OT: Off the beaten path, but interesting/historic US landmarks you have visited
- Thread starter YeOldeCup
- Start date
It might have been on that TV show ... I've never watched it.
But the Dalton isn't a "true" ice road highway. It's gravel the entire way. It's still a pretty dangerous road - sections of the road were rough and it's very very remote.
I went up there the summer after graduating Penn State, me and a couple friends. We DROVE to Alaska all the way from Michigan in one of my friend's truck! It was a hell of an adventure, but one of those things you can only do at a certain age. We were there in late June, the 2 days (we went north on the road on Day 1, camped, then south on Day 2) we were on the highway it did not snow and it was "mild" for there with temperatures in the 40s and 50s. But there were definitely icy patches in non-sun exposed areas and it was a cautious drive all the way.
Unusually dark. Dark sets in quicker (there's a shorter twilight) in the tropics of course too. I definitely needed my flashlight! There are portions of the trail that goes south from Ka'ena Point where there are pretty dramatic drop-offs down into the Pacific (the trail east isn't nearly as dramatic in that regard).
I recall being in Boston and wanted to see the building that was used for St. Elsewhere. Found it too, but it was in a sketchy neighborhood, so I did not stay long. Two more or less local ones I want to see are Camp Chase--which is where a Civil War POW camp was, so there is a Confederate cemetery there--it's on the west side of Columbus (also a sketchy neighborhood), and the Armstrong Museum in Wapakoneta.
When the kids were small and we were driving south, we would pick a civil war battle site to take a break and let them run around a little. We stopped at Petersburg and Harper's Ferry, they were really cool and wish we would have taken a day or 2 at each. Stopped at Bentonville, NC. That was nice. It was perfect for what we wanted, because it wasn't so big. Also it was just a minor detour going to Myrtle Beach.
Petersburg and the crater are nice and interesting visits.
There is a on older church nearby that has Stained Glass Windows that were bought by, IIRC, the Ladies Memorial Association, and commissioned Tiffany & Co to do them. I think all the southern states are represented. But the major point is the windows are gorgeous.
Also the Visitors Center does a really excellent movie of the "siege" of Petersburg.
Jeebus, don’t you people have jobs? How do you have / want so much spare time?
Ha, I didn’t know that. I used to live in Centreville (and also Fairfax and Leesburg) before moving back to PA in 2003.
That would be really interesting to check out. I recently read that they had to cover over the very graffiti-filled section of abandoned highway because too many people were hanging out and partying there. A damn shame.
I did most of mine after retirement. Six western trips, first in 2005, last in 2015. Several New England, Canadian and southern trips. I've been to 20 some national parks and more than a dozen Civil War battlefields plus many other historic sites and points of interest.
The craziest thing about Westminster Burial Ground is it was a cemetery first and then they built the church later on top of it. Literally on top of graves.
Yep -- a few of us in my brother's wedding party snuck off and explored the catacombs in the basement levels. Interesting and a bit creepy at the same time.
Over a span of 40 plus year. Some work related (2 summers Alaska), Australia, and Hawaii. Couple work/vacation linked, Hawaii. One Alaska vacation. Russian adoption. Certainly not a vacation.
Very cool place. The fort is amazing. Excellent snorkeling and fishing.
Flight 93 National Memorial, Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, PA
We were there on September 11 a few years ago, but after the ceremonies. Sobering. My SIL lost a good friend on that flight (she is a former stewardess).
I was also at Bloody Lane. Took the family to Antietam probably 25 years ago. Hottest day of the year and the car AC was on the fritz. Kids have never let me forget that day.
Also enjoyed Harpers Ferry. Park service tour was excellent.
Numerous missions throughout California
Fort Fisher. South of Wilmington. NC was also a top notch tour/presentation.
Portage Railroad site near Cresson
Horseshoe Curve
New River Gorge Bridge overlook and Hawks Nest State Park cable ride.
California's version of Old Faithful geyser north of Napa Valley.
Also drove from Yosemite NP to Lee Vining on Route 120.
Also enjoyed Harpers Ferry. Park service tour was excellent.
Numerous missions throughout California
Fort Fisher. South of Wilmington. NC was also a top notch tour/presentation.
Portage Railroad site near Cresson
Horseshoe Curve
New River Gorge Bridge overlook and Hawks Nest State Park cable ride.
California's version of Old Faithful geyser north of Napa Valley.
Also drove from Yosemite NP to Lee Vining on Route 120.
The OP said off the beaten path so I think all of these qualify:
Wrangell-St. Elias NP, Copper Center, AK
Denali Highway, AK
White Pass RR, AK
Montezuma's Well & Montezuma's Castle Nat. Mon., AZ
Tuzigoot Nat. Mon., AZ
Dinosaur Nat. Mon., CO
Durango & Silverton RR, CO
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, GA
Copper Harbor Lighthouse (at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula), MI
Keweenaw Nat. Hist. Park, MI
Quincy Mine, Hancock, MI
Basto Village, NJ
Chaco Canyon Nat. Hist. Park,, NM
Acoma Pueblo, NM
Malpais Nat. Mon., NM
Glorieta Pass Civil War battlefield (part of Pecos Nat. Mon.), NM
Virginia City, NV
Congaree NP. SC
Forts Mason, McKavett, Concho, Martin Scott, & Stockton (frontier forts), TX
Painted Churches, Schulenberg, TX
Presidio La Bahia, Goliad, TX
Bryce Canyon NP, UT
Zion NP, UT
Mt. St. Helens, WA
Cass Scenic RR, WV
Wrangell-St. Elias NP, Copper Center, AK
Denali Highway, AK
White Pass RR, AK
Montezuma's Well & Montezuma's Castle Nat. Mon., AZ
Tuzigoot Nat. Mon., AZ
Dinosaur Nat. Mon., CO
Durango & Silverton RR, CO
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, GA
Copper Harbor Lighthouse (at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula), MI
Keweenaw Nat. Hist. Park, MI
Quincy Mine, Hancock, MI
Basto Village, NJ
Chaco Canyon Nat. Hist. Park,, NM
Acoma Pueblo, NM
Malpais Nat. Mon., NM
Glorieta Pass Civil War battlefield (part of Pecos Nat. Mon.), NM
Virginia City, NV
Congaree NP. SC
Forts Mason, McKavett, Concho, Martin Scott, & Stockton (frontier forts), TX
Painted Churches, Schulenberg, TX
Presidio La Bahia, Goliad, TX
Bryce Canyon NP, UT
Zion NP, UT
Mt. St. Helens, WA
Cass Scenic RR, WV
Osceola burial site, Fort Moultrie, Sullivan's Island, SC. Next up. The Penn School, Center, St. Helena Island, SC. One of the first black schools in the South, est. 1862. Did part of my Masters on this and the Gullah people of South Carolina. Fascinating people and history. They still sell their baskets at the market in Charleston, SC. My first time there, the original slave market sign was still hanging.
I've never been to Sharpsburg, but it is definitely on my bucket list. This is probably a typical, but gruesome story of the towns people helping.
http://john-banks.blogspot.com/2011/10/antietam-visit-connecticut-church.html
http://john-banks.blogspot.com/2012/04/antietam-church-of-misery-for-16th.html
These stained glass windows look nice, too
They aren't historic, but I have visited both Luckenbach and China Grove, Texas.
Prudhoe Bay? When I was employed for Michael Baker Jr. , (my first job from college), worked with senior engineers to develop temporary wooden bridges as long as 500 feet to carry equipment and materials from the bay 300 miles south spanning the many Alaskan rivers.
Yes, Prudhoe Bay. Deadhorse, AK to be more precise. Up there in the mid 90’s as part of a three-day BP boondoggle for engineering professors. Meetings with BP and Arco (no merger yet) on recruiting in Anchorage, and then flew up to the North Slope for a long day tour. Crazy landing and take off in a 737 on a frost-heaved gravel runway. Sounded like the plane was tearing apart.
Being on Champlain at sunrise is heaven on Earth. The Adirondack Mountains are spectacular.
I used to love the Windsor's wings and it was a go to in the 90's, but now prefer less sauce and more spice.
If memory serves me correct, Atigun Pass on the Brooks Range was a hell of ordeal constructing the pipeline.
This from wiki:
Roebling began producing wire rope at Saxonburg in 1841. At that time canal boats from Philadelphia were transported over the Allegheny Mountains on railroad cars in order to access waterways on the other side of the mountains, so that the boats could continue to Pittsburgh. The system of inclines and levels that moved the boats and conventional railroad cars was a state-owned enterprise, the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The railroad cars were pulled up and down the inclines by a long loop of thick hemp rope, up to 7 centimeters thick. The hemp ropes were expensive and had to be replaced frequently. Roebling remembered an article he had read about wire ropes. Soon after, he started developing a 7-strand wire rope at a ropewalk that he built on his farm.
In 1844 Roebling won a bid to replace the wooden canal aqueduct across the Allegheny River with the Allegheny Aqueduct. His design encompassed seven spans of 163 feet (50 m), each consisting of a wooden trunk to hold the water, supported by a continuous cable made of many parallel wires, wrapped tightly together, on each side of the trunk. He followed this innovation in 1845 by building a suspension bridge over the Monongahela River at Pittsburgh.
Outside of the US, when I was in Kazakhstan adopting my son I visited The Medeu near the city of Almaty. It’s the worlds largest outdoor skating arena set in a mountain setting ( not that there are many in that category). It was built in the early 50’s and was used as a training facility for Soviet Olympians - speed skating mostly.
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