With it's electric energy, close proximity to the scenic Lake Michigan, and plenty of green spaces, there is no shortage of amusements when staying in the Windy City. The first in a three part series on our visit to the Windy City, this post details our travel as well as our walking adventures various parks, Chicago's famed river architectural tours, and cultural highlights.
Nestled in the Inyo National Forest not far from the California-Nevada border and the Eastern Sierras grow the ancient bristlecone pines. In the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, these Pinus longaeva trees grow in the harsh conditions, along with limber pines. The Great Basin bristlecones have stood the test of time and are some of the oldest trees on the planet, with many thought to date over 4000 years old, surviving for millennia in conditions most other plants can't. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is accessible via U.S. 395 to CA-168, with some narrow and slightly scary parts.
It doesn't happen too often, but sometimes there are malfunctions or other issues with intricate parade floats. As a result of the small fire on the Chinese American Heritage Foundation's entry and subsequent delay in the parade, news coverage cut before the Royal Cadet band and last three floats. This post features photos of South Pasadena’s ‘Three Little Birds’ and the 811 Underground Service Alert float.
Our last day in Iowa was spent in the town of LeClaire, right on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. We checked out Antique Archaeology from History Channel’s “American Pickers" and spent some time wine-tasting in downtown LeClaire.
To celebrate the wedding of a good friend, we flew into the Quad Cities, an area straddling both Iowa and Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. The Quad Cities are made up of five ‘major’ cities: Moline, East Moline, and Rock Island in Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. There are interesting activities in each of the cities- from the John Deere Museum in Moline to Rich Island's arsenal and more.
The Cranky Camper 