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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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282

Places edited

Places this traveler has helped edit.

Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail.

Feshiebridge, Scotland

Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail

These skilfully executed, poignant works of art dot a verdant Scottish dell.

The grave itself is overgrown with agave, poison ivy, and lots of other sharp pointy objects, so wear protective clothing!

Sanibel, Florida

Grave of Captain Oliver Bowen

The bizarre story of the mysterious death and hidden treasure of one of Sanibel Island's early homesteaders.

Cloos Tower from afar.

Frederikshavn, Denmark

Cloos Tower

Plans for this local observation tower were debated for so long, the allocated funds lost value and the design had to be changed.

Salto del Monday

Presidente Franco, Paraguay

Salto del Monday

An underexplored, 130-foot tropical waterfall that you will have all to yourself.

Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden.

Los Angeles, California

Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.

Thomas Pursell’s Escape Burial Hatch.

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Thomas Pursell’s Escape Burial Hatch

A retired firefighter created this contraption so he and his family wouldn't die if accidentally buried alive.

Replica of Sebastopol in Addis Ababa.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Sebastopol Artillery Mortar Replica

This roadside monument commemorates the huge weapon built by an Ethiopian emperor's hostages.

Clear Lake

Sisters, Oregon

Clear Lake

The trunks of 3,000 year-old trees lurk beneath the surface of this crystal clear lake in Oregon.

Footprints on the dunes.

Mears, Michigan

Silver Lake Sand Dunes

An unlikely beach paradise of giant sand dunes lies between two lakes just a few minutes from Michigan's cherry country.

Snowplow engine.

Edmonton, Alberta

Alberta Railway Museum

Ride aboard a centuries-year-old steam engine and explore dozens of trains parts, including an unusual "comboose."

Garden of Dreams.

Kathmandu, Nepal

The Garden of Dreams

This elegant neoclassical garden is a peaceful oasis in the middle of the Nepalese capital.

The Trojan Horse Suite.

Heyd, Belgium

La Balade des Gnomes

A fantastical bed and breakfast with magically unique rooms.

Puente de Occidente (Bridge of the West).

Olaya, Colombia

Puente de Occidente (Bridge of the West)

What was once the longest suspension bridge in Latin America was directly inspired by the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.

Black-footed Rock Wallaby.

Desert Springs, Australia

Olive Pink Botanic Garden

Olive’s garden serves up a seemingly endless helping of outback delights.

Chinese Dragon, Mihrab, and cave.

Viyar, Iran

Dashkasan Dragon Temple

Two Chinese dragons guard the caves of this medieval temple in Iran.

The Lava Garden, planted on volcanic rock from an ancient volcanic eruption.

Mexico City, Mexico

UNAM Botanical Garden

These biodiverse university gardens form a green oasis amid the urban chaos of Mexico City.

Tusayan Lookout Tree in 2018

Grand Canyon Village, Arizona

Kaibab Lookout Trees

The remnants of a creative early method of wildfire prevention.

Medieval Garden Maze at Cawdor Castle

Nairn, Scotland

Cawdor Castle

The location of this historic castle was inspired by a donkey.

Gold Butte National Monument.

Clark County, Nevada

Gold Butte National Monument

Nearly 300,000 acres of wildlife, natural splendor, and a hidden ghost town have been designated a national monument.

The foundations of the buildings that were at the center of the Salem witch trials in 1692.

Danvers, Massachusetts

Salem Village Parsonage

Located just behind a quiet residential neighborhood, this is ground zero for the Salem witchcraft hysteria of 1692.

Mzinyathi Waterfall.

Iqadi, South Africa

Mzinyathi Falls

This beautiful waterfall is not easy to reach, but offers a stunning view of the pristine green valley.

Broken Down Dam Park

Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Broken Down Dam Park

A riverside park built around the ruins of a massive dam that collapsed in 1909.

Kaiser Quarry Ruins

Oakland, California

Kaiser Quarry Ruins

An abandoned car and strange wooden debris are among the scattered remains of the old sand and gravel quarry.

The Hillandale Bridge from the ravine.

Euclid, Ohio

Hillandale Bridge

This abandoned bridge to nowhere stands secluded in the woods of a Cleveland suburb.

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