"...you will hear a rustling and then wave after wave of cranes..."
Hint:
If you ever have the opportunity -- you have got to go back to ____________ in February. Stay over-night in San Antonio, (NM) so you can arrive in the preserve just before dawn. As the sky begins to light, you will hear a rustling and then wave after wave of cranes, snow geese and duck take wing. It is still one of the most amazing days I have ever experienced. We intended to take photos -- but the sheer magnitude of the bird flight is so overwhelming --- you just have to stand there and marvel. Sunset is pretty special too.
Mark
Another Bingo for the Bosque!
Mark, as I recall, it was you who suggested that I include the Bosque del Apache in the book. I had never heard of the place before I went there, and it proved to be one of my favorites. I had a ball taking pictures of those wonderful birds, and I had almost as much fun writing about them afterwards.
For anyone who hasn't seen the book, each chapter includes at least one "sidebar," a boxed segment where I'd get to pick a topic to highlight in greater depth. In Scenic Side Trip #19, my sidebar focused on Sandhill Cranes:
Cranes are big birds with long legs, long necks, and a wingspan that’s the avian equivalent of a Boeing 747. Of the 15 species of cranes in the world, only two are found in North America: the whooping crane, famous for being rare and endangered, and the sandhill crane, the stars of the show at Bosque del Apache. You can’t miss ’em: gray plumage, white feathers on the head and neck, and a characteristic red spot on the forehead and around the eyes. Birds in this Rocky Mountain population of Greater Sandhill Cranes stand 4 feet tall and have a wingspan of more than 6 feet. They nest in the vicinity of Yellowstone National Park, and every fall, 30,000 of them fly 1,000 miles south to spend the winter here in central New Mexico along the Rio Grande, arriving around mid-November and flying home again by March. When migrating, they can soar 500 miles in a 12-hour day, flying in a V formation at an altitude of 12,000 feet.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC06430.jpg
When you observe these birds at Bosque, you’ll see the whole wild range of crane behavior, including their courtship displays, when they dance to attract a mate: bobbing and bowing, spreading their wings, squawking, and flipping things into the air. Sometimes that mood is so infectious you’ll see a whole big group of cranes doing the do-si-do to a fiddler that only they can hear. Serious birders from all over the world come to this place. It’s a grand and wonderful spectacle.
Rick
Palm Trees, Egrets, and Me
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Utahtea
I believe you are somewhere in the desert maybe Arizona or California because of the palm trees. I've identified a white goose, egret and brown crested duck...but I have no idea where you're at...even with the pun clue.
Utahtea
Well, you've made a great beginning, but that's still a little vague. Can anybody else be more specific? The place in question starts with a "G," as in George (that's another sort of a clue right there). The mountain used to be in the middle of nowhere, and it had a name that some people found offensive. Now it's smack in the middle of--somewhere, and they've given it a different name.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/Lagoon-4.jpg
Where am I, anyway?
Name the somewhere,
Name the peak (new name, old name, or both); and if you're really good,
Name the place that starts with a "G."
Rick
the city park known as Granada Park!
Or maybe it is the golf course?
Ah, looked at the satellite image. That is more likely the city park known as Granada Park!
Mark
What you might call close to home!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mark Sedenquist
Squaw Peak was officially renamed Piestewa Peak to honor the first American Indian woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military. It is on the edge of Phoenix as the city grows.
And I think the park must be the water recycling plant?
Granada Park is the local community.
Mark, you totally nailed it--Granada is, in fact, the name of the park. And the local community is my own neighborhood!
That was totally unfair of me, but I was trying to illustrate a point: you don't always have to travel to an exotic destination in order to see cool stuff and take great photos. Most of us have easy access to something like my neighborhood park, places that we tend to take for granted, but when we take the time to open our eyes and really see what's around us, we discover beauty. During these difficult times, when our travel plans are mostly on hold, and we're all going a little stir crazy, we need to take that lesson to heart, and maximize our enjoyment of the wonders within our reach.
Granada Park is a short walk from the house that I've owned for almost 40 years. It's the place where we take our kids, and our grand kids:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...-People-31.jpg
and our dogs:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...da-Park-29.jpg
It's a safe place to learn how to ride a bike, fly a kite, have a picnic, and all the other fun stuff that families do in a park.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...-People-30.jpg
Two little lakes are there, courtesy of the water plant, and they attract lots and lots of birds! The ducks are year-around residents
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...da-Park-54.jpg
While the coots are more seasonal
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...da-Park-58.jpg
They all get along very well, despite their differences.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...k-Flock-53.jpg
Arizona has always been a good place for spotting the occasional migrant coming up from the south (or down from the north):
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...k-Egret-36.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...da-Park-56.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...da-Park-33.jpg
Either way, we don't discriminate; all are welcome, and everyone gets a fair share!
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...-People-45.jpg
Now--if only people were more like birds....
Rick
How old did you say that was?
Here's a slightly different take on our little game we've been playing. Here's a picture of a church:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_0228.jpg
It's actually a quite famous church, and you would think, based on the name, that most people would recognize it right away. I'm betting that's not the case. (If I'm wrong, this will be a very short round!)
Here are your clues: two pictures of the surrounding neighborhood, taken from the bell tower:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_0182.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_0194.jpg
as well as two pictures of some unique stained glass:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...titled-1-1.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC_0219.jpg
That should be enough. Can anyone tell me, please, Where am I? (Including the name of the church?)
Different day, different church
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DonnaR57
Dang. GLC took my guess, Washington National Cathedral. Surrounded by several neighborhoods.
Donna
We'll spot you some points for good intentions, Donna. You have to be pretty quick to beat George to the click, especially when you figure he has a two hour head start with his time zone advantage. Since that was over with so quickly, I'll give everyone another chance: Different church, different city, different surrounding neighborhood, but this time I'll start you out with several EXTRA CLUES! (Woo hoo!)
Start with the church:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/Basilica.jpg
The church is unique, so if anyone out there has seen it before (and remembers where it was), game over. Otherwise, I'll layer in two random pictures from the surrounding neighborhood:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...oads/L-W-1.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...oads/L-T-4.jpg
If you're not already familiar with this particular city, I haven't given you much to work with, so here are four views of a bridge near the downtown area (note that the bridge is not particularly close to the church, but it should help you identify the city):
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...al-Pix-046.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...oads/016-E.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...ploads/010.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...ads/Window.jpg
...and one last picture taken from the bridge, looking back toward the downtown:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...ploads/033.jpg
That should help narrow down the possibilities. Can anyone answer that burning question that's on everyone's mind, and tell us all, if you please: Where am I?
Name the city!
For bonus points: Name the church!
For double bonus points: Name the bridge!
Rick
A home run on the first swing!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DonnaR57
The last picture told me, "Southern Arizona". The architecture and use of adobe told me, "Southern Arizona." Google told me, "Bisbee". (I googled "Jewelry Designs by Owen" from the 2nd picture.)
Donna (whose HS teams played Bisbee HS on more than one occasion, moo-goo years ago!)
CLANG CLANG CLANG! We have a winner! Good job, Donna! I blurred out the name of the Post Office, but I left everything else, and you found the gold nugget! I won't ask you how many years goes into a moo-goo (I figure it's more than 5, and less than 50 ;-), but Bisbee is one of those places that hasn't changed all that much. Not from a visual perspective, anyway!
I was prepared to add a couple more clue photos. You've rendered that unnecessary, but I'll toss them in here anyway, starting with the lavender pit, the open pit copper mine that was Bisbee's primary claim to fame until all mining operations ceased in 1975.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC04839.jpg
And here's a wider shot of the town and the hilly surroundings, including what would have been a dead giveaway: the big white "B" for Bisbee! (Go Pumas! ;-)
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC04852.jpg
I've always been fond of Bisbee. It has significant altitude (5,538 feet), so it's cooler than most of southern Arizona, and it has a really nice, laid-back ambiance. There are at least a dozen B&B's worth considering (not to mention the elegant old Copper Queen Hotel), so it's a great place to spend a few days, especially in the summer. I included Bisbee with Scenic Side Trip #5, a 211 mile detour off Interstate 10 between Willcox and Benson that also includes Douglas and Tombstone (which we already covered on this thread), as well as Fort Bowie and the Chiricahua National Monument.
Anybody driving across Southern Arizona owes it to themselves to get off the boring Interstate, where most of what you see is the back ends of a ceaseless parade of semi trucks. That's the beauty of Scenic Side Trips. All it takes is a few extra hours, and you can turn just about any straight-line drive into a memorable adventure!
Rick
Where ever that river flows
How about let's do another town?
Here's the nearby river:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC03001.jpg
Here's the bridge:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC03002.jpg
Here's the town:
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC03003.jpg
And here's your clue (if you've been there, it's a clincher):
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...s/DSC03004.jpg
Where am I?
Name the river!
Name the town!
Name the well-known native son!
Rick
