Among the ancients

Before leaving Mammoth Lakes this morning, I stopped to grab something for breakfast at the popular Schat's Bakery.  Everything looked so good, but I settled for a cheese bagel with cream cheese.  Yummy!  I was driving south on U.S. Hwy 395 when I spotted something unusual on the side of the road.  As I drew closer, I saw it was a large wooden wagon pulled by two draft horses, with a third trailing behind.  I wonder what that was all about?

My destination for the day was the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, part of Inyo National Forest.  After turning off State Hwy 168, I drove up a long and windy road...with the emphasis on up.  I passed a 7000 foot elevation sign, then another at 8000 feet.  And, still I was going higher!  When I finally reached the Schulman Grove Visitor Center, I knew I was very high up.  Inside the visitor center, I got a trail brochure and asked about the elevation.  Just over 10,000 feet!  Wow!  Even though I wanted to see Methuselah, the oldest tree in the world, the Methuselah trail seemed a bit too strenuous, especially considering high elevation means thinner air, and thus, makes it harder to catch your breath.  Instead, I settled on the Discovery Trail, which at one mile, was shorter and less strenuous.  Besides, this trail had equally old trees...we're talking 4000 years old...that could be just as old as Methuselah.

As I started up the Discovery trail, I stopped often to take photos.  This also allowed me to minimize tiring myself out.  One thing I learned from the interpretive signs along the trail, the taller trees are less likely to be the oldest.  I noticed some trees had been hit by lightning, evident from the scorched branches.

With so many old trees came so many photo opportunities.  And, I took a LOT of photos!  I got there fairly early, so there was almost no one on the trail...or they chose to take the Methuselah trail.  It was a perfect day for a hike.

 

After I got back to the parking lot, I had a bit of lunch, then decided to check out the old mining cabins on the Bristlecone Cabin Trail.  Snow had fallen recently, and there were still patches of it on this trail.  One thing that was interesting...there were a number of younger trees growing around the cabins.  There was speculation that human disturbance caused cones to be buried, which resulted in the younger trees.

Before descending down the same road I came up, I stopped at a viewpoint to take some photos of the surrounding mountain range.  As I walked the trail to the viewpoint, I encountered a young guy coming from the opposite direction huffing and puffing.  When he reached me, he stated that he wasn't used to the elevation.  Turns out the guy was from Belgium, and doing a solo road trip.  He told me that none of his friends wanted to accompany him, so he was going it alone.  At one point, he described a harrowing hike back to his car at Canyonlands National Park in Utah...in the dark!  Thankfully, he had THREE flashlights with him, and he made it back safely!  I asked him if he had seen the movie 127 Hours...he had!  It was nice to talk to a fellow solo road tripper.

When I returned to Hwy 395, I continued traveling south, and who did I encounter?  The man with the horse drawn wagon...again!  In the four hours I was looking at pine trees, the wagon caught up to me, despite the slow speed.  I guess it goes to show you, it's not how you do it as long as it gets you there! 

The road to ruins

When I left Fallon, NV this morning, the air smelled like fallen rain.  As I drove out of town, I could see faint rainbows within grey clouds in the western skyline.  About an hour later, it started drizzling lightly as I entered the outskirts of Carson City.  My plan for the morning was a visit to the Nevada State Museum.  The museum had exhibits on the history of the area, from territory to statehood, silver mining and the long gone Carson City Mint.  When it comes to museums, I've always been fond of dioramas and model...this museum had a couple of those.

After the museum visit, my gas tank wasn't quite empty enough to fill up, so I headed south on U.S. 395 with a planned gas pitstop in the next town.  Well, that plan didn't pan out as I couldn't find the gas station I was looking for.  Instead of searching for another, I just kept driving with a new plan to fill up down the road.  Bad idea!  I ended up paying almost $1.50 more per gallon in the next (smaller) town in California.  Let that be a lesson to listen to that little voice in my head.  Fill up when you can!  

I drove another couple of hours south, then turned east onto Hwy 270, also known as Bodie Road.  My destination was Bodie State Historic Park.  I had been wanting to visit this place for a long time, but it never worked out due to seasonal inclimate road conditions.  Located around 8000 foot elevation, this park is at the mercy of winter weather.  But, on this day, despite lots of clouds in the sky, there was no rain, and certainly no snow.  After ten miles of pavement, the road changed to packed dirt...not a problem with my trusty Blazer!  Three more miles, and I reached the park.  Bodie State Historic Park is what can be described as a California gold mining ghost town.  What remains of this former vibrant town is just a shadow of what it used to be.  Rundown and ruined buildings and the artifacts of its residents, long gone. 

 

I call that second photo, Ode To The Outhouse.  And, there were a LOT of outhouses...one for pretty much every house!  Here are a few more photos...and another outhouse pic.  This one looked a little worse for wear!

 

Those shots of inside the buildings look so eerie.  Lives frozen in time.  I can imagine seeing images like that in horror movies, although this was the real deal.  In fact, that almost looks like ghosts in the bar photo...nope, just the reflection of the glass.  Overall, I thought Bodie was really cool.  I might go back one day and look over everything more closely.  There's a lot to see.  Tomorrow, I'll be looking at more old stuff, but of a different kind. 

The longest road in Oregon

When I left Boise, ID this morning, I had a LONG drive ahead of me.  We're talking almost 400 miles worth!  Most of it would be going south on U.S. Hwy 95, which should have been a pretty easy trip.  But, it was made much, much longer and harder, thanks to the state of Oregon!  As I left Nampa, the posted speed limit on Hwy 95 was 65 mph.  It was smooth sailing...until I reached the Oregon border.  The speed limit dropped to a downright slow 55 mph!  As I drove miles and miles of straight road, it was pure agony.  It was almost if I wasn't getting anywhere!  To make matters worse, cars were passing me like I was standing still!  Yeah, I admit I was going 5 mph over, but I felt like an idiot trying to follow the speed limit when everyone else was not.  But, I resisted the temptation to go faster and kept at the snail's pace.  Finally, the Nevada border greeted me...with a 70 mph speed limit!  Ridiculous, huh?  And, when I reached Interstate 80...75 mph!  No, I didn't go 80 mph.  I was burning enough gas just going 75.  In this case, I was happy to stick to the speed limit.

I only had one sightseeing destination today.  I took a leisurely stroll through the Grimes Point Archeological Area just outside Fallon, NV.  I had heard that there were a lot of nice petroglyphs there, and I wasn't disappointed.

The drawings were made by native people that lived in the area thousands of years ago, but their purpose remains uncertain.  The holes in some of the rocks appear to have be used to grind grain and other foodstuffs, though.

The weather report looks threatening tomorrow.  It looks like rain overnight and into the morning.  Even a little snow as I travel south.  I'm hoping the rain holds off in the afternoon so I can finally visit the ghost town in Bodie, CA.  We'll see...

Planes and prison life

It was 30 degrees in McCall, ID when I woke up this morning...frosty!  As I was loading my stuff in the Blazer, I noticed my right front tire was low.  After filling up the tank, I checked the air pressure and found it was VERY low!  Hmm.  I refilled the tire and made a note to keep an eye on it.  My plans for the day were to drive down to the Boise area and spend the afternoon leisurely exploring a couple of historical places of interest.

After a tasty Thai lunch in Nampa, I visited the nearby Warhawk Air Museum.  This museum is devoted to preserving history...aircraft, memorabilia and artifacts from previous wars and the military.  As I entered the main building, I was immediately drawn to a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in beautiful condition.

Most impressive about the museum was the huge collection of military memorabilia donated by veterans and their families.  All that material had stories behind them, which made it more meaningful compared to most museum displays.  I spent a good two hours at the facility before heading out to my other destination of the day...the Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site.  This interesting place is one of four territorial prisons in the country open to the public.  I walked around the prison grounds, checking out the old buildings and the secrets within.

Of particular interest...in a ghoulish way...was the death row building.  Within, the prisoners awaiting execution were housed, as well as the gallows.  I wonder if there are any ghosts wandering around?

Tomorrow, I have a long drive ahead of me, but will (hopefully) have time to do a little hiking and exploring.  Thankfully, I'll be traveling back to the Pacific time zone and I'll gain an hour back.  Now, if only the rain holds off...

Return to Nez Perce country

Yesterday, I spent the night in Lewiston, ID.  I lived here once in the mid-80's for four summers and a winter while working at Nez Perce National Historical Park.  I was a seasonal laborer back then, doing maintenance work for the park...cleaning the visitor center, mowing the lawn, putting up fences, etc.  It was a great job and I had some good times with the staff both on and off work.  I had only visited the park once since then, about ten years ago.  There were still a couple of people from my original days at the park, but I hadn't kept in touch.  While doing a bit research on the park in preparation for my road trip, I found out one of my friends from the old days was still working there.  I hadn't seen him on my last visit, and I was eager to see him again.

When I arrived at Nez Perce NHP this morning, the visitor center looked pretty much the same as I remembered it.  Stepping through the front doors, I noted the rest rooms just inside...I used to clean those, AND the front door glass as part of my usual maintenance tasks.  As I entered the lobby, my long lost friend was standing there to greet me with a hug.

Kevin is Nez Perce and currently employed as a park ranger at Nez Perce NHP.  Twenty-five years back, he worked with the park curator and was part of the interpretive staff.  We spent about an hour reminiscing old times and catching up on new things.  I looked over the museum's artifacts, and most are still as I remember them.  I also remembered the ceiling lights that required me to climb up a VERY tall ladder to change!

After exchanging contact info and promising to stay in touch, I said my goodbyes to Kevin and continued on my road trip.  As I traveled east, I checked out one of the park's roadside interpretive sites.  Ant and Yellowjacket is a rock formation that depicts a Nez Perce legend of the two creatures frozen in time by the powerful animal spirit Coyote.

I stopped to grab some lunch at Orofino and took some pics of Dworshak Dam, the third tallest dam in the U.S. 

Two more stops in the afternoon...two more park interpretive sites.  The first was the Heart Of The Monster at Kamiah.  This place holds great significance to the Nez Perce people as their ancestors were said to originate from the heart of a monster that swallowed every living creature, only to be defeated by the ever clever Coyote.

Finally, I stopped at the White Bird Battlefield viewpoint.  The opening battle of the Nez Perce War in 1877 occurred here.  Even though the Nez Perce won the battle, they would eventually lose the war, remembered by Chief Joseph's famous words, "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."  If you've never visited Nez Perce country, check it out.  Lots of awesome history and culture.

This is Cougar Country!

Today, was the first day of my three week fall road trip vacation.  Yesterday, I drove to my parents' house and spent the night there.  It's always nice to visit Mom and Dad...and the kitties, too!  Here's a pic of one of them.  His name is Sammy...after baseball player Sammy Sosa.  Hey, my mom is a baseball fan!

I left early and spent the morning driving to Pullman, WA to visit my alma mater... Washington State University.  It had been about ten years since I ast been to WSU, and I was interested to see what had changed since then.  After getting a parking permit and finding a convenient lot on campus, I had lunch at Wilmer-Davis Hall.  I got there right before the lunch rush, and as I settled down to my meal, watched as students slowly filled up the dining hall.  So many young people...it made me feel a bit old.  But, I still fit in because once a Cougar, always a Cougar!

Afterward, I walked around the campus, taking photos of the buildings.  Here are a couple of Thompson Hall and Bryan Hall with its landmark clock tower.  Washington State University was established in 1890 (then Washington State College), just one year after Washington became a state.  Those two buildings have been around a LONG time!  I found a photo that was taken back in 1910, and you can see they haven't changed one bit!

Of course, I couldn't leave my beloved university without getting some Coug gear.  I went to the campus bookstore...more familiarly known as The Bookie...and bought FOUR alumni T-shirts!  Before I left WSU, I had one last place to go... Ferdinand's!  This is THE PLACE to get ice cream on campus.  I got a chocolate waffle cone for only $2.10!  That's a full-sized waffle cone!  Can't beat that!  Having our own dairy cows has its advantages.

Tomorrow, I take another trip down memory lane.  I graduated from WSU in 1983, and before I finally got a full-time job, I worked at this place for four summers...and one winter.  Stay tuned....

Keeping history alive

Last Saturday (Sept. 15), I had a little brush with history.  I drove down to Paine Field in Everett, WA for the Flying Heritage Collection (FHC) Free Fly Day.  The Flying Heritage Collection is a private collection of vintage WWII aircraft owned by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen.  The planes have been fully restored and are in flyable condition, and housed at the FHC museum for the public to view and enjoy.  On this day, there were two planes from the collection that would take flight, and I was there to see one in particular.  The FHC's Ilyushin IL2M3 Shturmovik is the only plane of its kind left in the world that actually flies!  This 1943 ground attack fighter defended the Soviet Union as they battled the Germans during WWII.  The IL-2 is a plane I'm somewhat familiar with, having flown one myself...in a computer game!

Sadly, I don't have much time to play video games anymore.  Yes, they ARE time consuming, especially when you get pretty obsessed about killing those tanks!  Thankfully, I'm able to satisfy my interest in WWII planes at air museums like the FHC.  In addition to the IL-2, the other plane to take to the air on Free Fly Day was the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. This fighter was one of the backbones of the U.S. Air Force during the war, and earned a reputation for its ruggedness.  When I got to the museum, both aircraft were outside on display, and there were a lot of people there to see them.

 

After firing up their engines, the planes taxied out in front of the assembled crowd before taking off.  It was the IL-2's first public flight, and it didn't disappoint.  Both planes circled overhead, sometimes solo, other times side by side.  It was breathtaking to watch.

But, all good things must end, although it was equally thrilling just to watch the two planes land.  Before returning to the hangar, the pilots taxied one last time before the appreciative audience.

 

I didn't have time to actually visit the museum, but I will some day.  Just watching the two magnificent planes flying makes one thankful to all those involved in keeping such history alive.  And, even more importantly, those brave pilots of WWII who risked and gave their lives to defend their countries. 

Bumbershoot...and Barcelona

Yesterday, I went to Seattle's Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, which takes place every Labor Day weekend at Seattle Center.  Last year, I went to Bumbershoot mainly to see Hall & Oates, and ended up adding a new band to my like list...that would be Fitz and the Tantrums.  This year, my plan was to see one of my favorite bands, Seattle's own Barcelona.  If you have been reading my blog for the past year, you'll know I'm a Barcelona super fan.  There was no way I was going to miss their return appearance to Bumbershoot...they first played the festival back in 2009.

I got to Seattle Center around 10:30 am, and only had to wait a short half hour for the gates to open.  Other than seeing Barcelona, my plan for the day was pretty flexible.  After indulging in a Thai lunch...the festival is full of food options...I checked out the Visual Arts exhibits.  Barcelona was playing at Exhibition Hall, an INDOOR stage, which was a bit disappointing.  I was hoping to see the band play outdoors for the first time, but it didn't matter...it would be a great show nonetheless.  There was another band playing before them, but when I entered the Hall, I found it rather warm...almost too warm.  I decided to wait outside the building...maybe I would see the Barcelona guys before their set.  Sometimes, I'm just right about those things.  Sure enough, I spotted bass player Brian Eichelberger walking toward me.  I called out to him, and he stopped to say Hello.  I didn't see any of the other guys, though.  Hopefully, after the show?

After an hour, the band finished their set and people were filing out of the building.  By the time I decided to join the line for the Barcelona show, there were already a good two dozen people ahead of me.  Well, no front row for me!  That was okay.  Most were young women, and they weren't very tall.  When security finally let us in, it was only about ten minutes before Barcelona was supposed to start.  The band was still doing their soundchecks when everyone made their way toward the stage.  Lead singer Brian Fennell looked up to survey the crowd, and I waved to get his attention.  He saw me and said, "Hi, Wynne!"  Since it's so hard for me to take decent photos during concerts...bad lighting, unforgiving camera, too much movement...I use every opportunity to try to get SOMETHING.  Things were just about right while Brian was doing his soundcheck.

When Barcelona took the stage, it was a tad cooler than when I was first in the building...barely.  In no time, Brian was sweating.  At least he wasn't wearing a flannel shirt! (see my previous Barcelona blogs)  The bass was cranked up for the show, which vibrated the room, but at least the electric guitar wasn't...easy on the ears!  Barcelona played for an hour...here was their setlist and a couple of photos grabbed from my video.

Slipping Away
Watching Me
Slowly
Hanging In A Void
Call Your Girlfriend ( Robyn cover)
Til Death
Less Than Two
Come Back When You Can
It's About Time
The Takers

Toward the end of the show, Brian said they would be doing a meet and greet at the band merchandise booth.  When I got there, about a dozen people were already lined up waiting.  I decided to just hang around and see what happened.  Brian and drummer Rhett Stonelake showed up and immediately started interacting with the fans.  Rhett's wife Kelly greeted me...when one shows up at so many local Barcelona shows, even spouses remember me!  This was soon followed by hugs from Brian and Rhett.  Then, they got to work signing stuff and taking photos with the fans.  I waited for things to die down a bit before joining the meet and greet line.  I didn't have anything in particular for them to sign, so I opted for the Bumbershoot guide as a memento for the day.  A guy standing next to me offered to take a photo for me if I would take one for him, which I did.  When it was my turn, Brian E. showed up carrying his little baby.  He asked if I wanted him in the photo, too, which I thought would be fun.

I had been planning to see Tony Bennett, who was playing the mainstage in Key Arena, but since I went to Barcelona's meet and greet, I missed him.  No biggie...not a real fan of his music anyway.  Any opportunity to bond with the Barcelona guys is time well spent.  I DID briefly check out Civil Twilight, though.  I had seen the South African band perform at the Seattle Symphony charity event last November...I went to see Five For Fighting and coincidentally ran into Brian Fennell after the show.  Exhibition Hall was pretty packed with people...I could barely see the stage.  Shortly after I got there, they performed their hit single, Letters From The Sky.

I only stayed for a couple of songs because I wanted to grab some dinner before the last event on my agenda.  As I sat and ate my roasted corn on the cob and hot dog, I watched people massing to enter Key Arena to see rap artist Big Sean.  I wondered if that many folks stood in line for Tony Bennett?  Afterward, I made my way to the Words & Ideas stage to see The Writers Of Futurama.  It was still an hour before showtime, but there was already a good fifty people lined up!  If you're not familiar with Futurama, it's an animated sci-fi comedy series by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening that aired on Fox-TV from 1999 to 2003.  After it's immense popularity in reruns, the show was revived on Comedy Central in 2010 and continues to the present.  I had only recently caught up with those newer episodes, and I was eager to learn more about the writing team that produced such a funny and entertaining show.  For over an hour, the audience was treated to a lot of insight...AND a lot of laughs!  The highpoint was a sneak peak of an unfinished episode to air next year which featured a parody of Scooby Doo...hilarious!  In the end, I gained a greater appreciation of all the hard work that goes into an animated series such as Futurama...a LOT of hard work!

And, so, my day at Bumbershoot came to a happy end.  Before I said my goodbyes to Barcelona, I asked Brian Fennell about their tour this year.  He said November, which unfortunately would not allow me to follow their tour...my vacation is in October.  But, Brian reassured me there would be a Seattle show in the mix.  Now, THAT, for me, IS doable!  I NEVER get tired of seeing them perform.  Hmm...does that sound familiar?  Think, Five For Fighting! 

L.O.V. at the Capitol Hill Block Party

I've never been to a block party, let alone a MUSIC FESTIVAL block party.  This last Friday, July 20, I attended the Capitol Hill Block Party, a three day event which took place in the Capitol Hill section of Seattle, WA.  I didn't have plans on going...until I heard one of my favorite bands, Fitz and the Tantrums would be there!  In fact, it was the ONLY reason I would be there.  Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of bands I've never heard of.  Typically, of what I DO hear, I find most of them play songs that all sound similar...it gets pretty monotonous and boring.  The same could really be said of a lot of the pop songs on the charts...so many of those artists sound alike!  That's what I love about FATT...they're like a breath of fresh air!

Entering the block party area, after getting a wrist band to allow me re-admittance, I went straight to Barboza, located downstairs at the club Neumos.  I had been to this club before to see Five For Fighting back in 2010.  In order to get to Barboza, I had to enter the beer garden.  I was actually asked to show my ID.  Really?  I think I look pretty young for 51 years, but do I look under 21? 

At Barboza, radio station KEXP FM was doing live broadcasts of bands performing there throughout the festival.  To kill time while waiting for FATT's 5:30 pm performance, I watched the band, Crystal Stilts.  Needless to say, I was underwhelmed, but it wasn't like pulling teeth.

After walking around to check out the block party stages, I returned to Barboza to await the arrival of FATT.  When the band finally showed up during stage set-up, I spotted the bass player, Joe Karnes, who I happen to know from his time touring with Five For Fighting.  I called out to him and waved, and Joe said HI, and asked me how I was doing.  Joe got a little busy setting up his equipment, but afterward came off the stage to chat with me.  I welcomed him back to Seattle...I had last seen FATT play the city last January...and congratulated him on his new baby daughter.  I asked Joe when the new album would be out, and he replied in October.  He said FATT would be touring that month, too, but probably won't make it up to Seattle.  I told Joe I was planning a road trip that month and might be able to catch one of their shows in another city. 

Joe left me to prepare for the upcoming KEXP live show, and I hung around near the stage to wait.  At one point, a young woman walked up and stood next to me along a wall...and promptly fell over at my feet!  Uh, too much to drink, honey?  I helped her up, and she said something about liking meeting new friends.  I told her to find a seat...I wasn't interested in being her friend.  She smiled and walked away, hopefully to find her real friends.  Then, FATT came on the stage and everyone started crowding around, thinking the show was about to start.  But, it was only the soundcheck, which sounded pretty awesome and was a prelude for what was to come.  When the REAL show started, the room was packed, no big surprise.

That's my friend Joe on bass.  They only played six songs, but that was okay...the band would be appearing on the main stage later in the night.  This was the live show set list:

Breakin' The Chains Of Love
Pickin' Up The Pieces
L.O.V.
Don't Gotta Work It Out
Rich Girls
MoneyGrabber

After the half hour show, I waited around, hoping to see Joe again.  My patience was rewarded as he came back on stage to put away his equipment.  I got a quick pic with him, then told Joe I would stick around for the main stage event later on.

I had a nice sit-down dinner at boom noodle...a tasty pad thai...and gave my feet a rest, considering I would be walking and standing the rest of the evening.  Since FATT wouldn't appearing again till 10:45 pm, I went back to Barboza to check out another act.  This one called itself Nouela, and featured two gals who both played keyboards, with one of them on lead vocals.  While taking a few photos, I tried out my camera's black and white setting.

Afterward, I made my way to the main stage area, which was packed full of people.  I managed to find a spot along the fence that gave me somewhat of a view.  The next act before FATT was Allen Stone...like all the other bands, I've never heard of him.  He seemed to get the audience excited enough, though.

When Allen Stone finished his set, the crowd temporarily wandered off while equipment was moved around on stage.  I took that opportunity to move forward and get a better vantage point.  While I waited for FATT, I chatted a bit with a gal and her male friend.  She asked me if I had seen FATT before, and I told her a few times.  The gal said she had seen two of their shows, and really loved their music.  I totally agreed with her! People soon refilled the main stage area, and FATT took the stage.

Even though I had seen pretty much the same show last January, it didn't diminish my enjoyment watching FATT perform on stage.  The energy and terrific music had the whole crowd rocking along.  Here's the set list of the night:

Don't Gotta Work It Out
Winds Of Change
Pickin' Up The Pieces
News 4 U
Rich Girls
Breakin' The Chains Of Love
Tighter
Unidentified new song
L.O.V.
Dear Mr. President
6 A.M.

Encore:
Sweet Dreams (cover)
MoneyGrabber

The show ended around midnight, and although footsore, I was happy.  My first musical block party was a blast, made even more so by Fitz and the Tantrums.  Would I attend another similar block party?  Only time will tell.  It guess it all depends on who shows up.  If this day was any indicator, the right band can make all the difference in the world!