Monthly Archives: May 2022
Northern California
On May 13th, we arrived at Redding, staying at the Mountain Gate RV Park, near Mt Shasta. We drove to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park and explored beautiful Burney Falls. Burney Falls, called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by President Theodore Roosevelt, falling129 feet, is truly magnificent. In March 2021, a National Geographic article declared the site to be one of “northern California’s most spectacular waterfalls”. The water comes from underground springs above and at the falls, which are 129 feet high, and provides an almost constant flow rate of 379 million litres per day. Several movies with scenes filmed at Burney Falls include, Stand by Me(1986), The Parson and the Outlaw(1957), and Tarzan’s Fight for Life(1958). Click on thumbnail to view image Continue reading
Great Basin NP and Lehman Caves
The Parachute Shield formation
Great Basin National Park was established in October 27, 1986, and encompasses 77,180 acres. The park derives its name from the Great Basin, the dry and mountainous region between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountains. The park rises from a sea of sagebrush to treeless rocky summits. It is notable for its grove of ancient bristlecone pines, the oldest known nonclonal organisms, and for the Lehman Caves at the base of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, as well as Wheeler Glacier. It is an hour drive from Ely to the Park, we visited the Visitor Center and bought tickets on line for the Lehman Caves then followed the scenic drive to the Mather Overlook for a view of Wheeler Peak. The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is a paved 12 mile out and back road to an elevation exceeding 10,000 feet, to the face of Wheeler Peak. Due to snow on the road, it was closed after the viewpoint, but we enjoyed magnificent views of Wheeler Peak before descending back to Ely. Click on thumbnail to view image
Ely Nevada
Nevada Northern #81, built in 1917
This year our journey began from Oceanside, CA, on May 1st, 2022, heading north and eventually all the way to Alaska. Our first stop is Ely, Nevada, where we are staying at the Ely KOA Campground for 4 days. We explored the town of Ely and the Ely Murals. The walking tour of Ely’s Murals is a great way to understand the history and cultural significance of the town. Like many Western towns, Ely, has experienced major highs and lows thanks to the mining industry. Mining, primarily for copper, founded the town in the late 1800’s and has long been its largest employer. In 1999 the town’s leading copper mine shut down and many downtown shops closed and went dark. The Ely Murals were inspired by the murals in Chemainus, BC, and today the 28 murals are focused on the history of the town – mining, ranching, railroading and scenic beauty, with the cultural diversity of the community as a central theme. Check out the video. Click on thumbnail to view image Continue reading