5 Days On Road From Miami To New York

I started my trip from Dallas, where I lived then. I flew to Miami and joined three others who flew down from different parts of the country. The idea was to do an East Coast Drive from Miami to New York. We didn't stay at any hotels for the entire trip. Slept in the car, freshened up at the rest areas, and stopped by some of the beaches and cities along I-95. It took us 5 days including the flights. I flew back to Dallas from New York.  It was definitely a fun drive. More details later.

The Great Lakes, Niagara Falls, The Apostle Islands, And Indiana Dunes

 

The Great Lakes are 5 large freshwater lakes that are interconnected and are shared by USA and Canada. The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron; Lake Superior is connected with Lake Huron by St. Mary's River; Lake Huron is connected with Lake Eerie by the St. Clairs River; Lake Eerie is connected with Lake Ontario by the Niagara River and Lake Ontario is connected with the Atlantic Ocean through St Lawrence river. Hence, these lakes are also called The Laurentian Lakes. 

I visited Lake Superior from Duluth, Superior, and Bayfield. Lake Michigan from Chicago. Lake Eerie from Detroit on the way to Niagara Falls. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit lake Huron and Ontario. Yup, a visit to Canada is definitely on the bucket list :)

APOSTLE ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO:

We went to the apostle Islands from Fargo via Duluth, Superior, and then to Bayfield. At Bayfield, we rented a cottage in a wood close to one of the beaches. The cottage was a duplex with beautiful views, though a teeny bit spooky at night when the sounds of animals and insects break the silence of the still nights. We saw stars and fireflies but couldn't capture those with my not-so-high-tech camera. We also saw a black bear, clicking a pic was the last thing on our minds :) but yes it was my closest encounter with a bear who thankfully did not notice us. 

Bayfield is the closest to the Apostle Islands archipelago. It constitutes 22 small islands on the lake Superior shoreline. Each island has a lighthouse which can be seen during the cruise ride. 

The cruise ships can be boarded from Bayfield port. We took a two-hour ride and maybe a longer one would have been better. There are options for kayaking as well. When we visited, the waters were high and rough and Kayaking was restricted.

Bayfield Pier

The cruise takes you along the shoreline and beautiful rock formations can be seen. Details of these formations can be read here. The longer cruise allows island hopping. Camping is possible in 19 of the 21 islands. Boating, kayaking, fishing, and hiking are other popular activities in this park. At the time we visited the lakeshore, it wasn't as crowded as it is off late in the last few years. We got to experience the beach private to us only - that was quite a steal. 

Bayfield is a small harbor town with a quaint little downtown and quiet beaches. Just perfect for a weekend getaway. Overall, our vacation there was lovely.

Sea caves and sandstone arches - The caves can be entered through kayaks and during winters when frozen

NIAGARA FALLS:

Well for all Indians, Niagara is a must-visit. If it's a US trip, Niagara has to make it to the bucket list. So, as tradition goes, I had the opportunity to visit the falls twice. Once with parents and once with friends visiting us and it was totally worth it. Niagara falls constitutes of three waterfalls, the American falls, The bridal veil falls and the horseshoe falls. While Niagara may not be among the tallest waterfalls, its width and volume make it one of the top five largest waterfalls close to Iguazhu and Victoria (the largest waterfall in terms of width). The falls are formed by the Niagara gorge and fed by the waters of the Niagara river which connects the two great lakes Erie (USA) and Ontario (Canada).

The maid of the mist boat tour on the US side takes tourists close to the horseshoe waterfalls. Cave of winds, a natural cave behind the bridal veil falls has decks that take tourists pretty close to the bridal veil falls. Both tours are an absolute must if visiting the falls. The experience is once in a lifetime.

The three Niagara waterfalls - American falls (the leftmost), Bridal Veil falls (The narrow falls next to American falls and the Horseshoe falls (rightmost) which is partly in the US and partly in Canada

INDIANA DUNES:

The Indiana dunes is a long beach stretch of natural sand dunes on the southern tip of lake Michigan. It is maintained by the Indiana State parks systems and is one of the most bio-diverse systems. The park is home to more than 350 species of migratory birds, lush wetlands, and sandy beaches. Hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, and bird-watching are the most popular activities here. 

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

I went to the Skagit tulip festival from Seattle in April 2009. It was an hour's drive and was pretty easy to get there. The tulips were still not in full bloom in some parts but what we got to see was absolutely beautiful. The tulip festival details can be found here on their official website.

The Story of Tulips:

Tulips were first discovered in Kazakhstan. There are about 35 species of Tulips that grow wild in Kazakhastan. There are over 3000 varieties and hybrids of Tulips found all across the world. When Kazakhstan was conquered by the Ottoman rulers, tulips traveled to Turkey. Eventually, it became the national flower of Turkey. From Turkey, it traveled to the Dutch land and there was a time when it was sold at the price of gold (1634-1637) in the Netherlands - it was the period called Tulip Mania. 

The other famous Tulip festival venues across the world are in the:

1. Netherland: Netherlands is called the Tulip Capital of the World and every year one of the biggest Tulip festivals is organized at the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens in Amsterdam. The Dutch celebrate January 15th as National Tulip Day.

2. India: The Srinagar Tulip Gardens in India is open to public visits around March-April every year.

3. USA: Skagit, Washington, and Holland, Michigan are two of the many places in the US that celebrate Tulip fests. 

4. Australia: The biggest Tulip festival in Australia is held around September / October at Teselaar, Victoria.

5. Turkey: Tulip festival is organized every year at Emigran Park, Istanbul

6. Canada: The Commissioner's Park in Ottawa holds the largest Tulip festival in the world.

7. Japan: There are many Tulip gardens across Japan. This blog has listed some of the best in Japan.

8. New Zealand: Eden Garden, Auckland, organizes one of the big Tulip fests in New Zealand

9. UK: Here is a list of Tulip gardens in the UK, many among them which hold the Tulip festival in April.

PINK TULIPS in Skagit

 

DAFFODILS in Skagit

Three Seasons In Yellowstone National Park - The Fall

Yellowstone is an active super-volcanic park and boasts a grand display of vivid geothermal features, perhaps the only one of its kind in the world. As noted on the park website, it's home to more than 10,000 features of which more than 300 are geysers.  With all its spectacular flora, fauna, and natural wonders, this park has been given a deserving place in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

West Thumb Geyser Basin

The geothermal features in the park are:

Hot springs: Hot Springs are formed when superheated groundwater surfaces into a wide pool without any constrictions in its plumbing system. The hot water cools down on reaching the surface and gets replaced by hotter water from below and this cycle continues till someday the water depletes from the ground reservoir or there are constrictions formed in the passage which results in the formation of fumaroles or geysers.

Image Source: Internet

Geysers: Geysers are Hot Springs with constrictions in the passage of groundwater rising to the surface. The constrictions, usually near the surface, prevent the water from circulating freely. The hot water fails to cool and high-pressure steam is formed below the surface which eventually explodes outwards in the form of a geyser. Water is expelled faster than it can enter the geyser's plumbing system, and the heat and pressure gradually decrease. The eruption stops when the water reservoir depletes or when the system cools down.

Fumaroles in the Mud Volcano basin

Fumaroles: Fumaroles or steam vents, occur in openings like cracks and fissures in volcanic regions when superheated water (with temperatures as high as 280 F (138 C) vaporizes before reaching the surface due to a drop in pressure or due to the short supply of water in the underground reservoir. Steam and other gases often toxic emerge from the vent, with hissing and whistling sounds similar to a pressure cooker.

Mudpots: Mudpots are acidic hot springs or fumaroles. Microorganisms convert hydrogen sulfide, rising from the depths of the earth into sulphuric acid, which breaks down surrounding rocks into clay thus forming a muddy acidic bubbling pot.

Travertine Terraces: Travertine Terraces are staggered terrace-like formations, formed from limestone or calcium carbonate deposited by the water flowing from the hot springs.

Mammoth Hot Springs Travertine Terrace

Microbial Mats and Thermophiles: Microorganisms called thermophiles (heat lovers) or extremophiles (lovers of extremity), inhabit the volcanic regions. These microorganisms when clustered together in millions form microbial mats. These microbial mats contribute to the colors of the geothermal features. An article explaining this phenomenon.

So, our third visit to Yellowstone was during a fall, long weekend after a year of our second visit. We planned to fly to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and then drive down to the park through the South gate via Grand Teton National Park.

Must mention, the flight landing in Jackson Hole is one of the most spectacular I have ever seen. It's a big regret that I was too mesmerized to click a photo or take a video :(

While the oblivious 'me' was gazing aimlessly out of the aircraft window, the flight in gradual descent emerged out of the dense cottony veil of clouds, swept smoothly down through a sky passage between two snow-peaked mountains into the lap of a green grassy bowl surrounded by a tall majestic range. An unforgettable stupendous experience.

The tiny but busy airport of Jackson Hole is located amidst the breathtaking Teton range and that makes it one of those exclusive airports with the most beautiful flight landings. Anyone visiting Jackson Hole must take the flight experience at least once.

Flight take off at Jackson Hole airport

We stayed in Jackson Hole for a day and I thoroughly enjoyed its picturesque locale. The hole part of the name is quite apt. The town, indeed is located in a hole between the mountains. It is a small, cozy, laid-back, peaceful town with a lively downtown and lots of fun stuff.

Early next morning, we drove down to Yellowstone National Park. The scenic drive took almost a couple hours. On the way, we stopped at a viewpoint at Grand Teton National Park, the Jackson Lake Dam and Reservoir, and Lewis Lake. The glimpse of Grand Teton National Park was quite impressive and we were tempted to hang around longer but Yellowstone was our primary destination and we had to curb our detour having made the promise to come back later for the Teton experience.

Jackson Dam 

Lewis lake

We stayed at a lodge in Yellowstone Park for the next two days. On the fourth day, we flew out of Jackson Hole to our respective destinations. All three of my Yellowstone visits were short weekend trips and that definitely did no justice. There's lots to do, and lots to see, and it's never enough.

Geysers submerged in Yellowstone Lake

Fishing cone geyser (inactive)

One of my favorite destinations in the park is the lake. It is absolutely gorgeous and I can just sit at the beach for hours doing nothing but gazing and daydreaming :) and I really did that for a while.

Some fascinating features around the lake are the submerged pools and geysers like the fishing cone. 'The name Fishing Cone can be traced back to tales told by mountain men of a lake where you could catch a fish then immediately dunk it into hot spring and cook it on the hook.' - source: Wikipedia. 

I was told, that in the early 20th century, the park visitors could actually fish trouts in the lake and then cook them in the hot spring but since 1911, this activity has been strictly prohibited. Visitors started clogging the vents of the geysers and springs and disturbed their ecological system. Well, cooking may not be allowed today but canoeing, kayaking, and boating are and are popular activities in the park.

The Grand Canyon of Yellow Stone

 

Brink of Upper Falls

Brink of lower falls

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is another popular attraction of Yellowstone. There are many hiking trails around the area leading to the two falls and the Yellowstone River at the canyon base. We were short on time but still managed a couple of short hikes. Animal sighting during this visit was limited to the usual herds of bison and elks. I think one needs to camp around the valleys and rivers for better animal sightings. Next time.... next time :) Thankfully there's always a next time :)

The lake meets the spring

Three Seasons in Yellowstone National Park - Winter - North gate >> Part 1

Three Seasons in Yellowstone National Park - Summer - East gate >> Part 2 

So I am told, the west entry is the best since it is centrally located and provides access to all parts of the park easily. This entry is closest to Idaho Falls, Idaho. I have not stayed in the park as yet and have yet to visit it in Spring. Definitely this time it will be the West.