake River, fossils can be found, but some of the most notable fossils were found near Hagerman, giving birth to the National Monument. When Elmer Cook, a cattle rancher in Hagerman, Idaho, discovered some fossilized bones on his land - in 1928, he showed them to Dr. H.T. Stearns of the USGS who passed them on to Dr. Gidley at the Smithsonian Institution - identifying them as belonging to an extinct horse. They excavated the area and found three tons of speciments. The most valuable of the fossils found, was the large volume of this extinct Horse, known as Equus simplicidens, a.k.a. “The Hagerman Horse”. Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5. Visited 10/01/06.
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Thousand Springs Scenic Byway, Southern Idaho
October 5, 2006
| Thousand Falls Scenic Byway Highway 30, just south of I-84, between Bliss and southeast of Twin Falls, Idaho: US 30 and 50; some of US 93. 1-800-255-8946; http://www.visitsouthidaho.com/ A gorgeous and monumental Scenic Byway that winds along the Snake River Plain Aquifer passing by hundreds of natural springs that are gushing from teh steep canyon walls and cascading into the Snake River below. The Aquifer creeps through an area of several thousand square miles under southern Idaho’s porous volcanic rock - producing clean, pure, oxygenated water at a constant temperature of 58 degrees F. giving a great home to trout and an attraction to trout fishers. Several State Parks bound the byway, 5 parks: Hagerman Valley; the Snake River; Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument; Thousand Springs; National and State Fish Hatcheries; Hot Springs; Historical Museums; Fish, Waterfowl, and Bird Viewing; Herrett Center Planetarium; and much more. Lots of private campgrounds along the route. Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5. Visited 10/01/06. |
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Emigrant Springs State Park, Pendleton, Oregon
October 3, 2006
| Emigrant Springs State Park Highway I-84, between Pendleton and La Grande, Oregon: 26 miles SE of Pendleton; 65068 Old Oregon ATrail, Meacham, Oregon 97859 1-800-551-6949; http://www.oregonstateparks.org/ A convenient road stop for travellers along I-84, for camping, showers, picnicking, and hiking. Preserving a site near the summit of the Blue Mountains where the Oregon Trail travelers once replenished their water supplies. A great car-camping or RV-camping site with 18 full hookup sites, 32 tent sites, paved parking, picnic table, fire rings at all sites, hot showers, flush toilets, horse amp with 7 sites, 6 rustic log cabins and one cabin duplex, group tent camp, RV dump stations nearby at Deadman’s Pass Rest Area; and the unique ability to camp with your horse at the horse camp. Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5. Visited 10/01/06. |
Columbine Trail (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
September 24, 2006
| Columbine Trail http://www.springsgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=3396 The trailhead is on the south side of the road, about 1.5 miles up the road from the main park gate by the Starsmore Discovery Center. Hikers only. A beautiful green space park that brings together the lower canyon with a rushing clear river with herbal flowers, brush, live oak, aspens, and pine; with an increasingly steep climb from elevation 6,250 to 7,300 ft upwards through one of Cheyenne Mountain’s canyons. Beautiful flora and fauna, interesting geology, and rock climbing availabilities … this free green space doesn’t charge for parking and is a great place for hiking and outdoor recreation. You can take this trail from the Starsmore Discovery Center up to Helen Hunt Falls. Rating: 4 stars out of 5. |
