Visit the Magoffin Home State Historic Site in El Paso, Texas

If you're traveling to or through El Paso, Texas, there is a very interesting stop you'll surly want to make. It is the Magoffin Home State Historic Site and it will tell you a great deal about the settlement of El Paso. It will offer you a unique opportunity to learn of one family's significant role during our country's western expansion.

Magoffin Home State Historic Site explores the stories of a multicultural family who actively participated in U.S. expansion and settlement, military service, trade on the Santa Fe–Chihuahua Trail, Civil War turmoil and U.S.–Mexico relations.

The 1875 home is an excellent example of Territorial style architecture. Territorial style architecture began around 1846 and was used until New Mexico stopped being a territory and became a state in 1912. The Territorial style is considered to be a blend of Pueblo and Victorian styles.

The Magoffin home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. In 1985, the surrounding area was declared the Magoffin Historic District. 

Guided Tours

Guided tours by volunteers are given to visitors. The tours are very informative while you walk to all areas of this historic adobe mansion. Authentic art and antique furnishings are on display and help transport visitors back in time.

During your tour you'll learn about the history and heritage of the Southwest borderlands through the lives and experiences of a prominent El Paso family. Most tours last about one hour. Spanish tours are offered Thursday through Saturday. Be sure to call ahead for tour availability.

The Magoffin Family

The story begins with Joseph Magoffin (1837–1923) who was born in Chihuahua, Mexico but was educated in Kentucky and Missouri. He then arrived in the El Paso area in 1856 to work in his father’s mercantile shop at Magoffinsville. Magoffinsville was a site established in 1849 by James Wiley Magoffin about a half mile north of the Rio Grande inside today's city of El Paso.

Not too long after Joseph's arrival in Magoffinsville the American Civil War began. Joseph and his brother Samuel joined the Confederate army as part of General H.H. Sibley’s brigade.

When the Civil War ended, Joseph Magoffin returned to Magoffinsville and worked long and hard for the development of El Paso and the region. He was in a unique position to advocate for El Paso's settlement with his extensive landholdings. This helped him bring the all important railroad to El Paso along with businesses and utilities. Magoffin obviously became quite wealthy during this period.

Ultimately, Joseph Magoffin was a co-founder of the State National Bank as well as serving as county judge, four terms as mayor, collector of customs and in several other public offices. His wife Octavia became a social leader of the developing community.

When Joseph and Octavia moved into their new home in 1877, on property willed to him from his late father, El Paso was a small frontier town. There were actually large complications involved to take back ownership of the property since it was seized by Unionists during the Civil War. The settlement itself was destroyed a few years after the Civil War from flooding of the Rio Grande.

When Joseph completed what was required to legally retake the property, a new adobe  home was constructed in typical Spanish and Territorial architecture found in the Southwest borderlands.  The El Paso Times in 1887 wrote a story describing the home and it's surroundings. They wrote,  “The grounds surrounding it comprise twenty acres, embraced in lawns, flower gardens, fruit orchards, vegetable beds, grass plats and small grain divisions.” The Magoffin's entertained often at their beautiful home which you'll learn more about on the guided tour.

There is much more to the story of the Magoffin family and their contributions in developing the El Paso area. During your guided tour you'll learn why the Magoffin's were true pioneers who used their vast resources to not just help their own family but also to help the city he came to love.

If you want to learn about the early days of the area and of El Paso, this is a travel stop you'll want to make.

You also may wish to inquire about the hour long walking tour of the Magoffin Historic District.

See additional Western Trips articles found on the links below...

Historic Mesilla, New Mexico

Historic Fort Stockton, Texas 

Visiting the Magoffin Home State Historic Site

The Magoffin home is located at 1120 Magoffin Ave, El Paso, TX. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday 9a-5p. The site is closed on Mondays. 

For additional information see...www.thc.texas.gov



(Article and photos copyright Western Trips)

Sonora Texas / Old West Outlaws and Texas History

A visit to the town of Sonora, Texas offers an opportunity to tour it's downtown area that is rich in history and heritage. Sonora is the county seat of Sutton County Texas and is located about 170 miles northwest of San Antonio along Interstate 10 (about a 2 1/2 hour drive) 

Sonora, Texas 1898

Sonora is recognized as being located on the western end of Texas' scenic Hill Country. To the west and northwest of Sonora lie the flat expanses of the Chihuahuan Desert.

There are lots of history to see in Sonora involving ranching, old west outlaws and the transition of a west Texas town moving into the twentieth century. 

Annual events held in Sonora, Texas include the Annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration held on May 5th... The Sonora Outlaw Pro Rodeo is held every third weekend in August...The Sutton County Game Dinner is the oldest and largest game dinner celebrated in the area held in November...,span>The Dry Devils River Music Flood held for a day each October...Sonora’s annual one-day Christmas Market in December.

Visit the sites where history comes alive...


Old West Shootout on Main Street 
 
On the night of April 2, 1901, William Carver, a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, was shot and killed in Jack Owen's Bakery by Sheriff E.S. Briant and his deputies. Some accounts say the gunfight occurred outside of the store. With guns drawn on entry, they attempted to arrest Carver and George Kilpatrick on suspicion of the murder of Oliver Thornton in Concho County Texas. One account says that Kilpatrick made a fumbling motion and Carver's gun never cleared the holster before he was shot six times. 

Will Carver was buried in the Sonora Cemetery. There is a gravestone marker that simply shows the date of his death, April 2, 1901. 

 Old Ice House Ranch Museum

Old Ice House Ranch Museum

This is a must stop. A the  Old Ice House Ranch Museum which is housed inside an old ice house is a collection of one of a kind memorabilia pertaining to the history of Sonora and Sutton County Texas. 

Exhibits include an array of old artifacts to educate and entertain visitors about ranching in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Sutton County. Included with the relics of Sonora is information about the 1901 shootout by sheriff deputies with Will Carver, a member of Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch" gang.  Carver was on the losing end of the gunfight on the streets of Sonora. 

You'll leave this unique museum with a new appreciation of the pioneers that developed this rugged area when the discovery of a deep water well drilling technique opened this parched prairie to sheep, cattle and goats after the bustle of the West had passed it by. 

Sutton County Courthouse
 
The 1891 Sutton County Courthouse was designed by Oscar Ruffini, a prominent architect from San Angelo, in the Second Empire style. Much handwork is evident in the limestone and dressed stone. 

Sutton County Texas Courthouse

Restorations of the courthouse took place where all windows were restored and missing roof dormers and roof cresting were reconstructed using historic photographs. 

The interior restoration brought all new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems including fire protection and accessibility improvements All of these enhancement followed the original design. A non-original tile floor at the first floor corridors and offices was removed and replaced with salvaged wood. Original wood windows, doors, stairways, and wainscot were refinished to match the original stain, and wood shutters were reconstructed at all window openings. Wall colors were restored and a decorative wall stenciling of gold and copper leaf was recreated. All vault door decorative finishes were painstakingly restored. 

The courthouse was rededicated on June 11, 2002.

Old Sutton County Jail 

Old jail in Sonora, Texas

When Sutton County Texas was organized in 1890, a jail was obviously needed. At the time there were several jail construction companies, mostly located back east. 

The Pauley Jail Building and Manufacturing Co. of St. Louis was hired to build this jail. The project begans begun in Feb. 1891 under the supervision of Judge J. L. Dunagan. The new jail was completed in Sept. 1891. The native stone jail structure was two story and had a jailer's residence in addition to cells for prisoners. Of special historic note, the first prisoner in the new jail was gambler and gunman John Denson, a cousin of outlaw John Wesley Hardin. 

The old Sutton County jail in downtown Sonora stands on Oak Street near the Sutton County Courthouse. 

Additional Western Trips articles found on the links below... 

Fort Stockton Texas

San Angelo Texas

The Caverns of Sonora

Another must stop while in the area is The Caverns of Sonora. Many believe these are one of the most beautiful caverns in the world. The Caverns of Sonora contains unusual formations, such as bladed helictites and coralloid growths, and is of exceptional beauty. 

This National Natural Landmark is located eight miles west of Sonora. Because of its calcite crystal formations and rarity of helictites, the cavern is considered to be a world-class cave. The formation of the cave is said to have occurred between 1.5 to five million years ago. The cave is a constant 71°F, but feels like 85°F due to the humidity. During a tour, you can go 150 feet below the Earth’s surface and be mesmerized by all the formations underground.

For detailed information about the caverns and available tours see...http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/tours    Tours of the cave leave the caverns gift shop constantly, with usually never more than a 30-minute wait.

Additiomal photos of Sonora, Texas...

Gun used to kill outlaw Will Carver in 1901     

Another view of the old county jail structure

Sonora during the early automobile years

Downtown Sonora during horse and wagon days

Waco Mammoth National Monument

If your travels take you to or through Waco, Texas, the Waco Mammoth National Monument is a  unique travel stop and one you'll totally enjoy. The site was officially named a national monument in 2015 which also makes it a part of the National Park System.

Waco Mammoth National Monument is a paleontological site protecting the only nursery herd of Columbian mammoths in the U.S. Visitors enjoy tours and fossil viewing. The national park features fossils of female mammoths, a bull mammoth, and an ancient relative of camels, an antelope, alligator, giant tortoise, and more.

 The national monument is in 100 acres of wooded parkland along the Bosque River. The Columbian mammoth is now extinct. It lived during the Pleistocene Epoch, known as the Ice Age, and lived in North America from southern Canada to as far south as Costa Rica.

For a few decades, what stood at the site of this national monument was essentially a circus tent. What was of special interest however were the elephant fossils below. What was found were Columbian mammoths that were still preserved in their death position which occurred some 60,000 years ago after floodwaters left them buried in mud.

The Site's Discovery 

The site was first discovered by accident in 1978, when two 19-year-olds looking for arrowheads along a dry riverbed found mammoth bones. Paleontologists at Baylor University were notified.  The bone was brought to Baylor University's Strecker Museum where it was identified as the femur of a Columbian mammoth, the larger distant relative of the wooly mammoth.

With this information, excavations were undertaken which led to surprisingly rich finds. Within a decade, sixteen Columbian mammoths were foundand lifted out of the ground using plaster jackets. A second excavation located six more mammoths, a camel and the tooth of a saber-tooth cat.

What killed these mammoths so long ago has not been solidly determined. There is no trace of human involvement and the bones do not appear to be disturbed by scavengers. One idea was that the mammoths were caught in some type of flash flood. Another is that they were trapped from rising water from the adjacent Bosque River. It's felt that subsequent floods buried the remains and also  trapped and killed the bull, juvenile and female mammoths. 
 

Visiting the Waco Mammoth National Monument

What visitors will see today at the Waco Mammoth National Monument is a modern climate controlled dig shelter that could pass for an art gallery. The shelter has an abundance of natural light from all directions and a suspended walkway that provides a terrific overhead view of the mammoths. 

The national monument is managed in partnership by the National Park Service, the City of Waco, and Baylor University. According to the National Park Service, Tour guides will lead you from the Welcome Center, down a 300 yard paved path to the Dig Shelter where mammoth fossils are in situ (still in their original position within the bone bed). During your tour, you will learn about the Ice Age, how the fossils were discovered, and why this site is one of the most important paleontological finds in North America. The tour is educational and interesting and takes a relatively short time, perhaps 30-45 minutes.The Monument is easily accessible via personal vehicle, bus, or motor home.

For more information and a detailed map of the Monument's location see nps.gov/waco/planyourvisit/index.htm

For a list of all the mammoth sites in the U. S. see  nps.gov/waco/learn/mammoth_sites_in_usa.htm 

(Photos copyright Western Trips)

Visit Cheyenne, Wyoming / The Cowboy Capital of the World

When you think of Cheyenne, Wyoming one of the first things that comes to mind is the old west. Indeed, Cheyenne played a large role during the time settlers spread across western America. Of course today Cheyenne means more than westward expansion during the 1800's but there is plenty to see regarding this in present day Cheyenne and it's very well worth the visit.

Cheyenne's Union Pacific Depot

Cheyenne is located in the southeast corner of Wyoming in Laramie County. Its said that the town's name was given by Native Americans. In the instances of Fort Laramie to the north, Laramie City to the west, and Laramie County it is said that these were named after an early French fur trapper who roamed the region known as Jacques La Ramie.

As a side historical note, Wyoming was the first state to pass women's suffrage. The statue photo further down in this article commemorates this and was gifted to Cheyenne in 2011. The plaque beneath the statue says, "Gifted to the citizens of Cheyenne, WY in recognition of the role of women in settling the west, and Wyoming being the first state to grant women the right to vote."

Cheyenne and the Union Pacific-The Railroad Town 

There is no question that the railroad expanding westward after the end of the Civil War created many a town. Cheyenne's first residents were men who moved west to work on the transcontinental railroad. The Union Pacific railroad company dominated the Cheyenne railways throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

The transcontinental railroad marked the first large-scale, federally sanctioned construction in the aftermath of the Civil War. The Union Pacific while building their section of the transcontinental railroad originally built their rails through Cheyenne because it was the easiest terrain to cut through. When the UP did this they brought mechanized travel to the west along with commercial development and settlers. The Union Pacific put Cheyenne on the map and during the 1800's brought thousands of passengers to Cheyenne and beyond. Not that the railroads made stagecoach travel obsolete, because there was a great need to transport people from the railroad depots to smaller settlements and to the mines. In fact, The Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage Company was established to transport passengers and cargo between the railroad depot and the mines. A historic note of significance is that when electric lights were installed in Cheyenne in 1882, it was the wealthiest city per capita in the world. Quite an impressive fact

Old Union Pacific Depot and Museum

Cheyenne Depot Museum is located inside the historic Union Pacific Railroad depot. Typically the Cheyenne Depot Museum hosts an annual Steam Train Excursion in July.

Cheyenne Frontier Days

The Cheyenne Frontier Days is considered the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western Celebration. This has been an event which began in 1897. The first Frontier Days event was held as a cowboy roundup that featured bronco busting, steer roping contests and pony races.
Cheyenne Frontier Days is now a ten day festivalof rip-roarin' excitement, featuring the world's best PRCA rodeo action and Western entertainment. It's non-stop activity and hospitality at its Western best! Cheyenne Frontier Days takes place the last full week of July.

A popular event during the Frontier Days is the Grand Parade. This ninety minute parade is held at 9 a.m. both Saturdays and Tuesday and Thursday of the celebration. This parade is big. There are floats, marching bands, antique carriages, automobiles and horses with riders in period dress.

 Old Town Cheyenne 


Touring Old Town Cheyenne is a walk through it's past. Historic buildings include the old Union Pacific Depot and the beautiful Tivoli Building.The Richardson Brothers put up the Tivoli Building in 1892. It was popular with cowboys who came to Cheyenne for Frontier Days. The building was bought in 1919 by a Polish immigrant and served as a clothing store and after that an upscale bar.

Enjoy the Trolley

Take a tour on the Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley. It operates the second week of May through September. The ninety minute tour includes stops at various attractions, allowing riders to disembark for the attraction, and then re-board the next trolley 90 minutes later.

Visit Fort Laramie

Today, Fort Laramie is a National Historic Site. This famous military outpost 100 miles north of Cheyenne played a major role in settling the west. It was a crossroad to the west.

The site was at first a fur trade post and then became a military outpost. Here, for 56 years successive waves of trappers, traders, Native Americans, missionaries, emigrants, soldiers, miners, ranchers and homesteaders interacted and left their mark on a place that would become famous in the history of the American west - Fort Laramie.

"A New Beginning"

The park is located in Southeast Wyoming approximately 100 miles north of Cheyenne, Wyoming and 55 miles west of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Cheyenne Area Outdoor Activities 

Curt Gowdy State Park is located 24 miles west of Cheyenne, Wyoming and 24 miles east of Laramie, Wyoming. In addition to camping, boating, fishing, Curt Gowdy State Park has over 35 miles of trails. The trails are very well designed and suitable for any skill level. The trails range in elevation from 6800 to 7600.

The park was established in 1971 by the city of Cheyenne and the Boy Scouts. Originally named Granite State Park, in 1972 the name was changed to the Curt Gowdy State Park. The park is named after sportscaster Curt Gowdy who was a Wyoming native and was raised in Cheyenne.


See additional Western Trips articles found on the links below..

Fun Travel in the Mountain West

Mesa Verde National Park

The Pole Mountain section of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest lies just 30 minutes west of Cheyenne. 

Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest covers more than 2.2 million. The Pole Mountain section of this very large national forest is just 30 minutes west of Cheyenne. Before 1959, this 55,000 acre area was operated by the nation's War Department for military training. This area is now managed by the US Forest Service. Plenty of great recreational opportunities including hiking, fishing, camping is available. The Tie City and Happy Jack Trailheads provide the most popular starting points for dozens of trails for hikers and bikers of every level of experience. The trailheads are also home to numerous picnic and campground sites.

For up to date information regarding scheduled events and activities in Cheyenne, Wyoming see www.cheyennecity.org 

For detailed information about the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, activities, maps and directions see www.fs.usda.gov/mbr

(Article and photos copyright Western Trips)

The Tahoe Maritime Center – Museum & Gardens

The Tahoe Maritime Museum is a tribute and showcase for Lake Tahoe's classic wooden boat history. High in the Sierra Nevada range at Tahoe City, California is a unique museum that chronicles the history of wood boats.

Tahoe Maritime Center

The Tahoe Maritime Museum maintains a program of permanent and annually rotating exhibits that present stories and artifacts of Tahoe’s maritime past. 

These exhibits are open to the public year-round, and highlight the histories of Tahoe’s people and places. The museum's stated goal is to... strive to encourage an interest in, increase knowledge of, and maintain watercraft and marine artifacts significant in Lake Tahoe’s maritime history through the highest standards of historic preservation, innovative interpretation and public education.

Lake Tahoe and the Beautiful Woodies

Woodies had their heyday in Lake Tahoe from the 1920s through the 1950s, longer than in other wealthy enclaves across the country thanks to the number of Civilian Conservation Corps jobs that buoyed the region during the Great Depression. But Tahoe’s love affair with the mahogany runabouts dates back to the early 1900s.

With their rich woods and powerful engines, woodies remain the epitome of luxury and leisure in the modern era of fiberglass and jet engines. Events celebrating the wooden speedboats in Lake Tahoe started nearly as soon as companies stopped making them, with the first Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance held in 1972. 

Lake Tahoe Concours d’ Elegance

In 1972 a group of Tahoe Yacht Club members and friends got together to share their passion for wooden boats. From this modest beginning, the Lake Tahoe Concours d’ Elegance has grown to play a significant role in the wooden boat community, as well as the Lake Tahoe maritime community.

 Since its induction in 1994 the Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation has hosted the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance focusing on the continuing growth of the show, the quality of boat exhibits, the highest of judging standards and practices, and most importantly, sharing the passion of wooden boats between exhibitors and public.The Museum maintains a program of permanent and annually rotating exhibits that present stories and artifacts of Tahoe’s maritime past.  These exhibits are open to the public year-round, and highlight the histories of Tahoe’s people and places.

Concours dreams and achievements are validated with first, second and third-place awards “in class” and with the presentation of special Perpetual trophies going to the most meticulously-restored, highest-point boats. Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation now has 17 of these special trophies made possible by the generous assistance of endowers, many who have competed and won their own share of precious “Concours silver, crystal, and mahogany” over the past 44 years of this event.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird Lake Tahoe is home to America’s most recognizable—and possibly most valuable—wooden speedboat, the venerable Thunderbird yacht. Since America’s Great Depression, Thunderbird has transported guests in opulent luxury between high-mountain estates and luxury resorts.

There is lots to be said about the THUNDERBIRD, which is a 55 foot express speedboat designed by John Hacker and built by Huckins in 1939 for Captain George Whittell, a reclusive millionaire who owned most of Tahoe's east shore at the time.

Thunderbird

The Thunderbird was launched on July 14, 1940 at Tahoe Boat Company, where she still lives, and was kept in a boathouse specially built by Whittell. THUNDERBIRD was originally powered by twin Kermath 550 hp engines.

William F. Harrah, who purchased it from Whittell in 1962. Harrah had it transported to his Automobile Collection restoration shop in Reno where it was reverentially refurbished. His workmen added a matching, brushed stainless steel flying bridge and replaced the original Kermath engines with two V-12 Allison aircraft engines, each developing 1100 horsepower. Harrah used it as his private yacht for the entertainment of his casino high-rollers and showroom headliners, such as Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra and Bill Cosby, to name a few. The boat was returned to Reno every winter where the mahogany hull was meticulously sanded down to bare wood and refinished with ten coats of varnish!

Ownership of the yacht was recently transferred to Foundation 36, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Nevada's natural, cultural, and historic treasures. The yacht will now remain berthed in its original boathouse at the Thunderbird Lodge and can be viewed during tours of the old Whittell estate.

High Hopes

High Hopes 

The High Hopes,  is unique in as much as it is the only 19 footer that has three cockpits. These were requester by the boat's owner and was completed at the factory. Built in 1937, the High Hopes has a M2 Chrysler Crown engine. The craft has been beautifull  restored and it's engine rebuilt. The High Hopes home port was Lake Minnetonka.

You may enjoy these additional articles regarding the Lake Tahoe area found on the links below...

Gatekeepers Museum

Little Known History of Lake Tahoe

Vite Vite 

The Vite Vite is considered a classic Lake Tahoe boat. The vessel was built in 1961 and is 16 feet long. The boat has a Chevrolet 283 V-8 engine.

Vite Vite from Besotes Boats

The craft was built by Besotes Boats. Besotes Boats were manufactured in Stockton, California.The Besotes brothers originally were building bodies for pick up trucks. They changed over to speed  boat building and were building boats for themselves when customers came around requesting that they build boats for them. It's estimated that from 1950 to 1973 approximately 200 Besotes speedboats were produced.
'
The Tahoe Maritime Museum is an excellent place to learn all about the wooden boat era at Lake Tahoe and across the country. This article is just a very small sample of the classic wooden boat story. There is much more to learn at the museum. I would recommend a visit to this unique museum anytime your travels take you to beautiful Lake Tahoe.

The museum is located at 401 West Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA. For additional information on current exhibits, events, etc, see website www.tahoemaritimemuseum.org. 

(Article and photos copyright Western Trips) 

Marble Falls,Texas in the Scenic Hill Country

There is a falls at Marble Falls, Texas. It is a twenty-two foot ledge of pink Texas marble on the Colorado River, now hidden by Lake Marble Falls. Early travelers referred to these falls as the "great falls" or the "marble falls" of the Colorado River as early as 1817.

Historic District

Marble Falls is in the scenic Texas Hill Country only about 45 miles west / northwest of Austin and about 85 miles north of San Antonio in Burnet County Texas.

The Founding of Marble Falls 

General Adam R. Johnson traveled to Texas in 1854, viewed the falls and surrounding countryside, and knew he wanted to make Marble Falls his home. He returned to his native Kentucky to fight in the Civil War, tragically losing his eyesight. Never forgetting his dream, Johnson returned to Marble Falls and officially founded the city in 1887.

Historic Main Street District 

Come and experience the unique culture of Historic Downtown Marble Falls. Market Day on Main is the perfect time to get out, explore downtown and shop artisan goods from around the Hill Country.
For exact dates, check on website....www.marblefalls.org/events/2018/marketday. 

Uptown Theater

Historic Buildings / Uptown Theater

The venue opened in the 1942 and served primarily as an audience hall for traveling entertainment but eventually began showing movies.

“Every town in the old days had a movie theater,” Buster said. “That was the center of the entertainment and social interaction.”

At one point, a fire damaged the building, closing it for a period of time. It re-opened in the 1990s as the Marble Theater. When a multiplex theater opened in town, the venue closed again to be re-opened in 2004 by Buster and Blake, who invested tens of thousands of dollars in upgrades, including renovations of the current Uptown sign uncovered beneath a previous one. They even inherited an old gas-powered projector, weighing thousands of pounds. During the peak of the venue’s success, Buster was booking 40-50 musicians and live shows a year, but the facility has not experienced a resurgence in popularity since then.

The Highland Lakes of Central Texas

Marble Falls is the northern gateway to the Highland Lakes area of Central Texas.

The Highland Lakes  are a chain of seven lakes along Texas' Colorado River beginning  85 miles northwest of Austin and ending in Austin.  The Highland Lakes are named Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake.

The lakes offer excellent recreational activities like boating, water skiing, tubing and fishing.

Longhorn Caverns 

Longhorn Cavern State Park is 645 acres of rugged Texas Hill Country between Marble Falls and Burnet in Burnet County. The state acquired Longhorn Cavern from private owners in 1932 to 1937. The park opened in 1938. Enjoy the walking tour through the caverns where you'll see fascinating stalagmites and stalactites created by seeping water.

Longhorn Caverns State Park

Longhorn Caverns was used for a variety of purposes during the last two centuries. The cave has provided shelter since prehistoric times. Some of the earliest visitors were the area’s prehistoric peoples. They used the large room next to the main entrance for shelter.

Anglo settlers discovered the cave in the mid 1800's and mined bat guano during the Civil War to make gunpowder for the Confederacy. During the Prohibition era the Main Room in the cavern was used as a speakeasy with music and dancing.


See additional Western Trips articles found on the links below....

Visit Historic Llano Texas

Visit Burnet Texas

Visit Kerrville Texas

Colorado River / Lake Marble Falls

The Falls on the Colorado Museum

The museum, located in the historic 1891 Granite School on the campus of Marble Falls Elementary School, tells local history of Marble Falls and the surrounding communities. Artifacts, documents, photos, books and culturally important icons and memorabilia on display..

Marble Falls is on the Colorado River at the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 and Farm Road 1431, thirteen miles southeast of Burnet in southern Burnet County. 

(Article and photos copyright Western Trips) 

Columbia River Maritime Museum / Astoria Oregon

The Columbia River Maritime Museum located in Astoria, Oregon is a truly unique travel stop and great for people of all ages. This a a fascinating museum that showcases all things Columbia River as well as the Pacific Ocean that the river feeds into. There is quite a lot to this museum and you may spend up to two well spent hours viewing and learning about all the interesting exhibits. 

Founded in 1962, it is considered one of the finest maritime museums on the West Coast.

The museum is the only official maritime museum in Oregon. The museum is operated by a private nonprofit organization that is funded through membership dues, contributions and admission fees. It features every aspect of the Columbia river. This includes displays on commerce, industry, wildlife and even war. The museum showcases to two bodies of water... the Colombia River and the Pacific Ocean.

The Columbia River Bar

The Columbia River Bar is located at the intersection of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. The area where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean is considered one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world. Here is why....

A bar is a shallow area of sand or mud, usually deposited near the mouth of a bay or river. When a fast-moving river slows down to meet the ocean, it deposits tons of silt and mud that it carries. This bar forms a natural barrier, typically extending across the river or bay entrance, Even today, crossing the bar can be a trying ordeal depending on the winds, possibility of fog and the tides. Another factor is how well the ship may be loaded with freight and the channel depth which varies significantly between the river and ocean.

Today, ships entering or exiting the Columbia River require the services of a highly skilled and licensed bar pilot. Because of the possibilities for extreme weather and sea conditions on the bar, the licensing standards for Columbia River Bar Pilots are the highest in the nation.

Mariners refer to the Columbia River bar as the Graveyard of the Pacific, with about 2,000 vessel, including 200 large ships, having sunk right there since 1792. The museum highlights the extreme forces at work along the Columbia River Bar. Learn about waves that can exceed 40 feet in height during the most severe winter storms. See exciting exhibits on the U.S. Coast Guard and the Columbia River Bar Pilots.

Witness the legendary salmon fishing runs and take a tour of a floating lighthouse, the lightship Columbia. There were some five different lightships with the name Columbia stationed at the mouth of the Columbia River. The last one was designated WLV-604. The Columbia is a 128-foot welded-steel lightship which was built in 1950. The lightship had ten men on duty at all times. The ship was decommissioned in 1979 and made it;s way to the Columbia River Maritime Museum in 1980. She is the first vessel in Oregon to be placed on the National Register.

Museum Collections

The Columbia River Maritime Museum specializes in collecting and exhibiting maritime artifacts from the Columbia River and the Pacific Northwest. The Museum’s collection, made up of artifacts collected since its opening, has grown to more than 30,000 objects, 20,000 photographs, and a 10,000-volume research library. Combined, these resources make the Columbia River Maritime Museum one of the foremost repositories of Pacific Northwest maritime artifacts in the country.

Tour a floating lighthouse, see a WWII bridge, and admire a scabbard from a shipwreck. See sailing gill net boats that used to run on the Columbia River fishing for salmon. Also, detailed information about the ship wrecks on the bar and models of ships that sailed on the Columbia. The museum has an interactive shipwreck map that shows the loss both the wind and waves have caused over the last 200 years at the Columbia River Bar.

The Columbia River Maritime Museum is pleased to present classes in wooden boat building and courses in traditional maritime crafts at the Barbey Maritime Center. They are drawn from both Western and Native American maritime cultures and are suitable for a wide variety of interests and skill levels.

Additional Western Trips articles are found on the links below....

Historic Oregon City

The Columbia River Gorge

Visiting the Columbia River Maritime Museum

Today, the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s reputation for the quality of its exhibits and the scope of its collections makes it one of the finest maritime museums in the nation. It was the first museum in Oregon to meet national accreditation standards, and has been designated the official state maritime museum of Oregon.

The Museum is open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the waterfront in beautiful downtown Astoria, Oregon. The museum is located at 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, OR.

(Article and photos copyright Western Trips)

San Francisco / Fisherman's Wharf to the Historic Ferry Building

Fisherman's Wharf

Encompassing the northern waterfront of San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf can be considered the city's top tourist attraction. At one time Fisherman's Wharf was home to the city's very active fishing fleet that numbered some 500 vessels.

Fishing fleet

Most often today Fisherman's Wharf is the first area a new tourist to San Francisco visits. Souvenir shops and stalls selling crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls are found on the walkways. You'll find many excellent restaurants throughout the Wharf area featuring fresh seafood and excellent Italian cuisine. Looking for great photo opportunities and you'll experience a colony of sea lions and two historic ships to tour. These are the World War Two USS Pampanito submarine and the Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien.

Ghirardelli Square is located adjacent to Fisherman's Wharf and is an iconic landmark steeped in the history of San Francisco. At Ghirardelli Square, boutiques and eateries reside in the famous former chocolate factory. 

Hyde Street Pier Entrance

The Hyde Street Pier is a historic ferry pier just to the north of Fisherman's Wharf. This is a part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. 

In addition to several historic vessels, some of which you can board and tour, you'll also be able to explore the historic old car ferry Eureka which plied the waters of San Francisco Bay during the early part of the 1900's. Many fine time period exhibits are on the Eureka including a display of classic cars and trucks from the first half of the 1900's. 
 
The Fisherman's Wharf area hosts many annual events such as a great fireworks display in July to Fleet Week and Holiday festivities. The San Francisco Bay tour boat fleets are located just to the north of Pier 39. The San Francisco Bay cruise is one of the must do's in San Francisco. See the sights along the waterfront, Alcatraz Island and a trip under the Golden Gate Bridge. Keep in mind that there are also sport fishing charters available as well.

Fisherman's Wharf Pier 39

Sea Lions off Pier 39

Pier 39 is a very popular waterfront marketplace on the southern edge of Fisherman's Wharf. It is constructed on a 1,000 foot long pier and surrounded by small boat marinas. 

Lots of shops and plenty of excellent restaurants offering a large variety of cuisine. On top of that Pier 39 offers tremendous views of San Francisco Bay and the city. You'll also find the Aquarium of the Bay where you can observe the beauty and diversity of Northern California aquatic life. Add to that Pier 39's colony of sea lions typically resting on floating wood platforms. 

The Exploratorium

Exploratorium at Pier 15

The Exploratorium is a museum in San Francisco that allows visitors to explore the world through science, art, and human perception. Its mission is to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning worldwide. It is located between the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 15. The museum is large and filled with fun and knowledge and it is said by many to occupy first place among museums in San Francisco.

See these additional Western Trips articles found on the links below.... 


The San Francisco Cable Car Museum

Tour the USS Pampanito World War Two Submarine

The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero
 
The Ferry Building could be the most identifiable building in San Francisco. It is also very popular with tourists and locals alike. 

The Ferry Building was constructed in 1898 by noted architect Arthur Page Brown. The most recognizable feature on the Ferry Building is the clock tower rising 235 feet and visible for much of the length of Market Street.The clock faces on the tower were the largest in the United States at the time. It was noted that the tower was modeled after the Giralda of the Cathedral of Seville .

The Ferry Building

The building opened to the public in July, 1898. The Colusa limestone building replaced an earlier wooden terminal located at the same location. The Ferry Building was used as San Francisco's main transportation hub for a half-century and the most significant building to survive the devastating 1906 Earthquake.


Today. the San Francisco Ferry Building is many things. It serves as a pier for passenger ferries that traverse San Francisco Bay, a large marketplace and an office building.The Ferry building offers a unique shopping experience. Not only is there great produce when the farmers markets are running, but the shops and restaurants inside the Ferry Building are excellent.

(Photos are copyright Western Trips) 

Alcatraz Island as seen from Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf restaurants

 

Skyline from Pier 39

Trolleys that serve the Wharf and Embarcadero