Jack's Travel Blog

A Few U.S.A. West Coast Bridges.

**Astoria-Megler Bridge – Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge – Coos Bay Bridge**

Historic Bridges and some not, ………………….

These bridges were photographed in September, 2022 as I drove from Vancouver, B.C., Canada to San Francisco, California, after a cruise to Alaska, plus two bridges I photographed in 2021. There are wooden bridges and steel bridges and concrete bridges for vehicles and bridges for people. All these bridges accomplished the same thing by the imagination and knowledge of different Civil Engineers.

I was fortunate on this 2200 mile road trip that I had clear weather when taking most of these photos. Several of these bridges were on my list of possible photo opportunities, others I just stumbled accross. Most photos were just taken by pulling off the road.

At Coos Bay, Oregon I pulled over to take a photo and found another bridge and then another bridge!

At Arcata, California, I drove behind the Target Store to take one photo and found another bridge.

None of the photos from Reedsport, Oregon were on my list of stops. I did have to drive around this small town to get in position for these photos.

I was driving along the Redwood Highway, U.S. 101, near Fernbridge, California and saw a sign for a “Historic Bridge.”

I drove along the west coast of the USA with the Pacific Ocean on my right until I got to a big red bridge. I then got on an airplane and flew home to Illinois.

Dry Tortugas Cruise.

**Fort Jefferson, on Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, Sunday, May 01, 2022.**

The impetus for this cruise started in April, 1970, when I camped on Marquesas Key. Marquesas Key is 48 miles east of the Dry Tortugas. (Marquesas Key is 20 miles west of Key West.) Pete and I talked about going to the Dry Tortugas someday in a small boat. Pete eventually went, I never followed up. So 50 years later I finally made it in a large ship!

The Dry Tortugas has no cell service. There is no souvenir shop. No boat or kayak rentals. No food service or store. Alcohol is not allowed on the land.
Campers must bring all their own supplies including fresh water. Campers must have tents because of critters. The only facilities are picnic tables and composting toilets which are closed from approximately 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.!

The Yankee Freedom ferry allows 4½ hours to explore, picnic, bird, fish, swim and/or snorkel on sandy beaches or offshore coral reefs, after a 2½ hour cruise to Fort Jefferson. FYI; there are no natural sandy beaches in the “Keys”.

If arriving by sea plane or ferry, cost to enter the National Park is included in that fare. There are armed Park Rangers who live on the key to collect park fees if you arrive on a private vessel and to monitor illegal entry.

**I took the above photo of Marquesas Key from the Yankee Freedom III, May 1, 2022. Click the photo to view my adventure on this key in 1970.**

The 110´ Yankee Freedom III ferry ship has the capacity of 220 passengers, but the National Park only permits the ship to deliver 175 guests a day. IT was so fully booked I had to make my reservation two months in advance.

The Yankee Freedom ferry allows 4½ hours to explore, camp, bird, fish, swim and/or snorkel after a 2½ hour cruise.

Ferry service fee includes breakfast and lunch. Snacks are available and the ship opens it’s bar in the afternoon. Some claim opening the bar, is to get passengers back on time for the return to Key West.

Fort Jefferson is on Garden Key within the Dry Tortugas National Park. Dry Tortugas National Park is 99% water! This is the most secluded US National Park. The 16 acre Fort Jefferson is the largest brick structure in the western hemisphere. With eight (8) foot thick walls. Around 16 million bricks!
What is unique about this National Park is there is; NO railings or anything to prevent falls off of the third level or tripping hazard prevention from loose bricks!
The National Park offers a map to identify the location of ship wrecks that can be explored. Download prior to arriving on private vessel since there is no cell service this far from civilization.

Dry Tortugas:
• “Dry” in Dry Tortugas is used to refer to the Islands lack of surface freshwater. Name changed from “Las Tortugas” to inform mariners of no freshwater.
• The National Park also offers a map to identify the location of ship wrecks you can explore. Download prior to arriving since there is no cell service here.
• 80,000+ people visit the Dry Tortugas annually.
• 70 miles west of Key West, FL.
• 111 miles from Havana, Cuba.
• Seven (7) major Islands/Keys. We docked at Garden Key.
• More than 299 bird species can be found on the Dry Tortuga Islands.

**Heading West at 27 Knots, Sunday morning in the Gulf of Mexico, from Key West.**

**Small craft doing over 30 knots possibly heading to the Dry Tortugas to fish.**

Restoration of Fort Jefferson has the same challenges today as it did when it was being built. No nice facilities for construction workers to live. Everyone needs to live on the island, not returning home at night. There still is no running water or mainland type of bathrooms. Everything has to be shipped 100 of miles from the mainland. Ya, boats have motors now instead of sails to get materials to Garden Key, but it still requires a great deal of logistic planning!

It was 1930 when a storm blew in, stranding Ernest Hemingway for 17 days on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas while fishing. They hid in a shed at the then abandoned Fort Jefferson. They braved the wind to catch what fish they could, and mostly survived off of the 24 cans of SpaghettiOs, (It was reported SpaghettiOs taste better when eaten on a beach under stormy starlight.) 12 cans of beans, coffee, and of course, liquor, they just happened to bring along. It’s not recommended to brave the Tortugas in a storm, but it is a healthy adventure to camp there for a few nights.
It was in the Dry Tortugas while being marooned that Ernest Hemingway first met Gregorio Fuentes, the inspiration for the fisherman in “The Old Man and the Sea.” Sketches by Guy Harvey.

Click the below photo to view Uncle Jack’s Key West.blogs.

Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too. Yellowstone features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful. It’s also home to hundreds of animal species, including Bears, Wolves, Bison, Moose, Elk and Antelope.

Old Faithful Inn where I stayed with my daughter in 1986 is where we stayed. It is a national historic landmark, and is the most requested lodging facility in the park. Built in 1903-1904 with local logs and stone, the Inn is considered the largest log structure in the world. The towering lobby features a massive stone fireplace and a hand-crafted clock made of copper, wood and wrought iron serving as focal points.

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.

Stockade Lake Trail, Black Hills, SD.

This trailhead is located on the southeast side of Stockade Lake, across from a sandy swimming beach. This trail ascends through a Ponderosa Pine forest to a ridge line. The 1.5 mile hike is considered moderately difficult because of the 390 foot climb. The trail is well marked with blue diamonds nailed into trees.

On a clear day the ridge top offers excellent views of Stockade Lake, Black Elk Peak and the Crazy Horse Memorial. This forested area has been actively managed to promote wildlife habitat, to increase timber growth, and improved watersheds.

The trail is located 0.3 mile south of US Highway 16A on Stockade Lake Drive.

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.

Center Lake Lost Trail, Black Hills, SD.

This is a lightly trafficked loop trail that circles a dammed lake, and is located off of Playhouse Road between Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. I encountered only one lady on the trail, the day I hiked. The trail had been lost and forgotten for years. It has recently been re-discovered with the history and parts of the trail lost. It is believed to have been constructed in the 1930’s by the CCC. The park staff has filled in gaps in the trail to the best of their ability. The trail starts and ends at a sandy swimming beach. This trail is used by hikers year-round.

The 1.1 mile trail is considered moderately difficulty because of its steep 249 foot strenuous climb to the stunning overlook. The trail is well marked with blue diamonds nailed into trees.

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.

Sylvan Lake Shore Trail, Black Hills, SD.

The Sylvan Lake Shore Trail offers passing motorists on the Needles Highway an opportunity to stretch their legs on a leisurely 1 mile walk. This is a trail that the whole family can enjoy. While most of this trail is relatively flat, a portion contains steps and crosses exposed rocky areas that are not easily traversed with a stroller.
It’s a very interesting trail

I recommend this easy trail of very interesting rock formations for everyone.

This trail makes a complete loop around Sylvan Lake, with a sandy swimming beach and is among the easiest trails to hike within the Custer State Park. Enormous granite formations line portions of the lake making it one of the most picturesque trails in the Black Hills National Forest.

There is a small general store with watercraft rental at the lake. The area includes a lodge with fine dinning.

The 2004 film, National Treasure: Book of Secrets starring Nicholas Cage, has scenes filmed at Sylvan Lake.

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.

Presidential Trail, Black Hills, SD.

I walked the 0.6 mile long interruptive Presidential Trail with 422 stairs on Monday, September 20, 2021 to get up close and personal with the sculptures. I can not over emphasise how the trail goes right under these giant sculptures and gets you a lot closer than just staying at the visitor’s center with several different views not normally published. Informative signs along the way go over details of these presidents. And/or, you can rent a self-directed multi-media tour devise developed specifically for the trail.

George Washington was selected for Mount Rushmore because he was the father of USA and represents the struggle for independence, constitution and liberty.
Thomas Jefferson was honored on Mt. Rushmore as the author of the Declaration of Independence and for the expansion of USA through the Louisiana Purchase.
Theodore Roosevelt, the third bust on Mount Rushmore was selected because he “acquired” the Panama Canal linking the oceans and opening the connecting waters of the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Lincoln was chosen for preserving the Union through one of America’s darkest hours and for the ideals of freedom and equality for all.

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.

Jewel Cave National Monument, SD.

1986 an adult fee was $3 and a child $1. 2021 fees are $16 to $3 depending which standard tour is taken!

Beneath the Black Hills National Forest is the Jewel Cave National Monument containing the Jewel Cave, currently the third longest cave in the world, with over 200 miles of mapped passageways. It is located approximately 13 miles west of Custer in the Black Hills National Forest. It was discovered in 1900 and became a national monument in 1908.

Jewel Cave is open year-round. The Park Service offers a few scenic tours, which include: A half-mile loop through a paved and lighted central portion of the cave accessible by elevator; • A candlelight tour through the earliest-discovered part of the cave; • A $45 wild caving tour, through an undeveloped part of the cave.

Jewel Cave is a “breathing cave,” which means air enters or exits the cave with changes in atmospheric pressure from day to night or due to changes in the weather.

During cave development and afterwards, sparkling calcite crystals were formed, including the “jewels” or spar. And, other colorful and rare geological formations decorate the cave’s chambers. The cave contains large rooms strewn with boulders, tight crawlways and dark fissures leading into the unknown!

Today, cave exploration continues through efforts of volunteers and park staff. Cavers can spend up to 4 days and 3 nights in the cave, exploring and mapping uncharted areas of one of the final frontiers on earth.

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.

Black Hills, SD – Wanderings.

Pick apart areas of the Black Hills National Forest I’ve experienced by clicking an area of interest to you.

Jack's Black Hills Scenic & Historic Wanderings:				
				
Wyoming:				
	Devils Tower			
		Tower Trail		
South Dakota:				
	Black Hills National Forest			
	Crazy Horse Memorial
	Custer State Park
		Iron Mountain Road		
		Needles Highway		
			Sylvan Lake Shore Trail	
			Center Lake Lost Trail	
			Stockade Lake Trail	
		Wildlife Loop Road
	Deadwood			
	Hill City			
	Jewel Cave National Monument			
	Keystone:	
		Big Thunder Gold Mine
		Prof. Samuel’s Portrait Emporium 		
	Mount Rushmore National Monument			
		Presidential Trail		
	Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.

Professor Samuel’s Portrait Emporium, Keystone, SD.

Ms. Traci and her dad scouting the Old West in 1986. Dress up photography with many costumes and western backdrops at Professor Samuel’s Portrait Emporium across the street from the 1888 Train stop and down the street from the Big Thunder Gold Mine, in Keystone, SD.

What I wish I had done in 2021 is to have corralled three friends that were visiting Keystone the same time as me and gotten the “Professor” to take a portrait of all of us in full regalia. — Next time.

Click to view the 2021 National Parks Uncle Jack visited.