Tag Archives: travel

Great Plains.

For most Americans, and visitors alike, North and South Dakota or Nebraska and Iowa are often seen as, so called, flyover states. Places on a way from somewhere to elsewhere, boring flatness between the excitements of the east and west coasts. It is deeply unjust for these great places. Having said that I have to admit I wasn’t initially planning to go there this summer. I was planning, for a long time, to visit spectacular western Canada. But, on one of the quiet afternoons, somewhere in February or March 2009, I was walking by the USA section in Stanfords (which I take care of) when map of the North and South Dakota caught my attention. And that was it, after just few minutes of studying it, I knew that Canada plans were gone and Great Plains was my next destination.

I started my trip in Minneapolis as it is big transportation hub (with direct flights from London) on the edge of otherwise sparsely populated region I wanted to visit. I didn’t spend much time there. First because I wanted to explore it at the end of my trip, and second because it was raining like a hell. So, after night in some random chain motel, I drove straight west to North Dakota. And boy, what a long drive it was. 420 miles (about six hours), of the often dead straight interstate 94. Was I disappointed or bored? Absolutely not. After leaving busy metropolitan region of Twin Cities it was just relaxing cruising along the quiet and excellent quality highway. Accompanied by lots of country music I had a great day. That’s what I like in America.

Anyway, eventually I arrived to quite small city of Bismarck which is the capital of North Dakota. The biggest attraction there, (and possibly the only one), is the state capitol. Surprisingly, everyone can enter it without any questions or security checks. I haven’t seen even a single CCTV camera in, or around it. What a difference from London, where even public toilets will soon require full, airport style, security checks. It is one of the only few state capitols without a dome. It is actually quite spectacular art deco skyscraper, which, with its 19 floors, is also the tallest building in the state of North Dakota. Well, to be honest it is not that great achievement if you consider that population of the state is less than a million (650 thousands to be precise) stretched on a territory larger than England and Wales combined.

Following day I left major interstate behind and followed local state highways on my way to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Travelling these smaller roads you can really appreciate size and emptiness of North Dakota. There were long moments when I couldn’t see a single vehicle in front or in the rear view mirror, all the way until distant horizon.Theodore Roosevelt NP is one of the least visited parks in the whole national parks system (apart from Alaska), which means no crowds whatsoever. This park offers great opportunity to see wildlife (bison, prairie dogs, feral horses, elk, white tailed deer and more) in really great unspoiled landscape of amazing badlands formations. There are maybe not as spectacular as those in Badlands National Park (about which later) but lack of crowds makes it great place to relax and soak the atmosphere of the Wild West. The only thing you can hear, when you switch off the engine of you car, is wind. Wind, which actually never stops blowing on the Great Plains. I spent a night in the southern unit of the park at the camp-ground located on the banks of the Little Missouri River. Nice, quiet, well protected from wind, location, right off the scenic drive.

From T.R.N.P. I drove south towards the Black Hills region in South Dakota. It involved more hours on the empty highways cutting in straight lines through the very vast open spaces. With more country music on the radio (by then I even started recognizing some songs) it was great time indeed.Black Hills were named as such by Native Americans because they are covered by pine forests which appear black when seen from the distance. And in relatively flat South Dakota they are visible from far away. Word hills is rather understatement because this huge granite outcrop has definitely more mountain feel than some proper mountain chains. With area over 4800 square miles and elevation reaching 7242 feet above the sea level, (which is the highest point between Rocky Mountains and The Alps) this varied region offers plenty of outdoor opportunities. Camping, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, you name it.

But the biggest tourist attraction there is actually a man made one. The world famous Mount Rushmore. Probably most people are familiar with the image of four president’s heads sculpted into the mountain face. The whole place has a bit of Disneyland-ish feel (including huge gift shop and plenty of toilets) but you definitely shouldn’t skip it. It is, at the end, an unique American icon. The most annoying about it is fact that although there is free entrance you have to pay 10$ for annual parking permit. Why on earth would anyone need annual parking there is beyond me.

Another interesting attraction in the Black Hills is Crazy Horse Memorial. Not finished yet, but already quite impressive, it is another mountain carving but much, much bigger than Mount Rushmore. In fact when finished it’s going to be the largest sculpture in the world. The whole project commemorates great chief Crazy Horse and also includes cultural and educational center dedicated to Native American culture and history. In the gift shop you can buy some authentic native craft. It is also possible to join tours of the monument itself and there are laser shows after dark.

Interior of the Black Hills is criss-crossed by some spectacular scenic roads. And I really mean spectacular. Let’s take the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. It is loop, over 68 miles long, which follows four different local highways. So, good map is essential. Forget the stereotypical American road. Wide, straight, designed for comfortable driving. This road is curvy and narrow, actually very curvy and very narrow. In some places it is just ribbon of tarmac, wide enough for one and half car, squeezed between the rock walls and sheer drop on the other side. There are tunnels where you have to honk before entering, so you won’t have a head on collision with some oversized pick-up truck, and pigtail bridges where you make full 360 degrees circles. In general this scenic byway is more like Spanish or Italian mountain roads than American highway. I really had fun driving it.

During the few days I spent in the Black Hills weather wasn’t absolutely cooperative. Rainy afternoons and evenings meant that I didn’t camp (even if I was tempted by some nicely located camp-grounds) but used motels in Rapid City as my base. Still, I managed to hike a bit. One of the trails I do recommend is one leading to the Cathedral Spires. It starts from the small parking lot just off the SD highway 87 (part of the scenic byway) and leads to the top of some spectacular rock formations. From the top you can see even more rocky madness (spires, boulders, domes, etc.) It is short but rather steep hike, especially in the final section, where you climb some exposed rocks. If you prefer something easier just few miles down the road lays Sylvan Lake which offers flat trail encircling it. Perfect for a half an hour stroll. And you can still enjoy rocky scenery.

When weather got really bad (it was raining all day long) I used my time to visit Wind Cave National Park. Major attraction there is one of the longest cave systems in the world. Based on the air movement, scientist estimate that over 200 km of corridors explored so far, represents only 5-10% of the whole cave. Park rangers lead various tours throughout the underground maze. Although those tours cover only fraction of the explored corridors they are long enough to let you understand the sheer size and beauty of the cave and also make you tired end disoriented. It is really good way of escaping rain, as you still stay close to the nature but dry.

From the Black Hills it was time to turn back east. On my way to Badlands National Park I decided to stop at the Ellsworth Air Force Base. It might sound as a strange destination but it is one of the few places around the world where you can visit a missile silo from the Cold War era. After visiting small museum you will be driven through the active military base into the disused Minuteman rocket silo. It is surprisingly small and cramped place, and the whole experience is quite chilly. Not so many years ago thousands of similar rockets were waiting for a launch command, ready to wipe out humankind from the face of planet in matters of minutes. Around the base museum you can see some disused planes, among them the B1 bomber.

Fifty miles east of Ellsworth AFB, I finally got to probably the most spectacular destination during my entire trip, Badlands National Park. It is not a huge park by American standards but offers some great scenery. The main attractions there are multicoloured rock buttes eroded by wind and water out of the soft rocks. And I mean really soft. Sometimes you can feel rocks eroding around you while you walk some of the trails. Unfortunately, changing weather caused shortening of my hiking experience. Fortunately even on a cloudy day you can still see how the rock formations change colours depending from the light. Apart from the geological wonders Badlands NP also protects one of the largest remaining tracts of the mixed-grass prairie which once covered most of the Great Plains. It is great contrast between deep green of the prairie (at least in spring) and red, brown, yellow or grey colours of the rocks. Scenic drive and strategically located viewpoints make exploration of the park easy. You can really see it in a day. And if you are tired, hungry and thirsty you can always pop in to the world famous Wall Drug Store, just outside the park in a small town of Wall. You will see billboards advertising the free ice water there for hundreds of miles in each direction. It started as a small local store but developed into a major tourist trap, including few restaurants and huge shopping emporium. Yes, it is kitschy but offers some surprisingly entertaining and interesting shopping experience.

One of the common misconceptions about the Great Plains is that it is totally flat region. Nothing more wrong. Of course there are some flat places but most of the region contains rolling hills scenery. Nowhere is it more apparent than in Sand Hills region in Nebraska. If you look at the map of Nebraska (in Stanfords for example), you can notice big empty space in the middle, which is cut by really just one road, Nebraska Hwy 2, also called Sand Hills Scenic Byway. It is not an extreme road like some in the Black Hills region, more of relaxing, gently curving one. The scenic part of the highway starts in town of Alliance where you can visit Carhange which is one of these peculiar roadside attractions common in the US but rare in Europe. In this case it is reconstruction of the Stonehenge but made of old cars. Weird and funny.

From Alliance the scenic byway continues for almost 300 miles in east – south east direction to Grand Island, crossing through the middle of the Sand Hills region. What makes scenery of this part of state so interesting is one of the world largest sand dunes systems. It is probably the largest dune area in the western hemisphere. Most people think desert when they hear word dune but they are wrong. Dunes in Nebraska are actually covered by grass which also stabilises them and creates green and hilly pastoral landscape. Highway 2 winds peacefully between these dunes crossing small towns from time to time. One of them is Mullen in Hooker County. No, it is not me who stole the road signs with that county name, even if I have though about it. It was one of the most relaxing days during my trip. Lazy drive, not going anywhere in particular, just sort of floating in space. Day when I saw more cows than people. Such days, for me are the highlights of holiday in America.

I really recommend visiting Great Plains for anyone who is looking for something more than just coastal America. In no other region you can really appreciate how huge and sparsely populated this country really is. Simple task of moving from town to town may involve hours of driving through the middle of nowhere. I absolutely love it. I love the big sky and open horizon which better than anything else describe the region. And if you see it yourself you will fall in love too.

Portland and surroundings.

Portland is my favorite American city. Why? There are many reasons but lets start from the beginning. With population of just over 2 millions it is the largest city in Oregon and the third largest in the Pacific Northwest (after Seattle and Vancouver). It makes it just about the right size, not too big, not too small. You still have plenty of city attractions and general urban feel but you don’t have to fight the concrete jungle like in the LA, New York or Chicago. It lies on the banks of river Willamette just before it empties into the mighty Columbia river. Its compact downtown is located on the west side of the river and it’s surprisingly walkable. Street blocks are small and grid pattern makes it easy to navigate. If you tired of walking you can always make use of the excellent public transport network. It includes buses, light railway(MAX), streetcars, even aerial tram, and is free to ride in the central zone.

Cycling is another great option. Portland has one of the best cycling network in America and its citizens are keen cyclist. Nowhere in America I have seen so many people cycling. Portlanders are friendly bunch, keen on recycling, good beer, outdoor and, as I mentioned above, cycling. In other words all sort of activities people don’t normally associate with the United States.

Portland lacks one single major tourist attraction but there are some sights worth visiting. Being an infrastructure geek, the first thing I went to visit was Portland Aerial Tram. It is commuter tramway which connects south waterfront and the major university hospital and campus. It costs $4 for return journey and climbs over 150 meters in about 3 minutes. From the top station you can see an amazing panorama of eastern Portland and surrounding mountains. Another great attraction worth some time to explore is Powell’s City of Books. The largest independent bookstore in the United States. It occupies the full city block and offers 6300m² (almost 68000 square feet) of the floor space, full of new and used books stored side by side. It is a real labyrinth where color coded maps, available at the front desk, are essential. Great fun for anyone who likes books.

Of course there are some museums and galleries but I didn’t bother with exploring them. Instead I decided to soak the city simply by exploring some of the nice neighborhoods. One of the best of them is North West Portland. It is in a walking distance from the downtown and is full of the old houses, restaurants, pubs, bars, shops and trees lining the streets. You can feel great communal spirit there. For example hostel where I was staying had agreement with the local pizzeria so any unsold pizza, at the end of day, was offered for free to the hostel guests. In the same way we got free bread rolls from the local bakery. All we had to do was to find a volunteer who wants to walk about 5 minutes to collect them. Portlanders just seems to hate waste.

HI-Portland Hostel, Northwest, is well worth recommending. Located in the old wooden house it is very clean, quiet and well run. It is great place if you are looking for good sleep and good company but not necessarily for party atmosphere. If you want some party, or at least some drink, there are plenty of options alongside NW 21st Avenue which is just few minutes away from the hostel. Speaking of drinking, it is worth remembering that with 28 breweries Portland has more breweries than any other city in the United States. It is in fact place where in the 1980s microbreweries craze started.

Short walk or MAX ride west from NW Portland lies Washington Park. It covers over 50 hectares of mostly steep and wooded hills ranging in elevation from 60 to 260 meters. Somewhere there are major tourist attractions like Oregon Zoo, International Rose Test Garden (one of the Portland nicknames is in fact The Rose City), Portland Japanese Garden and few others but I didn’t find them. Here I have to admit that I got a bit lost while exploring the park. I simply underestimated its size, complicated terrain and how densely wooded it is. But I still had nice afternoon just walking around trying to find my way back and escape coming rain. Washington Park is just smaller brother of the Forest Park which covers over 2000 hectares and is one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the United States.

But I left the best aspect of this amazing city for the end. It is its location. And what a great location it is. If you look from any high point in the city (like Aerial Tram top station) you can see not one, not two, but three massive, snow covered volcanoes. They are Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Mt Rainier. On a sunny they they look absolutely spectacular.

About two hours drive in opposite direction you can reach Pacific coast. With some spectacular wild beaches it offers great options for weekend getaways. One of the closest and the best places for one day visit is Canon Beach with landmark rock formation called Haystack Rock and adjoining Ecola State Park which offers great hiking and coastal views. South of Portland rural Willamette Valley is one of the best vine growing regions in the United States.

But in my opinion the best approach to Portland leads from the east. I was driving all the way from Idaho and for the last 200km road hugged the mighty Columbia river. Initially the landscape is wild, bleak and open but as road approaches Cascade Mountains the river valley narrows and Columbia River Gorge begins. It is absolutely fantastic place. I left the main interstate highway which follows the river at the bottom of the gorge and choose the Historic Columbia River Highway instead, which traverses and climbs high cliffs of the gorge. It is twisty and narrow route which is popular among cyclist and motorized tourists. Some sections are closed for cars altogether and open only for cyclist and walkers. One of these closed sections includes narrow tunnels, drilled in the basalt cliffs, which contain windows offering view of the valley.

One of the best views along the route are from the Crown Point. But the great vistas are not the only attractions of the gorge. As river cuts its way through the Cascade Range you can notice change of the vegetation. Bleak dry vegetation of the eastern Oregon is replaced with the lush vegetation of the Pacific coast. It happens because Coastal Range is a major watershed blocking humidity from the ocean from reaching further inland. Byproduct of that are numerous, (over 77 on the Oregon side of the gorge alone) and spectacular waterfalls. Probably the most spectacular of them (and definitely the most photographed) are Multnomah Falls. If you browsed any guidebook to Oregon the chance is you have already seen it. It is the one with bridge in front of it.

Immediately east of the gorge lies Hood River. It is a nice small town, local center of major fruit growing area. On the steep streets you can find nice cafes and restaurants serving food made of the local products. From above the town you can see massive, cone shaped, Mt Hood looming above this lovely rural idyll. It is simply small and happy town.

All these wonders are no more than two hours from the downtown Portland. It makes it perfect place for the outdoor lovers. At the end it is the city where companies like Nike or Columbia Sportswear started and are still located. It is not a coincidence. For me, it is probably the only city in the United States where I could easily relocate from London 😉

So if you are looking for relaxed and easy going place to spend some time on mixed urban – outdoor holiday, Portland is the perfect place for you. Just pack some good walking shoes and rainproof gear, leave tie and fancy clothes at home, and you ready to go. You won’t be disappointed.

Utah

Utah is an amazing destination for people who like the outdoor fun. My trip there started actually in the urban jungle of the metropolitan Los Angeles. It is simple much cheaper to fly there than anywhere in Utah itself.

It was all great until I left the car rental company depot at the airport. The first moments of driving on the notorious LA freeway network can be intimidating, frightening but also exiting in the same time. It takes a moment or two to get used to drivers totally ignoring the road rules, indicators or speed limits. And all this on roads with 12 or more lanes of bumper to bumper traffic with cars going well over 80mph, overtaking on the inside and on the outside, changing lanes just inches in front of you and so on. The only way to survive, is to behave in the same way. Fortunately it comes easier than you might imagine. It was Friday before the long memorial weekend, when half of the Americans travel somewhere, so the situation was particularly bad. Fortunately my local friend, using highlighter pen and a road atlas of California, showed me a route which avoided the main highways and went through the local desert roads instead. Thanks to him, in just a few hours, I was able to move from the densely populated metropolis to the open desert landscapes. In one and half day I blasted through deserted parts of California, Nevada, some short stretch of Arizona and arrived to southern Utah.

And what a great state it is. I started exploring it from the Zion National Park. The main attraction there is a canyon which the river Virgin carved through the multicoloured sandstone formations. I won’t be describing all the geological details here. First because it is boring for most of the people, and second because I forgot the details of my geology classes a long time ago. But even if you can’t say the difference between the sandstone and the granite you will still be stunned by all the wonders of Zion. There are plenty of good hikes for everyone. For the lazy or not very healthy ones I recommend the Riverside Walk which is no more demanding than a stroll in the London’s famous Hyde Park but offers close contact with the narrow section of the canyon. Unfortunately it also offers close contact with the hordes of tourists. Fortunately, there are some short but steep hikes leading away from the crowd, like for example Weeping Rock Trail.

If you are fit and don’t have agoraphobia I strongly recommend the Angels Landing Trail. It is a steep and strenuous walk where you gain 1500 feet of elevation in the distance of 2.5 miles. First you fight the many switchbacks which you think will never end and then you arrive to the best part of the trail. The last few hundred feet of it are formed by chains, steps cut into the rocks, and ridges as narrow as three feet. I love this sort of trails offering extra adrenalin. Views from the top are well worth all the efforts, but remember to take plenty of water (not available anywhere on the trail), sunscreen and start early. Zion NP is quite low and can get unbearably hot during the midday.

The cheapest form of accommodation around is camping, which also allows you the closest contact with nature. Try to get your spot early. Park campgrounds fill up quickly and you might end up like me, camping somewhere on the public lands out of the park, which is OK, except for the fact there are no facilities.

Zion NP is one of the most popular parks in the National Parks system and because it is also one of the smaller ones, it can get very crowded. Fortunately it is also the only park in the US which bans individual cars (at least in the summer season) and offers public transport instead. Anyway try to avoid weekends.

The next great national park of my trip was the Bryce Canyon. It is just a short (about two hours) drive from Zion NP but the landscape there is completely different. Bryce lies at 8000-9000 feet above the sea level, which places it over 3000 feet higher than Zion, and makes it a much cooler park covered in large parts by the pine forests. Like in Zion, the main attractions of the Bryce Canyon NP are the geological formations. These are called Hoodoos, a kind of rock pinnacles formed by specific erosion processes. Again, lets skip the detailed geology classes (as you know my memory by now). They form landscapes which looks like from the fairy tales. It is all the most impressive around sunrise or sunset, when the long shades and warm sunlight form a magical atmosphere. I recommend to hike down to the formations early in the morning using the combined Navajo and Queen’s Garden loops. It brings you close to hoodoos, slot canyons (some of them just few feet wide but over 100 feet deep) and other less known wonders. Beware that even if the trail is not difficult (combined ascent and descent of just 800 feet) due to the high elevation you will get tired much quicker than you might think and hope. Morning light is the best for taking pictures. In the afternoon you can drive the rim drive, stopping at the various viewpoints to admire the whole park. Unfortunately camping in Bryce means freezing cold at night. It was one of the reasons I got up early enough to see the sunrise. It was simply too cold to sleep. Again, this is all due to the high elevation. Even if the days are warm a and sunny the nights will get very cold very quickly.

West of Bryce Canyon is located one of the best drives I have ever done, the Utah Hwy12. Designated a one of the US Scenic Byways, the road turns and twists through the amazing landscape for well over 100 miles . It is a geology wonder, continuously unfolding in front of your car. I wanted to stop every few hundred yards to take yet another picture but eventually the batteries in my camera ran flat which let me just simply to enjoy the drive. In my opinion this road is as good as the famous Pacific Coast Highway in Big Sur, California. But getting to my next destination also involved driving some pretty boring, flat and straight roads while staring at desolated landscapes. Sometimes for hours. Thank God for the satellite radio. It was getting dark and I really wanted to get to Green River to find some cheap motel (after few days of camping, including freezing night at Bryce, I really felt I deserved a normal bed). Fortunately I could easily drive 90-100mph as the road looked like a 40 miles long runaway, completely straight, wide and empty. Did I mention I love driving?

Green River would be absolutely not worth writing about. Just another cluster of gas stations, motels and fast food restaurants with population scattered around. Community which survives thanks to the interstate highway. Somehow I like this sort of places (for a short time of course), where everyone and everything is on the way to somewhere else. It is something you can’t find in Europe, it is part of the American road culture.

But lets move on. The following day I arrived to Arches. It is another small and compact national park but also another one full of geological wonders. Main attractions there are the rock arches formed by complicated erosion processes in the Navajo sandstone. What might strike you first is how red everything is. Rocks are red, sand is red, a bit of soil you can find there is red. Even the tarmac on the park road is red. It contrasts with the few green patches of vegetation. This is a real desert park. Once I got out of the air-conditioned car I felt even my eyeballs drying, so don’t forget to carry plenty of water. The most popular hike in the Arches NP is the one to the famous and picturesque Delicate Arch. It is only 1.5 mile long with less than 500 feet elevation gain but don’t underestimate it. Most of it goes on slippery slick rock, there is no shade on the way, no water, and it gets incredibly hot, even hotter than in Zion. The arch itself is amazing. Many people seen it on pictures or on TV screen but nothing compares to the real thing. I got there about an hour or so before the sunset and many people were already waiting with anticipation, like before some important sport event. Clouds obscured the sunset itself but the changing light made the time I spent there a really magical experience. There are of course other walks in the park, a few good ones are around the Devils Garden area. It let people explore features other than the arches (rock spines, ribs, enormous boulders, in other words: the rocky labyrinth).

There is just one small campground in the park itself but there are plenty of camping opportunities on the BLM lands alongside the Utah Hwy 128 which follows the Colorado river just outside the park boundaries. Most of these sites don’t have showers but they do have the pit toilets. If someone prefers luxuries of the standard bed, town of Moab (also just a few miles outside the park) offers plenty of options. It is a small, attractive, friendly, and a bit funky community dominated by young people in a search of outdoor fun (mostly mountain biking). Not a typical small Utah town and it is a stark contrast with the Green River.

Close to Arches NP and Moab lays Canyonlands NP. This is an absolutely enormous park, made of three districts separated by canyons at the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. To move from one district to the another you have to drive hundreds of miles. I visited just a small section of the park but even that involved long driving and great vistas. There are a few short trails, but this is really a destination for serious explorers, who have much more time than I had. Anyway, it is still worth visiting just to peep into the enormous labyrinth of canyons from the few viewpoints alongside the park roads. It is also much, much emptier than any of the parks I visited before.

From reading this you might think Utah is all about deserts. Nothing more wrong. Most Europeans don’t realise how big and diverse most of the states are. At the end, Utah is larger than Britain. I realised it when after few days of exploring southern Utah geological paradise I decided to go north and visit Salt Lake City (it was on the way to Wyoming anyway). It was another long but spectacular drive. Gradually the landscape got less desert-like and more alpine scenery started dominating. Just before the Salt Lake City road navigates the mountain passes, almost like in the Switzerland. One thing stays constant: the low density of population. It means that arriving to SLC feels like coming to a great metropolis, which is of course wrong. It is a mid size US city with pleasant downtown and great location at the foothills of the Wasatch Range. It is nice placde indeed (especially after a week camping in the deserts) but you can’t really call it a metropolis.

I skipped the greatest attraction in the city, the Temple Square, heart of the Mormon religion, and went to visit the state capitol instead. It is free and quite interesting. Some of the paintings and sculptures inside somehow are similar to the socrealistic art of the former eastern block. Look at some of the titles: “Immigration & Settlement” or “Science & Technology”, not exactly how Van Gogh or Monet would call their works. Fits more into the Kremlin collection doesn’t it? And how about marble and granite toilets? How cool is that? You can visit the building pretty much on your own, no one even checks your bags, or join tour led by nice retired volunteers. You can also buy a Utah fridge magnet from the capitol store. Only in America.

But it was time for me to move on. Wyoming, another state larger than life, was waiting. I’ll write about it next time.