Category: USA
I began my day in the Fremont section of Seattle. My plan for this morning was to head back to the downtown area to checkout something I had seen, but did not have time to tour yesterday. On my way back into the city I stopped at the Gas Works Park on the north shore of Lake Union. The park is located on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. While the park itself is nothing great it does offer great views of Lake Union, the Aurora Bridge and downtown Seattle…..
I woke this morning to a beautiful sunrise just north of Marysville, WA about 80 miles south of the US/Canadian border.
My destination today was Seattle just 34 miles south. But before I left the small town of Marysville I stopped into Cee’s Barber Shop, home of the $7 hair cut! 🙂 Last year while I was traveling in Australia I got a great haircut so I had some high hopes as I walked in and took my seat. Well, unfortunately this wasn’t Australia. But hey, at least I left with less hair than I came in with (ha ha) and you just can’t beat $10 for a cut and a tip. 🙂 I sure Cee does better when he has a bowl to cut around. 😉
Due to the weather and the fires I decided that, reluctantly (again), today would be my last day in Glacier NP. I was planning to cross over into Canada at the Chief Mountain Port of Entry boarder crossing on a somewhat remote road (Hwy 17) about 45 minutes north of the Many Glacier area. But before I left I wanted to get in one more hike in this beautiful park. So with that in mind I looked at my map and chose a remote hike that I could access from Hwy 17. On my way to the trailhead I took a few more pictures of the Many Glacier area and got my first close look at Chief Mountain. It was a gorgeous morning….of course it is, I’m leaving! ha ha
I woke this morning near in the Many Glacier area and had my sights set on hiking the Swiftcurrent Pass Trail To Swiftcurrent Mountain. I had my usual quick breakfast (it is the most important meal of the day 🙂 ), and headed to the trailhead. Along the way I stopped for a couple of quick pictures of the Many Glacier Hotel (see previous post) and Swiftcurrent Lake…..
I woke in the St. Mary area this morning hoping to do the Highline Trail (AllTrails). But unfortunately, once again, mother nature had different ideas as the high mountains were completely covered with clouds and the forecast called for rain. I looking over the trail map I decided to do a trail in the Many Glacier area to Iceberg Lake. Here is a map of the different areas within Glacier National Park to familiarize you with the park…..
I began Day 23 by attending Fresh Life Church (website) in Helena. As I was looking for a church to attend in Helena I noticed they had a connection with the Hillsong church (website). I had attended the Hillsong main-campus church while I was traveling in Australia last year and really liked it. Like Hillsong, Fresh Life is a multi-site church with several locations in Montana, Utah and Oregon. Also like the Hillsong church the Sunday morning service integrates both “local/on-site” pieces with other pieces telecast from the main location in Kalispell MT. I had never attended a service with a telecast message but I have to say it was seamless and actually worked quite well. I really enjoyed the service and had a great conversation with a lady I met after the service named Jewelya. This is a place I would definitely feel at home if I lived in the Helena area.
I had decided that today would be a “transition” day. Although I loved hiking in the Grand Tetons the weather forecast was not good for the next 2-3 days so I decided to head north. I spent much of the morning in a Starbucks in Jackson uploading pictures, blogging and making a video via Skype with the leader (Jon) of the missions trip I took to Indonesia last month. I left Starbucks around noon and after filling the ole’ Jeep with gas and grabbing a quick bite I headed northwest on Rt. 22 with my sights set on Bozeman, MT about 4:30 hours away.
The first thing I did when I woke this morning was check the weather. The forecast for today was still very iffy with a 60% chance of rain/snow mix and highs in the 40s. So, I decided to do another canyon hike that was recommended to me by a couple of people (thank you Walt Fromm) called Cascade Canyon (AllTrails, Images). I arrived at the trailhead next to Jenny Lake and started my trek for the day.
I woke early this morning excited to spend the day hiking in the Grand Tetons. My first order of business was the weather forecast. As expected had changed slightly overnight. They were still calling for rain today but they had pushed the “bad stuff” back about 24 hours. But they were still calling for a significant temperature drop and snow for the next few days. So I decided to do a day hike today (vs multi-day back country as I had planned) and see what the forecast looks like later in the day. With that in mind I had been told by a few people that the hike to Surprise Lake (AllTrails, Images) and Amphitheater Lake (AllTrails, Images) was a must do. So I set my sites on that and drove to the trailhead.
This morning I set my sites on another mountain summit. This was a hike the couple of met while hiking Mt. Washburn (the woman whose father worked at Yellowstone) recommended. So I woke early, made/ate breakfast and headed east. Like yesterday, this morning began with another amazing sunrise…..
I woke this morning before daybreak. And although I had another busy day planned I couldn’t help but stop and take some time just to admire another gorgeous sunrise while listening to elk bugling in the valley below. How is it that something that happens everyday never gets old or insignificant? And all we have to do is slow down long enough to notice and appreciate it.
I made & ate breakfast this morning beside a beautiful river between Fishing Bridge and Canyon Village while watching a small herd of buffalo graze in a field on the other side. Now that’s my idea of how to start the day….
I woke in Bighorn NP this morning to the sounds of silence and smell of fresh pine…ah, nice. I made/ate breakfast and drove the 7 miles back to highway 16 and headed west. The Western side of Bighorn was even more beautiful than the Eastern side as you descend for 7 miles through the canyon.
I started my morning in a new state….Wyoming, and it was cold!
I woke early today, made/ate breakfast and headed south to the highest point in Black Hills National Forest, Black Elk Peak (Wiki, AllTrails, Images). It took about 35 minutes to get there. Now, what I didn’t know was that Black Elk Peak is “just” inside Custer State Park (I think it’s actually in Black Hills NP but the trail-head is in Custer) (Custer State Park, Wiki, Images) and of course the all access National Park pass I purchased doesn’t work in state parks. When I arrived at the state park gate there was no one there but it was $20 for a 7 day pass (and several of you already know where this is going :-). Well, I was planning to be there for less than 3 hours (maybe 4) and I wasn’t about to pay $20 to do a 3 hike! 🙂 So….I found a place to park just outside the park and hiked to the trail-head inside the park! (ha ha) I mean, come on…seriously? $20 for a 3 hour hike…NOT! 🙂
I woke fairly early this morning, ate breakfast and hit the road anxious to visit my first national park on this trip. But as I was driving down I-90 I saw a sign for the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (Minuteman Historic Site, Wiki) at the next exit. It sounded pretty interesting and since I wasn’t on any particular schedule I figured why not.
After doing the MLB tour for the past 5 days I decided that today was going to be a “down” day. With that in mind I didn’t have any big plans, expectations, or things I had to see or do when I hit the North Dakota state line and I’m happy to say that Fargo did not disappoint in that regard (my apologies if there are any Fargonites or Fargoians reading this. 🙂
I woke this morning with the intention of touring around Minneapolis and St. Paul and then heading West to North Dakota late in the afternoon. But there was one “problem”…last night, while I was at the Twins game, I was texting with my cousin and he reminded me that the Dolphins were playing the Viking in Minneapolis tomorrow night (which of course is now tonight). So for a little background information….although I have not followed them closely in several years I actually grew up a Dolphins fan, so it would be pretty cool to see them. But I was planning to leave Minneapolis today.
I started early on day 4. I was still in Chicago and could not for the life of me stop singing “Go Cubs Go” (don’t you hate when that happens?). Before leaving Chicago and heading North I had one more stop….the United Center (United Center, Wiki) home of the Chicago Bulls. Not that I’m a big Bulls fan but I had to see the place where the greatest player of all time (NC born and bread 🙂 played for many years….
The morning of my second day began with a 2 hour drive from Michigan, through Indiana (short distance) and into Chicago. I considered leaving my car outside the city and taking the train in (to avoid the traffic) but decided to drive. So I reserved a spot in a parking garage close to Wrigley field, since I was planning to attend a Cubs game that evening. So I expected very heavy traffic, for a weekday, but was presently surprised when I drove straight in with no issues. My route took me down Lake Shore drive and right past Soldier Field (Soldier Field, Wiki). Like the parks I visited the day before, as a lifelong sports fan, Soldier field is one of those legendary places that you hear about your whole life and see on TV so of course I had to stop and get some pictures…..
“Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.” – Song of the Open Road – Walt Whitman (Wiki)
After a year of waiting & healing (somewhat) I finally departed on my 9000+ mile excursion around the US and BC, Canada on Saturday. As is always the case I spent the first 100 or so miles playing the, “what did I forget” game. Aside from a few small things, that I can easily pick up along the way, the only potentially significant thing was a second ATM card (I usually carry two when I travel just in case). Oh well, I was about 50 miles from home when I remembered so I threw caution to the wind (ha ha) and carried on without it.
So those of you who know me well will certainly not be surprised by anything I’m about to tell you….
My trip began today like so many of my other “great adventures” whether traveling around the world or going to the grocery. 🙂
After months of thinking and planning for this trip I began to pack around 11 PM last night (I know, shocker #1 right). I made it to bed around 4:30 and was back up and at it at 7. Things were going pretty well but I still had a lot to do and I had to unexpectedly run to the store for township trashbags (those from PA know what I’m talking about….this is actually important to the story). My great friend Jeannie Armbruster was scheduled to pick me up at 10:45 to go to the airport. After running around like a mad man for 4 hours doing all the final winterizing and closeup prep to the house we finally left a little after 11 (now here’s the part that will not surprise anyone who knows me well).
So we lock up, load up, and shout a quick “Ya Hoo” and we’re on our way. About a mile from the house (thankfully only a mile) I start going through my usual, “what did I forget” checklist. Door Locked…check. Lights off…check. Passport…check. Wallet…wallet…wallet…CRAP (yes Bill Reichard I forgot something…Shocker #2, right). Again, luckily I discovered it only a mile from my house. So Jeannie whips the family truckster (my name for their car) around and we head back. I remembered that I had my wallet when I went to the store earlier so I figured I left it in my car. So I ran in the house, got the car keys, opened the car, no wallet…CRAP! At this point my stress and “emergency mode” level (those I’ve worked with know this mode well 🙂 is about 5 out of 10. I go in the house and look everywhere, no wallet…CRAP! My stess level just hit 6. I go back to my packpack, take everything out and throw it all over the family truckster but still no wallet…CRAP CRAP! I tell Jeannie that I remember having it at the store. She grabs her phone to call the store and I run back into the house and maticulously go through every room but still no wallet…CRAP CRAP CRAP! At this point I’m in full fledged, 5 alarm, flashing red lights, dial 911 and save the women and children panic mode!
While running back to the family truckster my “great friend” Jeannie, who apparently finds pleasure in my pain (just kidding), takes this “awesome” action photo of me totally freaking out….
When I get back to the car Jeannie delivers the news that it was not turned in at the store. At this point I’m thinking, “well that’s it, game over…no trip today”. So Jeannie and I both start back into the house and she says, “did you wear a different pair of jeans?” to which I replied, “yes, but I’ve already checked them” to which Jeannie says, “how about a coat, did you wear a coat” to which I reply, “THAT’S IT!”. I walk in the house, open the closet check my coat pocket, no wallet! I quickly check the other pocket, pull it out and hold it up like it’s the Holy Grail (as trumpets sound in the background…Seriously. :).
So again, those who know me well remember the time I was halfway across the Atlantic on a corporate jet and realized I forgot my passport….and the time I arrived at the airport for an evening flight to Switzerland to make a morning meeting the next day and my passport had expired 2 days before…and the time I this…and the time I that… :-), so I’m sure this is no surprise at all to many of you.
But thanks to my great friend Jeannie helping me find my wallet, talking me down from the ledge and driving the family truckster like a Nascar I’m now sitting “somewhere” waiting for the second leg of my journey and really hoping I don’t lose anything here because Jeannie is 3000 miles away! ha ha
So here’s some trivia for today’s location….
– In 1892 oil was discovered in this city and by 1923 this city produced one quarter of the world’s oil. It still sits atop the third largest oil field in the country.
– The coroner’s office in this city has a gift shop.
– This city has America’s largest yacht harbor.
– This city is home to more than 140 nationalities speaking 224 different languages.
– This city has more automobiles than people.
Where Am I?
As most of you know I am taking off in a few days for a multi-month travel adventure. Although I’ve never “blogged” before (I’m sure this will be quite evident) and I’m really not much of a writer, I am going to endeavor to document my travels on this blog so you can share in the adventure. We’ll see how it goes.
Now I know several of you have blogs of your own and many of you are quite tech savvy, so please feel free to email me with any suggestions you may have on how I can spruce up my blog, add cool plugins and/or just make it more interesting.
Speaking of keeping things interesting….to try and keep it somewhat interesting and interactive we’ll play a game called, “Where Am I”. I will post a picture and/or provide information about where I am or what I am doing and you can try to guess where I am and post your response in a comment. Now you can’t just say Australia or the South Pacific. You need to be as specific as you can. If it’s some place you’ve been you can tell everyone the street I’m standing on or the pub I’m in :-). The next day (or next post) I will reveal the location from the previous (day or post) and post the next one. Whoever gets the most correct locations at the end of the trip wins…..
So let’s started…..here’s the first pic…..
