Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Bill treated us to a day at Weeki Wachee state park back in January 2014, and then we went again with our family over Christmas vacation. Weeki Wachee is where the Mermaids live; they put on quite a show in the spring with the Ariel Mermaid theme.  After that we saw a reptile show where the hostess showed us some snakes, turtles and an alligator.  We then took a boat ride in the springs that run down to the gulf taking care to wait for and drive around the manatees that have come up the water to escape the colder water.

Manatees - Big Bend Power Station, Apollo Beach, Florida

Manatees roam the waters around of southeast Florida from April through October, but when things get a bit chilly, they head inland to warmer waters. Manatees are related to the elephant, with grayish thick, leathery wrinkled skin. They are slow swimmers and very curious. They are Florida's gentle giant, also known as the "sea cow" and can be spotted in the largest numbers during the winter and early spring. When water temperatures dip below 68 degrees, manatees head to warmer waters in Florida's 72 degree springs.  They can be found at Blue Spring State Park and Crystal River in King's Bay and Three Sisters Springs. 

Weird Sightings Across America

As we travel around the country, we come across some real weird things. Many of them are actual posts in my Blog, but some are pictures that I wanted to share but was not quite sure how, so I decided to make a post called Weird Sightings Across America.  I will be updating this post as we find new things to share. Many of the things I find come from Roadside America. They have some weird and quirky things on their site, and I take some descriptions from it for some of my pictures. 

"Bamahenge" and Other Oddities, Elberta, Alabama

After lunching at Flora-Bama restaurant with our friend Lavon Greathouse, we took the back way to see another quirky site I found on Roadside America. Flora-Bama is most famous for its location, being right on the border of Florida and Alabama, but is located in Florida as the liquor laws are more favorable than Alabama. It's down on Perdido Key Drive, right next to the Gulf. Our drive home took us to Bamahenge, located along the road heading to Barber Marina in Elberta.

Caprock Canyon State Park, Quitaque, Texas

We took a day trip to Caprock Canyon State Park. Caprock Canyon hosts the official Texas State Bison Herd and provides a unique opportunity to observe wild Southern Plains bison in their native habitat where they have roamed for thousands of years. The bison were presented to Caprock Canyon by Mary Ann Goodnight, wife of the legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight. She noticed the declining numbers of bison and urged her husband to round up a handful of bison to save the species from probable extinction.

White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, New Mexico

Located near the Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands looks like a beach in the middle of the Tularosa Basin surrounded by mountains, only there is no water. The sand is made from gypsum, which flows down from the mountains and is deposited in a lake on the western side of the basin.  As the water evaporates, the wind blows the gypsum across the land, eventually breaking it down into grains. 

Pistachio Tree Ranch, Alamogordo, New Mexico

The McGinn family started their 90 acre pistachio orchard in 1980. Today, the orchard contains over 12,500 trees. Fourteen acres of grapes are also grown at Pistachio Tree Ranch and 18 different varieties of wine are made at McGinn's Arena Blanca Winery on site. 

Deming, Luna, Mimbres Museum, Deming, New Mexico

We visited the Deming, Luna, Mimbres Museum here in Deming dedicated to the history of the town and Luna County, as well as the people of Mimbres. It houses early American memorabilia, along with other artifacts of the area. Deming was formed in 1881 when the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads came together. The next year the Harvey House was built and served as union station, restaurant and hotel.

Tombstone, Arizona

The town of Tombstone, Arizona is famous in history. This is where Wyatt, Virgil and Wyatt Earp with help from Doc Holliday, had a shoot out with Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury.  This is the infamous "shoot out at the O.K. Corral." We always hear about the gun fight taking place at the O.K. Corral, but in reality the gun fight took place in the middle of town, even though people still spread the legend of it being in the corral. 

Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona

The Saguaro Cactus are remarkable plants. Some are hundreds of years old; they grow very slowly and grow arms as they age. After 15 years a seedling may be only 12 inches tall. At about 30 years saguaros begin to flower and produce fruit. By 50 years it can be as tall as seven feet. After 75 years it may sprout its first branches, or arms. Branches begin as prickly balls, then extend out and upward. By 100 years the saguaro may reach 25 feet.

Caywood Farms Tour, Casa Grande, Arizona

Jim's brother gave us the suggestion to check out Caywood Farms.  So, I went on their website to find out what they were all about.  All I found out was that they were a cotton farm and did tours of their farm. I scheduled our tour for their opening day at 1:00 pm.  We were able to sign up and pay on line as well as sign our waiver, which was great - it saved a lot of time and everything was done by the time we got to the farm.  Nancy greeted us upon our arrival and welcomed us and the other tour members.  We went into a little rec room where she and her husband serenaded us with guitar and fiddle songs.  Afterwards, she opened up the power point presentation on her laptop and told us about the farm.

Cotton Field

Dwarf Car Museum, Maricopa, Arizona

The "Father of the Dwarf Car," Ernie Adams, hand-builds operational classic car replicas at 5/8 scale. It takes between one and five years to make one, and he builds them entirely by hand. They are fully street legal. You'll see finished and in-progress versions of these one-of-a-kind creations. The mini machines started as race cars meant as affordable alternatives to stock cars, and the "Dwarf Racer" circuit Adams created still exists today, but nowadays he only builds the sexy "cruisers." He never sells anything he builds, so don't even try to buy one. "I don't build things to make money," he said. "It's what I do to have something no one else has got. "Every day at 4:30pm is 'break time,'" when nearby friends and neighbors stop whatever they're doing to gather at the space and shoot the breeze; this is the best time to visit. 

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Coolidge, Arizona

This National Monument was named Casa Grande ("Great House") by early Spanish explorers who discovered the area in the 1600s.  Built by the the Ancestral People of the Sonoran Desert it was four stories high and 60 feet long, with the platform mount filling the first floor, it is the largest known structure of these ancient peoples. Its walls face the four cardinal points of the compass. A circular hole in the upper west wall aligns with the setting sun at the summer solstice. Other openings align with the sun and moon at specific times.

Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, San Diego, California

On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his crew sailed into the San Diego harbor and became the first Europeans to set foot on what would later become the west coast of the United States. The exact landing is not known, but many believe that Cabrillo came ashore on Ballast Point, which is a small finger of land below the monument.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Joshua Tree National Park is a combination of the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert. The western half of the park is the Mojave Desert with elevations above 3,000 feet.  Here are the pinyon pines, junipers, scrub oaks, Mojave yuccas, and Mojave prickly pear cacti. The Joshua Tree is abundant in the Mojave Desert.  I don't know why it is called a "tree," because it is really a species of yucca. Its waxy, spiny leaves expose little surface area, conserving moisture.

Aunt Carol and the Dobbs' Sisters, Anaheim, California

We are staying in Redlands, California for a few days.  Our main visit here was to see Jim's relatives, whom he has not seen for about 40 years. We have seen Charley when she traveled to Atlanta with her Mom, Aunt Mary, but Jim has not seen the others for a very long time. It was real good to see meet and see everyone again.  We had lunch with Aunt Carol, who is his father's younger sister by 20 years; along with Aunt Mary's daughters, Lorrie, Charley and Bonnie Dobbs. It was really nice meeting them and Jim was happy to see all of them again as well.

Lorrie, Charley, Aunt Carol, Jim, Bonnie, Gayle

I was going through all of my photographs and found this one of all of Jim's California relatives when Jack visited there one year.

Bellagio Conservatory Gardens & Water Light Show, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

John & Rebecca took us to the Bellagio Conservatory to see the gardens at night when they were all lite up. We saw the summer garden, and what a sight it was. The Bellagio changes their gardens five times a year: Chinese New Year, spring, summer, fall and winter. 

Hoover Dam & Lake Mead, Nevada

While in Las Vegas a trip to the Hoover Dam was a must see.  The Hoover Dam is located about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1936. At that time it was the largest concrete structure in the world. The Hoover Dam was named for President Herbert Hoover dedicated by President Roosevelt at a cost of $49 million and 112 lives. The newest addition to the canyon is the Colorado River Bridge, 900 feet above the river and a quarter of a mile from the Dam.

Before the Dam was built

The Automobile Collection -- Linq Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

The automobile collection at the Linq features over 250 classic cars that have been restored to peak performance. Most of them are for sale, so if you have a little extra cash laying around burning a hole in your pocket, head to Las Vegas Linq Hotel's classic car collection and take your pick.  Below are some of the featured cars.

1964 Thunderbird Sport Coupe ($34,500)

Oatman, Arizona

The Arizona town of Oatman was born in 1906 as a tent camp, flourished as a gold mining center, producing over 1.8 million ounces of gold. By the 1930's the boom was over and in 1942 Congress declared that gold mining was no longer essential to the war effort. Burros came to the city with the early day prospectors. The animals were also used inside the mines for hauling rock and ore. Outside the mines the burros were used for hauling water and supplies. As the mines closed and people moved away, the burros were released into the surrounding hills.

London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, Arizona

How did the world famous London Bridge come to make its unlikely home in Arizona? The tale of how the bridge came to Lake Havasu City began over 5,400 miles away in London, England.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

What a great trip we had today to the Grand Canyon. It's such an amazing site - almost mind boggling and I could have just sat there and looked at it all day. But we had a time frame. Upon arrival we went to the Yavapai Point and Geology Museum, then walked the Rim Trail to Mather Point and back.  We then got in the truck and drove the Desert View Drive. There were quite a few lookout points that we stopped at and I took lots of pictures on the whole trip. I have posted some of them here, but most of them will be in my website because I am able to post the pictures as a slideshow, which I cannot do with this blog site. Unfortunately, it was pretty hazy today, but I got the best pictures I could.

Disaster Averted and Work Accomplished

Lately I had been noticing that on one side of the trailer when I put the chocks in between the tires that the chock was getting harder and harder to fit between the tires. By the time we got to Williams, Arizona I could not get it between the tires, so I asked Jim to try, and he could not get it to fit.  I decided to feel the tire and noticed that it was wearing on the inside.  This was puzzling to us and we thought maybe the axle got bent somehow.  We have a Dexter axle which is bolted to the frame of the trailer, and does not bend. He called the company and talked with a technician, who also stated that the axle should not bend.

New Tires

Planes of Fame Air Museum, Valle, Arizona

The Planes of Fame Air Museum has some of history's most unique planes. It has a late version of the most produced fighter plane in history, the Messerschmitt BF109G-10, among its collection. Thy also have the Martin 404 and Western Airlines Convair 240. Although I did not take pictures of all the planes, there are a few I did take. The P-38 Lightning is one they do have, called the plane that changed the course of history. It is often called the most powerful tool in America's arsenal during World War II. 

Shootouts Erupt on Route 66, Williams, Arizona

Every night during the summer the world famous Cataract Creek Gang, known for its raucous, rambunctious behavior, performs each and every night along Historic Route 66. A real gunfight ensues as they argue amongst each other as to the location of the treasure up in the hills surrounding Williams. 

Flintstones Bedrock City, Valle, Arizona

We found the Flintstone's Bedrock City through Roadside America. Bedrock City stands out on a flat, windswept, rocky plateau on SR 64, about 30 minutes north of Williams. Built in 1972, it originally had a live Fred and Barney like the Bedrock in Custer -- but the isolation of the site and the lack of local workers eventually made that impractical. The isolation also meant that this Bedrock City has retained more of its original lumpy charm. 

Jerome, Arizona

Jerome is a ghost town alive and well. From wickedly wild to wildly artistic. Located high atop Cleopatra Hill between Sedona and Prescott, this historic copper and gold mining town founded in 1876. When gold was discovered in Jerome, miners, gamblers and bad boys of the old west flocked here. Saloons and bawdy houses were the entertainment after a hard days work. At one time, Jerome was the fourth largest town in the Arizona Territory with a rowdy population that reached over 15,000.

Tuzigoot National Monument, Arizona

Tuzigoot is Apache for "crooked water".  It's the remnant of a Southern Sinagua village built between 1000 and 1400. It crowns the summit of a long ridge rising 120 feet above the Verde Valley. The original pueblo was two stories high in places, with 87 ground-floor rooms. There were few exterior doors; entry was by ladders through room openings. The village began as a small cluster of rooms inhabited by some 50 persons for 100 years. In the 1200s the population doubled and then doubled again. 

Montezuma Well, Verde Valley, Arizona

Montezuma Well has all the surprise of a lake and lush vegetation in the midst of a desert. It is a limestone sink formed long ago, still fed by continuously flowing springs. The Southern Sinagua irrigated crops with its waters. In places, you can see traces of the lime-coated irrigation ditches. The pit house here dates from about 1050. Southern Sinagua dwellings here range in size from one-room houses to large pueblos. Between 1125 and 1400 about 100-150 people lived here.

Sedona Red Rocks, Sedona, Arizona

We drove into Sedona the other day because we have heard so much about the red rocks it is famous for.  Our first stop was the Chamber of Commerce where we picked up a map and other information about where to take the best shots of the rocks. Sedona is a small tourist town with lots of shops and restaurants. This city hosts up to 3 million annual visitors. The center provides information about sightseeing, hiking, recreational and cultural activities, special events, etc.

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Verde Valley, Arizona

Montezuma Castle belongs to ancient farms of the Verde Valley, the world of the Southern Sinagua, who flourished in the Verde Valley hundreds of years ago. For thousands of years, hunters and gatherers roamed the Verde Valley. The first permanent settlements here resembled those of the Hohokam culture from southern and central Arizona. Between 700 and 900 AD some Hohokam moved north into the valley. These productive farmers grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton using techniques like canal irrigation. They also made their distinct red-on-bluff pottery and built ballcourts. One-room pit houses perched on terraces overlooked their crop fields in the bottomlands. 

Masonry Dwelling

Winslow, Arizona

"Standin' on the Corner" in Winslow, Arizona

Commemorating the song "Take it Easy" written by Jackson Browne and the late Glen Frey, and recorded by the Eagles. The song includes the verse "Well, I'm standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine sight to see. It's a girl, my Lord, in a flat-bed Ford slown' down to take a look at me." The park contains a two-story mural by John Pugh, and a life-size bronze statute of Jackson Browne by Ron Adamson standing on a corner with a guitar. The park is surrounded by a wall of bricks, each with a donor's name on it, and a story by each of the donors describing their fondness for Winslow.

Petrified Forest National Park & Painted Desert, Holbrook, Arizona

There are countless colors, hues and shades that paint the landscape that stretches as far as the eye can see. It has been shaped by wind and water, and holds clues to the past. The Petrified Forest is one of the best places in the world to see the fossil record from the Late Triassic Period. The remnants of prehistoric forests, now petrified wood; plant and animal fossils; and artifacts have told us much about this beautiful, wild land. 

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, Candy Kitchen, New Mexico

The Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is for "wolf-dogs" who people have thought would make good pets, from breeders, or rescued from horrible conditions. Most of the animals are not true wolfs, but bred with dogs so are part dogs.  There are others that are just dogs, like German Shepherds, but their owners kept them caged or chained with no human contact.  These animals have been rescued from sad conditions, where they have been abused and abandoned, so it's nice to see them being taken care of.  The volunteers here take good care of the animals, even though some of the animals won't even let a human near them. Our guide was an exchange person from Barcelona, Spain, who comes to the Sanctuary year after year to help the animals.

Our Guide with a New Guinea Singing Dog

El Morro National Monument, Grants, New Mexico

El Morro - it's called Stories in Stone, and Inscription Rock. This cuesta rises up from the desert and has meant oasis to centuries of travelers who then left their mark upon it. Imagine the comfort and refreshment of finding water after days of dusty travel. A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite for hundreds of years. Here, Ancestral Puebloans, Spanish, and American travelers carved over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs.

Pond at base of mountain

El Malpais National Monument, Grants, New Mexico

El Malpais is Spanish for "the badlands."  El Malpais National Monument encompasses thousands of acres of wilderness. El Malpais lies in the high desert lands midway between Gallup and Albuquerque. To the east are lands of the Acoma and Laguna people; to the west are those of the Ramah, Navajo, and Zuni.

Our first stop was Sandstone Bluffs Overlook. Notice the variety of plants and the different striations of the sandstone.  It was really incredible being up on top of the bluffs.

New Mexico Mining Museum, Grants, New Mexico

The inspiration for the New Mexico Mining Museum came from a casual conversation between Marian Barber and Ray Gunderson in 1964. Ray was discussing a problem with an old leaking swimming pool.  At some point in the conversation, Marian got the inspiration for creating the only Simulated Uranium Mine in the World. The mine was never built on top of the old swimming pool, but the inspiration from that conversation opened the doors for the creation of the New Mexico Mining Museum.

Petroglyph National Monument, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Petroglyph National Monument is on the west side of Albuquerque, so it was a must stop while in the area. There are a few areas of petroglyphs, but we just went to the Boca Negra Canyon area. The images were carved by American Indians and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago, however, American Indians believe these images are as old as time. Some images may be 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Beginning in the 1600s Hispanic heirs carved crosses and livestock brands into the rocks. 

Tinkertown Museum, Sandia Park, New Mexico

What a fascinating museum we went to called Tinkertown Museum.  It was started by Ross Ward in 1983 and over 40 years he carved, collected and constructed his museum. This museum was the inspiration for another quirky museum we visited in Abita Springs, Louisiana, the Abita Mystery House.

Stonewall, Colorado

Many years ago we vacationed in Stonewall, Colorado with the Mars Family.  We had a great time, rented a cabin in the mountain side and in the morning there were bear claw marks on the front door. We hiked up the mountain behind the cabin and then drove around Monument Lake and the Cuchara Pass.  Yesterday Jim & I decided to take a trip back in time and drove to Stonewall.  We did see the cabin we rented but the gate was up and we could not get into it.  We stopped at a small store just down the street and took some pictures of the area and of the lava dikes. 

 

Santa Fe Trail: Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico

Part of the Santa Fe Trail runs through the NRA Whittington Center. There is a plaque and a statute of "The Scout."  Charlton Heston posed as The Scout, providing everlasting vigilance over the Santa Fe Trail and sacrifices made along the way.  The historic Santa Fe Trail linked routes originally followed by American Indians and Frontiersman, developing into the most important trade conduit in the United States, the trail played a critical role in the westward expansion of the United States as well as trade relations with Mexico.

Kit Carson Home & Museum, Taos, New Mexico

Christopher (Kit) Carson was one of the most dramatic and controversial characters of the American West. He was a trapper, scout, and rancher, officer in the United States Army, transcontinental courier and U.S. Indian agent. He was also instrumental in discovering the passageway to the Pacific Ocean. He was a rugged frontiersman who understood the ways of tribal Native America. An enigma, Carson remains to this day a revered yet misunderstood historical figure. 

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Taos, New Mexico

While we were in Angel Fire, we took a trip to Taos along US 64 through the mountains.  Even though it was only 24 miles, with all the twists and turns, it took us around 45 minutes to navigate.  Taos is an artsy fartsy city - not what we look for when visiting a city.  There are too many art and clothing stores, so we did not spend much time there. Our main purpose was to go grocery shopping, but we stopped at the Kit Carson Museum and Rio Grande Gorge Bridge before shopping and heading back to Angel Fire.

Taos, New Mexico

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Angel Fire, New Mexico

This Vietnam Veterans Memorial was the first memorial to be constructed in the United States. It was built by Dr. Victor Westphall to honor his son, 1st Lt. David Westphal, who died in combat in a 1968 ambush in Vietnam.

Route 66 Auto Museum, Santa Rosa, New Mexico

We stopped in Santa Rosa, New Mexico for the night on our way to Colorado. There is not too much to see in Santa Rosa - the biggest attraction is the Blue Hole, which is an 81-foot deep, crystal clear artesian spring.  There were people lined up to go into the Blue Hole and there was also another swimming area, just jam packed with people.  So, we opted not to go there, but went to the Route 66 Auto Museum instead.  This museum is dedicated to the preservation of Route 66 memorabilia with more than 30 classic and custom cars on display.

Norman & Vi Petty Rock & Roll Museum, Clovis, New Mexico

I found the Norman & Vi Petty Rock & Roll Museum on Roadside America, which is a site I look at a lot to see if there are any unusual, out of the norm, things to see in an area. The museum is located at 105 East Grand Avenue in the Chamber of Commerce building. The museum is designed to complement the Norman Petty Studios where musicians such as Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox, Roy Orbison and other early rock & roll greats recorded their hits.

The Petty Trio

Waco Suspension Bridge, Waco, Texas

In 1866 the Waco Bridge Company was granted a 25 year charter to build a toll bridge.  The charter guaranteed that no other bridge or ferry could be built within five miles. Construction began in 1868 and, after much financial difficulty, was finished in 1870.  Bridge traffic included wagons, pedestrians, and cattle herds. Special rates were given to heavy users. From 1875 to 1889 the public agitated for a free bridge, but the company retained its monopoly. Then, in 1889, the bridge was sold to McLennan County which gave it to the City of Waco as a free bridge.

Today the Waco Suspension Bridge serves only pedestrian traffic. It is the centerpiece of Indian Springs Park on the river, and stands as a reminder of Waco’s rich history.

Waco Mammoth National Monument, Waco, Texas

Another stamp for my National Park Passport, and a new national monument, issued in 2015 by President Obama. Designated as the Waco Mammoth National Monument, this very special paleontological site represents the nation's only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths.

In 1978, two men discovered an unusual bone in a ravine near the the Bosque River, within the northern outskirts of Waco.  They took the find to Baylor University's Strecker Museum, where museum staff identified it as part of a Columbian mammoth femur.  This now extinct species lived during the Pleistocene Epoch (Ice Age) and inhabited North America from southern Canada to as far south as Costa Rica.

Texas Rangers Museum, Waco, Texas

After leaving Glen Rose we stopped in Waco, Texas for a couple of nights so we could visit the Texas Rangers Museum and the Waco Mammoth National Monument.  The Texas Rangers are a fascinating group of men. Mostly "cowboys" riding the Texas range on horses and wearing their customary white shirts and white cowboy hats.  They are the oldest state law enforcement agency in the United States, beginning with the earliest settlements in Texas, protecting the early settlers from Indian attacks and bandidos from Mexico.