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Day 8 and it is time to go home. We have really enjoyed our escape from Nevada and hope to come back another day (but not likely in the winter). My family and I did have the opportunity to check something off of our bucket list before leaving MN, we saw an eagle – just hanging out on the top of a tree.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4.5 30mm 1/1000th sec
Of course we really aren’t very close to it, but it still was a treat to see. Didn’t see a single one when we drove across the country and through Yellowstone, but we see one in Hoyt Lakes, MN….
And, as we are also heading out of town there is one sign that I have to laugh at every time we drive by it. If you have been following along on the blog, you understand that Hoyt Lakes, MN is a pretty small town. But at some point someone felt it was necessary for this sign.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4 21mm 1/250th sec
Funny. I have not once seen this area congested in the way city folk understand congested to mean.
Our time has been relaxing and full of adventure at the same time. I had truly been relaxing, and all was well ….until we got to the Duluth airport. This is the smallest airport I have ever seen in my life, it only has 4 gates and only recently went up to 4 gates because Allegiant Airlines expanded the gates by one. The TSA here take their job very seriously. Both of my kids and my carry ons were pulled out of the security line after x-ray for manual searches – which resulted in my camera equipment being pulled out and meticulously reviewed. I have a Pod ‘bean’ bag with a tripod mount on it (beans are small plastic pellets) which lost a lot of beans on the floor as it was being inspected. In the end, my stuff (and my son’s) was scanned by xray three times after the manual inspection. This caused a HUGE backup at security (because there are only three TSA folks working – one to xray and two to manually search items). Frustrating.
I don’t know that I can go through that again…when we come back I think we will just fly into Minneapolis and rent a car. Happy to be headed home from Gate 1.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4 6mm 1/400th sec
Day 3 includes another road trip. Before heading out, I took a couple of quick shots of Pelican Lake and the flowers outside the hotel.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO 200 f/16 18mm 1/60th sec
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO 200 f/5.6 200mm 1/160th sec
We left Orr and headed towards Grand Rapids, MN and then eventually on to Deer River and Jesse Lake. My mother grew up on a farm in Jesse Lake, with her 12 siblings and she attended Deer River High School. Our trip to Jesse Lake was to visit my father’s grave and where many of my deceased family are resting peacefully. It is a nice spot, wind rustling the leaves. Peaceful. Our round trip included a stop for lunch in Deer River and back to visit family in Grand Rapids. For those that don’t already know…Judy Garland is from Grand Rapids, MN and there is a museum there that showcases her life and career.
Heading back to the Iron Range, we stopped to see the statue dedicated to the workers and life of the Iron Range. The statue was created in 1987 by artist Jack Anderson and is titled “The Emergence of Man Through Steel”. It is 36 ft tall and is made of copper and brass. My teenage son is standing at bottom right to give you a sense of scale. Oddly enough, the miner depicted is cross eyed and stares down at the McDonalds that is across the street.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO 200 f/11 32mm 1/250th sec
Day 2 brings a road trip. The route – a whirlwind of northern Minnesota – almost as far north as you can go. We headed up to International Falls, the goal/intent to get a stamp in our National Parks Passport Book at Voyageurs National Park. Lots of trees, lots of green…which to us desert dwellers is very strange – we are used to seeing dust, rock, and the occasional tumbleweed. International Falls is the second busiest international rail port in the United States. It is known as the “Icebox of the Nation”, and if you watch TV during the coldest days of winter, International Falls weather is usually referenced on national level news for the chilly temperatures.
Before we headed into the park, we stopped to eat lunch at a restaurant on the edge of International Falls called the Chocolate Moose (how could we not stop with a name like that?). Food was excellent and abundant…and we couldn’t leave without having chocolate. The signature dessert is the Milky Way Mousse Cake. It is chocolate cake topped with chocolate mousse and chocolate and carmel drizzled on top. This is not going to be a very healthy vacation, but it sure is going to taste good.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 200 f/2.8 6.1mm 1/25th sec
After lunch we make our way to the park. It is really a beautiful drive to the Rainy Lakes Visitor Center. Voyageurs National Park is the only National Park in Minnesota and is mostly made up of lakes and provides year round activities for the outdoorsman. Most of the park is only accessible by water and there are many resorts, camping areas and residences in the area. According to the NPS.gov website – “Although the first proposal to designate the area as a national park occurred in 1891, it wasn’t until 1975 that Voyageurs National Park was established after a lengthy legislative battle that began in 1962. Many people were involved in the movement to establish Voyageurs National Park, including Ernest Oberholtzer, one of the founding members of the Wilderness Society in 1935. ” Much more info about the park can be found on the NPS website http://www.nps.gov/voya/index.htm
We went on a quick walk on one of the hikes and I was pretty much in a close up photo mood most of this trip….
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO 200 f/6.3 200mm 1/160th sec
After the walk we headed back south to stay the night in Orr, MN on Pelican Lake. The highlight of this day was our evening activity, a trip to the Vince Shute Bear Sanctuary. The sanctuary includes over 500 acres of wooded area for the bears to roam free and exist without human disturbance, but they do have a viewing area inside the sanctuary in which they feed the black bears that live in the sanctuary. The visiting public is allowed to walk on a deck that is roughly 20 feet up in the air, close enough to see and learn about the bears – but far enough away that they are not disturbed. We saw 20+ bears while we were visiting. Not too far from the viewing platform, three cubs were napping in a tree (amazing how they sleep in those positions).
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO 500 f/6.3 200mm 1/50th sec
The Vince Shute Bear Sanctuary is worth the visit, I would recommend it to everyone. More info at http://www.americanbear.org/
Red Rock Canyon is one of the natural wonders in the Las Vegas area and I really do enjoy spending time out there. Every time I find something new and surprising, and this time was no different. Red Rock Canyon is just a short drive west from Las Vegas, some of it can actually be seen from the Strip if you are awake at the right time of day. For those that want to venture out for a pleasant escape, there is a thirteen mile scenic drive which is an amazement all on its own. Several parking areas along the scenic drive provide ample and spectacular photographic opportunities. Each of the parking areas, are situated at trail heads with a variety of hikes ranging from easy to strenuous.
Each of these hikes can provide you with a different view into the ecology of the Red Rock Canyon area. Some of the hikes are at a higher elevation, meaning you are likely to see more greenery than some of the lower elevations. The plant life at Red Rock Canyon varies throughout the seasons. Early on in the year Joshua Trees display a beautiful bloom of flowers to extend their height. Spring brings a variety of wildflowers, some of which will show up on this blog from time to time or in my website portfolio (which is about to get an overhaul).
Despite hiking there several times, I had not yet seen the seasonal waterfall at the end of the Lost Creek Trail – this really is due to not coming at the right time of year or after a dry winter. Over the last few months we have had more rain in the Las Vegas area than the last several years combined, so the possibility of the waterfall actually flowing was pretty great. Our first peek came about 3/4 of the way up, this first image inviting us to climb higher to find the source.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO500 f/5.6 200mm 1/25th sec (handheld)
From this vantage point we could hear the rushing waterfall, almost drowning out the calm trickle this mini-waterfall provides. Crossing a few more streams and up a bit more in elevation and you come upon the seasonal waterfall on Lost Creek Trail.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO500 HDR of five images at 18mm
Finally, I can say I have seen this waterfall. Water is such a precious commodity in the desert, it is treasured and something that causes desert dwellers a great deal of excitement. When the rains come, we celebrate. I grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes, so this certainly is not the first body of water or waterfall I have experienced in my lifetime. Living in the desert for the past 11 years has made me appreciate and miss the water at a greater level than I had ever anticipated. I feel honored to have seen this natural part of life and will treasure the personal experience for a long time.
The best surprise of the day actually came after visiting the waterfall. Generally it is expected to see the beauty of natural rock formations, desert plant life and probably small rodent or reptilian wildlife when visiting Red Rock Canyon. We were blessed with seeing some burros early on the scenic drive (unfortunately the photographer was not quick enough to get the camera out in time). On the descent from the higher elevations, approaching the end of the scenic drive, we saw something moving out amongst the brush. Stopping the vehicle to try to get confirmation that something was really out there provided us with a sight so glorious that the visit to the waterfall was briefly forgotten. A family of deer was wandering through the brush, eating while in the midst of a slow migration towards the mountains. Five of them total, at least two (if not three) of them young bucks, with their antlers roughly double the height of their head. Each time a car would rush by, a head or two would pop up to make sure the coast was clear. The passengers of these cars have no idea what they were missing. We followed them for roughly thirty minutes, watching them trek and eat.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO 500 f/5.6 200mm 1/500th sec
I have never been disappointed with a visit to Red Rock Canyon and go back frequently. The wildflowers will begin blooming soon, turning the brownish ground into a bed of orange flowers. I look forward to coming back.
I truly enjoy finding the little details that make Las Vegas just that much more than the glitz and whirring noises. With a little time invested, you can begin to notice really interesting things. Not only is this town full of beautiful architecture (which I will share with you from time to time), glitzy shows and LOTS of tourists – but there are many that call this town home. Some are human, some are not.
This pair hang out in the big water feature at the Bellagio. They can usually be found along the wall on the Strip side of the water feature – too hot in the summer way out in the middle of the ‘lake’. So, yes there is more to the Bellagio water feature than the water show. Don’t get me wrong, I could spend a whole day watching the water show. Not only is it spectacular to watch, but it also causes the air temperature to drop during the show (especially nice on a summer evening when it was 105 during the day).
