Category: United States

Cedar Breaks National Monument-Utah

Posted in Great Fun For The Kids, Incredible Vistas, United States, Utah, Winter SportsTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

We first fell in love with Cedar Breaks National Monument and the surrounding area in 1993. Just four hours away from Las Vegas this was the place we went to for rest and relaxation when we wanted to escape “Sin City.”

The scenery is breathtaking here with natural red rock ampitheaters and meadows that are wide with bubbling brooks and colored a thousand different of shades of green. But it is not that time of year that I want to examine. It is now, in the dead of winter, during which this land truly sparkles.

cedarbreaks

Cold. Yes it is cold. It is also the time (usually mid-November until May)  when Highway 148 closes due to heavy snowfall. Then the magic begins when this road becomes a groomed trail within the monument in which to snowshoe, ski and snowmobile. And after January on Saturdays you will find the Ranger Station open at the North Alpine Trailhead where you can often find a cup of hot chocolate waiting. While there is a lot of fun to be had remember in winter you are essentially on your own. Snowstorms descend quickly and drifts 10-20 ft high can be unexpected and dangerous.

utah 9:92

There is another reason Cedar Breaks is such a unique and special place especially in winter.  It has one of the darkest and clearest night skies in the entire country.  Bring along a telescope or two to see nebulae, planets and fantastic galaxies in a place thats daytime beauty is memorable while its nighttime is downright spectacular! The parks system also hosts Star Parties in the evenings during the summer.  In the winter Star Parties are hosted at the Navajo Lodge in Brian Head a nearby ski resort. Telescopes are provided. Click here for more information. http://www.nps.gov/cebr/upload/2016WinterStarParties.pdf

Untitled 3

 

To get to the trailhead take Highway 143 through the town on Brian Head to the junction of highway 148. There you will find a plowed parking lot at which to begin your outdoor winter adventure.

starry night

Sharktooth Hill-Bakersfield, CA

Posted in California, Fossils, Dinosaurs, Etc., Great Fun For The Kids, Museums, Uncategorized, United StatesTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

DSC00224

If you want to give your family the experience of digging through the dirt why not head out to Sharktooth Hill? It’s a great place to spend the day and learn about the things that used to lurk in the deep.

Once a vast ocean, the area is home to the largest deposit of Miocene marine fossils in the world. Here you will find vertebrae from whales and marine crocodiles just laying on the ground. Dig a little deeper and you will unearth shark teeth from Mako and extinct tiger sharks. Dolphins, walrus, sea cows and even desmostylus once swam freely here. So did extinct giant turtles, over 20 kinds of water birds and more than 27 species of shark and rays. Mammal finds include the tapir, rhino, and three-toed horses.

Sharktooth Hill is on private property and digs are scheduled. To find out more go to:

http://www.sharktoothhillproperty.com

DSC00237

A couple of things.  First of all before starting out you might want to visit the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and Science in Bakersfield. The museum houses vast amounts of material brought from the site.  They also have dinosaur casts, animal mounts from around the world and an interactive Science Discovery Center. It is a small museum and they do offer periodic digs at Sharktooth Hill as a fundraiser.

When on a dig be sure to bring plenty of water. It can get hot out in this desolate mountain area. Buckets for sorting and carrying your finds are needed as are hammers. Also you should consider using a mask when digging. In this part of California there is a fungal infection that can develop in the lungs called  Coccidioidomycosis or Valley Fever for short . Valley Fever occurs when freshly dug spores are inhaled and they are plentiful throughout the San Joaquin Valley. While the numbers of people who contract this are low it is of concern especially for those whose immune systems may be compromised.

 

 

Shoshone Falls-Idaho

Posted in Cheap Ways To Travel, Federal, State and City Parks, Idaho, Incredible Vistas, Uncategorized, United StatesTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

 

Often referred to as the “Niagara Falls of the West,” Shoshone Falls is located on the Snake River a few miles east of Twin Falls. While locals would like to compare it to Niagara Falls, don’t be fooled…it just isn’t, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t stunning in its own right. Higher than Niagara by 45 feet it is amazing to see the power of the water as it pushes itself over the 1,000 foot rim and into the Snake River Canyon.

 

With hiking trails, look outs, and picnic areas this is a good place to stop for 20 minutes to an hour to unwind. There are also areas for boating and swimming for longer stays.

We visited in the summer when water levels were down due to drought and irrigation. We were told that the best time to visit was in the spring when water levels are at their peak.

Cost is $3 per car.

 

Best Zoo With A View

Posted in Colorado, Great Fun For The Kids, Uncategorized, United States, ZoosTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This summer we traveled to Colorado Springs to visit with our eldest son and our granddaughter.  Colorado Springs is a fascinating place …the counterculture mixing with the nouve rich. It is a place with Jamba Juice and Starbucks on every corner battling it out for the oh-so-mighty dollar.

But it is also a amazing place full of wild untamed beauty and scenic vistas that stretch as far as the eye can see. So image my surprise when we ventured forth to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo when we were able to combine two favorites into one…views for mom and cute cuddly animals for the kids. We hit the jackpot!

Of course, for a kid there is nothing to be beat when feeding a giraffe. Lettuce leaves are the food of choice as the long silky purple tongues reach out to take their favorite treats from your hands. Meeting a giraffe up close and personal is something that you never forget.

DSC08002

The zoo also has a unique exhibit which showcases animals from the area in a natural setting. Here you will find grizzly bears, moose, mountain lions and many other animals that you might meet if you were hiking in the surrounding mountains. Yes, sometimes you have to look to find these magnificent creatures but that is part of the charm of the place.

Encounter Africa was another favorite giving the kids a chance to see elephants, rhino, and meerkats and a gigantic living termite mound. UGH! That left me itching all over for a few nights after that! The kids also loved the wind tunnel which demonstrated the strength of the winds as they cross the savannah.

For an extra cost you can also take the Mountaineer Sky ride which is essentially a ski-lift chair that rides to the top of the mountain as your travel over the animal exhibits.

This zoo was a big hit for all involved no matter what their age. While admission prices are a little steep it is worth it if you make a day of it. FYI-take along your own bottled water.

DSC08074

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. with the last admission at 4 p.m. Hours vary during holidays.

La Brea Tar Pits – Los Angeles, CA

Posted in California, Great Fun For The Kids, Uncategorized, United StatesTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

If you have a dinosaur fanatic living with you in your home then you know how intense this fascination with all things ancient can be. While there are no actual dinosaurs here there are the remains of huge sloths, mammoths, and camels left over from the Ice Age. So while you will not see a T-Rex these other massive creatures are sure to suffice for your dino crazy kid.

DSC00278

The tar pits have been around since the Ice Age. If you are a historian you will discover that the Tongva and Chumash Native people lived in this area. They were unique boatbuilders as they used the tar naturally found in the area to seal the large cracks in their canoes.

The first written account of the tar pits come from the Portola Expedition from Father Crespi describing them as “tar volcanoes” and giving them the name Los Volcanes de Brea.

La Brea is a unique on-site museum and lab in which fossils are consistently being excavated.  You may even be lucky enough to see one being pulled from the muck. After retrieval  you can watch the bones being identified, cleaned and then displayed in the museum’s working glass-encased laboratory. With hands-on exhibits, 3-d films and lectures this is a place for people of all ages. The museum really does an amazing job of presenting fossils in creative ways to educate and keep their visitors entertained.

DSC00280

Yet, one of the most interesting things to do is to just stroll around the grounds. There you will see the tar bubbling up from the ground. The kids spent an inordinate amount of time just watching the slow rise/fall and listening to the POP of the shiny balls/bubbles of tar. Life-sized models of the long-forgotten creatures that once roamed this area can also be spied on the park-like grounds. So pack your lunch and make a day of it. Your family will be glad you did!

DSC00292

 

DSC00324

La Brea Tar Pits are located at 5801 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. They are open 7 days a week from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. There is an entrance fee.

 

 

Video

Wyoming Territorial Prison…Laramie

Posted in Great Fun For The Kids, Historical, United States, WyomingTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

IMG_0550

One of the more interesting and kid friendly places we visited this summer was the Wyoming Territorial Prison outside Laramie, Wyoming. Totally restored and sitting on 197 acres, it was built in 1872 as a federal prison and operated as such until 1890 when it became a Wyoming State Prison (1890-1903). It is one of the three territorial penitentiaries that still exist in the West and the only one that has survived intact. The most infamous convict to grace it’s interior was Butch Cassidy who served a sentence here for two years.

After arriving at the Visitors Center where friendly Wyoming Folk answer all your questions with smiles upon their faces you exit out a side door onto the immense grounds. After a short walk you arrive at the Warden’s House which was built by the convicts in 1875. Restored to that era there is a lot of the past for the kids to see and experience. including the clothes worn during that time period and how houses were set up.

The prison itself is amazing. Clean, fresh and fully restored; visitors can enter the cells, see the kitchen, and visit a very informative museum. My children learned a lot about the Old West and how people were treated while incarcerated back in the “Good Old Days” and each child was given a convict to look for and learn about. Murderers, horse rustlers, forgers, and con artists (both men and women) were all housed within the prison’s massive stone walls. The clanging shut of the old iron doors is one sound I won’t soon forget.

IMG_0542

IMG_0540

My kids loved the Broom Factory which served as an industry for prison labor. Began in 1872 it supplied broom throughout the United States and had an amazing output of some 720 brooms per day. The machinery inside is interesting and you can even doing some making of your own.

IMG_0553

Throughout the grounds there are coaches and prison paddy wagons for kids to climb over and on. For youngsters who have been cooped up in a car it is the perfect way to burn up some energy. There is also an 1880s Ranch Building display with lovingly interprets ranching during that time in the Wyoming Territories. A huge nature preserve with walking trail can also be found on the grounds.

IMG_0533

IMG_0565

This is one place you and your family will love. It’s worth the ride!

Open daily May 1 – October 31 from 7am-8pm