U.S. States We Visited

Here comes the list of the states we have visited in the United States:

1. Ohio, Buckeye State: lived in central Ohio for so many years, visited almost every corner of Ohio: Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Bowling Green, Athens, Dayton. Strongly recommended tourism hotspots: Dayton's Air Force Museum, Columbus's Dawes Arboretum and Columbus Zoo, Hocking Hills Old Man's Cave.
2. New York, Empire State: visited Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Columbia University, World Trade Centers before September 11, 2001
3. New Jersey, Garden State: fishing, crabbing, turtling except gardening
4. North Carolina, Old North State: summer vacation at a vacation house of Outer Banks in 2003
5. California, Golden State: 12-day field trip from LA to Napa Valley, from San Francisco to Hearst Castle to Silican Valley then to San Diego
6. Arizona, Grand Canyon State: visited Tucson and its Carolina Mountains
7. Nevada, Silver State: visited casinos in Reno (1997) and Las Vegas (2004)
8. Oregon, Beaver State: visited Eugene and Sea Lion Cave along Pacific Ocean in 2009
9. Montana, Treasure State, Big Sky State: visited Glacier NP, Flathead Lake, tried to go treasure hunting but no time
10. Wyoming, Equality State, Cowboy State: the most recent state we visited because of Yellowstone NP
11. Colorado, Centennial State: National GAP Conference at Colorado State in 2003, visited Rocky Mountain NP
12. Michigan, Great lake State, Wolverine State: visited Michigan State University several times, like their horticultural garden; visited Detroit
13. Indiana, Hoosier State: visited Purdue University and University of Indiana at Bloomington; played U.S. Chess at Indianapolis in 2009
14. Illinois, Prairie State: job interview at University of Illinois at Urbana
15. Wisconsin, Badger State: visited University of Wisconsin at Madison
16. Virginia, Old Dominion: visited friends in Richmond, Virginia in 2010
17. West Virginia, Mountain State: first skiing trip at WinterPlace, WV in 2007 and rafting on the New River in the past June 2011.
18. Pennsylvania, Keystone State, Quaker State: visited Penn State in the Happy Valley in 1996
19. Kentucky, Bluegrass State: visited friends in University of Kentucky
20. Tennessee, Volunteer State, Big Bend State: visited Rock City and Great Smoky Mountains NP in 2007
21. Massachusetts, Bay State, Old Colony State: met old time friends and visited Harvard University and MIT in 1999
22. Alabama, Yellowhammer State, Heart of Dixie, Camellia State: visited Mobile, Alabama in 2003
23. Maryland, Old Line State, Free State: visited Baltimore and its Aquarium long time ago
24. Florida, Sunshine State: visited Disneyland twice, boarded Norwegian Jewel to Cruise the Caribbeans
25. Missouri, Show Me State: visited Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis long time ago

By Year 2011 I visited exactly half of the 50 U.S. States. What a journey!

U. S. National Parks We Visited

On our second day's long drive to the eastern Glacier National Park, we talked about how many states we / I have visited, and how many national parks we / I have visited, as during this summer vacation, we were going to visit two more national parks: Glacier and Yellowstone in one week.

The National Park Service was created by an Act signed by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916. Yellowstone National Park was established by an Act signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, as the Nation's first national park.

There are over 365 National Park Service areas in the Unites States, including two-thirds of small historic sites. But when people think of National Parks, they think most often of places like Yellowstone. There are 58 officially-designated National Parks in the United States and its dependent areas.

Let's start from the shorter list of mine: national parks in the United States with established dates not my visit dates!

Yosemite NP, California, Oct. 1, 1890
Sequoia NP, California, Sept. 25, 1890
Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado, Jan. 26, 1915
Cuyahoga Valley NP, Ohio, Oct. 11, 2000
Great Smoky Mountains NP, North Carolina and Tennessee, May 22, 1926
Grand Canyon NP, Arizona, Feb. 26, 1919
Glacier NP, Montana, May 11, 1910
Yellowstone NP, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, Mar. 1, 1872

Horseback Riding in Whitefish, Montana

The next day, May 31st, 2011, we decided to stay in town and explore Whitefish, Montana.

Whitefish is a vibrant western town located in the northern Rocky Mountains of Montana next to Glacier National Park, and it has millions of acres of spectacular unspoiled nature in every direction.

We came here to see Glacier's Rocky Mountains, but the first mountain came to impress us most is Whitefish's Big Mountain, a winter ski and summer resort mountain. It has had a very busy winter ski season due to this year's unexpected number of snowfalls. We even saw local resident walk all the way up to ski down today at the last day of May!

I called Explore Whitefish's toll free number 1-877-862-3548 for ideas of what to do in town. A nice lady gave me two numbers for horseback riding, told me of today's Farmers' Market at downtown Whitefish in front of the historic Whitefish train depot.

Bar W Guest Ranch was the one answered my phone so we scheduled our riding at 1 pm. Since we still had plenty of time before the horseback riding, we decided to drive south and visit the Flathead Lake, the so-called largest natural fresh-water lake in the western United States. What impressed us most is the fried duck drumlets we ordered from the Docks, Lakeside, Montana. $18 for six pieces, perhaps over-priced but it is the most delicious dish. Mac and Cheese from the kids' meal is yummy, too.

So we drove back to Whitefish, and were just in time for our scheduled horseback riding. Our two wranglers were Allan and Raven, both from Tennessee. My horse was Toby. I didn't expect our riding with that much uphill and downhill, it gave me such saddle sores in the end. Still, it has been exciting experience as this is my first time of horseback riding ever.

We located the Whitefish's Post Office in the downtown and mailed two postcards to friends back in Ohio, then we visited Whitefish's Farmers' Market near the Train Depot. Veggies, flowers, arts, music, foods, cookies, the same as farmers' market all around the country. So just we just bought a bag of kettle popcorn and left before the raindrops falling on our heads.

Many Glacier and Ice Mountain

Off the beaten path,Many Glacier is in the northeastern corner of Glacier National Park, and is often referred to as the heart of Glacier. Boat rides, horseback riding, and great hiking are all found here. Three excellent all-day hikes are the Iceberg Lake, Cracker Lake, and Grinnell Glacier trails. Roughly 10-12 miles round-trip, these moderately strenuous hikes bring visitors to unmatched subalpinne scenery.

For shorter hikes, Grinnell Lake, Red Rock Falls, and the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail are good choices.

With all those said in the Glacier National Park Visitor Summer Guide, we were here too early for the summer season. We could not go hiking on the trails as they were covered with snow. We tried to follow the sign to Ptarmigan Tunnel, ended up circling in the ghosted log cabins. So we had to turned back out.
 
On our way out, we saw quite a lot of mountain goats on the mountain side of loose rocks. What a regret I didn't take even a single picture of the goats. We wondered why the water of the Swiftcurrent Creek flows so fast.

The glaciated mountain on the background of Lake Sherburne is so beautiful, we thought the Ice Mountain Spring Water is probably sourced from here in Glacier National Park. It turned out, Nope, yet from two groundwater wells at Sanctuary Spring in Mecosta County, Michigan and/or Evart Spring in Evart, Michigan.

Black Bears and Glacier's Saint Mary Lake

On May 30, we drove US Route 2 and Route 89 to visit East Glacier and the eastern portion of Going-to-the-Sun Road due to road closure from Avalanche Creek to Jackson Glacier Overlook.

The scenic drive along US Route 2 led us drive from scenes of late spring to mid-spring then to early spring. We had sunshine, drizzling spring shower, then icy rain on our way to Jackson Glacier Overlook. It turned out the Saint Mary Visitor Center is the major entrance to the Glacier. Again, the views of those white glaciated mountains along Saint Mary Lake are spectacular and breathtaking. No much traffic, we have it all!

When we saw a mother black bear and her cub along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, we realized that we are truly in Bear Country.

The Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, from which the road takes its name, is right across the Jackson Glacier Overlook,and it is 9642ft or 2939m high. However, it didn't impress us much, probably because of the cold rain. Still, we walked in ponchos and winter coats all the way to Sunrift Gorge, hiked on the trail to the shore of Saint Mary Lake, came back out at Sun Point. With all these sunny names, we had to wait in rain for our Toyota Sienna to be picked up with the help of two park rangers. Rising Sun was ahead of us. I bet it would be a perfect place to see the rising sun... 20 years later?

Avalanches of Avalanche Creek Glacier National Park

Avalanche Creek is on the western portion of Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road. While walking on the trail of Avalanche Creek, we finally know why it gets its name, because of all those thundering avalanches!

The view of Avalanche Creek Gorge is simply gorgeous and breathtaking.

The Cedars Nature Trail is a boardwalk easy and relaxing trail, compared to the trail of Avalanche Creek all the way to the Avalanche Lake.

And the Deer!

Lake McDonald - Glacier's Largest Lake

On May 29, 2011, we started our visit at Glacier National Park. Our first stop before driving through West Entrance was Waterton-Glacier Park Headquarters, which is to me all about Alberta and made me feel I was crossing the border to Canada!

From Apgar Visitor Center, we got a Glacier road map from the park ranger and decided to drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road along the shores of Lake McDonald until Avalanche Creek where the road beyond was closed. Lake McDonald is Glacier's largest lake. The water is icy cold, and the view is splendid with all those snow-covered mountain surrounding it. My fondest moment was sitting at the northern shore looking to the south in the afternoon sun, warm and calm... ... And those pretty pebbles, green or red, smooth and flattened, so pretty I couldn't help taking two pieces home for souvenirs.

Glacier National Park - Crown of the Continent

Established as the 10th national park, Glacier National Park celebrated its 100th anniversary on May 11, 2010. It is now 101 years old!

Glacier National Park was named for the glaciers that carved, sculpted, and formed this landscape millions of years ago. Some scientists have predicted that by the year 2020, there will be no more glaciers in Glacier National Park due to global climate change. Despite the recession of current glaciers, the park's name will not be changed when the glaciers are gone. I would like to revisit Glacier in 2020, even though I would probably not be able to retire and travel freely by then.
 
These are some examples of global warming impact on Glacier National Park:

The year of 2003 was one of the hottest recorded years in Glacier National Park's history. That year, approximately 144,000 acres burned from multiple wildfires.

Eight inches of snow fell during one night at Glacier's high country in August, 2005. The weather forced hundreds of backpackers out of the back country.

In 1976, Glacier National Park was designated as a World Biosphere Reserve. This designation recognizes Glacier’s intact ecosystem as a valuable place for sound research and education to take place in a sustainable manner.

In 1985, the 50-mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road was dedicated as National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. A drive across the park on the Going-to-the-Sun Road is a highlight of any visit to Glacier National Park. However, a portion of the road from Avalanche Creek in the West to Jackson Glacier Outlook in the East was closed when we were there, so we had to drive down to the South along US Route 2, then up to the North 89 to enter Glacier from Saint Mary. It gave us a great chance to see the gradual changes of Glacier landscape, weather, plants, and animals.

Early Summer Vacation 2011: from Glacier NP to Yellowstone NP

This year Dublin School ended early on Friday right before the Memorial Day weekend. I had been longing for a vacation away from home, so I booked tickets to Glacier National Park after Cindy's recommendation.

Here is the first blog of a series reports on our early summer vacation from Saturday, May 28 to Friday, June 3rd, 2011.

We flew into Kalispell, Montana's Glacier Park Airport, and had stayed at Best Western's Rocky Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, Montana for four nights. We visited Glacier National Park for the following two days, then spent one full day exploring Whitefish, Montana, a ski and summer resort town, and the nearby Flathead Lake, the largest natural fresh-water lake west of Mississippi River.

On June 1st, we drove seven hours to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park, stopped by to see those thermal features especially geysers, patiently waited over one hour and fifteen minutes for Old Faithful to erupt. Lucky us, we got available room at Grant Village so we drove another 40 minutes to stay there for one night. The next day we visited Fishing Bridge Museum, Canyon Village, Norris Geyser Basin, and Mammoth Hot Springs. By 2:30 pm we were ready to say good bye to Mammoth and headed back to Kalispell.

We drove 89 North then 90 West, took a dinner break in Missoula, Montana, then kept driving along 200 West and 93 North, arrived at America's Best Value Inn at 9:30 pm. It was raining hard that night and the following morning when we left Kalispell and flew back to Columbus, Ohio. It was warm and shining like a real summer day in Ohio!