Random Photos from Road Trips

Mark--your pictures of the South Rim with snow on the ground bring back some great memories. The Grand Canyon is amazing, all year around, but when there's weather, or seasonal changes, it's that much more impressive.

My favorite side of the canyon, personally, is the North Rim, which gets just 10% of the crowds. It's closed in winter, unfortunately, but the last time I was up there was in the Autumn, a week before the seasonal shut down. The road in from Jacob Lake is lined with aspens that were turning to gold:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...-North-Rim.jpg

and there were more trees turning color along the canyon rim.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog.../North-Rim.jpg

All of that made for a very special visit!

It's in the book, of course: Scenic Side Trip #13: St. George, Utah to Flagstaff (by way of Zion National Park, the North Rim, and Page).

Rick


Read more about Rick's book here and see a map for all of the routes he wrote about.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

Can you parse what you are looking at here?

This an example of some of the coolest technology I saw in 2022.

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...64-rotated.jpg
Heber Valley Dairy Farm, (near Park City, Utah)

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Either that, or a cow wash (and this old gal could surely use it!)

Rick

Yep, this is an automated milking machine. The dairy cows control the entire process at their leisure. When they want to get milked they line up for an available machine. If they are "due" for a milking (e.g. they are limited to the number of times that they can be milked in a 24-hour period) the machine attaches the milking apparatus -- using robot technology that is impressive to watch) and then when finished, the machine dispenses an edible treat to the cow. If the cow has been milked too recently, the machine doesn't attach the milking apparatus and doesn't give the cow a treat, just opens the door and the cow wanders out.

The most astonishing thing about this dairy is that the cows are content. There is NO MOOING at all. They are are either sleeping/chewing cuds on comfortable beds in the barn (air conditioned and heated) or out in the pasture. Robots are constantly on the move clearing cow manure and delivering fresh food to the cows.

Humans check on the animals through the use of iPADs that keep track of each animal and what's going on with them. If an animal needs some extra TLC or medication, one of the robots gently guides the cow to a private stall where a human checks on her.

This really is an impressive tour!

And, THERE IS FRESH ICE CREAM! VERY YUMMY.

Mark

Without using Google Search, do you know where this is? There is a BIG clue in the photo.

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog..._091714259.jpg
January 2017

This one might be more challenging.

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...4-11.00.32.jpg
(hint it has a Las Vegas address) February 2017

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

Without using Google Search, do you know where this is? There is a BIG clue in the photo.

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog..._091714259.jpg
January 2017

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Welp, judging by what appears to be a "Welcome to California" sign in the middle distance, this must be in the general vicinity of Death Valley, near the California/Nevada border. (And they actually named a highway after Charlie Brown? Good grief! ;-)

Strictly a guess, mind you.

As for the cee-ment pond in your other photo (the one with the Las Vegas address): Would that be Las Vegas, Nevada, or Las Vegas, New Mexico?

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...egas-Strip.jpg
Las Vegas Strip

Rick

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick Quinn

Welp, judging by what appears to be a "Welcome to California" sign in the middle distance, this must be in the general vicinity of Death Valley, near the California/Nevada border. (And they actually named a highway after Charlie Brown? Good grief! ;-)

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Good try....But, no.

Charles Brown was the founder of Shoshone, California and the story of some of his life can be found in this article.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick Quinn

As for the cee-ment pond in your other photo (the one with the Las Vegas address): Would that be Las Vegas, Nevada, or Las Vegas, New Mexico?

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...egas-Strip.jpg
Las Vegas Strip

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I loved the photo of the Las Vegas Strip (in New Mexico.)

No this is at Corn Creek, headquarters to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Mark

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

I loved the photo of the Las Vegas Strip (in New Mexico.)

Mark

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Here's one from more or less the same area in New Mexico:

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...ames-Hotel.jpg

The St. James Hotel in Cimarron, built in 1872 and still operating. In it's heyday, frequent guests included the likes of Jesse James, and murder and mayhem were common occurrences. At least 26 deadly shootings occurred right in the hotel. Additional flooring was added to the upstairs rooms to protect guests from bullets fired into the ceiing of the bar downstairs. The newspaper in nearby Las Vegas once reported that, "Everything is quiet in Cimarron. Nobody has been killed for three days."

If you drive Scenic Side Trip #25: Santa Fe to Raton (also known as the "Whoa! Road"), you'll pass right by the St. James. (Be sure to keep your head down!)

Rick


Read more about Rick's book here and see a map for all of the routes he wrote about.

Great local intel. I think.

mark

RPMs starting to ramp up.

This is the view (except for the night and the lights) when F1 race drivers hit the beginning of the back straight-away (also known as The Strip) and reach speeds around 220 mph before breaking hard for the left-hand turn onto Harmon.

https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...raightaway.jpg

And I posted a short video, from November 11th as I drove along the Strip here.