Sightseeing USA part 7 (or 6 or 8...?)

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Too Busy Seeing the Country to Write About It....

well, that ain't really a bad thing.

So I am either too busy or too lazy.....um, too busy sounds best.  In light of time restraints or the inability to put my thoughts into coherant words today I thought I would just share photos of a few recent trips and spare you most of the babble that I would normally include.  Enjoy.

1)  Pictures from a few recent trips to the Upper Rogue River, above Shady Cove, Oregon.  I haven't quite mastered the art of local salmon fishing but I am sure I will long before what the locals call the "first year".

 Now while I won't admit how many times I have gone salmon fishing here on the Rogue I will say that three things, 1) trips are usually between 2 to 6 hours of fishing....not all that long.  2)  I am going at this alone with no local master to follow.  3)  THE BEST PART....I have seen one (and even two) Bald Eagles on EVERY fishing trip thus far.  I may not have caught a salmon yet but then the bald eagles aren't catching them either!

The "Large" Full Moon rising over The Rogue River
June 2013

Most recent fishing spot on The Rogue River

You may notice that it appears these pictures are taken "from above".  Well they were.  This little section of the Upper Rogue is called "Slip Hole".  Appropriately named as the few trails from the highway down are just that, Down!  Straight Down.  There is another spot named "Rail Hole", so named because that is where the highway railing starts at the corner of the road/bend in the river.  I should point out that the distance between Slip Hole and Rail Hole is about a whopping two - three hundred feet.  Yep, to the untrained fisherman this parking area appears to be for just one fishing spot but NO, it's two......the entire area is probably less than the length of a football field.

Rogue River

Rafting The Rogue

Rogue River

A favorite fishing (salmon) hole among the locals.....also a favorite rafting path among the locals.....

Fishermen and Rafters alike, The Rogue River has a lot to offer.  The big challenge is just keeping the peace between each group and within each group respectfully.

"Hey!  That's My Rock!"

"On the river looking down"

"On the river, looking up"

Life's Good

America's Greatest Fisherman

As I said earlier, I have seen America's National Bird, the North American Bald Eagle on every trip thus far.  Truly a special treat.  I am disappointed sometimes though by those who fail to see the majesty in seeing one of these creatures up close and personally, AND in the wild.  Be sure to click and enlarge the picture, then zoom in on the bird itself.  You have to remember I am still taking these photos with an i-phone, and it is an i-phone 3 at that!

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2)  Pictures from a recent business trip to South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.  Not a bad drive, just over six hours. I have always enjoyed my pictures taken "while on the trip", translated to "while driving".  In my first road trip across country, see earlier column(s), I took numerous photos with my old Cannon sitting on the dash of the Dodge pickup.  Today, I just hold the i-phone for pictures and/or videos.  Finding the right song on the radio is always a toss up, though I have had some great luck with a video and just the right song.  These were somewhat planned out, as in "hey wait!  Put on that CD."  

These two videos are about thirty minutes into the trip.  Ascending the Siskyou Summit just south of Ashland, Oregon you begin the decent into Northern California.

Just north of South Lake Tahoe, NV is a short tunnel.  Interesting drive as to to east there is a mountain going straight up....and to the west, well there is a pretty darn big lake.

Lake Tahoe, NV
and some drivers wondering what just what I am doing.....

Lake Tahoe, NV

Heavenly's Ski Lift

Lassen Peak, CA

Mt. Shasta, California

Lassen Peak, CA

There is NO easy way to get from Southern Oregon to Nevada.  I had originally planned to explain the trip in detail with a little history behind the over 380 some odd pictures I took along the way.  After some consideration I figured anyone who really wants to know about this drive could either ask me if they wanted a fact filled long winded explanation.....or they could just Google Map directions for themselves!

Tunnels, not something you drive through a lot of growing up in middle Georgia.  

Lake Tahoe, NV

Mt. Shasta, CA

So there you have it, few of my recent local sightseeing adventure trips.  

America:  Whether you are on the way to a favortite fishing hole or on the road for a business trip, there is so much to see and enjoy.  Thank you Lord for having the imagination to create such a beautiful place; and for the foresight to allow me to be born and raised here.

as always,
bkd


"We are better than anyone, ain't we? Except for the Eagles, the Eagles are better than us."
Sid Vicious 

ps....I'm not sure this quote is about Bald Eagles as much as it is about the band The Eagles, either way I found it quite interesting.

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