More Roadside Attractions–Graceland to Boone

Enough of Graceland.   I’m heading where it’s warm and sunny and that means Florida and Georgia and Southern Appalachia.  Driving south through Alabama is interesting. I pass this building for about half an hour and wonder what purpose this huge building...

Petrified Forest, Santa Fe & the CCC

From Tucson, I drive north up State Route 77, then east on I-40 to Petrified Forest National Park.  The Painted Desert Inn is a must stop/must see.  Built in 1928, it was remodeled by the CCC in 1933 when they covered the petrified rock with adobe.  Today it is a...

The Tuscon Gem Show & Saguaro NP

My next talks are at Saguaro National Park–I give four in two days.  Saguaro is a wonderful place east and west of Tucson (now a huge city).  The Eastern  park was the original one but the cactus were dying off so the western addition was added in 1961 by...

Death Valley

Next stop is Death Valley.  This is the best time of year to visit–January, February and March where it’s a cool 65.  I was here in October right after the floods which devastated Scotty’s Castle.   The highest officially recorded temperatures ever...

The Big Roadtip–NPS Centennial 2015-16–1st post

  My first stop was Prairie Creek Visitors Center–built by the CCC in 1934-5 and featured on my new “See America” Redwoods National and State Parks poster.  I gave a talk at the amphitheater below:   Sequoia/Kings Canyon (General Grant) was...

Naust–Part III–the roof

The roof is on–I ordered 81 sheets needing 80 but thought that one extra would be a good idea….in case of damage, so to speak.  Sure enough, the top sheet was damaged, but guess what?  They only shipped 80.  They gladly shipped another sheet up to me (this...