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Osage

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2018

The trip that bit me with the travel bug: I did my first real traveling when I went on my first cross-country road trip in the summer of 1961 at the age of six in a brand-new red Pontiac Catalina convertible with my brother & parents. We began in Columbus Ohio and traveled to see my grandparents in Santa Barbara California, by way of Yosemite, & the Painted Desert, traveling a lot on old Route 66. While passing through Yuma Arizona we were caught in a flash hailstorm that came out of the blue and only lasted 20-30 seconds yet left 1.5 inches of hail just a bit smaller than a golf ball in a layer all over the road. Being in a convertible, my dad had to do some quick thinking and swerved into a gas station that had a 'wing' triangular-shaped roof canopy supported by steel poles over the gasoline pumps. Only my father's quick thinking and the fact that there was an open space at one of the pumps, saved the convertible top, the front and rear windows and our vacation trip. Other cars around us were not so lucky - I saw many that had cracked or broken windshields as Dad pulled back out onto the road. Still today, I clearly hear in my mind, the loud popping sounds of the hailstones breaking under the tires as he pulled out. It was not long before the clouds disappeared entirely, the sun came out in full fury and the hailstones were history; small rivulets of clear water headed for the sides of the road. Within minutes there was no sign of them, including no moisture left on the pavement! While in California we saw the redwoods and visited relatives in Bakersfield and Shell Beach. In New Mexico we stayed one night in an air-conditioned concrete[!] tipi at a small motel. I recall my uncle Raymond who was the sheriff of Santa Barbara County at the time [or at least that's what he told us kids], taking my brother and me on a ride in his police car while on duty and he even pulled over someone with lights & siren! I have a few B&W photos from that CA trip that have survived all these years. Funny, the ride home was not as memorable, maybe because we were all tired and grouchy and I just wanted to be home again sleeping in my own bed! Hey, I was six years old! I've loved to travel, especially to wild and natural places, all of my life.

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Places Edited by Osage

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282

Places edited

Places this traveler has helped edit.

Berbera Shipwrecks

Berbera, Somalia

Berbera Shipwrecks

A surprising number of shipwrecks visible just off the Somaliland coast.

Noojee Trestle Bridge

Noojee, Australia

Noojee Trestle Bridge

This remnant of an old railroad is the tallest surviving wooden trestle bridge in Victoria.

El Viejo Hobbit

Villa Gesell, Argentina

El Viejo Hobbit

"Di amigo y entra" at this Argentinian Middle Earth-inspired pub.

Pulpí Geode

Pulpí, Spain

Geoda de Pulpí (Pulpí Geode)

Peek into a cave of giant, glimmering crystals.

Via Mala

Colere, Italy

Via Mala

A prehistoric route that has claimed many victims is now closed to traffic.

Entrance to the mine.

Walhalla, Australia

Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine

A rare chance to enter an original gold mine from the 1800s.

Jättegrytan i Skarpnäck (Skarpnäck Giant's Kettle)

Skarpnäcks Gård, Sweden

Jättegrytan i Skarpnäck (Skarpnäck Giant's Kettle)

This hole formed by a glacier is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in Stockholm.

Sorgente del Mercure

Viggianello, Italy

Sorgente del Mercure (Mercure Wellspring)

This crystal clear water basin feeds the Lao river and powers a hydroelectric power plant.

The old and new Navajo Bridges, from the Colorado River.

Marble Canyon, Arizona

Navajo Bridge

When it was built in 1929, this historic bridge was the only place to cross the Colorado River for 600 miles.

The river alongside Larkin Plaza

Yonkers, New York

Saw Mill River Daylighting

A waterway covered over after the Industrial Revolution has been unearthed and cleaned up, for the enjoyment of fish and humans alike.

Bottomless Lakes State Park

Roswell, New Mexico

Bottomless Lakes State Park

Hidden in the New Mexico desert southeast of Roswell, nine small deep lakes formed inside sinkholes.

Qanat Gesuiitico Basso in Palermo

Palermo, Italy

Qanat di Palermo

A network of underground water channels that dates back to the Middle Ages.

Falls Of Dochart

Killin, Scotland

Falls Of Dochart

Cascading waterfalls mark the gateway to the ancient burial place of Clan Macnab.

Windy Hill transmitter

Ripponden, England

Windy Hill

The longest cutting on the M62 contains some surprises—though it's best to leave the motorway to appreciate them.

The entrance to the Mine

Daroca, Spain

La Mina de Daroca

This tunnel was built in order to protect the village of Daroca from flash floods during rainy seasons.

Singer Castle

Chippewa Bay, New York

Singer Castle

This island castle contains enough secret passageways to support a season of Scooby-Doo episodes.

Dunbar Outdoor Pool in July 1923

Dunbar, Scotland

Dunbar Outdoor Pool Remains

This Scottish bay still reveals evidence of its days as a seaside swimming pool.

Siliserh Lake

Kishanpur, India

Siliserh Lake

In an arid region, this beautiful lake in the Aravalli hills is an unexpected delight.

A dinosaur sculpture at the site.

Fátima, Portugal

Pegadas de Dinossáurios da Serra de Aire Natural Monument

The ancient sauropod tracks found in this former quarry are some of the largest in the world.

From above.

Portland, Maine

Fort Gorges

Accessible only by boat, this centuries-old island fort never saw troops or combat.

Benagil Caves

Lagoa, Portugal

Benagil Caves

Perhaps the most spectacular grotto along the Algarve coastline.

The Appalachian Trail Shoe Tree

Blairsville, Georgia

The Appalachian Trail Shoe Tree

An eerie site of reverence for those who have completed an epic journey.

Ralph Foster Museum

Point Lookout, Missouri

Ralph Foster Museum

This museum features the original car used on the Beverly Hillbillies sitcom.

Lumiang Cave

Sagada, Philippines

Lumiang Cave

This burial cave houses around 100 ancient coffins, neatly stacked to form a massive wall.

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