Ah, if only everyone could be Carefree – or travel there. It’s a town in Arizona north of Phoenix, by the way, but it is also a state of mind.
On a recent stay at the Carefree Resort & Villas in Carefree, the experience lived up to the name.
Carefree Resort & Villas entrance
Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw; Photos by George Bradshaw
Stepping onto the dome car of the Alaska Railroad you do not realize that this train is not just a tourist train.
Domed car of the Alaskan Railroad
One of the major attractions in Central Oregon for those who want fabulous scenery is Mt. Bachelor and the Cascades Lakes National Scenic Byway. And, if you ski, during the season, Mt. Bachelor is a very popular location.
Mt. Bachelor with ski lifts (not taken during the ski season)
By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw, Photos by George Bradshaw
Eighty-four miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska begins the primitive road known as The Dalton Highway, or the Haul Road. It was first called the Haul Road because almost everything supporting the oilfields of the North Slope of Alaska was transported across this road on tractor-trailer rigs. It ends 414 miles later in Deadhorse, the industrial camp at Prudhoe Bay. A primitive road from its beginning to its end, there are very few stretches of pavement. It is the farthest north road and involves risks and challenges, but at the same time gives the opportunity to traverse a remote, unpopulated part of Alaska to the very top of the continent.
Highway through Atigun Pass
By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw, Photos by George Bradshaw
The tundra of Alaska is a stark but beautiful landscape. As the coldest of all the biomes, tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and a short growing season. Tundra also contains permafrost, which means that the soil is permanently frozen and can be from 10-35 inches deep, making it impossible for trees to grow.
Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw; Photos by George Bradshaw
Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote a letter to sculptor Korszak Ziolkowski asking if he would carve a monument to the great Oglala warrior Crazy Horse. Ziolkowski worked on the carving of Mt. Rushmore and Standing Bear wanted the white man to know that the Indians had great heroes also.
The carving was started in 1948 on Thunderhead Mountain, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a mountain considered sacred by many tribes. Many tribes oppose the defilement of the sacred mountain.
How the Crazy Horse Monument is supposed to look when completed
We were staying in the downtown area on Robson Street – the center of commerce…
In our downtown hotel location on Robson Street, there are shops (like Guess, Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger) with upscale names and glamorous window displays. The prices were glamorous, too, except for a modest Chinese Restaurant, Hon’s Wun-Tun House, which whipped out our food very quickly for takeout. The menu was enormous and we had a hard time choosing, but the prices were generally under the $10 (Canadian) price range for each entrée.
In contrast, we spent considerably more – $40-plus with tip – at O’Doul’s (Listel Hotel) for a corned beef hash and Eggs Benedict breakfast.
Sculpture on Robson Street
A sculpture, appearing to be a whimsical orange twisted wire, was in front of O’Doul’s. We saw other interesting art around Vancouver. (more…)
Those who have a fear of heights – BEWARE! You will not want to go over the Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver.
For the rest of the population, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is a fascinating diversion that gives you a rare vantage point high above the river and forest.
When you enter the park (admission charge – about $30 Canadian per person for adults), you briefly see some totem poles, snack locations and a store, but the real reason you came is waiting for you.
Step down from a platform area onto the suspension bridge and you will feel a swaying. Look down the 200-plus feet to the water below and you will have a sense of just how high up you are.
Capilano Suspension Bridge - spans the Capilano River -over 200 feet below
First up on our Vancouver itinerary was a visit to the third largest park in North America, Stanley Park…
When the people of Vancouver British Columbia established Stanley Park in 1888, they created more than just a park. They provided a place for their citizens – and visitors – to enjoy the country right in their own city.
Totem Poles in Stanley Park - signify legends
Let’s face it, the name sounds like a disease. But, about two hundred years ago, Captain William Clark and his party came to the area now called Ecola State Park to salvage some whale oil and blubber they needed for survival. They also boiled seawater until they could gather enough to preserve food to make it back to the East Coast.
Inspiring scenery - the Pacific Coast with Haystack Rock is in the distance
