North to Alaska - The Forest Primeval

North to Alaska - The Forest Primeval

Though Longfellow was describing Acadia in his famous poem, the Redwoods National & State Parks contain primeval forest… 39,000 acres of old-growth redwoods that were growing before any recorded history. A walk among these ancient trees is mind-boggling. Long before Europeans ever stepped foot on this continent, these trees were growing and thriving here. We could see, smell, and touch these millennia-old living things. How humbling.

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Walking the Old Arrowhead Trail

 Walking the Old Arrowhead Trail

We recently visited Lake Mead’s St. Thomas ghost town and saw a reference to the Old Arrowhead Trail and it piqued our interest. Under a gray, mackerel sky, we set out to find the old trail. It was unseasonably cool as we headed north to Valley of Fire State Park, one of our favorite Nevada state parks, and found the signed entrance to the trail.

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St. Thomas – Lake Mead’s Ghost Town Uncovered

 St. Thomas – Lake Mead’s Ghost Town Uncovered

Recently I wrote about shrinking Lake Mead. The drought and the fact that the lake is shrinking are of great concern, but the discoveries since the water has diminished have been interesting and sometimes quite gruesome. Several bodies have been recovered and boats, sunken and lost decades ago, have now been found. Beyond the bodies and the boats, St. Thomas, the tiny community that was flooded in 1938 when the lake was formed is now dry once again and we decided to visit.

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