We drove from Bariloche, Argentina to Puerto Varas, Chile. We made record time because the custom line between the two countries was short. Our hyper, funny guide had us leave early enough, 20 minutes before his usual time, to beat the crowd. Yeah! If we did not take this long drive and flew instead, here would be the 3 flights: Bariloche to Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile to Puerto Varas!
Between the two countries, as we crossed the Andes Mountains from Argentina to Chile, the paved road becomes unpaved. There we entered “no man’s land” until we reached border patrol and checked in at Chile. Back on the once again paved road. Our Argentinian may be creating some of the stories versus his Chilean friends … but I do find them similar, yet different in personalities. Anyway…. Short drive to stop for lunch, sort of in the middle of nowhere, and a visit at an auto museum in Moncopulli. So many studebakers! And other vehicles and stuff!
We arrive eventually after this long day of driving at Puerto Varas, a town of 66,000 people with a fantastic view of a volcano! Look across Llanquihue Lake and see Osorno volcano. During our drive I learned: Chile is large exporter of tulips and salmon. Main industry is mining copper and lithium. Agricultural products are cherries, plums, potatoes and blueberries. The country imports gasoline and oil. There are 3,000 volcanoes with most active 14 volcanoes. They worry when the earthquake is over 8.0. Last major eruption was in 2011.
Some clouds at the volcanoWe did have clear views of the volcano.
We had a nice hike in Vincente Perez Rosales National Park. Weather was perfect for hiking as long as you dressed appropriately. Not a difficult couple of miles hike in a forested area. Loved the hike!
WaterfallOur local guide discussing the plants
We visited a music school for talented violin and other string students. The students performed for us. It was great to see these at-risk students receiving music and general education.
Our home-hosted dinner was with a lovely couple. He is a landscaper with 10 employees and she is a physical therapist. We were welcomed with a pisco sour, talked on many topics, made our own cheese empanadas and had corn stew for dinner. Delicious Carmenere wine and dessert. We were entertained with guitar playing and singing. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet local people and ask questions about any topic we wished. Always nice to hear from locals.
House constructed with freight containersHome-hosted meal with fun people!He and his wife were lovely!
Off to Chiloé Island. I’ll be back in a day or so.
Santiago can be walked if you are a patient person. I decided to walk to the Costanera Center, the tallest building in the city and maybe in South America. Next door was a five floor shopping mall. I had no interest in going to the sky deck bar at the very top of the center to see the entire city. I continued my walk to a Japanese Garden, an area of the huge city park.
Tallest building from Japanese Garden
The uphill walk to the Japanese Garden was worth it. Long and hot weather today. Soon it will be summer here. At the Japanese Garden you walk along paths passing quiet pools of water with lily pads, waterwheels, streams and sculptured trees.
More of the Japanese Garden
Very pleasant place as I also listened for birds. Another new bird: white-crested elaenia.
A new bird for me!
On my way down the hill, I interacted with employees putting up insect traps in fruit trees. Not knowing any Spanish on my part, my apologies to them, I photoed an information sheet so I could know what fly they are trying to capture.
So many places to eat in the city! I settled on my tour guide’s recommendation for a meal: pastel de jaiba… a crab cake … and as I write this, the electricity went out in one-third of the restaurant. I have my water, bread with butter and salsa, wine and meal so I am set… and then the electricity was back on! Unfortunately the chocolate cake has strawberry layer within, so glad I mentioned no strawberry please, so I’ll finish my wine with flan. Ah yes, I now remember that dessert is a South American staple!
Quite the crab cake meal!
I walked to Parque Bicentenario where hundreds of start-up tech and other companies had displays. Further along I spent time at a pond. Much to my surprise, I saw a plumbeous rail walking along the pond’s edge onto grass. Rails are typically hidden from sight. To see this one so easily was amazing!
Plumbeous rail
Two other birds were new to me: yellow-billed pintail and yellow-winged blackbird … a male and a female. I was happy to have my camera available for these observations.
Then I was looking at this next bird wondering is that a mockingbird? Yup.
Chilean mockingbird
Finally, I had been hearing the rufous-collared sparrow and the noisy monk parakeets. Now I had photos! My bird life list has grown by 8 new birds. Soon off to Easter Island in the mid-Pacific Ocean!
Rufous-collared sparrowMonk parakeet landed on the ground. Usually in the trees.
I’ll be back in a few days after I discover Easter Island!
The cities of Akron and Cleveland, Ohio are just down the road so it is quite easy for locals to enjoy the outdoors at this national park! “Parks to the people” is a great phrase. People can arrive to this park via road or railway or canal, in the past. In 1974, it was established a national park as a civil rights initiative. Here is a national park in metropolitan areas. Plus tourists descend upon the area to spend time in green lush, wooded areas to hike or bicycle ride. Horses are allowed on some trails as are leashed pets.
The Cuyahoga River is a winding river emptying into Lake Erie. In 1969, the river caught fire and clean-up began soon after on this once most polluted river. There had been previous river fires, but the damages from industrial pollution had been ignored. Fifty years later we can enjoy bald eagle sightings, other wildlife and waterfalls, and if a skilled paddler, time on the river in a canoe or kayak. Be sure to hike the many steps down to Brandywine Falls … worth the view!
Brandywine Falls
The Towpath Trail parallels the once Ohio & Erie Canal. Here people can hike, jog or bicycle ride for at least 22 miles from end to end. There is also a scenic railroad train ride. Seasonally, there is a one-way shuttle service for cyclists, kayakers and thru-hikers. Or two-way tickets where you can hop on and off the train to visit the small towns along the route. I walked the towpath trail from what was once lock 29.
Old train depot
Towpath Trail along the Cuyahoga River
In 1913, the great flood closed the Ohio & Erie Canal, damaged the Everett Covered Bridge and it was repaired. In 1975, it was destroyed by a spring storm. In 1986, a historically accurate reconstruction was completed. Visitors can walk from a parking lot to the covered bridge.
Reconstructed Everett Covered Bridge
My most enjoyable hike was the Ledges Trail. It was a loop trail of a couple of miles. Do wear sturdy shoes and consider walking sticks if you would feel better with them on uneven surfaces, rocks, roots, etc. You walk past huge rocks and on ledges. The path is wide and well-marked. Quite frankly, you have to see this areas since no photo will do it justice. Enjoy!
Last night while preparing to get a good night’s sleep for my long drive to Three Forks Montana, the air quality was not good. Fortunately, the air temperature did cool enough for me to only use the front door air vents. In the morning my weather app indicated poor air quality due to wildfire smoke. I witnessed the smoke across Wallace Idaho where many were attending a flea market under the interstate and across much of Montana. Finally about 50 miles beyond Butte, the sky cleared of smoke and was blue; sunglass time again!
Montana’s interstate speed limit is 80 mph. I am comfortable driving the van at 75. Years ago, on our way to a bicycling tour in Wallace, we stopped in Missoula. So just like driving through Wallace, I did the same in Missoula. Both towns have really populated. I stopped in Butte, it too is larger than past stop here, to do my food shopping. As I was parking, I noticed a guy carrying ice to his camper. After talking with the couple, I learned that a short walk away was where to get the best priced bag of ice; $1.89 per bag. The store owner was cranking ice out like crazy. He was trying to keep up with demand. Apparently Butte is a high desert town and this is typical weather for them… yikes … get me to the mountains!
Sometimes technology drives me crazy…
I do not know what the issue is with my van’s back-up camera/radio. First, the back-up camera was on as I drove forward for a few miles. I drove on to a place where I could stop and start the van again. Now the display/radio was black and no radio or media connection was working. A few miles down the road, the radio came on again and when I went to back-up into a parking area, that camera worked!! For the next couple of days … as I write this … all is working!
Welcome to Montana: I got my first mosquito bite, entered a different time zone, magpies and yellow jackets are numerous, and a bag of ice at the campground cost $3.75. This state is correctly referred to as “Big Sky” Country since you look across fields, ranches, and between mountain peaks and the rest is big sky! Unfortunately much of it these days is in wildfire smoke.
Places visited:
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park: It is smoky here. My goal in the heat and smoke was to hike the Greer Gulch Nature Loop and Trail … just over 2.0 miles. When I paid my $8.00 entrance fee the woman said the trail is mostly in the trees. I was glad to hear that since it was already 74 degrees and on its way to a 90 degree day, but I should be done with this trail before we reach the high temperature.
I walked to the trailhead and there is a sign about possible black bear in the area. Interesting, no one at the visitor center mentioned this to me. I know when we visited Glacier National Park, a few years ago, (256 miles from here) we had bear spray. So I carried my pepper spray, wore my emergency whistle on my backpack and made noise … saying Yahoo, hello, and my walking meditation aloud … to warn any black bear munching on trailside berries. No bear to report on this hike; however, in 2 different locations I flushed out mule deer. (Those deer were as surprised as I was!) More people were at this park for the cavern tours.
Interesting last line on this sign … what kind of person would remove it?
Plenty of switchbacks Wildfire smoke in the air so distant mountains are tough to see.
Iron Horse Cafe: The campground host was telling us all to stop here for pie! In my limiting the amount of wheat I eat, I organized my meals so I could indulge in one slice of cherry almond crisp pie. The cherries were whole and huge; the pie delicious! Worthy of a visit here.
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park: A few miles off Interstate 90 is this state park. A quarter mile uphill hike to the interpretative exhibit clarifies where the Native Americans drove the bison over the limestone cliff. Bison were used in so many ways for these people. My photo and the exhibit sign will hopefully clarify it all for you.
Compare this with photo belowCompare with exhibit sign above
Bleu Horses: A long-time Montana metal sculptor, Jim Dolan, hopes to inspire others to give back to their community, town and state just as he did with these Bleu Horses. The name comes from the blue roan horse which in real life is grayish. There are 39 steel sculptures on a hillside in Three Forks, Montana. I could not get any closer to the sculptures than the photo below and even that I was in a “no parking” area. Take a moment to really look at the sculptures at bleuhorses.com
What you see from a distance, but check the link above for amazing work done per horse!
Missouri Headwaters State Park: I decide to make mybreakfast at this park and to relax in a new location.History buffs would love visiting this area of Montana. While I am drinking my coffee, I am reading the informational exhibits which explain the historical importance of this river. While I walked the trail by a creek, grasshoppers were jumping all over the place and I unfortunately flushed a Wilson’s snipe. I have seen black-billed magpies all over Montana and now remember the last time I saw this bird was in Penticton, Canada. The only other things flying around are yellow-jacket wasps. Anyway, by the confluence of the Missouri River, people were laying in the sun, fishing and hiking.
People also at the park on this day: I met a recently retired woman from Tucson, Arizona, originally from Couer D’ Alene, Idaho. She is traveling in her fully-equipped van, spending time in Yellowstone Park and then heading back to Tucson. A couple from Orlando, Florida flew in … they love Bozeman airport … and are visiting the area for a week. They thought it would be cooler weather here than home. Not true, smoky hot skies here, but cool nights! Another man, a heavy equipment operator, just finished a job west of the state park. Before he returns to St Louis, Missouri, he is sight-seeing – a perk he loves about his job.
Museum of the Rockies: Many people asked me if I visited this museum, so I decided an air-conditioned place would be wonderful away from heat and wildfire smoke. Wow, one could spend half a day here! My timing with this visit is perfect. It was the last day of the Living History Farm and the Apsáalooke Women and Warriors exhibit closes the next 2 days to culturally place the sacred war shields in the sun and then be cleaned.
My first stop: planetarium show on super-volcanoes, then so many exhibits about dinosaurs, fossils and archeological work in Montana, and the Crow Native American culture, history of many things with a combination of murals to read, videos to watch and some items to try. Next door to the museum, the Living History Farm with docents dressed and explaining the history of the place and the Tinsley family in the house here until 1920.
Living History Farm
Photos below:
Big Mike, is a bronze sculpture of the life-size Tyrannosaurus rex at front door of museum. Many real bones and fossils inside.
Rusty, a draft horse sculpture. In the early 1980’s, Bozeman schoolchildren collected recyclable cans to raise funds to gift Rusty to the museum. Jim Dolan is the sculptor of Rusty – same man who made the 39 Bleu Horses mentioned above.
The Kino Sports Complex is huge when you consider the north and south side, but today I am only focusing on Sam Lena Park which is part of the north complex. Sam Lena was a longtime politician, member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, served twice in AZ House and four terms in the State Senate. As a supporter of parks and recreation, the park was named in Sam Lena’s honor (1921-1996) along with a Sam Lena – South Tucson Library which he advocated for many years.
I was visiting the park to see what birds might be around since the last time I was here was about a year ago when I first began birding and had a birding workshop here. While walking a small part of the park, I noticed ramadas, fitness/1 mile walking trail, softball fields and had to keep an eye open as some played disc golf around me and where I was also watching a few birds.
If it wasn’t for the pandemic we are currently experiencing, this park would be very busy with people. Almost everyone I saw today was wearing a facial mask and many were visiting with me to ask what birds I was seeing and asking about my camera equipment. I like those teachable moments and it seemed all were wanting some conversation! The disc golfers even showed me their discs! I am not sure I will ever play that game as I can only envision losing the disc just like I lose golf balls! Who knows, someday maybe I will give it a try. I can always use another new activity in my life!
Sorry to tell them they have a spelling error on the “disc” golf.
