Category Archives: national parks

X-Country Drive

October Vacationing

Last year we found enough time to take two short vacations. The second one was in October which turned out to be a nice time to still enjoy the pleasant weather while avoiding the crowds.

Our itinerary was to visit our son and family in Reno, NV and then hop north to Grand Teton National Park and enjoy the outdoors. Our route to Reno was pretty straight forward – taking Interstate 80 for the first half of our trip.

Our home in Grand Rapids is a solid midwestern city. We’re used to the familiar surroundings – cities, farms and small factories. As we drove westward we could see changes to the scenery.

Black – Grand Rapids to Reno
Red – Reno to Grand Tetons to Grand Rapids
A noticeable change in scenery as we travel west . Here’s a feed lot in Ogallala, Nebraska
Wyoming is known for its oil production. This is the huge Sinclair refinery.
Captivating rock formations line Interstate 80 near Green River, Wyoming
We took this selfie at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
This downtown sign shouts to us as we arrive in Reno.
Tall trees characterize the Sierras close to Reno
A long coastline at King’s Beach along Lake Tahoe
A paddle boarder enjoys the cool waters of Lake Tahoe.
Posing at a pier.

Leaving Reno we head towards Grand Teton National Park. We backtrack on I-80 for a short distance and then cut through southeastern Idaho. It’s a 700 mile drive through some very unpopulated high desert terrain.

This encourages wildlife to crossing the highway using the bridge.
This is a solar farm in Rogerson, Idaho
The Snake River passing through Swan Valley, Idaho
We took in a colorful morning sunrise in Grand Teton National Park
We captured this bugling elk near Jackson Lake in the Tetons
This lady was taking a drink from the pond near the Park Headquarters
We took in a serene view of the Tetons at String Lake
We took a short hike along the Snake River at Schwabachers Landing
We spotted this bald eagle overlooking the waters at Colter Bay in the Tetons
The iconic archway was decorated for the Christmas season in Jackson

From Jackson we made our way back to Grand Rapids happy to have 10 days of relaxation and outdoor recreation in the west.

Written by:

Arnie Lee

Rhyolite

Places that you may never have heard of

I’m a dyed in the wool traveler. In my travels I sometimes run across a place that bears a “funny” name – a place that has an unfamiliar moniker.

Not long ago after taking in the scenic wonders of Death Valley National Park I pointed the rental auto towards my destination: Las Vegas

Shortly thereafter I encountered one of the places with a strange name.

I turned onto a side road and followed it a couple of miles to find a ghost town. Judging from the many weathered foundations here, Rhyolite must have been fairly active years ago.

The Overbury Bldg opened in 1905 housed offices.
The Rhyolite schoolhouse built about 1910 for 250 children
The Cook Bank was first occupied in 1907.
An artistic silhouette of miners at work

When I returned home I spent a few minutes to find out the history of Rhyolite.

The rhyolite mineral is a volcanic substance containing quartz. About 1904 rhyolite was discovered in the area and a large number of prospectors moved to the area in hopes to strike it rich. When electricity came to Rhyolite a large mill was built to mine and process the ore. But the 1907 financial panic soon affected the town, businesses and residents. The mines and mill slowed production and workers left. By 1916 the town was effectively shut down.

If you’re interested you can visit this ghost town by driving from Las Vegas to Beatty, NV and then driving on NV-374 west about four miles.

Still Interested?

Here are a few more places that you may never have heard of –

Argenta, Nevada
Aragonite, Utah
Beowawe, Nevada
Dunphy, Nevada
Jackpot, Nevada
Mercury, Nevada
Vedauwoo, Wyoming
Wamsutter, Wyoming

Glacier NP


<br /> Ahead of the Snow<br />

To the Tall Mountains of Montana


After our cross country drive to visit family in Utah and Nevada, we took a long detour north to Montana.

We were excited to take a few days to explore Glacier National Park again. Here are just a few photos that we snapped on our short visit to the park.
 


 


 


 


 


 


Although we had only a few days to experience the mountain air at Glacier, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Montana’s big sky country.

 


Written by:

Arnie Lee