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2024 Cross Country Trip #9

Heading east we spent two days traveling Arizona starting at Saguaro National Park. Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation’s largest cacti. The saguaro (suh-waa-row), the giant cactus, has been an iconic symbol of the American Southwest for ages. These majestic beings are easily recognized by their size and structure, sometimes reaching 50 feet tall.

Bisbee was once the largest city in Arizona, bolstered by a thriving mining economy. During almost a century of mining, 8 billion pounds of copper, 102 million ounces of silver, and 2.8 million ounces of gold along with millions of pounds of zinc, lead, and manganese were produced. By 1974 ore reserves had been depleted and December brought the announcement of the impending closure of mining operations in Bisbee. Phelps Dodge curtailed open pit operations that year and ceased underground operations in 1975.

Mosquitoes, flies and more can make a comfortable summer day very uncomfortable. Back in 1912, the community of Bisbee decided to gamify their bug response by offering rewards for the most avid flyswatters. After multiple outbreaks of typhoid, Bisbee, Arizona decided it was tired of these bugs showing up in significant numbers and making people sick. For the entire month of August 1912, the town encouraged residents to catch as many “advance agents of pestilence” end quote as they could. Whoever had smacked and/or caught the most flies at the end won a prize. That winner was Richard Phillips, who brought in around half a million former insects and won… ten bucks.

And if you are up for it the most unique physical fitness challenge (or friendly fitness walk) in the USA! Bisbee 1000 The Great Stair Climb is arguably one of the most unusual and challenging events in the world. The 4.5-mile course features nine staircases (over 1000 total steps) connected by winding roads.

Patagonia (the jewel of the Sonoita valley so says National Geographic Guide to Small Town Escapes —NOT) is a hamlet that rests between the Santa Rita Mountains and the Patagonia Mountains. Set among rich foothills, valleys, and towering trees, Patagonia has been called the “Jewel” because of its natural beauty. Since early days, Patagonia’s oak grasslands, at over 4,000 feet have provided excellent climate and terrain for cattle ranching, and the Patagonia Mountains, filled with rich ore bodies, have attracted miners. Too bad today it was a wasted 200-mile trip for us.

Tombstone AZ – otherwise known as the “Town too Tough to Die” is the home of the infamous Gunfight at the OK Corral, Boot Hill Graveyard, and the World’s Largest Rose Bush. Tombstone, AZ boasts of many shops, gunfight shows, re-enactments, and museums. Just a bad tourist attraction today.

Chiricahua National Monument is recognized for its rock gardens with pinnacles that reach hundreds of feet skyward. This is the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache, who relied on the natural resources in the area as far back as the 1400s. The stories of chiefs Mangas Coloradas and Cochise as well as medicine-man-turned-warrior Geronimo reverberate throughout the canyons here. Deer, bears, and mountain lions inhabit the area, and the annual sandhill crane migration is also impressive. The 8-mile Bonita Canyon Drive begins on the valley floor and rises into mountains where balanced rocks seem to defy gravity. The drive ends at Massai Point, the pinnacle of this amazing sky island with 360-degree views of the rock valleys below.

We hiked the Echo Canyon Loop starting at the Point –3.3-miles of connecting trails. The route winds through rock formations including the Grottoes and Wallstreet to the densely wooded Echo Park. Hailstone Trail is fairly level, and due to its southern exposure, hotter and dryer. You can see desert plants: yuccas, agave’s, prickly pear, and hedgehog cactus. Ed Riggs Trail takes you back to the trailhead among large pine trees.

September 30, 2024 0

2024 Cross Country Trip #5

It’s been a while since my last post – we were to Lake Tahoe, Shaver Lake, Dublin (ca), LA, Pasadena and Palm Springs visiting friends and family. Well back to writing and some thoughts on our trip through Minnesota. Our first stop was at a striking, wilderness waterfall in an urban setting. Overlooking the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Park is one of Minneapolis’ oldest and most popular parks. The 193-acre park features a 53-foot waterfall, limestone bluffs and river overlooks. The park includes Minnehaha Falls – Minnehaha is a Native American woman documented in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1855 epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.

Next stop was Lyndale Park Rose Garden. This is a rose garden in a large park on the north side of Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. It is one half a regular rose garden, with many blooming examples even in September. The other half is more botanical, an annual-perennial garden, with floral displays. Across the road is the Peace Garden, a sort of rock garden that invites quiet contemplation.

Moving on we visited the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden – the 11 landscaped acres of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is home to more than 40 iconic sculptures, including Spoonbridge & Cherry and Hahn/Cock.

Sibley County Historical Museum – in Henderson, Minnesota – The August F. Poehler Home – It was built in 1884 for shop owners August and Emilie Poehler and their six children. Since 1949 the house has served as the Sibley County Historical Society Museum.

The is a Carpenter Gothic-style house in St. Peter, Minnesota. The house was the home of one of the earliest settlers of St. Peter. Eugene Cox was an attorney, St. Peter’s first Mayor, and a representative to the State House and Senate. The home, built in 1871, is one of the few fully restored Italianate homes in Minnesota and was the center of social activity for the prospering riverside town.

Once off-limits, Minnemishinona Falls is a scenic, off-the-beaten-path sight near Mankato – Minnemishinona Falls, which drops 42 feet over a cliff into the gorge below. Too bad the water wasn’t flowing strongly when we arrived.

World’s largest -Glockenspiel, (maybe) in New Ulm, – located downtown, the 45-foot tall Glockenspiel’s bells can be heard chiming throughout the day and playing programmed pieces at scheduled times through the day. The Glockenspiel houses 37 bells with a total weight of more than two tons. Twelve figurines depicting characters from the city’s history, rotate on a circulating stage during performances. Not really impressive.

September 13, 2024 4

Continuing along the River Road we entered Wisconsin with our first stop at the The Dickeyville Grotto & Shrines that are located on the grounds of the Holy Ghost Parish. They are the works of Father Matthias Wernerus, a German-American priest who served the parish from 1918 until his death in 1931. The main Grotto is an artificial cave created out of stone, mortar, and brightly colored materials and found objects collected from all over the world. Besides the main Grotto, Father Wernerus constructed several other religious and patriotic shrines throughout the garden area surrounding the Holy Ghost Church. Later additions to the site include the Stations of the Cross (1964) and Our Lady of Fatima Shrine (1998).

Heading further north we stopped at what is often called Wisconsin’s second-oldest city, Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in the late 17th century. St. Feriole Island – The island is the site of the city’s earliest activities: the center of the fur trade, home of the first Fort Crawford, site of the Battle of Prairie du Chien in 1814, and three important Indian treaties. From the middle 1860s until early 1900, it held the depot for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. Villa Louis – This Victorian estate was home to three generations of the Dousmans. The current residence was built in 1870 by Dousman’s son, H. Louis Dousman. The family closed the estate in 1913 but returned 20 years later to set up the home as one of the first historic house museums in the Midwest. The Dousman House Hotel – The Railroad House was touted as the premier hotel on the Upper Mississippi when it was built by the railroad in 1864. Since Hercules Dousman owned so much of the railroad stock, the hotel was renamed after him in 1867. In the 1940s it was converted to a meat packing plant and later served as a warehouse.

Grandad Bluff has become a destination point for thousands, but also a famous symbol of the great Driftless Region. The term “driftless” indicates a lack of glacial drift, the deposits of silt, gravel, and rock that retreating glaciers leave behind. This meant that glaciers went entirely around the driftless area but didn’t cover it. The 600-ft high bluff overlooks the city of La Crosse, the Mississippi River Valley, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Voted as “the most scenic view in the state”, this is the signature sight when visiting the La Crosse Region.

Historic Hixon House was built in 1858 by pioneer Gideon Hixon, who went on to become a wealthy lumber baron in La Crosse. In 1965, their descendants gifted the house to LCHS including its original Victorian and Arts and Crafts furnishings.

In 1969 the G. Heileman Brewery built six 54-foot-tall storage tanks at its plant in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Whether by design or a bolt of beer-fueled inspiration, the tanks were painted a year later to resemble cans of Heileman’s Old Style Lager, and the sextet was proclaimed the “World’s Largest Six Pack.”

At the confluence of the Mississippi, Black and La Crosse Rivers, Riverside Park in La Cross is designed for active lifestyles and for those who want to just watch the river slowly pass by. The Park is the home of the authentic paddle-wheeler, the La Crosse Queen, the Riverside International Friendship Gardens with various sculptures.

Prairie Moon Sculpture Garden and Museum – built by Herman Rusch who built his first concrete and stone planter in1958. That effort led to two new interests: the creation of huge sculptures and related flower beds. In just one year, Rusch built a 260-foot arched fence that spans the north perimeter of the site. It’s precisely aligned conical posts were constructed with alternating bands of chiseled white rocks and pie-shaped red bricks, while the arches were molded with concrete over the iron wheels.

https://www.kohlerfoundation.org/preservation/preserved-sites/prairie-moon-sculpture-garden-and-museum/

Willow Falls is a highlight within Willow River State Park, just northeast of Hudson WI. This waterfall cascades over three ledges, creating a 45-foot drop through a deep, rugged gorge.

UK and Scotland Day 14

Our day started with a visit to St. Giles’ Cathedral. This is the flagship Church of Scotland – it is called the “Mother Church of Presbyterianism.” The interior serves as a kind of Scottish Westminster Abbey, filled with monuments, statues, plaques, and stained-glass windows dedicated to great Scots in history.

From St. Giles’ we headed over the Waverley Bridge to New Town — Georgian Edinburgh — built during the early 18th century. From the bridge you get a good view of the Scottish National Gallery (with the castle in the background) and the Scott Memorial (dedicated to Sir Walter Scott). The tower is 61.11 metres (200 feet 6 inches) tall and construction took place from 1841 to 1844. We walked along Prince and Gardens Streets, admiring the buildings and shops. Then onto St. Andrews Square and its famous lion. Along Prince Street Gardens you get great views of the back of Edinburgh Castle heading to Charlotte Square and then on to a stop at the Scottish National Gallery. Our day ended with a final dinner in Edinbrurgh and the overnight train (Caladonia Express) to London.

St. Giles