California (and Oregon), Here I Come?!?
As I contemplated driving to the Southwest national parks this fall, I considered adding the parks I missed in California. However, the extra mileage and physical wear and tear to me and my car, the Silver Bullet (SB), didn’t seem feasible, even to me. Then, Uncle Sam’el came to the rescue. I received a notice on my Amtrak app that the train service was offering a 50% discount on its USA Rail Pass. The pass restrictions that come with the standard $500 price usually turn me off, but the timing of the half-price offer was perfect because it gave me the option to travel from Washington to Los Angeles using only two of the ten segments that come with the pass. Even the restrictions–starting the first segment within four months of purchase–would be workable. Plus, if I don’t use all ten segments within 30 days of beginning the first segment–another…
The Planning Begins – Seven New National Parks (Southwest USA)
Those who follow this blog know I have been systematically (or not so systematically) visiting the national parks here in the United States. So far, I’ve now gotten 37 done. They are: Acadia – Maine American Samoa – American Samoa Arches (Post) Badlands (Post) Big Bend – Texas Biscayne (Post) Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Post) Bryce Canyon (Post) Canyonlands (Post) Capitol Reef (Post) Carlsbad Caverns – New Mexico Channel Islands – California Congaree (Post) Crater Lake – Oregon Cuyahoga Valley (Post) Death Valley (Post) Denali – Alaska Dry Tortugas (Post) Everglades (Post) Gates of the Arctic – Alaska Gateway Arch (Post) Glacier (Post) Glacier Bay – Alaska Grand Canyon (Post) Grand Teton (Post) Great Basin – Nevada Great Sand Dunes (Post) Great Smoky Mountains (Post) Guadalupe Mt. – Texas Haleakalā – Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻi Volcanoes – Hawaiʻi Hot Springs (Post) Indiana Dunes (Post) Isle Royale (Post) Joshua Tree(Post) Katmai –…
Blue Ridge Parkway, Pt. 2
I woke up really early Friday morning and decided to get underway. The sky at that hour was so dark and clear, I finally had an unobstructed view of the stars. Since I didn’t have my telescope, I got a few shots with my phone. The part of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Smoky Mountain National Park was empty of traffic, but I still needed to drive carefully because I was concerned that the cool weather had made the leaf-covered roadway slick, plus I occasionally had to evade fallen tree branches. I chose the faster, most direct drive (Rt. 19 to I-40 East) to Asheville, rather than taking the part of the parkway I’d already driven. By the time I reached the parkway’s visitor center, it had opened for the day. I was very glad to be able to talk to the ranger on duty because, as I suspected, there…
Return to Smoky Mountain NP-103025
My audio tour, Shaka Guide, gave me the option of starting at either end of the Smoky Mountain National Park tour, from Cherokee, North Carolina, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Since I had just returned from Nashville the day before and would be working my way back east, Gatlinburg was the logical beginning for me. The weather forecast wasn’t ideal–still some rain expected and cloudy–but it was vastly better than the day before. On my previous trip to Smoky Mountain NP, it was my first time in the park. I pretty much meandered my way through, sometimes to popular spots and sometimes off the beaten path. For this trip, the audio tour would probably cover the most popular routes in the park. The map to the right shows the vast spread of Smoky Mountain NP. From the park entrance near Gatlinburg, the audio tour directed me towards Cades Cove, the remains of…
Side Trip to Music City Tennessee-National Museum of African American Music-102925
Wednesday morning started beautifully but cloudy. The weather forecast called for a 100% chance of rain by noon. Most definitely not a day for me to enjoy scenic driving through the Smoky Mountain National Park. I sat in the parking lot of its Oconaluftee Visitors Center debating whether I should chance the scenic drive or get on the nearby entrance of the Blue Ridge Parkway and head for home. Then, a third option came to mind. I had just seen a Facebook post about the National Museum of African American Music‘s (NMAAM) exhibit on the Fisk Jubilee Singers. I had actually thought about going there in the early planning of this trip, but decided against it when I discovered that my trip to the Southwestern national parks, currently planned for 2026, would take me directly through Nashville. The problem was that the Singers exhibit is scheduled to close in December…
Blue Ridge Parkway, Part 1
Tuesday morning was, as forecast, cloudy but with a far lower chance of rain in the Asheville area. I checked out and got a relatively early start. On Monday, while driving around Asheville, I noticed directional signs indicating that the famous Biltmore Estate was nearby. I wasn’t really interested in a tour of the estate this trip, but I decided to take a chance of getting close enough to the house to get a picture. Based on the appearance of the gatehouse, the grounds have already been decorated for the coming Christmas holidays–more than a month away at that point. Unfortunately, though, I was unable to get past the ticket booth for more photos without buying a ticket. Instead, I headed to the North Carolina Arboretum, where I had planned to begin the audio-guided tour of the portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway that would lead to the Smoky Mountain…
Seein’ the DMV: Three Shorts – August-September 2025
There’s a lot going on in my family, so I’ve stayed pretty close to home base lately. However, I did make three short excursions that I’m sharing here. Western Maryland Mountain View – August 28 2025 has been filled with astrological sights, or at least more have come to my attention. One of my efforts has been to find a dark sky site–one where the effects of ground lighting offer no/limited interference to viewing the night sky–within a two-hour drive of home (plus a quickie-trip would give me an excuse to test drive my new prescription shades). My latest effort was a drive to western Maryland, initially to Catoctin Mountain Park. I found numerous hiking trails and cabins for housing, even a swimming pool and various other event sites. I also passed a road with cautionary signage that might have led to Camp David, which I read was in close…
Unplanned Mini-Trip: Rock And Roll HoF, Cuyahoga Valley NP, Western Maryland Scenic RR
Some trips just happen. This was one of them. I was watching a news story on Monday, June 9th, about the extremely rare Strawberry Moon scheduled to occur on Wednesday and decided I would find an different place where I would see it. Next morning, with minimal preparation, I jumped into the Silver Bullet (SB), texted a family member I was headed out of town, and drove towards Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Now, those of you following this blog know I have been there before. Twice, in fact, in 2024, first to witness the total solar eclipse, then traveling on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. On neither visit, however, did I actually see much of the park itself. The downside of unplanned trips is that I WILL forget something. In this case, I forgot that my usual ability to get satisfying photos from the camera on my very dependable…
ARSC, National Parks and More (Gettin’ Home and Afterthoughts)
Gettin’ Home I didn’t drive the most direct route from Michigan to the DMV because I had mentioned to my family the possibility of stopping in Iowa long enough to get some Iowa chops to eat. I am horrible at cooking the thick cuts of pork, but my grill master brother is wonderful at it, and it’s been a year since I last got some chops for them. So,… Plus, I had the opportunity to meet old friends and colleagues along the way. Catherine made the drive to meet me for lunch in Davenport on Saturday, and David and I had lunch in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday. While in Davenport, I picked up sixteen chops that I ordered in advance from a local Fareway. If you are wondering what the big deal is, you haven’t had well-prepared Iowa chops before. I had anticipated that the drive Sunday would have less…
Five National Parks in Five Days (Days Three-Four)
Day Three: Black Canyon of the Gunnison Although Wednesday’s drive to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was the shortest of all, it would begin the longest stretches of the marathon trip. I checked out early, then cleaned and reorganized SB’s inside so that I could more easily find and access supplies. Beyond the visitors center, there was some limited scenic driving and a steady stream of vehicles taking advantage of it. However, this was a park that had more to offer for the hiker. Fortunately, the weather was sunny and warm enough to wear one of my national park shirts, the one with each park printed on the front that allows me to use a magic marker to check off a park as I visit. I viewed the visitors center exhibit and did my usual purchase of a hiker’s medallion and park-themed refrigerator magnet before taking the scenic…