https://www.roadtripamerica.com/foru...3&d=1589397409
Not Stonehenge or even Stonehenge adjacent.
AZBuck
Printable View
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/foru...3&d=1589397409
Not Stonehenge or even Stonehenge adjacent.
AZBuck
Buck:
Could it be--the Maryhill Stonehenge Replica in Washington State?
Rick
I had never heard of this place so I used google and it was VERY easy to find. I'll let someone who's been answer.Quote:
Originally Posted by AZBuck
Utahtea
George, how did you happen to be there to take the photo?Quote:
Originally Posted by glc
Mark
I'll second the question. C'mon, George--we need more than latitude and longitude. That just gives us the "where." We still need "Who, What, When, and Why!"Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
Rick
Okay - I just tried to find it on Google Maps with the lat/long data from the pic, and it isn't even close. It's somewhere between Interior SD and SD-73, between SD-44 and I-90, south of the White River.
Last summer, I was in Philip SD, delivering a computer I built to a long time friend of mine. He asked me if I wanted to go sightseeing into the Badlands, and a friend of his came over with an old GMC 3500 crew cab dualie flatbed 2 wheel drive ranch truck. This guy was 84 years old and had lived there his whole life. We headed south on SD-73 to SD-44, then headed west. Just outside of Wamblee we turned right onto an old unpaved rez road which deteriorated into a bunch of two tracks. The pic was taken somewhere in there. This guy really knew how to drive, it's a miracle we didn't get stuck. He claimed the "road" went through all the way to rejoin SD-44, but we got to a point where it was completely washed out. We had to turn around and retrace our steps.
We were just talking about vandals on the "Name the Rock Art" thread. Here on the "Where am I" thread, we've got Gremlins!
I was driving along, somewhere in the great southwest. I can remember stopping at this cafe. Matter of fact, I almost drove through the wall!
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...1-DSC04453.jpg
Right about then, I entered a time warp
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...2-DSC04460.jpg
Before climbing up and over a high pass with amazing views
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...3-DSC_7405.jpg
The road down the other side was great good fun; somebody said they road test fancy sports cars on this curvy stretch of highway
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...4-DSC04467.jpg
And then I came upon this dreadful scene: the ornery little son-of-a-gun ate a hole in the road sign! I can see that it's a Scenic Byway, but which one?
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...04474-crop.jpg
The road beyond the sign was seductively pretty.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...5-DSC_7438.jpg
It was like driving through a flower garden that goes on for miles! But where was it taking me?
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...6-DSC04475.jpg
There was something funny going on at the end of that road!
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...7-DSC04489.jpg
I turned around and got out, only to be faced with another incredible view. Is that a river I see down below? Which one? (Pssst: could it be the Gila? Naah, no way....)
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...8-DSC04509.jpg
Where, oh where can I be?
Name that scenic byway!
Rick
Were you headed for Montezuma's Castle in AZ? But you were going by way of Sedona? Oak Creek Canyon??? AZ 89A?
Nope. Not Montezuma's Castle. It IS a National Monument, but it's among the least visited in the lower 48 states--largely because of the road, the National Scenic Byway, the name of which has been mysteriously removed from the road sign:Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...4474-crop2.jpg
Here's a closer view of the Mystery Monument:https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_7503.jpg
Nope. This wasn't in Arizona.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
Here's your silver platter:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...verPlatter.jpg
The river in this picture really is the Gila, and the overlook from which the picture was taken is about 2,000 feet above it. I can't think of more than maybe, oh, ONE place in the entire world that would allow you to gaze down on the Gila (with water in it!) from such a lofty perch.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...8-DSC04509.jpg
Okay, all you Road Warriors out there: Name that Scenic Byway!
It can surely be the highway on the way to Bandelier NM.
Nope. No Gila River anywhere near Bandelier!Quote:
Originally Posted by landmariner
I think it may be the Gila Cliff dwellings which is on NM15. Heading north on Pinos Alto towards the Burro Trail.
(Perhaps part of the Trail of the mountain spirits scenic byway ? )
Dave.
Dave:
Good answer! I wanted to drive this road from the moment I first saw it printed on a map, if only because the name is so totally cool.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC04474.jpg
The fact that the road takes you to my favorite cliff dwelling is very much a bonus. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is so isolated that it gets very few visitors, and those who do make the trip are afforded the rare privilege of being allowed to climb up into the ruin for a closer view, the kind of access that hasn't been possible for quite some time, due to the sheer size of the crowds at the more popular National Monuments.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_7486.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC04494.jpg
Anyone with a serious interest in this type of ruin owes it to themselves to visit this one. The Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Scenic Byway is a part of Scenic Side Trip #2, which is a very nice alternative to Interstate 10, between Las Cruces and Lordsburg, NM.
Rick
Looks very inviting for a future stopover. Thanks!
I have made some guesses, but haven't had time to do much in the line of posting my own except once. So, here goes. I may pick a really obvious one, and that's okay too.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4337/3...d970e0a0_c.jpgDonna 008
https://live.staticflickr.com/4429/3...17cbd1d4_c.jpgDonna 081
https://live.staticflickr.com/4355/3...253a3892_c.jpgDonna 055
One hint: West coast.
Donna
I really liked the Photoshop treatment by the flying alien! Very nice work!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Quinn
That alone was worth some kudos on this. I didn't mention earlier, I was waiting to see if generated any other comments!
Mark
Hey, Donna! Happy Saturday!
There's nothing wrong with obvious clues. It was refreshing to see one of these that didn't strain my aging memory! Those first two pictures could have been most anywhere that has both forest and beach, but the third one? There are moss-covered trees in the Louisiana bayous, but there's only one place on the west coast that looks like that:
Hall of mosses; Hoh Rain Forest
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC01358.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_6385.jpg
Olympic National Park!
I've only been there once, when I was on my way to Alaska a few years ago, but I was blown away. I've had plenty of experience with rain forests in Central and South America, but Olympic National Park was the first time I'd seen a jungle outside of the tropics. There are more shades of green per square yard than just about anywhere else I've ever been!
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_6393.jpg
Rick
Donna.
Is the second photo down Ruby Beach ?
Dave.
Kudos to Rick on picking out the Hall of Mosses in Hoh Rain Forest (my brother called it the Hall of Moses when he was a kid, and it's stuck), and to Chief Dave for the Ruby Beach photo. (At least, I think it was Ruby Beach. Or at least close enough by it!) The river and forest was also part of Olympic National Park, in the Staircase area on the southeast corner of the park. We were on the Staircase Rapids Trail, along the south side of the Skohomish River. All of these were taken 3 years ago.
Donna
Thanks, Mark! I must admit, got a little carried away with that one. All I really wanted to do was redact the name of the Scenic Byway, like I did with the Apache Trail sign further back in this thread. Then I got the notion to make a hole in the sign, as if somebody with a cutting torch had removed a souvenir. The flying alien just sort of appeared. I think he was attracted by the smell of hot metal...Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
But hey, before we get too far removed from the Gila Cliff Dwellings and the Trail of the Mountain Spirits, I wanted to take the opportunity to present you folks with a relevant excerpt from Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips. Some of you already have a copy of the book. Me, I've got a couple of 'em ;-), but it had been quite a long time since I'd even looked at Scenic Side Trip #2 (per se). When I reread it this morning, I realized that it's a very good example of something I tried to do throughout the book, for the benefit of road trippers like yourselves. Scenic Side Trips aren't just about the big attractions (in this case, the Gila Cliff Dwellings). Scenic Side Trips emphasize the roads that you take to get there, because on a road trip, the journey overall is (or should be) more important than the destinations. Allow me to show you what I mean by that:
SST #2 begins in Las Cruces, NM, where you leave Interstate 10 and travel north along the Rio Grande through Hatch, of chile pepper fame. This excerpt picks up at the point where you leave the river behind, and head for the hills:
(note that the following is copyrighted material, used by permission of the author ;-):
GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS NATIONAL MONUMENT
Leaving Caballo Lake, head west on NM 152 up into an impressive wall of mountains known as the Black Range, or Sierra Diablo. If you like to drive, you’ll love this road. This segment, known as the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway, is widely considered one of the finest driving roads in the United States. You’ll negotiate one S curve after another on a climb to almost 9,000 feet at Emory Pass, which marks the Continental Divide. Pull off the road at the scenic viewpoint for awesome vistas and some great photographs.
Seventeen gloriously curvy miles beyond the pass will drop you 3,000 feet to the Mimbres River, which runs along the base of the Black Range. When you reach the intersection with NM 35, in the small town of San Lorenzo, check your time. If you plan to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings, be aware that the gate to the ruins closes promptly at 4 p.m.—no exceptions. The distance from San Lorenzo to the site is only 45 miles, but you should allow at least 90 minutes for the drive. Late afternoon is a wonderful time of day to photograph the ruins—just don’t cut it too close.
The route to the cliff dwellings begins with NM 35, known as the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway. The highway follows the Mimbres River upstream, through the town of Mimbres. Twenty miles further along is Lake Roberts, a small but quite beautiful lake popular with trout fishermen and bird-watchers. There are cabins and motel rooms for rent here, and a lovely campground. Four miles beyond the lake is the intersection with NM 15; turn right (north) and follow it all the way to the end, about 18 miles, to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The road to the ruins is narrow and winding, very slow going, with some sheer drop-offs and many hairpin turns posted as low as 10 mph—and for good reason! At one point, the highway skirts the edge of a collapsed volcanic caldera. Timeworn, overgrown, but still plainly visible, the caldera is a graphic reminder of the region’s violent geological past. Stop at Anderson Scenic Overlook for a breathtaking view of the Mogollon Range, the tallest mountains in southwestern New Mexico, and Gila River Canyon, 2,000 feet below.
Continuing north on NM 15 you’ll pass Gila Hot Springs a few miles before the end of the road. Much of this area is geothermally active and there are several natural hot springs nearby, some on public land, some private. There are a few campsites here, with access to the hot springs included.
At the National Monument visitors center, you can pick up maps and information about the ruins and the trails in the park. Even if you’ve seen your share of cliff dwellings, you’ll find this one is special. The setting is a narrow, wooded canyon with a perennial stream. On the west side of the ravine there’s a sheer cliff, and hollowed out from the face of it, high above the canyon floor, you can see a series of natural alcoves: interconnected caves that are open to the morning sun. In the late 13th century, a small group of perhaps 15 farming families from the Native American culture we now call the Mogollon moved into the caves and built an elaborate communal home there.
It was a perfect spot: protected from the elements, easily defended, close to water. A lot of craftsmanship went into the construction, and the wonderful organic structure that they created is still standing and largely intact. There are graceful, curving walls built of flat stones stacked like bricks, cemented with adobe mortar, and then plastered. The walls enclose more than 40 interconnected rooms that fill the alcoves: large common areas, smaller private living quarters, a granary. Many of the outward-facing walls had windows, and some sections were left open. Clearly, the builders appreciated their view!
There’s a tour every day at 11 a.m., but you can hike to the ruins and explore them on your own any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., when the park closes. It takes about an hour to see the ruins, including the 1-mile hike up and back.
Leaving the ruins, head back the way you came in, on NM 15. When you reach the junction with NM 35, bear right, staying with NM 15, which continues south from here to Pinos Altos, at an altitude of more than 7,000 feet. The distance isn’t great, just 30 miles from the national monument, but it will seem much further. This is a wonderful corkscrew of a road, but it’s very, very narrow, with poor shoulders, no center stripe, and very few signs, so you have to take it slow. Be extremely careful on blind curves, as there is little room to pass vehicles coming from the other direction. I would not recommend driving this stretch in the dark, so if you’re not staying the night at Lake Roberts or camping near the monument, be sure to be on your way south well before dusk.
So there it is. Rick's notion of useful, practical information for someone who might be interested in making the drive to the Gila Cliff Dwellings!
Hot metal indeed!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Quinn
Mark
To stay on the theme of Aliens where am I?
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4e6699a1_c.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f16e711b_c.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f328a608_c.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5e54f76b_c.jpg
Some hints since this is a pretty remote place. It's remote but can be seen from a state highway! :) None of the pictures have been edited BUT the Scenic Byway sign is just part of the art and this is not a scenic byway.
Where am I?
More hints given on request.
Utahtea
I'm going to guess Roswell or Corona (ha on THAT name), NM? Or San Agustin?
Donna
My turn again, I guess....what scenic highway are these photos taken from?
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...da2d8151_c.jpgIMG_7603
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...061088a7_c.jpgIMG_7601
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...489e3ac2_c.jpgIMG_7623
Hint: Four Corner State.
Donna
No hint needed! It’s Scenic Highway 12 in Utah. The first two pictures are taken heading north just outside the town of Escalante, Utah. The last picture is as you head past the town of Boulder, UT up to Boulder Mountain. This is my favorite road!Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
Fun fact, the first time we drove over Boulder Mountain was before it was paved!
Utahtea
The UFO’s are in Utah. Another hint is that we visited here and my latest petroglyph post on the same day.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/foru...433#post195433
Ka-CHING! Utahtea has my photos - UT-12. These were all taken last summer. She's got them nailed as to WHERE, too.
Donna
I was going to say UT 12, but our resident Utah expert beat me to it. I couldn't have pinpointed the exact location in any case. I've only driven that road once, and it was love at first sight. I have no photos, to speak of, because I was having so much fun driving, the thought of stopping for pictures never even entered my head! (Me, the guy who usually stops at every wide spot in the road!)Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
Rick
I'm going to need another hint on both. I don't have a clue on the aliens or the awesome rainbow petroglyph, either one!Quote:
Originally Posted by Utahtea
Rick
Quote:
Originally Posted by Utahtea
Maybe I shouldn't have promised hints...LOL! So both the UFO site and the petroglphys are between Interstate 70 and Price, Utah. If you want "Moore", you might be a "Hunter" looking for the "Plant" in the below picture near a "Castle" You might have to "Claw" you way to the UFO's!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Quinn
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...04cae3b2_c.jpg
Utahtea
Okay, that last clue finally put me in range. Who knew that there was a UFO Landing Site in Clawson, Utah?Quote:
Originally Posted by Utahtea
(UtahTea knew, obviously!)
Rick
Here's something different. I won't say whether this is west coast or east coast. For now, it could be either.
Who out there can name this light house?
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_5230.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_5200.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_5240.jpg
This picture won't help you identify the lighthouse, but it was taken nearby
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_5216.jpg
For bonus points: name the well-known road along which you might find that lighthouse, as well as this sheltered bay (also nearby).
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_5426.jpg
Rick
I was pretty sure by the dried grass, the rolling hills and the trees that it was not only the west coast but it was more than likely California. We've driven up & down the California coast a couple times but since I had to google it, I wont spill the beans but I did find it! ;) Just giving a good hint!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Quinn
Utahtea
Point Arena Lighthouse on CA-1, Sea Lion Cove.
Did my post help or did you recognize the light house?Quote:
Originally Posted by glc
Utahtea
Your post did help, but I did suspect California and that particular lighthouse before I read your post.
As far as I'm concerned, you're both winners! The Point Arena Lighthouse is in a great spot. They actually have Lighthouse Keeper's Cottages for rent right there on the point, and in the season, you can watch whales passing by just offshore.
The day I took that picture, I didn't come at it on CA-1. My friend and I were camping in a State Park outside of Boonville, north of Santa Rosa. Our map showed a squiggly line between Boonville and the coast called Mountain View Road, which, as it turns out, is the only road that actually crosses those heavily forested coastal mountains. The road was paved well enough, maybe a lane and a half wide, with poor shoulders and VERY curvy! At first it was fun, but then we saw our first logging truck coming at us head on from the other direction. Then another. And another, with just barely enough room to pass, and those guys were flying, not slowing down for anything! Let's just say I approached the many blind curves with a great deal of caution, and I had some seriously close calls before I reached that light house!
Rick
That reminds me - you ever drive CA-36 between I-5 and US-101? 1811 curves in 140 miles.
Haven't done that one, no, but it sounds like my kind of road!
Put it on your bucket list.