Tag: Volcano

  • The Big Obsidian Flow

    Deschutes County, Oregon, USA (July 2012) The Big Obsidian Flow has an appropriate albeit unimaginative name for this geological structure in central Oregon, just east of the Cascades. It is indeed a big obsidian flow. It forms part of the vast Newberry National Volcanic Monument, founded in 1990 within the Deschutes National Forest, and specifically…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 9 (Lists)

    I like to count a bunch of different things and that didn’t change simply because I went on vacation. If anything, it actually accelerated it. I’m always looking for opportunities to grow my lists. So I thought I’d wrap-up this final article in the Bermuda series with a summary of my progress. Parish Counting I…

  • Waikiki Beach

    Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA (October 1997) We stood at what had to be the ultimate Hawaiian tourist spot, on Waikiki Beach (map) with Diamond Head in the background. Most visitors looked to be Japanese, or honeymooners, or both. We appeared in the background of several dozen Japanese wedding videos totally by accident. We were never…

  • Shell Falls and Devils Tower

    Northern Wyoming (June 1992) Shell Falls We cut across northern Wyoming on Route 14 as we gradually began our Bighorn Mountains ascent. These mountains formed about 60 million years ago as the land forced upward. Erosion slowly scraped away the sedimentary rock in many places, leaving behind the harder granite beneath it. We entered the…

  • Australasian Adventures, Part 3 (Vistas)

    I’ve always liked climbing to the heights, whether by foot, automobile or elevator. Fortunately the parts of New Zealand and Australia we visited included many such opportunities. Some were man-made while others appeared as natural features on the magnificent terrain. Most days brought plenty of chances to appreciate the scenery in all kinds of different…

  • Cocibolca

    English speakers know Lago Cocibolca — or “Sweet Sea” in the language of aboriginal settlers — by a different name: Lake Nicaragua. I’ve long been fascinated by Lake Nicaragua and I would love to go there someday. Thus, recent news of yet another grand plan to construct a canal renewed my interest. If completed it…

  • Dust Bowl Adventure, Part 4 (On the Road)

    The race series moved on to Colorado next. We’d intended to check into our hotel room in Lamar and sit by the pool, using that as an opportunity for our sole afternoon of rest. The hotel must have been busy the previous evening because our room wouldn’t be available for another three hours. We needed…

  • Winding Our Way Back

    It’s getting down to the final days. Fortunately Central Oregon has plenty to offer so I can wring-out a last few activities before we slowly wind our way back towards the north. As noted previously, the map represents several distinct side-trips rather than a single concerted effort. This is intended to provide an orientation and…

  • Around the Bend

    We’re spending a great portion of our adventure in and around the vicinity of Bend, Oregon. We’ve rented a house for the week and we’re using as our home base. That has provided us with a sense of normalcy and a means to travel to numerous outdoor destinations while minimizing travel time. Once again, the…

  • Jackson Volcano

    I’ve been inundated with search engine queries for the last several days about a city with a volcano and lots of brewpubs. They’ve been landing on the guest article that Marc Alifanz wrote about Portland, Oregon, which I think is probably the correct answer to the readers’ question. I’ve tried to find the source. Often…