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We are in Cardston, AB tonight (Thursday). Tomorrow, Friday, we will be visiting Writing on Stone Provincial Park and then heading to Conrad, Montana. Will you be in that area? Jim |
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Absolutely amazing, wonderful write-up and pictures!
You missed your calling as a travel reporter. |
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Best, - Jeff |
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Jim,
Great pictures, I just realized I am living in the wrong place... Daniel |
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That last series of pics are of my favorite place in the world (so far). I try to get out to Banff and Canmore once every couple of years. I hope to retire there but my wife isn't sure. She says the mountains make her feel claustrophobic. I still have a few years to work on that.
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That one on the waterfall is spectacular !
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On Thursday, we left Lake Louise and drove south, leaving Banff National Park. We took the scenic route (as if anything could be more scenic than yesterday). We saw a deer in the woods on the edge of the road:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0017.jpg Leaving the Canadian Rockies behind, we passed through the rolling farmland of southern Alberta. This area, west of Calagry, was primarily beef cattle ranches. As we went further, the ranches became very large and alot of the cattle were free range: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0073.jpg http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0054-1.jpg We drove up to Crowsnest Pass where there is a pass over the mountains. In 1903, there was a coal mining town, named Franks, nestled in the valley. Early one morning, the entire side of the mountain above the town fractured and slid down into the valley. In about 100 seconds, half of the town was destroyed and 70-90 people died. Estimates are that 90 million tons of rock slid down the mountain and accross the valley. Here is how the mountain looks today. The original peak of the mountain and all of the rock below it collapsed in an instant: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0115-2.jpg This view is from across the road and railroad tracks that all were buried: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0125.jpg This view is the rock field accross the roar from the mountain, that extends for more than 1/4 mile accross the valley: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0146.jpg |
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After Crowsnest Pass, we headed back to the south and east to go to Waterton National Park. The park is on the border with the US and is next to Glacier National Park in Montana.
The landscape flattened to the south and became more scrub brush: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0233-2.jpg We went about 15 miles into the park to Red Rock Canyon. The river cut through layers of the sedimentary rock that are rich in iron that when exposed to water turns red: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0340.jpg We had fun climbing down into the canyon and walking by the water: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0461.jpg We spotted this chipmonk zipping along the water's edge looking for a way across: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0424.jpg Here is a nice view from the river bed looking back at the mountins: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0527-1.jpg On our way back to the main road, we got a quick look at a grizzly bear: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0605.jpg |
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Since our return route to Maryland did not include a day to explore Glacier National Park, we decided to make a speed-run drive by.
We left Waterton National Park in Canada, crossed the border and entered Montana and Glacier National park: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0650.jpg http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0688.jpg We were in the very north east corner of the park, but we got a good view of Chief Mountain: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0654.jpg We headed east out of the Park and came upon a herd of cattle grazing and wandering on the road: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0720.jpg http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0769.jpg Once we got back to the highway, we turned to the north and crossed back into Canada after about 30 minutes in the US: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0804.jpg Jim |
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Welcome home guys !
:fahne: |
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I agree!!!!! and it looks like you really lucked out in the Weather dept too...absolutly beautiful and a trip of a lifetime! |
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You may not know this but there is a nesting pair of bald eagles in Elgin. There's a great view from the Gail Borden Library overlooking the Fox River. Jim, Awesome photos! Any chance you'll make a complete album of all the pics? , |
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You guys passed us East of Billings about 3 hrs ago. Have a safe trip home.Tyler
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Where are you now? I am in Sheridan, WY and tomorrow we are going to Rapid City, SD to see Mount Rushmore. Jim |
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Ok, now that we are doing the travel log in real time I will have to get caught up to Saturday. So here goes.
On Friday, we spent the day in southern Alberta visiting some off the beaten path sites. First we went to Milk River, AB and drove 30 Km east to an area called Writing on Rocks. The site is a sacred, Black Foot Indian site where there are petroglyphs and pictographs on the stone walls of the banks of the ancient path of the Milk River: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0152.jpg The limestone cliffs contain the paintings and scratched designs of hundred of years of visitors. Many are modern grafittti, but experts have determined that some are ancient. This drawing is thought to be an elk: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0057.jpg This drawing is thought to represent a warrior or hunter with a spear: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0066-1.jpg These circular designs are believed to represent warriors armed with shields. The large size of the shields indicates that the drawings are from before the use of horses: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0166.jpg As we were leaving the area of the carvings, we spotted a River Elk watching us from a crevice in the stone: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0199-1.jpg |
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After our visit to Wirting on Stone, we decided to visit the site of a dinosaur fossil discovery. In Warner, Alberta, in the 1980's, a young paleontologist discovered fossilized dinosaur egg shells in a ravine called Devil's Collie. Exploration of the site have determined it to be one of the largest dinosaur nesting sites in North America. A local museum was established and guided visits to the site are available. We followed our guide out in to the farm country to the site:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0452-1.jpg Devil's Collie is a very normal looking ravine: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0342.jpg But closer examination reveals an amazing amount of fosillized dinosaur remains. The black specks seen on the ground are all pieces of dinosaur egg shell: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0346-1.jpg The guide pointed out a dinosaur hip bone partially exposed, and Lyndi is holding fossilized dinosaur poop: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0383.jpg Here, Lyndi is holding a fossilized juvenile dinosaur claw: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0392-1.jpg After our explorations, we crossed the border into the US and drove to Conrad, Montana: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0615.jpg Jim |
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On Saturday, we drove south on I-15, and then east on I-90. The scenery was fantastic, the weather was perfect, and the ZR-1 is running great. It was a great day for cruising.
Northern Montana is very flat: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0003-1.jpg As we headed south, the landscape became more varied: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0041-2.jpg We stopped in Great Falls, MT and saw the first two C-4 Corvettes since we left Maryland. They were in a for sale lot: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0029-1.jpg I-90 runs along side the railroad tracks for many miles. We saw 10 or 11 trains, mostly coal and containers. But there was one mixed freight train with three of these plane fuselages as cargo: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0202.jpg We crossed into Wyoming: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0824.jpg We stopped in Sheridan where we are staying at the Mill Inn which is an old mill converted to a hotel. http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0855-1.jpg Jim |
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Sheridan also going to bbfast 863 660 6132. To Denver next.\Tyler
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On Sunday morning, we took our time getting underway and then left Sheridan and headed east. our first stop was to get a photo of Devils Tower:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0246.jpg and then drove through the flatlands of eastern Wyoming: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0834.jpg We made a brief side trip to visit the geographic center of the United States which is near the town of Belle Fourche, SD: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0340-1.jpg We continued on I-90 East to Rapid City, SD and went out to Mount Rushmore. Visiting here was one of the items on my bucket list. We even found a vantage point outside the park to get the Yellow Z in the picture: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0365.jpg On the way out of the parking lot, we saw this vintage DeLorean from Texas: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0399.jpg After leaving Mount Rushmore we drove through Custer State Park to look for wildlife. We found some antelopes and then we came upon a small herd of buffalo. They were completely undisturbed by the cars on the road: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0749.jpg Jim |
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Well worth the detour to get to Devil's Tower for sure.
Did you look for any colorful lights at the top? :) I found it equally as impressive at Mt Rushmore. http://zr1.net/forum/picture.php?alb...pictureid=1383 |
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Nice looking red ZR-1 Scott. You should post some more travel pics.
Cliff, I have some pictures of The Badlands that are loading right now. I didn't realize that I was going to have to do travel photos by request. Jim |
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On Monday morning we left Rapid City, South Dakota and headed east on I-90. The day started out a little cloudy, but the tempearture was mild and it was a nice day for driving.
Our first stop was a Wall Drug in Wall, SD, an institution in this part of the country. Wall Drug is a giant store and restaurant that from the outside looks like a whole city block from 100 years ago. Inside, all the stores connect and every tourist need is for sale. The people are friendly and the atmosphere is nice. Lyndi was checking out some cowboy boots: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0022-1.jpg Next we left I-90 for a parallel route, SD-240, that goes through the Badlands National Park. At the first scenic pull-off, we were greeted by a small group of Big Horn Sheep who were enjoying the grass along the parking area edge: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0077.jpg http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0051.jpg The Badlands are an amazing place. The geology is that 35 million years ago this area was a sea bottom. Over millions of years sediment built up in layers. A lot of the sediment was eroded volcanic ash in origin and as dust, it was carried by streams and wind into the water of the sea. When the North American tectonic plate was forced up, the sea drained and erosion of the ancient seabed began. The result is the canyons and buttes that have revealed the layered, multicolored sediment. http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0259.jpg http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0292.jpg When we left the first parking area, I had to share the road with some more wildlife: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0220-1.jpg |
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The Badlands National Park, which is part of the Badlands National Grasslands, is very well maintained and the roads and trails are very safe and easy to navigate. The beauty of the rock formations is hard to describe and the pictures here don't do justice to the splendor of nature:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0332.jpg http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0293.jpg Lyndi hiked a little way up one of the trails, and looking back toward the road, got this fantastic scene. (The Z is actually on the Park road): http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0381.jpg Every view is more interesting than the last: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0418.jpg We found a turn off that was visible from another overlook, so I dropped Lyndi off and drove back for this fun shot: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0451.jpg In this interesting formation, the color change from one layer to the red layer is visible. Standing right next to the hill, it looks like the red color was sprayed on the clay, but it really is the same layer that can be seen in the distance behind me: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0794.jpg |
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Near the east end of the Park, the road desends into the canyons and the view of the formations is reversed revealing even more beauty:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0861.jpg http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0849.jpg We parked at the east end Visitors Center and took this picture of the interesting formations across the road: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0889.jpg I noticed some small birds were interested in the front of the Z: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0895.jpg There were so many smashed bugs on the bumper, air dam, and the AC Condenser that the birds had a feast: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0902.jpg You know your car is dirty when it becomes Meals-On-Wheels for the wildlife. I will post more of Monday's adventures when I get a chance. Jim |
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I remember reading about the debris our cars suck up off the road being called a "birds nest" in the cooling stack.....but Jim, you have brought new meaning to that term!
Oh, your journey is now famous across the generations of corvettes from your facebook page I guess? At a local show & shine last night one of my C5 buddies was talking about "some guy & his wife went to Alaska in their C4!" So I said where did you see that? She said it was on Facebook with a few pictures. I said "that's one of my Z Brothers and his wife. He is our Registry President. I told them if they want to see the picture-travelogue come over to our forum and check the thread out in our General section. You guys are famous!:mrgreen: :cheers: Tom |
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Wow! Thanks again Jim and Lindi. Be safe. -Steve
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love the one pic of the vett out there seemingly four wheeling.
Who knew you could get birds to clean the radiator stack? You guys are an inspiration to put together a long road trip again. The most I've done before was 3,400mi How many miles have you guys racked up so far? Scott |
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i had a robin stuck in my rad once...hit the bastard at 70
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"You know your car is dirty when it becomes Meals-On-Wheels for the wildlife."
I think you should leave all the bugs in place as a souvenier and never wash it again. Imagine what a barn find the yellow Z will be 30-40 years from now! Now I am going to go wash my Z--it got rained on yesterday....Bob |
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Free Grooming !!!! And such a tasty statewide/ Nationwide variety of bugs on the menu ;) |
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On the way out of the Badlands National Park, we visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. The purpose of the Site is to protect and explain the history and operation of the land-based ICBM leg of the strategic weapons triad that was on alert for over 40 years during the Cold War.
The Historic Site includes one empty Minuteman II silo and a missile launch control center. Visitors can get a tour of the above-ground portion of the silo and the interior of the launch control center. Here we are at the Site Welcome Center: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0993.jpg After we left the Rapid City area, we drove east on I-90. We stopped in Mitchell, SD to see the World's only Corn Palace: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0124.jpg In 1892, shortly after Mitchell was founded, some local businessmen decided to hold an Exposition to show potential settlers what crops could ge grown on the plains in the area. They built a building and decorated the outside with corn cobs and other crops. Today, 120 years later, the Corn Expostion continues. The 2012 celebration is this weekend. If we had been able to stay a few days, we could have seen the Charlie Daniels Band. The Corn Palace is a large civic center with a basketball court, a stage and convention center facilities. The decorations are changed every year by volunteers. Is was a remarkable building and event: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0134.jpg We continued east to Iowa, the birthplace of the famous ZR-1 Driver, Jim Voter: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0204-1.jpg Jim |
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On Tuesday, we continued east across Iowa. The landscape of Iowa reminds me of the farm country where we live in rural Maryland. They grow a lot of corn in Iowa:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0013-2.jpg Did I mention that they grow a lot of corn? http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0048.jpg We took a short side trip to see some farms and visit Elk Horn, IA and a complete operating windmill brought here from the Netherlands. The windmill is actually used to grind grain. We were too early to see it in operation, but we took some photos: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0170-1.jpg Here is the modern way they harness the wind in Iowa (check out the artsy shot): http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0125-1.jpg We stopped in Cedar Rapids to visit the newly restored and rebuilt National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library. Cedar Rapids suffered a devestating flood in 2008 that put ten square miles of the city under water. The city has recovered well and the Museum is displaying one of the finest collections of the works of the Art Neuveau artist, Alphonse Mucha. Mucha is one of our favorite artists: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0300.jpg After a few more side trips, we drove through Illinois and stopped in Indiana for the night. Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will complete our journey and return to Westminster, Maryland. On Thursday, I will be at Corvettes at Carlisle. I look forward to meeting a lot of ZR-1 owners there. Jim |
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If you get near Cleveland around lunch time and get hungry give me a call.
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Thanks for the invitation Robert. We will be eastbound on I-70, so I will have to catch you on another trip. Jim |
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Not a problem, I will see you in Carlisle.
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This has been incredible.
Can you go on another trip soon? |
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One hell of a great adventure there - you both did a great job with all the pic's and info.
Have a safe last leg and fun @ Corvettes at Carlisle |
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Jim -- All I can say, after looking at every single post and pic, is "WOW". What a special and magical adventure you have shared with all of us in The Brotherhood. These ZR-1s are clearly meant to be "driven and enjoyed"...and your trip is the embodiment of that phrase.
I will be rolling into the Carlisle Fairground on early Thursday (tomorrow), and into the ZR-1 Net Registry area. I can't wait to personally thank you for all the work you did to allow us to share in your incredible journey. It is clear that this was a "labor of love"...and a dream-fulfilled. Awesome...just awesome...!!! Thanks again, Rick Moore |
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