Time Of Transition

Moving into the second week of August, I am starting to see hints of autumn.

The days are becoming shorter and the nights are cooler. 

Black berries are ripe on the vines, while acorns are falling from the oak trees.

Soon the leaves will be displaying the bright colors of fall.

This transition from summer to winter is a welcomed change.

 Autumn marks an end, and celebrates a beginning.

Eastbound USA Cross-Country Adventure *Part 3*

Homeward Bound

Eastbound USA Cross-Country Adventure *Part 3*

A new day begins in Iowa, moving East on Interstate 80.

 Once you hit Nebraska the scenery on I-80 becomes flat and full of corn fields. 

This flat open land makes Interstate 80 a great passage for quick travel.

I will also add, I-80 also has the nicest rest areas.

At a rest area in Iowa, these great sayings brightened my day. 

Such a clever thought to incorporate typography into picnic shelters. 

They had sayings from many people.

I liked this one by Tennessee Williams.

On the road there are many truckstops that offer amenities to travelers. 

I have been to many road side stops , but nothing compares to the 

World's Largest Truckstop in Iowa.

This place is huge. It is about four times the size of a standard truckstop. 

They have full sized vehicles on display inside! 

The food options here are like those at a food court found in many shopping malls. 

You have the choice of seven different fast food restaurants to choose from, 

and a full service restaurant that can seat over 350 people. 

If fast food is not what you have in mind, 

you will find something in the grocery section.

Souvenirs here range from standard...

... to strange....

(What says "America" more than a bald eagle guzzling a bottle of wine?)

.... and bizarre.

(This salt and pepper shaker set features a dead deer.)

The World's Largest Truckstop has two floors.

On the top floor you will find the movie theater.

 The top floor is also where you will other offered services such as
 laundry, showers, a barber, and a dentist. 

This is a place you must see to believe. 

Back on the road we soon pass over the Mississippi River.

This point marks a full circle on the road. From now on our Eastward travel 
would retrace the steps we first took traveling West.

My mind was full of all the things we had seen and experienced on this travel adventure.

I somehow felt like something was missing. Like, I was traveling in the wrong direction.  

This trip reminded me just how large the USA is. There are so many unique places to live and explore. With so many options, finding one place to stay can be difficult.

In a few months I will be returning to life on the West Coast. 

And this time, there will be no Eastbound return trip.

DeFreesProductions

Thank you for following along on this Cross-Country Adventure!

Eastbound USA Cross-Country Adventure *Part 2*

Eastbound USA Cross-Country Adventure *Part 2*

 Moving East from Oregon, we start a new day on the Snake River in Idaho.

This area on the Snake River has been used as a travel route for thousands of years.  

Interpretive signs found along Interstate 84, give information on the history of the 

travel in the area.

Rolling green hillsides like this soon become a distant memory.

As we pass into Utah, red rock formations take over the scenery.

This arid landscape bare of any vegetation seems so desolate. 

The sedimentary rocks show bands of mineral deposits, telling a story of creation.

Weathering and erosion expose these rock formation that once, lay covered by earth.

We continue Eastward cruising down I 80.

Arriving in Wyoming, characteristics of the Great Plains begin to take over the landscape.

It was an incredibly hot day. The car began to overheat.

We had to pull off the the Interstate and take an unexpected break from the road.

Here we were joined by a curious pronghorn.

Theses creatures live only in grasslands like those of the Great Plains.

After a few moments the pronghorn had seen enough,

and went back on his way into the sagebrush.

We got back on the road just as large thunderhead clouds started to drift over the horizon.

Thanking back to the night we spent outside of  Theodore Roosevelt National Park

I was relieved to be back on the road and heading in the opposite direction of these 

large storm clouds.

We arrived in Nebraska, and stopped at a rest area for a little break.

The area was apparently a hot spot for rattlesnakes.

We looked around, but could not find one in sight.

This is an example of a great cross-country vehicle!

Life on the road would be comfortable in something like this.

The Great Platte River road archway is located in the geographic center of the USA.

This area was a major stop for travelers on the Oregon Trail.

Passing this archway, we had officially made our way to the halfway point 

on this leg of the trip.

As the sunset on another day on the road, we continued on our way East.

Follow along as the adventure Eastbound rolls on!

Eastbound USA Cross-Country Adventure *Part 1*

All Good Thing Must Come To An End.

Eastbound USA Cross-Country Adventure *Part 1*

After spending an extra day in Eugene, and a night at fall creek,

it was time to pack up the car and begin our trip back East.

We decided to take a scenic route out of the state. 

It was a warm summer day, and the idea of leaving was hard to face.

We had days of travel ahead of us. 

However, we could not stay in the car for long.

We decided to stop and take in a few last sights.

At 286 feet Salt Creek Falls is the second largest waterfall in Oregon.

This area holds a special place in my heart.

The view from the top of the falls is dominated by tall evergreens.

In the rocks little succulents bloomed in the warm sun.

In the forest large rhododendrons took in the sun preparing to open in full bloom.

 

After a quick walk we had to continue on the road.

 We made our next pit stop at the view point for Diamond Peak and Mount Yoran.

Diamond Peak is around 8,744 feet in elevation.

Mount Yoran is located to the right of Diamond Peak.

The elevation of Mount Yoran is about 7,100 feet.

Back in the car we continue to cruise through the Cascades.

The first views of the Three Sisters Mountain Range started to peek over the timbers.

The mountains here exceed over 10,000 feet in elevation.

As we crossed over the Cascade range our view went form green and lush...

To dry and desert like.

We had arrived in the high desert of Eastern Oregon.

This area is a semi-arid plateau with an elevation of around 4,000 feet.

The red color of the rocks is due to the iron rich minerals found in the soil.

 basalt columns like those seen here, are a result of volcanic activity in the area 

millions of years ago.

As the sun began to set we crossed the Snake River, arriving in Idaho.

The cross-country adventure continues!

Follow along as we make our way East.