Memories of Past Adventures

I had recently been saying to myself that I really needed to go on a trip next year and experience something completely new.

So when I was going through my actual photo albums (with actual film that was developed - i know i'm old) for photos for my trip down memory lane entries, it really struck me how many cool places I've already been and the awesome adventures I've experienced.

One of the most life changing adventures was when I was 19: I lived and worked in Yellowstone National Park, WY for a few months. I had never even been away to camp, and there I was driving across country in the unknown on my way to the unknown. It was a scary, fun, nerve-wracking, cool, character-building, stressful trip!

At the time, I questioned my sanity and that of my parents for letting me go - this was before cell phones! But when I reflect back on it, all I can think of is how glad I am that they let me go. How different I am because of it, and how it built my self confidence and self reliance. Now I did leave earlier than I had planned, and drove back with my family when they came out for a vacation - but I'm glad I did that too. Because now I have the memories of our vacation.

I lived in the dorms and worked in the hotel gift shop. I was able to drive all around the park, hike some pretty cool trails, and witness some incredible sights. Like that of a buffalo walking right down the side of the road past all the cars. Or the time I was talking on the pay phone next to the employee dining room, and an elk walked right past me on the side walk. Or the afternoon I was sitting in my dorm room reading, when I heard what sounded like a flock of seagulls; turns out it was a herd of female elk and babies wandering through town.

I'll never forget that adventure...the people I met or what I had seen.

Some might say I live too much in the past, and sometimes I probably do. But I think remembering helps me get through any bad days I might be having and spurs me on to find new adventures.

My adventures also remind me of who I am and what is important to me when I loose sight of it.
So, in the words of Jason Hawes from TAPS, "On to the next"!

Rhyolite Ghost Town, NV - 2007

Continuing my trip down memory lane brings me to an unusual place, a ghost town.

In 2007, I was visiting a friend that lived in Las Vegas. We tired of the strip and wanted to see what other types places Nevada had to offer. Nevada has more than a few ghost towns, but we settled on Rhyolite as it was a day trip - about 120 miles north of Las Vegas near the town of Beatty, NV.

Now you may be asking, why include this? Because it's a town that has been reclaimed by the elements. With a few other surprises :).

Rhyolite is literally in the middle of nowhere. There was a lot of nowhere on the drive to it, around it, and on the way back. But Nevada's desert is really interesting to view through a car window. So different from what I'm used to in the midwest. Ok. Maybe not 4 hours interesting (two there and two on the way back) but you get the idea.

This was my first bonafide ghost town I'd ever visited (that I can remember anyway). And it was desolate, inhospitable, and quiet. Wandering around the town, I had to wonder what it looked like and sounded like at its height in 1905. It was like many of the small mining towns that popped up all over the west: rose fast and declined just as quickly.

But these ghost towns are a part of our history, and I find them facinating. It was a truly cool experience to wander around these buildings and look out over the landscape and wonder what it was like.

And the ghosts, can't forget them!

This was the "You are Here" map outside one of the buildings that showed the walking/auto tour around the town. 

Outside the bank, with an image of the original building

...and inside the bank

Pretty sure this was the train station. I think at one time is was opened to tourists, as it is the most refurbished building - but as you can see it was also closed to the public back in 2007. Maybe it has reopened?

This building was also used recently, but the mercantile was closed and for sale? Hmmm...

So this is the brothel. 

And the jail. Got to say, the jail looks more hospitable...even without a wall and a roof.

Looking back at the main part of town from the brothel.

Love the distance shot, as the feeling isolation really sinks in.

The brothel is the little building on the left...not sure about the other building.

This was a landscape shot of the surrounding mountains or hills depending on your definition (a hill to me is something I can easily climb w/o packing water and supplies ...ergo I am calling this a mountain :) ) Notice the mine shaft opening in the lower right of the photo.

Now remember when I said ghosts and surprises? Here they are!

The following are sculptures made by an artist that exist in the Rhiolyte open air museum that is located just as you are driving in to the town. There were other abstract sculptures. But the following are what caught my eye!


Creep right? I loved it! :)

This is actually of The Last Supper. Apologies for not getting a good full front shot so you could really see it.  

Copper Harbor MI - Aug 2004

Since it's November and getting a bit chilly/damp/cold/inhospitable to roam in the woods - I thought I'd use this time to trip down memory lane and show pictures of previous trips I took. Starting with a trip to Copper Harbor MI I took in August 2004.

I remember it being a beautiful location, full of hauntingly beautiful places to roam. It felt isolated. Not too far from Houghton/Hancock (where MIT is located), but since it was about six hours driving distance from the Mackinaw Bridge, I remember feeling like I was headed further in to the deep woods the longer I drove. The people I met were all very friendly, and I bought a book of real local ghost stories in town to read around the camp fire - maybe that's why I think of ghosts when I think of Copper Harbor :)

Overlooking the harbor and the town

The lighthouse

I stayed at McClain State Park camp ground - it was a good jumping off point for all the places I visited. Right on the water, it was great to listen to lake as I fell asleep. And it was dark, the real dark. One that isn't corrupted by city lights or airplanes - and the stars were amazing.

Estivant Pines is an old growth forest that I visited - 600 years old trees! Old growth forests are rare in MI as the entire state was logged long ago when our country was in its infancy. It was a rare treat to roam among these giants.

          

The Lake of the Clouds was an interesting place to visit - another breath taking view even on a cloudy day. Aptly named I think.

The lake from a distance

And the final stop on my memory tour is Pere Marquette Falls, this time the day was sunny and the water was sparkling!