Tag: #solotraveller

Beartooth Highway Montana/Wyoming

22 June 2018

I decided to take the scenic road from Red Lodge to Yellowstone National Park. How can one road provide so much stunnning landscape and changes of temperature!

Beartooth Highway climbs up to almost 3,300 metres (11,000 feet) with several switch backs in the road for the steep climb and descent.

Driving into Red Lodge I saw the snow on the mountains but had no idea I would be driving through the snow areas. There were people skiing in some spots.

Video of lake. It is summer here but need to remember it is very high up on the mountain.

On the way up this lookout had chipmunks. Another animal I can add to my list of sightings.

I found a room in a quaint cabin in Cooke City which has a population of 90 all year round and is 6.5 km (4 miles) outside of Yellowstone National Park. Because of snow, the road on the east side of Cooke City (which takes you to the North Eastern entrance of Yellowstone) is inaccessible for 5 months. Can you believe Yellowstone has over 4 million visitors in 150 days.

I drove 20 minutes into Yellowstone to have a look at what I might find tomorrow as it was too late to drive around or across the park and explore too much.

In one spot, Lamar Valley, there were people who had huge telescopic cameras set up on tripods. At the moment I arrived you could see mountain goats. Down the road there were some bison.

I saw a moose and a dozen marmots but I was not able to stop to get a photo. But this deer posed for me.

Devil’s Tower Wyoming

18 June 2018

Woke this morning to heavy rain and thick fog. I rang Mount Rushmore and visibility was nil. I didn’t want to waste a day but I don’t want to miss out on Mount Rushmore so I went for a 2 hour drive to Wyoming.

I stopped at a cute town called Aladdin with a population of 15. The 125 year old general store has five rooms of collectibles to purchase.

In fact, if you have $850,000 you can buy the whole town.

Devil’s Tower is the USA’s first national monument and set in the Black Hills. This monolith is considered sacred by Native Indians and is very popular for rock climbing.

How cute are the prairie dogs!!

And this cute deer who crossed my path.

Tonight I am staying in Keystone a cute historical town at the foot of Mount Rushmore.

I went up to Mount Rushmore as it is 7 minutes from Keystone. However, visibility was still nil.

I returned to Keystone and had dinner in Ruby’s Saloon.

Then I again went up to Mount Rushmore where I remained for 2 hours just waiting for the fog to clear for just a few seconds so I could see the Presidents. Not much to see tonight.

The whole monument is so beautifully set out.

The only thing you pay for is $10 for parking but it is valid for a whole year. I will try again in the morning and will decide if I should stay another night to capture a glimpse of this great monument. It is costing me money and time I had not planned. Hopefully the fog will lift. Rain is predicted for another 2 days though. There are people from all over the world who have missed out and I hope I am not one of them.

Minnesota

14 June 2018

Leaving La Crosse, Wisconsin I crossed the bridge to Minnesota. Again, the changes of scenery astonish me. The speed limit on the road was 80kph (50mph) and I wanted to go slowly to take everything in. To my left there were stunning valleys that met the sky and to my right the majestic Mississippi River.

As this will be the last time on this trip that I will see the Mississippi, I decided to stop at as many towns as possible on the Great River Road.

Winona Minnesota

Wabasha Minnesota

Stockholm Wisconsin

On the road at Maiden Rock Wisconsin I stopped to help this turtle. The speed limit here was 80kph (50mph). I put on my hazard lights as I was on a no overtaking part of the road. I was so worried a vehicle would run it over. Did you think turtles were slow and docile. I got the shock of my life with this aggressive one. I had my jacket I was going to use to pick up the turtle from behind and take it to safety in the scrub. This thing started snapping at me, rearing up like a snake and coming at me, it followed my every move with quick sudden moves as I was trying to get behind it but I didn’t get closer than a metre (3′). It scared me more than the snake yesterday. I was avoiding getting hit by trucks and cars to save this damn animal but I got into my car and drove off feeling a failure and shaky. I found on Google that this species of turtle is appropriately known as a “snapping turtle” and their bite is very painful. I won’t be stopping for one of these again.

After that distressing event, I went on to my final Mississippi town, Red Wing Minnesota.

I went across to the marina (in the photo above) across the bridge back to Trenton, Wisconsin to find someone who might lend me a line so I could go fishing in my favourite river. How many of you can say you have fished in the Mississippi River.

Thank you to Brad from the Harbor Bar Restaurant Marinawho lent me his rod, although I think there was something wrong with it because I didn’t catch anything.

Quirky local man, Kevin, invited me onto the houseboat he has built. The boat has a dragon (because he couldnt find a gargoyle big enough) on his houseboat complete with glowing red eyes. (I did say quirky).

I was very impressed with the amount of travel Kevin has done and also the interesting decor of his floating home.

He has an incinerator toilet!! It burns the waste and once a month he removes the tray below the pan and empties the remains which are ashes.

Kevin doesn’t drink alcohol but he collects wine from every vineyard he has been to around the world.

The bathroom

Kitchen cupboards with collectables.

And collection of pubs.

This is the view from the houseboat on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River looking at Red Wing Minnesota and watching the Canadian Pacific go through to Canada. Click here for video

Kevin has party lights all over the boat, inside and out, with huge speakers facing Minnesota across the river on which he plays music including ACDC cranked up like it’s meant to be. I took this photo of his houseboat from across at Red Wing.

He apparently puts his music on at a set time every night and my visit distracted him and people were shouting across the river reminding him he was late with his music show for the locals. This is what it sounds like across the river.

What an enjoyable day on the Mississippi River. I will miss you Old Man River and hope we meet again soon.

Wisconsin

13 June 2018

I discovered the Great River Road (GRR) which runs alongside the Mississippi from Minnesota to Louisiana through 10 states. It is known as Old Man River, Father of Waters, “body of a nation,” Big Muddy—by any name the mighty Mississippi cuts a mythic figure across the American landscape.

I have driven through all those states but not along the GRR. However I am glad that I will have driven through Iowa, Wisconsin and Minesotta along the GRR.

The Effigy Mounds are in Iowa and I stopped to do my 10,000 steps through this national monument park. I did not expect to see my favourite river with a Turkey Vulture flying in front of me.

The mounds were created by Native Indians and built in the shape of animals and some are burial mounds. Interestingly the shapes of the mounds can only be seen from above and to this day the meaning and origin remains a mystery.

Walking through this beautiful National Park, I did not like the snake I almost stepped on. It was only about 30cm (1′) long and 20mm ( 3/4″) thick but it was a snake, and scared the S..T out of me. I later found out it was a Garter Snake which is not harmful to humans. Regardless, it’s a snake.

Earlier I had a different fright caused by a bambi who ran out in front of my car and I nearly hit it. Thank goodness mum wasn’t with it.

Magestic homes in the Mississippi town of McGregor.

I

was expecting John Wayne to come out of one of these.

I stopped at st Feriole Island Prairie du Chien Wisconsin for this photo of Villa Louis where you can experience the Victorian lifestyle of the 19th century.

I finished off my evening with a free concert in Riverside Park La Crosse Wisconsin. A stunning spot on the Mississippi.

Iowa

10 June 2018

For the John Wayne fans, I stopped at his birthplace museum and his birthplace in Winterset Iowa.

The film, the Bridges of Madison County with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood was filmed with real historical bridges in Winterset.

The one made famous in the movie was the “Roseman Covered Bridge”

It has its own gift shop.

The oldest is the “Imes Covered Bridge”built in 1870.

The “Holliwell Covered Bridge”.

The “Cedar Covered Bridge” was sadly destroyed by an arson attack committed by 3 local teenagers.

The “Cutler-Donohoe Bridge”.

The “Hogback Bridge”.

I am intrigued by the patriotism of this country. I always thought that the USA was founded at a similar time as Australia however, a band of Vikings date back to 985 as the first to found North America.

They have endured war,on their home soil, with the British, French, Spanish and of course their own Civil War. There is evidence of all their battles in almost every state. There are forts and battle grounds that are reminders of their fight to keep their freedom. Other examples of their patriotism are homes decorated with their flag everywhere. Driving through many towns the flags are lined up as if a procession is to be held.

Then the memorials.

And today I witnessed a man who is running through Iowa to raise awareness of Veteran suicide.

Kansas

8 June 2018

Leaving Missouri I stopped off at the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn statue.

Up the road a bit is the humble birthplace and museum of the Titanic’s Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Compared to Amelia Earhart‘s wealthier beginnings. This is her birthplace in Atchison Kansas.

The Airbnb I am staying in Mayetta Kansas has twinkling fireflies or lightening bugs as the locals call them. The only other time I have experienced these magical creatures was when I lived on the farm in Brasil. Unfortunately I couldn’t capture them with a photo.

Illinois

6 June 2018

This morning I left Indiana and their Amish community which does not use electricity and ended the day at the other end of the spectrum.

For my techie friends, I had a tour of the Blue Waters Supercomputer at the National Petascale Computing Facility at the University of Illinois.

This computer runs on 13800 volts, an average household uses 240 volts in Australia (220 volts USA) and the Amish nil.

I arrived at the facility and was advised I had to register online to be provided access and a tour but somehow I got a private tour on the spot 😉

Thank you to Mo who gave me a tour.

On campus at the University of Illinois, I found this interesting and wonder do we have a similar program in Australia? Makergirl.us. Brings 3D printing, Science,Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to life for girls to start creating anything they want in their lives.

Goodbye Windsor Ontario

4 June 2018

This was my third time in Windsor meeting up with my cousin Adrian and Great Aunt Luisa. The previous times I was here in winter experiencing a white Christmas once with Carlos and then with Dion.

This time the weather has been mixed but definitely no snow.

I have enjoyed a few days taking it easy with my Great Aunt Luisa.

I spent time with my cousin’s partner, Maria Luisa.

And I went to a Croatian wedding of Marko and Kira, my cousin’s neighbours.

Today I was very excited to hear the sound of the Grand Prix running in Detroit. It would have been exciting to go but I did not realise until too late. Besides I was up until 4:00am watching an exciting game of NRL where unfortunately my Wests Tigers were beaten by the Roosters.

My final photo in Ontario is the evening Detroit skyline.

Niagara Falls Canada

28 May 2018

What a glorious day for Niagara Falls. It was 30C (86F) but down near the falls the temperature dropped as the spray made it much cooler on the boulevarde.

Video of Niagara Falls

The last time I was here in 2010 it was winter and very different.

I much prefer the warmer weather Niagara Falls.

Today I was fortunate to experience Memorial Day celebrations and the Falls were lit up in red white and blue. There were magnificent fireworks which were so loud because they boomed and echoed around the Falls. Brilliant!!

Video of Niagara Falls at night.

And there was a full moon as well!!

Kitchener Ontario Canada

27 May 2018

The last 2 days I spent with my cousin’s partner, Maria Luisa, who is from Colombia.

After a hard work week Maria Luisa switched into party mode and invited her fellow country women Joanna and Luisa over for dinner.

Unwinding required some Tequila lick, sip, suck which I have not done for 30 years.

These Colombian ladies know how to have fun and I even got to dance salsa!!!

Thank you to all, especially Maria Luisa for your hospitality and love.