Fog Lift at Battleship Rock – American Byways

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Home
Journal
Map
Destinations
- Historic Site
- National Park
- Nature
  - Arch
  - Bog
  - Canyon
  - Cave
  - Desert
  - Dune
  - Lake
  - Prairie
  - View
  - Waterfall
  - Wetland
  - Wilderness
- Point of Interest
  - Cemetery
- Transportation
Regions
- Mid-Atlantic
- Midwest
  - Indiana
  - Michigan
  - Ohio
- Northeast
- Southeast
  - North Carolina
  - Tennessee
- Southwest
  - Arizona
  - New Mexico
Prints & Downloads
About
Search

Fog Lift at Battleship Rock

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Whatever the season, I’ve found Cataract Falls Sta

Whatever the season, I’ve found Cataract Falls State Recreation Area near Cloverdale, Indiana, to be a quiet place to reflect and explore.

On my most recent visit in early autumn, the air was cool and still, and the trees showed only the first touches of color. The flow over the falls was low—reduced by late-summer drought—but Mill Creek still threaded its way through the limestone gorge, glinting in the soft light. The subdued sound of water over stone matched the calm of the season, a contrast to the rush and thunder of past visits.

Cataract Falls is home to Indiana’s largest waterfalls by volume. Over millions of years, Mill Creek carved through layers of ancient limestone, shaping the Upper and Lower Falls. The landscape owes its form to the Illinoisan glacial period, when ice sheets buried pre-glacial ridges beneath layers of sediment. Mill Creek later cut through those weakened formations, creating a combined seventy-five-foot drop—forty-five feet at the Upper Falls and thirty at the Lower.

I’ve seen Cataract Falls under far different conditions. In summer, the air was heavy and humid, and the creek gushed with steady power after seasonal storms. In winter, following a rain that turned to snow, the falls ran full and strong, framed by sheets of ice and a landscape muffled in silence. Each visit revealed a different side of the same place—shaped by weather, time, and the enduring pull of Mill Creek across the stone.

#stayandwander #OptOutside #folkscenery #RAW_landscape #RAW_seasons #RAW_allnature #Water_Perfection #Water_Brilliance #wb_water_brilliance #Waterfall #rawusa_nov25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa #Indiana #VisitIndiana #igersIndiana #ExploreIndiana #myIndiana #IndianaDNR

The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington features a no

The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington features a notable collection of equine sculptures honoring the legacy of legendary horses and their bond with people.

At the park’s entrance stands Man o’ War, a 1948 bronze by Herbert Haseltine. Regarded as the greatest Thoroughbred of the 20th century, Man o’ War won 20 of 21 races and sired champions including War Admiral. His statue and remains, relocated from Faraway Farm in the 1970s, form the park’s central memorial.

Outside the Salyer House stands Secretariat, a 2004 bronze by Edwin Bogucki. It depicts the 1973 Triple Crown winner led into the Derby winner’s circle by groom Eddie Sweat, with Ron Turcotte aboard, immortalizing one of racing’s most iconic moments.

The 2018 Sgt. Reckless monument by Jocelyn Russell honors the small Mongolian mare who served with the U.S. Marines during the Korean War, hauling ammunition and rescuing wounded soldiers under fire. Decorated with two Purple Hearts, she remains a symbol of courage and devotion.

The Bret Hanover bronze by Luis Sanguino (2002) commemorates one of harness racing’s greatest pacers. Winner of 62 of 68 races and a Triple Crown champion, Bret Hanover stood at stud at Castleton Farm and now rests beneath his statue at the park.

Finally, Phoenix, a 1993 bronze by Patricia Crane, stands near the International Museum of the Horse, depicting the five-time world champion American Saddlebred “The Phoenix.”

Visitors can explore these and other works through the park’s Equine Sculpture Walk self-guided tour.

📸 Key:
1 - Sgt. Reckless
2 - Man o’ War
3 - Secretariat
4 - Phoenix
5 - Bret Hanover

#VisittheUSA #wanderingusa #Kentucky #KentuckyKicksAss #ourKY #TravelKY #ExploreKY #BestoftheBluegrassState #KentuckyLife #OnlyinKentucky #KYStateParks #ShareTheLex #VisitLex #LexKY #LEX18 #KyHorsePark

The Michigan City lighthouses mark one of the most

The Michigan City lighthouses mark one of the most distinctive harbor entrances on the southern shore of Lake Michigan in #Indiana. Together, the old shore light and the later pierhead light reflected the city’s growth as a working port, while their survival into the present gave Indiana one of its best-known maritime landmarks.

Michigan City’s lighthouse history began in 1837, but the surviving shore light was built in 1858 to replace the earlier structure on Lake Michigan. It remained in service until 1904, when its lantern and lens were moved to a new pierhead tower at the harbor entrance. Harriet Colfax, one of the station’s most notable keepers, served both the shore light and the harbor light before resigning in 1904 at age eighty.

A separate pier light was first established in 1871, but storms repeatedly damaged the exposed structure, and one tower was swept into the lake in 1886. The present Michigan City East Light was completed in 1904 on a concrete pier and built of steel and brick above a fog-signal building. Automated in 1960 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, it remains paired with the old shore light, now a museum. Together, the two landmarks preserve a continuous story of navigation, harbor engineering, and lighthouse keeping from the 1830s onward.

#HistoricPreservation #GreatLakesLighthouses #LighthousePhotography #VisitIndiana

Sturgeon Point Lighthouse stands along the Lake Hu

Sturgeon Point Lighthouse stands along the Lake Huron shoreline in Haynes Township, just north of Harrisville, #Michigan. Built where a shallow reef extends more than a mile into open water, the station marked a persistent hazard along Michigan’s northeastern lower peninsula. The brick tower, distinguished by its white and red daymark, remains an active aid to navigation while anchoring the broader landscape of Sturgeon Point State Park.

Congress appropriated approximately $15,000 in 1867 after the United States Lighthouse Board identified the reef as a danger between established lights on Lake Huron. A 60-acre site was secured in 1868, and construction of the limestone foundation, brick tower, and attached keeper’s dwelling was largely complete by late 1869. The light was first exhibited in 1870 using a kerosene-fueled lamp and Fresnel lens. Perley Silverthorn served as the first keeper, overseeing operations during a period of growing vessel traffic tied to lumbering and regional trade.

In 1876, a station of the United States Life-Saving Service was established adjacent to the lighthouse, reinforcing the site’s role in rescue work along this exposed reach of shoreline. Technological improvements led to automation in 1913, and after the creation of the United States Coast Guard in 1915, responsibility for the station gradually shifted. Full automation was achieved in 1939, and staffing ended by 1941.

Congress appropriated approximately $15,000 in 1867 after the United States Lighthouse Board identified the reef as a danger between established lights on Lake Huron. A 60-acre site was secured in 1868, and construction of the limestone foundation, brick tower, and attached keeper’s dwelling was largely complete by late 1869. The light was first exhibited in 1870 using a kerosene-fueled lamp and a Fresnel lens. Perley Silverthorn served as the first keeper, overseeing operations during a period of growing vessel traffic tied to lumbering and regional trade.

#PureMichigan #HistoricPreservation #GreatLakesLighthouses #LighthousePhotography

Sometimes the best nights on the road begin withou

Sometimes the best nights on the road begin without a plan—just an open highway and a rough idea about a stand of Joshua trees in northern Arizona. That’s how we found ourselves heading south of Boulder City, chasing the last light into the Mojave.

The road turned black near town, headlights cutting through the dark along U.S. Route 95. We turned off onto quieter roads toward the Grapevine Mesa Joshua Tree Forest—a stretch of high desert where the trees grow thick and old. Miles from pavement, we pulled onto BLM land and camped beside aging radio towers. From that knoll, the Joshua trees fanned out in tangled silhouettes beneath a sky full of stars. We chalked the tires, opened the rooftop tent, and slept.

Dawn came slowly. Pinks and soft blues gave way to sunlit cholla and creosote. The Joshua trees turned golden at the tips. We walked among them for an hour, stopping often to photograph and listen to the wind. No other visitors. Just a few signs and open land—a place that felt nearly forgotten. Years ago, a group called Friends of Arizona Joshua Tree Forest pushed for protections, but it has since disbanded. Quiet efforts still continue.

By late morning, we crossed into the Hualapai Indian Reservation. Our destination: Guano Point, a rocky outcrop with broad views of the Grand Canyon and a curious history. In the mid-20th century, miners blasted a tunnel 2,500 feet into a cave rich in guano—bat droppings once prized for fertilizer. A cable tram stretched across the canyon. The effort was short-lived. By 1960, the mine was abandoned.

We stood at the edge, watching the Colorado River carve the canyon below. It was awe-inspiring—but incomplete. The Hualapai have preserved access to this landscape, but the experience felt limited: worn overlooks, few signs, no trails. Aircraft buzzed overhead, a constant presence compared to the quiet of park-managed lands. Still, the land spoke in stone and shadow.

#VisitArizona #CaptureArizona #arizonaisgorgeous #OnlyInArizona #ArizonaPhotographer #ExploreArizona #ArizonaLife #ArizonaCollective @visit_arizona @capturearizona #GrandCanyon #GrandCanyonState #rawusa_aug25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa @visittheusa #RAW_landscape

On the slow road to El Morro, New Mexico, somewher

On the slow road to El Morro, New Mexico, somewhere between the dusty roads and the clear blue sky, we found Los Gigantes.

This land carries more than stone. The area surrounding Los Gigantes has long been part of the cultural geography of the Diné and their neighbors, the Zuni. Ancient trails pass nearby—footpaths connecting springs, ceremonial sites, and pueblos. Petroglyphs, though harder to find now, record generations of presence. Stories tied to these cliffs speak to origin, migration, and reverence—narratives not always visible to a passing traveler, but deeply embedded in the land.

The site itself sits quietly off a narrow Bureau of Indian Affairs road, unassuming and almost easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. There are no signs, trail markers, or interpretive panels—just sandstone cliffs standing watch over the high desert. The air smells faintly of juniper and dust.

Their bones run deep. The base is Zuni Sandstone, which was laid down by ancient winds and marks the farthest reach of Jurassic rivers and lakes. Above that sits Entrada Sandstone, deposited when this place was a shifting expanse of beaches, tidal flats, and dunes some 180 million years ago. Now it forms soft slopes beneath the cliffs, a quiet record of time layered in stone.

#stayandwander #WildernessCulture #OptOutside #folkscenery #RAW_landscape #RAW_allnature #rawusa_aug25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa @visittheusa #NewMexico #NewMexicoTrue #NMTrue #VisitNewMexico #NewMexicoMagazine #NMMagazine

After days of heavy rain, the waterfalls at Clifty

After days of heavy rain, the waterfalls at Clifty Falls State Park transform into powerful torrents, creating dramatic displays at every turn. Located just west of Madison, Indiana, the park spans over 1,400 acres of rugged terrain, deep gorges, and breathtaking waterfalls. More can be found in our newest guide at americanbyways.com

#folkscenery #folkgreen #stayandwander #WildernessCulture #OptOutside #earth_shotz #raw_country_spring #raw_landscape #Water_Perfection #Water_Brilliance #wb_water_brilliance #Waterfall #Spring #Springtime #raw_seasons #Indiana #VisitIndiana #igersIndiana #ExploreIndiana #myIndiana #IndianaDNR #rawusa_mar25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa #VisitMadisonIN @visitmadisoninc

The inscriptions at El Morro National Monument in

The inscriptions at El Morro National Monument in New Mexico, carved into a prominent sandstone bluff known as Inscription Rock, document centuries of human presence along a reliable waterhole at its base. The earliest markings are petroglyphs left by Ancestral Puebloans, followed by Spanish explorers and settlers who etched names, dates, and messages beginning in the late 16th century. Later inscriptions include the signatures of American soldiers, emigrants, and surveyors traveling west during the 19th century. Together, the markings form a layered historical record of Native, Spanish, and Anglo-American passage.

📸 Key:
1, 2, 3 - No description.
4 - “R.H. Orton, Capt, 1st Cal, Cav. 1866”
5, 6 - No description.

#rawusa_sept25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa @visittheusa #NewMexico #NewMexicoTrue #NMTrue #VisitNewMexico #GramOfEnchantment #NewMexicoMagazine #NMMagazine #RoadsideAmerica #Americana #ArchitecturePhotography #HistoricPreservation #OptOutside #NativeAmericanSites #NationalPark #NationalParkGeek

The Bernice D. was a gasoline-powered fishing boat

The Bernice D. was a gasoline-powered fishing boat that once operated on the nearby Black River. It is now preserved and displayed next to the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse in #Michigan.

#boatlife #PureMichigan #AbandonedPlaces

Rising from the high desert of western New Mexico,

Rising from the high desert of western New Mexico, El Morro National Monument is a sandstone bluff that has served as a landmark for centuries. At its base, a year-round pool of water once drew ancestral Puebloans, Spanish explorers, and pioneers moving west. Each left their mark on the cliff face, where more than 2,000 carvings remain — from petroglyphs to elaborate Spanish inscriptions to simple initials scratched by settlers.

A short trail leads past the shaded pool and beneath the inscriptions, while a longer route climbs to the mesa top and the ruins of Atsinna Pueblo. From here, the view stretches across the Zuni Mountains and the black lava fields of El Malpais, a landscape that has shaped both history and tradition in the region.

El Morro is not only a striking natural formation but also a layered archive of movement and memory. Standing at twilight, when the sandstone glows and the inscriptions come into sharp relief, it is easy to see why travelers across so many centuries paused here — and why it remains a place worth seeking out today.

📸 Key:
1 - Inscription Rock
2 - Cuesta Top
3 - Cuesta Top
4 - Inscription Rock
5 - Mesa Top Trail Loop
6 - Tulip prickly pear (Opuntia phaeacantha)

#stayandwander #WildernessCulture #OptOutside #folkscenery #RAW_landscape #RAW_seasons #RAW_allnature #rawusa_aug25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa @visittheusa #NewMexico #NewMexicoTrue #NMTrue #VisitNewMexico #NewMexicoMagazine #NMMagazine

A winter snowfall settled over Big Walnut Creek as

A winter snowfall settled over Big Walnut Creek as Baker’s Camp Covered Bridge crossed the valley in Putnam County, #Indiana. Built in 1901 by Joseph J. Daniels, the single-span bridge uses the Burr arch truss, a timber system that combines a curved arch with kingpost framing to carry loads efficiently across rural streams. Seen from above, the bridge reads as part of the landscape it once served, an enclosed crossing shaped by local materials, late nineteenth-century engineering practice, and the practical demands of county roads.

#AmericanRural #VisitIndiana #RAWbridges #Total_Bridges

Enjoyed a peaceful evening stroll through White Ri

Enjoyed a peaceful evening stroll through White River State Park the other day—golden light on the canal, a soft breeze, and the city skyline reflecting in the water. It’s one of those places where nature and city life blend effortlessly. Hard to beat for a quiet walk at sunset.

#Indy #loveIndy #igersindy #indyarchitecture #Indiana #VisitIndiana #igersIndiana #ExploreIndiana #myIndiana #IndianaDNR #RAWbridges #amazingshots_bridges #Total_Bridges #rawusa_mar25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa #bestoftheusa_urban #SeeYourCity #raw_seasons #Water_Perfection #Water_Brilliance #wb_water_brilliance #folkscenery #folkgreen #stayandwander #OptOutside #earth_shotz #raw_country_spring

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