When Joel asked me to help him drive to DC for the start of his grad degree, I jumped at the chance. It has been a while since I've cruised such a long stretch of I-80. Such a trip would be reminiscent of a 1983 transcontinental trip I made with my mom enroute to my first big job at the NSA in Maryland.
Two Saturdays ago, Joel dropped Emma and Ida off at the airport for a morning flight to Pittsburgh. We planned to then meet them Sunday night at Emma's parents' house. That timing meant two 13 hour days of driving.
My original plan was to then turn around and fly home, but then I looked at a map. There were two unvisited National Parks within a few hours' drive of Pittsburgh. The road trip was thus extended.
Wyoming
Dinner in the middle of Nebraska. We tried some local faire with an Eastern European influence. I had the Swiss, mushroom sandwich and frings.
Fun geography fact one of my former students from Nebraska reminded me about (after my Instagram post about dinner in Cozad): Cozad sits exactly on the 100th Meridian. This imaginary line dividing North America serves as the approximate boundary between the lower, rainier, corn growing plains to the east and the higher, drier, irrigated and grazing plains to the west. Next road trip I plan to explore more of Cozad.
We spent the night in Council Bluffs Iowa.
Cleaning bug splats off the window. Maverick needs to up its game and provide long handled squeegees like Loves.
Cleaning bug splats off the window. Maverick needs to up its game and provide long handled squeegees like Loves.
We arrived in Pittsburgh around 10:00 Sunday night. Along the way we listened to half of a very enjoyable book recommended by Sarah. Demon Copperhead
Monday we enjoyed seeing some highlights of Emma's hometown. It was fun to explore with Ida who is such a curious and observant 11-month-old who is always waving at people.
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden was lovely. Its current theme for decoration was Alice in wonderland.
A baby mangosteen.
The beginning point of the Ohio River.
I then visited a battlefield from the French and Indian War. This was George Washington's (then a solider for the British) only battle defeat. His hastily built "fort" was too close to surrounding forests from which the French could easily shoot the surrounded British soldiers.
Spent the night in Summersville West Virgina. Wednesday was devoted to exploring New River Gorge National Park--established as a National Park in 2020. Before that it was a National River.
The park and preserve plus private lands and state parks make and interesting mosaic of land ownership and control.
Looking southward from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. The New River flows north into the Kanawha River which flows through Charleston and then into the Ohio River.
Notice the old bridge deep in the gorge. It is a one-way road down into the gorge and across the old bridge.
Crossing the gorge on US Highway19 bridge.
This path bisects a much younger and denser part of the forest (photo below too) that has grown up on what was once farmland. These forests lack the diversity of trees of the old growth forests.
Last month I listened to this book: How to Love a Forest by Ethan Tapper. It is about a forester in Vermont who buys a large mountain side, that had been logged, farmed and grazed for centuries, which he then works to return to a more natural state by cutting out diseased and invasive trees and plants and restoring more original plants. These efforts then helped restore a more diverse animal population too. This book enhanced my forest walks in both national parks. I was much more observant about species, tree age and diversity. Both parks have long histories of logging, mining and farming and share more recent histories of regeneration and conservation.
350 Year old blackgum tree.
This beech tree had the largest circumference in the forest.
Heading southward in the park, my next stop was Nuttallburg. Reached by long, winding, narrow, one-lane and sometimes gravel road.
Remains of the school for white children.
I have driven through West Virginia at least a half dozen times, but I have never stopped to explore. I really enjoyed learning more about its coal mining history.
From Nuttallburg I drove through Rainelle where there were lunch options and then proceeded southward to Hinton where I crossed the river and drove north along its banks to Sandstone Falls for a late afternoon hike.
A different beauty from Utah's Big Five national parks, but very much worth preserving and exploring.
Spent the night in Beckley. It is a larger coal town and I had hoped to take a tour of its coal mine, but the timing wasn't right. Instead, I opted to visit one more section of the national park --the coal town of Thurmond in the middle of the river gorge.
Is this Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors?
Still a few inhabited homes and vacation rentals in town.
I traversed lots of winding, hilly roads in and around the park.
I traversed lots of winding, hilly roads in and around the park.
Charleston, West Virgina
Honoring Lincoln for creating a Union state of West Virginia in 1863.
Honoring native-born son Stonewall Jackson who went on to become a Confederate Soldier.
Honoring the people of western Virginia who fought to stay in the Union.
From Charleston I headed north along I-77 to my final stop of the day: Kent State University. The 1970 shooting of death at Kent State of four students protesting the expansion of the Vietnam war into Cambodia via high altitude bombing is a core memory of mine from the Vietnam War era.
Four cenotaphs for four students.
The Pagoda with blanket hill behind and the Taylor Building on the right.
This was a sobering visit. I respect all of these students for standing up and protesting a war that should not have been waged and for protesting escalations in the war that then led to even more deaths and enabled the rise of the genocidal Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Friday my main destination was the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame on the waterfront in Cleveland. As my siblings will attest, I was not the biggest Rock fan, but after five hours enjoying the six levels of the museum and seeing exhibits and performance clips, I realized that Rock always has been a part of my life and that I actually like many of its performers and songs--but not so much the likes of heavy metal, grunge or rap.
Designed by I.M Pei. and opened in 1995
Friday my main destination was the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame on the waterfront in Cleveland. As my siblings will attest, I was not the biggest Rock fan, but after five hours enjoying the six levels of the museum and seeing exhibits and performance clips, I realized that Rock always has been a part of my life and that I actually like many of its performers and songs--but not so much the likes of heavy metal, grunge or rap.
The sixth level is the top box. It held an exhibit about Paul McCartny and Wings. Part of the fourth level is an auditorium (the arm on the left side of the building) that shows a delightful recap of all the rock and roll artists who performed on Saturday Night Live over the decades.
I wish I had been older and more aware of the social protest element of 1960s music.
My museum tour was followed by a nice walkabout in downtown Cleveland. A city I had never visited.
The Cleveland Public Auditorium built in 1928.
The Ideals of Cleveland. Dedicated to Social Progress, Industrial Achievement and Civic Interest. Patriotism Progress Culture.
Saturday was a full day exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park--my 44th park.
One of many canal Locks.
First hike of the day was to Bridal Veil falls in Tinkers Creek.
An impressive transformation from the onetime heavily polluted river.
At the center section of the elongated park, two interstate bridges span the valley. Closest is the two bridges of I-217 and in the distance I-80 (The Ohio Turnpike) that Joel and I traversed in the dark on Sunday.
I-217
Find the turtle.
One of three turtles I saw.
Fourth hike of the day was the Brandywine Gorge Loop--the most visited trail in the park--which I was told is the 11th most visited of the 63 national parks.
This huge oak caught my attention. I couldn't get enough of it. It was hard to capture it all with my phone camera.
Baby oaks at its base. I used a plant identification app for some of the other less recognizable leaves and trees.
Tall lavender flowers.
An impressive beech tree.
A tenacious tree.
My last stop was Viaduct Park, a city park adjacent to the far northeast corner of the national park.
