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Tagged With "Oregon Trail"

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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!

HistoryDigger ·
Glad you're traveling again, Mac. Boston is my home town, and October is THE BEST MONTH. Where are you staying in the city? I'd walk the Freedom Trail if you're feeling up to it. Go down to the waterfront. Boston Common and Charles Street are fun places to hang out. Newbury Street is fancy shopping and also has a few fun bistros and coffee shops. The Science Museum is excellent. Plenty of seafood to be had. New England clam chowder is great if you have sweater-weather. Go whale-watching...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 7.5

WorkerBee ·
Originally Posted by PortMoresby: It seems to be "Leopold", a symbolic 1890's photographer, by David Clemons, Higgins Point, Lake Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho. Well done Port Moresby. However there is a minor point about the location. Higgens Point (yes, this is the correct spelling) is about 0.2 mile southeast of the location of the statue. The statue is actually located on the 34 acre Coeur d'Alene Parkway, a thin strip of park land running along the Centennial Trail for about 1/2 mile...
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Re: How'd We Live Without Travel Apps?

Sunny ·
I love Yelp as well, and there is a app called Happy Hours. It shows me restaurants with their own happy hours and happy hour menu. I also like hiking trail apps. Those apps tells me hiking trails in the cities I am traveling in (in the US). I recently tried Wishbeen. It is a web application though. It's a travel planning and sharing web. I like it a lot because it helps me browse travel itineraries made by other travelers, and I can easily modify them for my own trip. It also has a map...
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Re: The Museums of Astoria Oregon

Paul Heymont ·
It's amazing how many interesting, and often small, local museums there are. It's too easy to only notice the big ones with the big names! Keep these coming!
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Re: The Museums of Astoria Oregon

George G. ·
Your travel blogs are always steeped in history and visual delight.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #40

Mac ·
A lovely little trail of clues and misinformation Karl! Excellent stuff and great fun, thanks. Keep 'em coming.
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Re: Gumbo’s Pic of the Day, January 23, 2015: Postcard from Morocco: A long and winding road...

DrFumblefinger ·
Mac, your photo reminds me a lot of the Hiram Bingham highway which winds its way up to Machu Picchu. We walked in to Machu Picchu on the Inca trail the first day we were there, but the second morning took the bus up from Agua Calientes. It was definitely a ride to remember.
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Re: Welcome to the town of Dawson City, Yukon

DrFumblefinger ·
That's the nature of gold boom towns, PHeymont. I believe another gold vein had been found in Alaska near the mouth of the mighty Yukon River, and most of the Klondike prospectors flowed downriver to it. I've been fascinated by the Klondike gold rush since I was a school boy in Canada, reading the writing of Pierre Burton (famous Canadian author, former resident of Dawson City, whose father was one of those who came here during the Klondike Gold Rush and unlike most stayed in Dawson). On the...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#39)

DrFumblefinger ·
PHeymont can be such a tease at times... I'll go out on the limb and suggest these are the "truths" 1) It is a model train set -- very nicely done, by the way 2) It is in a formal display somewhere. Mac said " I have seen reports of some fantastic layouts in Germany". A model trail museum in Europe, possibly Germany? Anyone else have any ideas?
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Re: Banff National Park: Hiking up Tunnel Mountain

Travel Rob ·
I can see why it's such a popular trail! It really is nice to see people enjoying the outdoors.
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Re: Banff National Park: Hiking to Boom Lake

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks, GarryRF. Bear attacks are about as common as lightening hitting folks, but it does happen. I've never encountered a bear while hiking except at a distance (could see them across a valley for instance). Here's what you do to be bear safe 1) Follow the park rules. They're very good about placing warnings (eg. trail closed, bear hovering over a carcass) 2) Hike in tight groups of four or more. Bears have never attacked a group of people this large 3) Avoid baby bears. If you see one,...
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Re: Columbia River Gorge, Where Gumbo Was #82

HistoryDigger ·
Never been. Thanks for another great mystery destination revealed.
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Re: Columbia River Gorge, Where Gumbo Was #82

DrFumblefinger ·
Very easy to combine a few days where with visits to Portland, Seattle and other destinations in the Inland NW. As you can see, it's amazingly beautiful.
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Re: Calgary Farmers' Market

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks for your comments, Lester and Jonathan. There are several Farmers Markets in Calgary because it is a fairly large city (well over a million people). This featured market is the one on Blackfoot Trail, close to 77th. There is a market more on the western end of town which would be closer to Canmore. And both have those great savory pies, which are delicious
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Re: Safety tip: Hold that Instagram!

Amateuremigrant ·
Another angle to this came to the front of my mind recently. A female friend is doing a solo walk along a long distance trail through very unpopulated areas. She attracted a lot of followers from her Instagram prepping, but soon became aware of a group of supportive women hikers advising her about known unwanted followers. In particular she was advised not to post locations until they were long past so it would be more difficult to track her movements. This could equally apply to any form of...
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Re: Sigmund-Thun Gorge, Kaprun, Austria.

DrFumblefinger ·
Looks like a challenging -- but beautiful -- place to go for a hike. Any idea how long that trail is?
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? (#119)

DrFumblefinger ·
There was a beekeeper involved in this achievement. But I can't comment on the New Zealand part (just yet). I think you're hot on the trail, Jill. Email us your solution when you've got it. Remember we're after the name of a town
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, August 23, 2015: Victoria Falls - “The Smoke That Thunders”, Zimbabwe

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by Mac: That certainly brings back memories! Sometime in the late 1970's my wife and I were lucky enough to travel to Zambia and drove down to the falls from Lusaka staying at a hotel close by. The next morning we decided to follow the foot path that went down to the bottom of the falls, through the bush, well watered by the spray of the falls. It was only on arrival at the bottom that we were greeted by a large notice saying "Beware of snakes" at which we beat a hasty...
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Re: A visit to Great Basin National Park

PortMoresby ·
Pheymont, you speak as if budget cuts are in the future when in fact the Park Service has been functioning with less and less for years now. The Service has a mission to which they're dedicated but less funding has meant "deferred" maintenance on buildings, trails, you name it. And when features of a park are deemed unsafe or there isn't personnel to oversee visitors then parts are closed. I've experienced that myself recently when a trail I've visited in years past was closed. I have no...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? (11/20/13)

DrFumblefinger ·
A summary of Amazon from on the new Martin Cruz Smith Novel, TATIANA (see latest clues(. " Arkady Renko, one of the iconic inves­tigators of contemporary fiction, has survived the cultural journey from the Soviet Union to the New Russia..... The trail leads to Kaliningrad , a Cold War “secret city”......" TravelandNature, I believe we may have an answer!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 17, 2013: Portland steamship, Willamette River, Portland, Oregon

Paul Heymont ·
Fascinating to see how many forms tugs and towboats take! Here's one from New York with a similar history. She's the W.O. Decker, one of the last steam tugs built in New York Harbor (1930) and also later converted to diesel...and also retired in the 1980s. She's a tiny tug, built to move barges in an out of the small coves and streams that join New York Harbor. Since 1986, the W.O. Decker has belonged to the South Street Seaport Museum. I was fortunate to have had a harbor cruise that...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 17, 2013: Portland steamship, Willamette River, Portland, Oregon

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks for the extra insight, PHeymont. There is a certain charm to a tugboat -- sort of a "little engine who could".
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #5

Theodore Behr ·
It's a place with a colder climate because of the plants. Definitely not somewhere down south. PHeymont was writing about visiting Maine a few days ago. There was a beach there, I wonder if this is that beach? I'll take a guess at it. My guess is a trail around the Old Orchard beach in Maine.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #5

JohnT ·
Well, the photo does very much look east coast...deciduous trees, open canopy. The trail is also very well maintained...and looks like one of the photos in Pheymont's Portland Maine blog. Given that I am going to say that it is on the Rachel Carson national wildlife interpretive trail...
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Re: Crater Lake — The Most Beautiful Lake In The World(!?)

GarryRF ·
Certainly is beautiful DrF !! Those snow capped mountains scare me off from wanting to dive into the lake. People do apply odd descriptions to wonderful things. My favourite is "It was breath-taking" The number of times I've applied the Heimlich manoeuvre to someone who's been choking on a magnificent vista. Please tell me - are the Canadians addicted to calling everything "Awesome" too ?
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Re: Crater Lake — The Most Beautiful Lake In The World(!?)

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks for your comments, Garry. The lake, as you would expect for one so high up, is too cold for most people to want to swim in it. But it's pretty awesome, eh? I'd say the "eh?" is perhaps the best way to identify a Canadian. Awesome I've heard used most everywhere I go, and Awesome certainly can be applied to this lake. Hope you have a very pleasant New Year, GarryRF!
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Re: Crater Lake — The Most Beautiful Lake In The World(!?)

GarryRF ·
I would describe both Crater Lake and the Grand Canyon as Awe inspiring.. A fitting use of the word. You all have yourself an Awesome year too - eh ?
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Re: Alligator, Everglades National Park, Florida

DrFumblefinger ·
This one was a little creepy. He kept following us as we walked along a trail (probably deciding if we were worth the energy of eating)
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Re: Pesuta Shipwreck, Naikoon Provincial Park, Haida-Gwaii, British Columbia

DrFumblefinger ·
The glass floats tend to wash up on the west (windward) side of the Pacific. This hike was on the leeward (eastern) side, where these floats tend not to come. But there were a gazillion trees, like these.
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Re: Allmächd! A small guide to Franconia

Paul Heymont ·
I haven't been to Nuremberg since about 1960...but that might change on my Germany visit next year...I tend to follow the trail of the good sausages!
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Re: A fall visit to Highwood Pass and hike in the alpine meadow of Ptarmigan Cirque

GarryRF ·
Looks like a great hike DrF. I have taken a liking to the circular trail that keeps offering new vistas rather than the "there and back" routes. 6k sounds just right for a lazy day stroll in the sun. And so much to see too ! I'm looking forward to all these trails when I retire ! But I'm always aware of the old adage "The mind is willing - but the flesh is weak" So I'll keep training - ready to rumble !
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Re: A fall visit to Highwood Pass and hike in the alpine meadow of Ptarmigan Cirque

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks for your note, Garry. I also prefer loop hiking trails. This particular place would be great to hike in the spring (which comes late this high up) because of its large numbers of wildflowers. The only time I was up here during that season the trail was closed because a grizzly bear was hovering over a carcass. But the fall colours are also lovely. And get out there and hike before you can't. Would love for you to share a hike from the Liverpool region with all of us.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 23, 2014: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ontario

GarryRF ·
Passing through Towns in Australia and North America (incl. Canada) I like to stop off and take a few photo's of places that have been named after places in the UK. In Chester PA. I was asked "Do you have a Chester too?" - " Yes and a Jersey, York, Boston, Washington, Dover, Bethesda, Birmingham and a few more " Didn't know you had a Fort William until I was watching a "Who Do You Think You Are" TV show recently. A female Celebrity was tracking her ancestral trail from the UK.
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Re: A Day at the Zoo: San Diego, California

DrFumblefinger ·
Thank you, Andre! This was the third zoo I've ever seen giant pandas in. And by far it was the best one. They had two pandas, in separated but adjoining enclosures (one male, one female). Both were sitting there eating bamboo and seemed to enjoy watching the throng of people walking by them. It was as though the zoo's visitors were there to entertain the pandas, rather than the other way around. As for bears, I'm always happier to see them in a zoo than on a hiking trail in the Rockies...
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Re: Sequoia National Park: Hiking to Pear Lake (The Lakes Trail)

DrFumblefinger ·
The challenge of this particular trail is getting up to the lakes. Once there, the trail is not that hard, although rocky so you have to watch your footing. There are easier places to get into the subalpine zone of some great mountains, PHeymont. Both in California and in the Rockies. When you're ready, we'll pick one and head out there. Likely for a day hike. My knees don't like the weight of a full backpack anymore.
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Re: Sequoia National Park: Hiking to Pear Lake (The Lakes Trail)

DrFumblefinger ·
I've never hiked in the Catskills, though would like to some day. My suggestion: 1) Go to your local library. They definitely will have hiking books on areas of interest (or request them in advance so they can be delivered from other branches). Check out some trails that are convenient and look doable. Most hiking books give great details. 2) If you find a great book, it's worth buying to have as a reference at home and take with you on the trail. For example, though I haven't read it, this...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 12, 2014: Mokelumne Hill, California

PortMoresby ·
My gg grandfather was a 49er, headed west with his brother and cousin, then returned by ship, Panama and Cuba, to Missouri where they farmed and eventually supplied the army at Ft. Bridger in Wyoming as well as working as guides on the Oregon Trail. It was the next generation, my grandparents and g.grandparents that settled for good in California. So the stories of The West have always been the lore of our family. More places in the coming weeks.
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Following the European Beer Trail: Oktoberfest to Sorrento

followthelocal ·
To answer your question. Yes, Italians drink beer. It’s not a well-known pastime of Italy, however it is becoming more common. But before we get to Italy let me tell you about my beer adventure that led me to central Italy.   I started the...
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Devils Tower National Monument

Ottoman ·
    Devils Tower is an igneous intrusion or laccolith in the Bear Lodge Mountains (part of the Black Hills) in northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. It rises dramatically 1,267 feet (386 m) above the surrounding terrain and...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 12, 2015: Sunset, Roseburg, Oregon

Ragengirl3 ·
  I spotted this beautiful sunset right off my front porch. I thought to myself, I had to capture this Oregon sunset. It was the first I've seen like it as usually the climate here is too foggy to appreciate the beautiful scenery.    
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The Bear Blog

59nationalparks ·
  I had a hunch when Shelly and I were planning our 59 National Park in 59 weeks tour that wildlife would be center stage.  I knew that the buffalo would roam in Yellowstone, that the tropical fish would dance...
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Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall

DrFumblefinger ·
I’d heard as a schoolboy that the Saguenay Fjord was one of the longest in the world.  Years later someone told me the area around Tadoussac was pretty, sparsely developed and inviting.  Given a spare day or...
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Walla, Walla: “So nice they named it twice!”

DrFumblefinger ·
What’s a Walla Walla?  It’s a Indian name meaning “many waters”.  It’s also the name of a charming city in southeastern Washington; nestled close to the Columbia and Snake River valleys, and with a river of its...
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A springtime hike on the Yakima Rim Skyline Trail

DrFumblefinger ·
After a rather long winter I was ready for a pleasant dayhike.  While I’d rather head up to the mountains for a stroll in an alpine meadow, there’s way too much snow up there in April.  Fortunately in the Northwest there are some...
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Washington State’s Long Beach Peninsula

DrFumblefinger ·
 For most travelers, the southwestern corner of Washington state is easy to bypass.  It lies well over an hour’s drive from the busy I-5 Interstate Freeway.  The broad mouth of the Columbia River limits access from the Oregon...
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Capital of Culture Series: Marseilles

Travel Rob ·
 Marseille Cathedral, near the Vieux Port I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Marseilles this past June and was very impressed. It really is an excellent example of what the Capital of Culture designation can do for a city. Have a walk...
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Steamboat Rock, Washington — Wildflowers and Vistas galore!

DrFumblefinger ·
 The large basalt mass of Steamboat Rock is a distinct landmark in Central Washington state.  Steamboat Rock State Park is a dozen miles southwest of the massive Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. The Park is on a peninsula...
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Washington state's Wild Horses Monument & Gingko Petrified Forest

DrFumblefinger ·
 The Columbia River is one of the most interesting and beautiful geographic features of the Inland Northwest, from its headwaters in British Columbia to the dramatic Gorge just east of Portland, Oregon.    When...
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Columbia River Gorge, Where Gumbo Was #82

DrFumblefinger ·
  Gumbo was visiting the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, which straddles northern Oregon and southern Washington states.  Specifically, Gumbo was enjoying the amazing view of the Gorge through the lobby window of the Skamania Lodge  in...
 
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