Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Category: Terrain

  • Bonneville Salt Flats

    Near Wendover, Utah, USA (July 2011) Something strange looms in the Utah desert along Interstate 80 west of the Great Salt Lake, about an hour-and-a-half outside of Salt Lake City. The terrain begins to change, starts to flatten-out. Streaks of white appear along the ground, gradually growing into patches, then into the dominant feature. Salt.…

  • Arches National Park

    Moab, Grand Co., Utah, USA (June 1992) We drove up to Moab, Utah, setting our sights on Arches National Park. I’d never spent any time in this part of the country before and my eyes opened wide as we drove along Interstate 70 through some of the least-populated territory I’d ever imagined. People were so…

  • Antelope Island State Park

    Davis County, Utah, USA (July 2011) Look at a map of the Great Salt Lake. It’s nearly cleaved through its eastern third by a mountain range, some of which is submerged below the waters. The northern section is a peninsula, the Promontory Point. The southern section is an island, Antelope Island, although it sometimes joins…

  • Finishing Pennsylvania, Part 4 (Western Loop)

    Only five of Pennsylvania’s sixty seven counties remained to be visited. They all aligned neatly to the west of our base in Clearfield. I felt pretty excited that morning. I knew I’d finish the statewide quest within the next few hours. Once again my older son decided to come along on the journey while the…

  • Finishing Pennsylvania, Part 3 (Northern Loop)

    The initial push to capture a dozen remaining unvisited counties in Pennsylvania took a decidedly northern turn. This loop led nearly to the New York border. It also reduced my punch list by half while taking only 4 ½ driving hours. New counties encountered: Elk; Cameron; Potter; McKean; Warren; and Forest. Roadside Aliens My older…

  • Finishing Pennsylvania, Part 2 (Positioning)

    I’d worked for three months without much of a break as the pandemic lingered. Workdays lasted longer and blended into weekends. Little separation existed between home and office in a full-time telework world. Nonetheless I felt fortunate even if I needed a respite from the churn. The drive to Pennsylvania went well and traffic seemed…

  • Wonder World Park

    San Marcos, Hays County, Texas, USA (March 2007) Wonder World Park contained several attractions in one compact area, including a cave; an observation tower, an “anti-gravity” house, and a wild animal park. It also included a gift shop and a snack bar. Tickets could be purchased for the entire tour or for individual portions. Wonder…

  • Big Bend National Park

    Terlingua, Brewster Co., Texas, USA (May 1992) We left San Antonio, passed Uvalde, passed Del Rio, driving through ever smaller and less frequent towns, moving into one of the most remote locations imaginable. We were heading towards that place where the Rio Grande River flows southeast and then takes a sudden jog to the north.…

  • Crossing South Dakota

    Adventures Along Interstate 90 (June 1992) We had already completed most of our RV tour of the southwestern and interior western National Parks, and we pushed into the final stretch. We still had some time to catch a few more sites as we sped towards our home and the end of our expedition. The entirety…

  • The Cleetwood Cove Trail

    Crater Lake National Park; Klamath County, Oregon, USA (July 2012) Crater Lake National Park offers many different trails to choose amongst. The Cleetwood Cove Trail leading down to the shores of Crater Lake at Cleetwood Cove would be a good option for anyone with limited time available (map). The trailhead begins right next to Rim…