Walden Pond, Massachusetts

B. Hippo visits a replica of Henry David Thoreau's famous one-room cabin at Walden Pond State Reservation in Massachusetts

While accompanying M and K on their weeklong New England loop, B. Hippo was pleased to have the opportunity to stop at Walden Pond, where Henry David Thoreau lived while writing Walden (complete text). There was some interesting information and the foundation of the actual house is still visible (the house in the picture is a replica). Though the pond is now used for recreation (including swimming, with changing rooms and a sandy, lifeguard-chaired beach), it still reminds of the self sufficiency of Thoreau during those few years. Plus, there's a really great bookshop with loads of transcendentalist works out by the parking lot.

Juniata River, near Huntingdon, PA

B. Hippo shares a kayak with friend M as they enjoy a leisurly float down the Juniata River near Huntingdon, PA. The weather has been warm late into the year so the foliage is still beautifully colored, even into November.

Many thanks to the Englishes, who own a house on the river and frequently share their home and their boats with visitors. B. Hippo very much enjoyed his experience on the river.

Natcez Trace Parkway, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee

B. Hippo overlooks the mighty Mississippi River in Natchez, Mississippi, start of the Natchez Trace

B. Hippo at the gravesite of Merriwether Lewis, explorer (leader of the Corps of Discovery) and governor of the Louisiana Territory. Lewis died alongside the Trace, just south of Nashville, Tennessee.

The Natchez Trace is an old, old road, from near Natchez, MS to just south of Nashville, TN. It was originally a Native American trading route, and later a footpath for Kaintucks (farmers from the Ohio River Valley who floated their harvest south on wooden barges to sell, then travelled home overland). It is now preserved by the National Parks Service and is one of the finest drives in the USA. At least B. Hippo thinks so... beautiful smooth road, lush forest, no trucks, and clear Mississippi sky.

Texas, USA

B. Hippo looks out over the plains of West Texas. There sure is a lot of nothing out here!

Everything is bigger in Texas. The state capitol in Austin is the largest in the country, larger even than the US Capitol in Washington DC!

Wow, there sure is a lot of Texas out there. On the way to Carlsbad, we drove through the flat and empty part of West Texas on US-180 and drove by the Guadalupe Mountains. After re-entering Texas on US-285 we drove through Pecos and met up with Interstate 10 in a town called Fort Stockton for a long drive through a lot of wind turbines and cattle. Upon reaching Austin, we visited the state capitol, and later visited friends in College Station and Houston. If there's anything to take from such a whirlwind tour of the state, it's that its BIG. Really really big. And diverse. There's a big difference between regions, and outlooks, within this state. Austin and College Station may as well be in different countries. Then again, for a state that was once it's own country, this seems somehow appropriate.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Though his travelling companion K dislikes caves, B. Hippo managed to make a visit to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico

Outside the natural entrance to the cave. We later saw a flight of some 250,000 bats leave this entrance at dusk, though no photography is allowed lest it harm the bats

The walk from the natural entrance reveals a number of gigantic and amazing cave formations, and we had an opportunity to learn about some exciting research on extremophiles going on at the secret and nearby Lechuguilla cave system. The bat flight was also quite outstanding, despite the reduced number of winged mammals in residence this year. Oddly enough, the cave has an elevator for those less inclined to walk in, and there is also a gift shop and cafeteria inside the cavern. As an older National Park, the ecological precautions now in place were somewhat different at the time of it's founding.

Phoenix, Arizona

B. Hippo with a Saguaro cactus and a Palo Verde tree outside the Arizona state capitol in Phoenix. Both of these plants are typical of the Sonoran Desert landscape in that part of the state. The emblem to the left of the cactus shows the Arizona state flag

Outside Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Taliesin West in nearby Scottsdale, Arizona

Though it is pushing a little later into the year, it's still quite hot here in the desert. We wandered the grounds of the Arizona State Capitol and visited some friends in Phoenix, then went the next morning to see the site of Frank Lloyd Wright's famed architecture school, Taliesin West, in Scottsdale. Interestingly, the buildings at Taliesin were all built out of local materials, so interesting as it is this structure fit into its surroundings far better than the stucco-and-plywood suburban mansions that encroach on its grounds.

San Fransisco, California

B. Hippo overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge over the San Fransisco Bay.

Travel plans didn't leave much time for exploring the city, but there was time enough to stop and see the fantastic bridge overlook on US-101. Despite being a nice enough day, it sure was foggy, windy, and cold up there!

Yosemite National Park, California

B. Hippo in front of El Capitan, possibly America's most famous rock.

B. Hippo looks out at Lower Yosemite Falls, one of many spectacular waterfalls found in the park. There sure are a lot of tourists in this waterfall! (you can see a few up by the base of the falls)

B. Hippo gazes at the panoramic views of the valley from Glacier Point. Perhaps sometime he'll return to give the Half Dome Summit Trail a go... for now it looks fantastic in the distance.

Though crowded, Yosemite National Park in California is definitely a place to see! Such outstanding beauty is found here, and though most of the falls are fed by snowmelt and dry later in the season, we still saw a little water. There's so much to see, this visit was only a taste. Perhaps we'll come back and do some hiking...

Redwood National Park, California

B. Hippo looks and feels small among the 300+ foot coastal redwoods in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

If the trees in the Hoh Rainforest were impressive, the Coast Redwoods of northern California are utterly astounding. At over 300 feet tall and many more than 1000 years old, these are the tallest trees in the world. B. Hippo explored the groves in both Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek state parks, and saw some male Roosevelt Elk sparring on the drive between the two.

Olympic National Park, Washington

B. Hippo among the ferns in the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park

Observing the ancient trees and moss in the Hoh Rain Forest

The Temperate Rain Forest of Washington's Olympic National Park is one of the most unique and enchanting places on the journey to date. They get over 140 inches of rain each year! Everything is dark under the canopy of the huge trees, and mosses cover their branches and trunks. On the floor there are fallen logs and many ferns and Banana Slugs. The Olympic mountains form a sort of ecological island, water to the west (the Pacific), the north (the Strait of Juan de Fuca), and the East (the Puget Sound), as well as lowlands to the south have left many of the species found here on their own for some time. B. Hippo particularly enjoyed learning about the Olympic Marmot, though wasn't able to spot one while hiking.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

B. Hippo visits Old Faithful Geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful, shown here, is surrounded by many other geysers and fumaroles, though none are quite as predictable as this one.

Among the geysers, the air smells humid and sulfury. B. Hippo learned about the different geothermal features, of which about half of the worlds supply are here in Yellowstone, at the ranger station before heading out.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

B. Hippo and K look out over the ridgeline of the Tetons from the shores of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park.

B. Hippo inspects the flora in a verdant mountain meadow along the Jenny Lake loop trail. Shortly after this was taken, he and his hiking partners would discover a large cinnamon-colored black bear eating berries near the lake.

Powder River Pass, Wyoming

At 9,666 feet above sea level, Powder River Pass is the highest point on US Highway 16 in the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. Here B. Hippo learns a bit about the area.

K and B. Hippo survey their high-altitude surroundings.

On the way through here, we encountered a sign that read: "Warning! Winding Road next 72 Miles". While enjoying the steep windy highway drive, we encountered a female moose peeking out of the woods! Too bad we couldn't get a shot of that.

Thermopolis, Wyoming

B. Hippo enjoys a dip in the World's Largest Mineral Hot Spring, located in the town of Thermopolis, Wyoming. The water is nice and warm, but smells of sulfur due to the mineral content.