
Classic places in the United States
Where history is fun and the
countryside is enchanting!
(still under construction but enjoy what's
done)
The best of America

|
New Mexico - 1-3
1-Carlsbad National
Caverns
2-Catwalk National Recreation Trial
3-Very Large Array
Radio TelescopeArizona - 4
4-The Grand Canyon
Utah - 5
5-Gooseneck State Park, Arches National Park
& others
Nevada - 6 & 11
11-Lake Tahoe
6-Las Vegas
California - 7 to 10
7-San Diego
8-Monterey
9-San Francisco
10-Yosemite National Park
|
| Mexico Spans Centuries - 1-3.
|
 |
Searching deep space with the Very Large Array on the
Plains of St. Augustin. More later.
Searching the underground from millions of years ago. Carlsbad National Park on the walk
down to the bottom. It's awesome.
|
 |
From 600 AD to present New Mexico represents a State rich in
history, culture, exciting places, and very friendly people. Come with me to three places
in the state. Each site offers a unique peak at the areas history.
We start where mother nature has been busy for thousands of
years forming the worlds largest limestone caverns,
the Carlsbad National Park. This park has
over 80 caverns, most still unexplored. The largest cavern is the Big
Room, 900' below ground, 1800' long by 250' wide. The walk to the bottom is breathtaking,
a bit spooky, and full of
majestic rock formations. Also spectacular are the bat flights which occur from April to
September when 400,000
bats emerge daily from their caves.
The big room. 1800' long by
250'wide. Magnificant formations

|
Bat flight from the caverns.
April through September.

|
When in New Mexico spend some quality time exploring the Catwalk
National Recreational Trail in Glenwood. This
three mile hike is filled with great vistas and history of the early mining in New Mexico.
The trail is handicap accessible
as well as rugged. From the top if you want you can enter the Gilla Wilderness. Take a
look at this spectacular trail
leading to the Gila Wilderness in a personalized tour.
 |
Stay right on the original trail.
It's a bit steeper and narrower
with great vistas.
The new Catwalk at about 1/2
mile up.
|
 |
Originally the trail and Catwalk followed an 1880's water line from the bottom
of Whitewater Canyon, the mining town
of Grahm to the mountain top not far from the now ghost mining town of Mollgon. As you
walk the trail you can still see
supports for the old line. The Catwalk portion of the trail is nominally 350 feet long
winding along the walls of the deep
canyon. At either end there are rest and viewing areas.
 |
From the original trail down through the rocks to the Catwalk.
Landing area from the otherside to overview the Catwalk. |
 |
Below 350 feet of walkways hugging the vertical cliffs.
| Viewing platform at the end of the Catwalk.

|
 |
 |
From the Catwalk on it's just fun hiking up a rugged trail with neat
things to see. Travel past the pipe bridge, a piece of
the original water pipeline up the mountain to the old pipline supports and the bridge
across the canyon. This upper
portion of the trail extends about 0.6 mile to the top.
Stop and swim up the trail and near the top of the trail wobble over the
suspension bride to the top. Think about it.
Where on TV have you seen this bridge?
 |
The swimming hole.
The suspension bridge. Has a little bounce on your way to the top. |
 |
And at the top a surberb overlook into the wilderness of the Gila. Part of
America's great beauty.

The last stop in New Mexico is The Very Large Array Radio
Telescope. Stop at the Visiters Center and learn
about the mysteries of our galaxy. This is the world largest radio telescope and was
featured in the movie
"Contact".
Here is a personalized tour of the uniqueness of the telescope.
 The VLA in the A
array. |
 Twilight
looking down the southwest arm of the VLA. |
Here are some details of this huge radio telescope.
 |
400 ton - 80 foot
diameter antenna
sits atop the transporter awaiting transfer to the antenna station.The
transporter travels at 5 mph on double track 18 foot on center.
27 antennas can be configured on three arms to provide a telescope equivalent
to 26 miles in diameter.
So sensitive that it can see a golf ball at 100 miles away.
All stations are 90 degrees
to the main track. See later photos.
In this photo the station is to the right.
|
The trackage at a station. The 90 degree station rail is higher than the main
rail. The transporter has four 6-wheel
bogies which can be raised by a system of jacks and then rotated. Inserts are provided
over the main track which
allows the antenna to move to the station proper.
It takes about 5 minutes to raise and rotate all four boggies. Finally when the
antenna is set in place it is shimmed so
that it is parallel to all of the other antennas in the array.
Signals which control the antenna movement and also recieve radio waves from
space are transmitted down the
three arms of the array via wave guides. These are laid in the ground to very tight
tolerances with regard to
curvature. A simple wave guide device is the ear phones you get on an airplane. If you
bend it to far you can't
hear anything.
Radio signals from space are processed in electronic racks inside the Control
building.
 Wave
guide entrance to main building. |
 Wave
guide up to electronic racks. |
And finally what you hear from space.
Imagine the wonders of our world.
 |
The mysteries of space - an Earth rise from the Moon.
And a Moon rise over the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque.
|
 |
Arizona - 4
In Arizona there is lots to see but nothing more spectacular than the Grand Canyon.
 |
A majestic camping site near the bottom and a
rafting group
enjoying the summer sun.
Doesn't get any better than this.
|
 |
Utah - 5
Utah has the Great Salt Lake and places north, but the southeast corner of the
state is the most spectacular with it's
massive natural rock formations and deep canyons. Near Mexican Hat the San Jaun River
meanders 5 miles in deep
canyons while traveling only 1 mile downstream. Further north are a series of national
parks, the most prominant of
which is Arches National Park.
 |
That gooseneck
meander
goes about 1/4 mile
downstream.
And at Arches the Fiery
Furnace trail walk.
|
 |
Over 1000 natural arches abound in this scenic part of Utah.
 |
A delicate arch
and the
Landscape arch.
|
 |
Nevada - 6 & 11
Nevada has lots of baren land. On the far northwest is Reno and the beautiful
Lake Tahoe area. If you are a fan of
the old western "Bonanza" with Hoss Cartwright and family visit the Ponderosa Ranch and
surrounds. Lake Tahoe
is nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of 6,225 feet, 22 miles long and
12 miles wide. It is the
largest alpine lake in North America with a 105,000-acre surface and 1,645' deep. Further
south stop by Las Vegas
for a few nights casino and glitz fun. Ride the showboat at the Rio. The show is free and
great watching.
 
|
Rio in Las Vegas
Emerald Bay on the south end of Lake Tahoe. Ponderosa Ranch on the
northwest side of the lake.
Masquerade in the Sky. Ride and watch the show below.
|

|
Lots of fun things to do in Las Vegas like the fun rides a top of the
Stratosphere Tower or the rollacoaster at New York,
New York or just enjoy the views of the strip from the top of the Stratosphere, Rio Suites
or Paris Hotels.
 |
Paris Eiffel Tower replica at one-half scale. Try the restaurant
on the eleventh floor and watch the fountian show at eh Bellagio across the street.
Spinning around 1150 feet above the strip in a thrill ride or if you want just
eat at the revolving restaurant on the floor below. One hour and twenty minutes for a full
revolution.
Bellagio's. Be sure to visit their flower gardens beyond the lobby. They change
all year long with the seasons.
|


|
California - 7 to 10
San Diego starts our tour of California. Southern
California's most beautiful city, a wonderful bay and downtown
surrounded by rolling hills and beautiful scenery. Don't miss Balboa Park and the San
Diego Zoo. Find a friend
with a boat and tour the San Diego Bay, Naval Shipyard, and Coronado Island.


|
The USS Midway in 1945. Now a muesum docked in San Diego Bay. The
ship is 968 feet long and 113' wide, speed 33 knots, and crew of 4100. Then
Catch both of these in the San Dieo Harbor
Now
The USS Reagan in 2009. The ship is 1098 feet long and 252 feet wide, speed 30
+ knots, and a crew of 5900.
|
 5th Avenue 1945

Gaslight District - 5th Avenue 2009 |
9-San Francisco
10-Yosemite National Park
|