Ash Cave – Jan. 2025 – 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
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- Mid-Atlantic
- Midwest
  - Indiana
  - Michigan
  - Ohio
- Northeast
- Southeast
  - North Carolina
  - Tennessee
- Southwest
  - Arizona
  - New Mexico
Prints & Downloads
About
Search

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

Ash Cave – Jan. 2025

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American Byways

January 5, 2025

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A late-winter hike through the Red River Gorge Geo

A late-winter hike through the Red River Gorge Geological Area in #Kentucky in 2009 offered a quiet day on the trail with my dad, moving through bare hardwoods and lingering patches of evergreen and rhododendron. We followed well-worn paths to Princess Arch, a modest sandstone span, and continued on to Rock Bridge along Swift Camp Creek.

The gorge, carved into eastern Kentucky’s sandstone plateau, is defined by its natural bridges, cliffs, rock shelters, and seasonal waterfalls, features that have long made it one of the region’s most distinctive landscapes.

#OptOutside #Appalachia #appalachian_explorers #TravelKY

The waters of Lake Vesuvius in Wayne National Fore

The waters of Lake Vesuvius in Wayne National Forest near Ironton, Ohio, have been lowered to allow repairs to a faulty dam gate. An initial repair attempt was made in August, but further work is required. The lake was being drawn down about 31 feet to provide access to the gate, with normal water levels expected to return after fall and winter.

#RAW_landscape #rawusa_sept25 #Appalachia #appalachian_explorers #Ohio #OhioExplored #beautiful_ohio_scenes #OhioTheHeartofitAll #WeAreOhioSE @ohioexplored #naturalohio

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

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

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

It was a wonderful New Year spent at Hocking Hills

It was a wonderful New Year spent at Hocking Hills in #Ohio, once again marked by the blessing of fresh snowfall during our visit. #OhioTheHeartofitAll

We were in town for work but made time one cool ev

We were in town for work but made time one cool evening to explore the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip on foot. From the MGM Grand, we walked south to the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. Designed by Betty Willis in 1959 and installed in the unincorporated town of Paradise, the sign quickly came to symbolize the city’s glitz, neon, and optimism. In 2009, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places; by 2014, solar panels made it energy neutral—a small nod to sustainability in a city built on spectacle.

On our return walk, we passed the shuttered Diamond Inn, once the Desert Isle Motel (1955). Expanded in 1964 and later renamed, it featured a whimsical pink elephant statue. It closed in 2023, part of a wave of closures along the Strip’s older stretch.

Nearby, the towering neon sign of the Pinball Hall of Fame lit up the night—44-foot letters spelling “Pinball” and 6.5-foot circles in a 54-foot-wide display.

We also saw the remnants of the Laughing Jackalope, formerly Wright’s Motel (1950s), and later a quirky bar. Most of it is gone now. The Desert Oasis Motel, opened in 1963 as the Half Moon, stands in decay—perhaps not for much longer.

One bright spot: a small egg shop with great breakfast and the restored Nirvana Hotel—rare preservation in a corridor known for demolition. We ended at the ruins of the White Sands Motel, opened in 1959 as a quiet retreat. It closed in 1999 and was declared dangerous by 2015.

Even a short walk in Las Vegas reveals a layered past—marked by ambition, nostalgia, decline, and reinvention. Who knows what will remain next time.

#Historic #HistoricPreservation #Deserve2Preserve #Abandoned #urbex #UrbanExploration #AbandonedPlaces #SaveTheDecay #raw_abandoned #rawusa_may25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa #VintageVegas #VegasHistory #OffTheStrip #HiddenVegas #ClassicVegas #NeonBoneyard #LasVegasPhotography #VegasLocal #GoogieArchitecture #RoadsideAmerica #Nevada #TravelNevada #LasVegas

Tucked away in the wooded hills of Monroe County,

Tucked away in the wooded hills of Monroe County, the Cedar Ford Covered Bridge has an interesting story of resilience and revival. Built back in 1885 by the famous Kennedy Brothers to cross Indiana's Little Blue River, this Burr arch truss bridge faced years of neglect after being moved to the Shelby County fairgrounds in the 1970s. However, Monroe County saw a chance to bring it back to life. They managed to blend the original timber with modern engineering to create a bridge over Bean Blossom Creek. After a $1.6 million restoration finished in 2019, the bridge now stands as a proud symbol of Indiana's covered bridge legacy and the community's dedication to preserving its history.

#Historic #HistoricPreservation #Deserve2Preserve #AmericanRural #rawusa_jan25 #RAWbridges #amazingshots_bridges #Total_Bridges #Indiana #VisitIndiana #igersIndiana #ExploreIndiana #myIndiana

Driving east through the Oklahoma City area along

Driving east through the Oklahoma City area along old U.S. Route 66, we had set our sights on Yukon, mostly to pass by Garth Brooks’ childhood home. But scanning the map to see what else was in Yukon, another pin caught our attention: “Prairie Dog Field.” It seemed out of place among the usual chain fast-food restaurants and gas stations, so we decided to take a short detour.

At the corner of the 1958 alignment of U.S. Route 66 and Caravel Road, a public field once held a large colony of black-tailed prairie dogs. Even though much of the land had been sold for development and part of the colony relocated in 2024, we could still see the small animals darting in and out of their burrows, standing upright to chirp warnings to one another. The field was surrounded by signs of growth, construction equipment, and new commercial projects, but the prairie dogs carried on, reminders of the wildlife that once dominated this stretch of prairie.

These colonies are fascinating to watch. Black-tailed prairie dogs are the only species in Oklahoma, and they live in tightly knit communities with complex burrow systems. Their barks carry across the grass, each signaling that the group heeds. Despite the encroachment of neighborhoods and shopping centers, some colonies like this one manage to adapt to the Great Plains’ urban edge.

#RAW_allnature #rawusa_sept25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa #Route66 #HistoricRoute66 #MotherRoad #Oklahoma #TravelOK #OKHereWeGo #DiscoverOklahoma #OklahomaPhotographer #OklahomaTourism #ThisIsOklahoma #OKC #OklahomaCity #SeeOKC

Exploring Indiana's covered bridges during autumn

Exploring Indiana's covered bridges during autumn combines the charm of historical architecture with stunning fall scenery.

1: Bean Blossom Covered Bridge
2+3: Cedar Ford Covered Bridge
4: Baker’s Camp Covered Bridge
5: Medora Covered Bridge
6: Shields’ Mill Covered Bridge
7: Pine Bluff Covered Bridge
8: Baker’s Camp Covered Bridge
9: Rolling Stone Covered Bridge

#Historic #HistoricPreservation #Deserve2Preserve #AmericanRural #rawusa_jan25 #RAWbridges #amazingshots_bridges #Total_Bridges #Indiana #VisitIndiana #igersIndiana #ExploreIndiana #myIndiana

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

Concrete pouring is underway on the Sunken Garden

Concrete pouring is underway on the Sunken Garden fountains at Garfield Park in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is part of a large-scale renovation project began to restore the park’s historic Sunken Garden fountains. Construction and testing are scheduled to continue through spring 2026.

Thank you to @fogpindy, @indyparks, the donors, and the laborers for making this work possible.

#Historic #HistoricPreservation #Deserve2Preserve #rawusa_june25 #VisittheUSA #wanderingusa #bestoftheusa_urban #SeeYourCity #Indiana #VisitIndiana #igersIndiana #ExploreIndiana #myIndiana #Indy #loveIndy #igersindy

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