Geography
Devils Tower
13/06/24 07:17 Filed in: Travel
| We did our jaunt to South Dakota at the end of May. On previous trips we saw other landmarks that draw tourists and interest. One is the famous Devils Tower. How did Devils Tower get its name. The previous info should give you and Idea. |
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Four Corners
11/01/24 15:43 Filed in: United State of America
There’s only one place in the U.S. where four states meet.
Want to try being in four places at once? Then get thee to the aptly named Four Corners Monument, which marks the intersection of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. It’s the only place in America where so many states converge, which is especially impressive given that there are 65 spots where three states meet.
Bob and I have been there when we made a trip up to Northern Arizona from the Monument Valley area and into Southern Utah. I guess you could say we stood in all four states at one time. They have a number of Native American merchandise stalls since the Navajo Nation maintains the site.
Vicki at Four Corners
Bob at Four Corners
Want to try being in four places at once? Then get thee to the aptly named Four Corners Monument, which marks the intersection of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. It’s the only place in America where so many states converge, which is especially impressive given that there are 65 spots where three states meet.
Bob and I have been there when we made a trip up to Northern Arizona from the Monument Valley area and into Southern Utah. I guess you could say we stood in all four states at one time. They have a number of Native American merchandise stalls since the Navajo Nation maintains the site.
Vicki at Four Corners
Bob at Four Corners
About Glasgow Montana
22/04/23 16:21 Filed in: Travel
What is it about Glasgow, Montana? Not a well-known place though I had a roommate in veterinary school at Washington State University who was from Glasgow, Montana. Read about what makes it unique yet less known and most isolated town in the contiguous United States.
"The American West is known for its wide open spaces, but nowhere is quite as wide open as the area around Glasgow, Montana. Crunching some numbers back in 2018 in an effort to definitively define “the middle of nowhere,” The Washington Post found that a whopping 98% of Americans in the contiguous U.S. live within an hour of some kind of urban center (that is, a metropolitan area with at least 75,000 people). But Glasgow, located in the northeast corner of the state, is an estimated 4.5 hours from the nearest urban center, making it the most isolated town (with a population of 1,000 or more) in the Lower 48.
"The American West is known for its wide open spaces, but nowhere is quite as wide open as the area around Glasgow, Montana. Crunching some numbers back in 2018 in an effort to definitively define “the middle of nowhere,” The Washington Post found that a whopping 98% of Americans in the contiguous U.S. live within an hour of some kind of urban center (that is, a metropolitan area with at least 75,000 people). But Glasgow, located in the northeast corner of the state, is an estimated 4.5 hours from the nearest urban center, making it the most isolated town (with a population of 1,000 or more) in the Lower 48.
Mt. Rushmore Facts
17/04/23 11:38 Filed in: Photography | Travel
And now it is the opportunity to give some background on Mt. Rushmore. We were able to see Mt. Rushmore on a beautiful sunny morning for a short time. It was awe-inspiring. I would go there again in a heart beat. The Black Hills of South Dakota are spectacular and I can see why the Native Americans revered that geographical area as part of their history and culture.
"The iconic mountain that bears the giant stone faces of four U.S. Presidents is named after a lawyer from New York. In 1884, Charles E. Rushmore was sent to the Black Hills in South Dakota to secure land for tin mining (on lands considered sacred by the Lakota Sioux). He spent many weeks exploring the area with guides, and at one point, he inquired as to the name of an impressive peak nearby. Since the mountain had no name, a prospector with him replied, “We will name it now, and name it Rushmore Peak.” From then on, it was referred to as Rushmore Peak, Rushmore Mountain, or Rushmore Rock. When the national memorial was finished in 1927, it officially became known as Mount Rushmore."
"The iconic mountain that bears the giant stone faces of four U.S. Presidents is named after a lawyer from New York. In 1884, Charles E. Rushmore was sent to the Black Hills in South Dakota to secure land for tin mining (on lands considered sacred by the Lakota Sioux). He spent many weeks exploring the area with guides, and at one point, he inquired as to the name of an impressive peak nearby. Since the mountain had no name, a prospector with him replied, “We will name it now, and name it Rushmore Peak.” From then on, it was referred to as Rushmore Peak, Rushmore Mountain, or Rushmore Rock. When the national memorial was finished in 1927, it officially became known as Mount Rushmore."
Devils Tower
16/04/23 09:56 Filed in: Travel | Photography
Last October, we drove to South Dakota. On our way back to the Pacific Northwest, we took a side trip up into Northeast Wyoming to drive by Devils Tower. It was a geographical sight featured in the movie,
Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
I came across a site that describes how such sights came by their name. This is what is listed for Devils Tower.
Devils Tower is an impressive rock formation that stands 867 feet high above the Black Hills of northwestern Wyoming, considered sacred by Indigenous cultures. When settlers first arrived in this part of the country, the rock was labeled on maps as “Bear Lodge,” a translation for the common Lakota name Mato Tipila. However, the name changed when Colonel Richard Irving Dodge led a geology and mapmaking expedition to the site. Dodge wrote that the Indigenous people called the place “bad god’s tower,” which eventually led to the adoption of the name Devils Tower. However, this is believed to be a bad translation, as no records have ever shown that Native Americans considered the tower to be associated with evil spirits.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
I came across a site that describes how such sights came by their name. This is what is listed for Devils Tower.
Devils Tower is an impressive rock formation that stands 867 feet high above the Black Hills of northwestern Wyoming, considered sacred by Indigenous cultures. When settlers first arrived in this part of the country, the rock was labeled on maps as “Bear Lodge,” a translation for the common Lakota name Mato Tipila. However, the name changed when Colonel Richard Irving Dodge led a geology and mapmaking expedition to the site. Dodge wrote that the Indigenous people called the place “bad god’s tower,” which eventually led to the adoption of the name Devils Tower. However, this is believed to be a bad translation, as no records have ever shown that Native Americans considered the tower to be associated with evil spirits.
Longyearbyen, Northernmost Town
09/07/16 11:11 Filed in: Interests
When visiting our friends in Walnut Creek, John and Josie Fike, they talked about visiting Norway in 2014 and going very far North to see the sites and visit a former au pair, Lisa, who lived there.
Here is an article about Longyearbyen, the most Northern town on Earth and is also in Norway.
Here is an article about Longyearbyen, the most Northern town on Earth and is also in Norway.
The Lonesome Cave
26/05/16 12:11 Filed in: Interests
In Romania, they found a cave that has not been exposed to the outside world for over 5 million years. Evolution there is different than what occurred on the rest of earth. The cave is crowded with insects and the ecosystem is fragile, few are allowed in to see.
"The few who have ventured into Movile Cave have discovered it’s crawling with life — literally. The residents of Movile Cave are not concerned with the high levels of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide in the air. With just half the usual concentration of oxygen, human visitors need breathing equipment to survive. The cave gets more crowded with insects the worse the air gets.
Most creatures in Movile Cave are believed to have arrived over five million years ago when limestone sealed the entrance. Most insects have since adapted to the complete darkness by losing their eyes and pigmentation. Many have also developed longer legs and antennae to feel around in the dark."
"The few who have ventured into Movile Cave have discovered it’s crawling with life — literally. The residents of Movile Cave are not concerned with the high levels of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide in the air. With just half the usual concentration of oxygen, human visitors need breathing equipment to survive. The cave gets more crowded with insects the worse the air gets.
Most creatures in Movile Cave are believed to have arrived over five million years ago when limestone sealed the entrance. Most insects have since adapted to the complete darkness by losing their eyes and pigmentation. Many have also developed longer legs and antennae to feel around in the dark."
Forgotten New York City Island
17/05/14 11:40 Filed in: Photography
I came across a fascinating article about an island that is part of New York City yet it is abandoned and overgrown. It had been used in the past by the city as a way station/hospital for certain situations. Now it is tucked away and forgotten. Forgotten except by a photographer who spent a number of hours and days chronicling what the island is like now. The photos are haunting and buildings seem to sit wanting to speak out about their story, the tales they could tell of days gone by and people who came through. Composition is great in these photos and one can read about it all here.
“North Brother Island is a secret hiding in plain sight. Located in New York’s East River, it was once an important part of the city’s infrastructure. In the last 50 years, however, it’s descended into ruin: Buildings have crumbled, vegetation has grown wild, and its primary visitors are now migratory birds. But as photographer Christopher Payne found out in the course of creating his book, North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City, the island still has stories to tell.”
“North Brother Island is a secret hiding in plain sight. Located in New York’s East River, it was once an important part of the city’s infrastructure. In the last 50 years, however, it’s descended into ruin: Buildings have crumbled, vegetation has grown wild, and its primary visitors are now migratory birds. But as photographer Christopher Payne found out in the course of creating his book, North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City, the island still has stories to tell.”
