Unusual Monuments - Canada - USA - Baja

A colorful history, cultural depth. and local character can in part be witnessed by the number and significance of the monuments that are displayed by any town or area. These are a few such 'interesting' monuments I've come across in traveling Canada, USA, and Baja.



FLIN FLON, ON THE BORDER OF MANITOBA/SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA



The town's name is taken from the lead character in a paperback novel whose name was Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin.



Flin Flon shares with Tarzana, California, the distinction of being named after a character in a science fiction novel.

Flin Flon straddles the provincial border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city being located in Manitoba.

This is a very scenic area of The Canadian Shield,which refers to the exposed portion of the continental crust underlying North America. Canadian Shield area...the bedrock here is 4 billion years old...some of the oldest on earth, full of streams and lakes, making it also one of North America's greatest places to canoe and fish.




[Edited on 3-18-2015 by Pompano]

Another fictional Canadian in the RCMP

Another Unusual Town Monument

Narcisse, Manitoba about 130 kilometers north of Winnipeg. Where you can see more snakes at a glance than any other place in the world. Just after the snow melts in late April and early May, tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes slip out of their limestone dens and hang out on the surface of the ground performing their mating rituals in great tangled heaps. The original groupies.

Clam Monument, Baja Sur

Bahia de Concepcion, Baja Sur...southern end of the Bay. The graveyard of the clams. A Clam Monument to commerate the millions of clams that were once on those beautiful sandy shores. Now it could represent piles upon piles of empty scallop shells.

OLD SHEP, FORT BENTON, MT.








This little historic town on the shores of the Missouri River in central Montana is a favorite stop of mine while traveling across the West. I once thought of buying a home there, but my wanderlust got the best of me.
Another of my favorites is this monument that was erected there and is typical of the bond between man and his dog, and vice-versa.


(This is for Dennis in the loss of his Lulu, and others whose pet/companions have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. All of our furry friends will be missed.)

[img][/img]
Yes they do become a big part of our lives, Its been 6 yrs for me, and it still feels like yesterday.

No way about Tarzan!

Are you trying to tell me that Tarzan was fictional? Say it ain't so Roger. What are you going to try and tell me next, the Easter bunny and Santa Claus are fictional as well? I saw Tarzan on TV with Jane and that is real enough for me. Actually even at a young age Jane turned me on, she was so hot, but that's another story.

Please let me have a little hope that the world is all OK and my childhood was not in vein.


[Edited on 2-13-2015 by Howard]

Eastern ND Chippewa Native Americans local monument...a rather modest structure in a impoverished community.




And on the western side in the Bakken Oil Field ($$$$), things are a mite different with the Three Affiliated Tribes. An oil boom on American Indian land has brought jobs, millions of dollars and hope to long-impoverished tribal members who have struggled for more than a century on the million-acre Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The joke is now on those long-ago government officials who thought they were re-locating these Plains Indians to worthless land.

Omnious Past

Shadows of the Cold War...a Minuteman III missile.

Grand Forks AFB, ND, just a few miles south of the U.S. - Canadian border. Today, only the Bomber Wing there is still active.

A running joke was that if North Dakota declared itself a sovereign nation it would be the 4th or 5th most powerful nuclear country in the world!

The 321st Missile Wing, in its heyday, consisted of 150 LGM30-G Minuteman III missiles in underground silos, all discommissioned today. Politics played the biggest part, next to military budgeting. But the price of freedom and security is not, and has never been, cheap.


As more 3rd world countries develop, buy, or steal nuclear technology, only the threat of instant and overwhelming retaliation will hold them at bay. Old threats may re-emerge.

Perhaps this cartoon is prophetic.








[Edited on 2-17-2015 by Pompano]

Rainbow Bridge Natl. Monument

August 14, 1909: Rainbow Bridge, the world's largest natural stone bridge, was "discovered" by the Douglas-Cummings expedition. Many Native American Tribes already knew of the bridge's existence and had passed stories down about its creation for centuries. On May 30, 1910, Rainbow Bridge was designated as a National Monument by President William H. Taft. At 278' wide and standing 290' above the streambed, Rainbow Bridge remains a favorite Lake Powell destination today.



This photo of 'The Non-Thinker' next to the arch was taken in 1986 while on a water tour of Lake Powell.

Vikings in America...does our New World history begin with Columbus, or with ax-swinging sons of Odin?

According to recorded history, the Vikings were the first Europeans we can be reasonably sure to have discovered and settled America, around the year 1000. Vikings sailed from Denmark to Iceland then to Greenland and then finally into what is today , Newfoundland in Canada, about 500 years before Columbus. Anthropologists have reconstructed camps where they settled and have carbon dated iron they made to confirm this.

(Other theories of early visitations: Phoenicians, who were from the eastern Mediterranean may possibly have beaten them by a couple of thousand years, and word is the Chinese visited the American WEST coast a little before Columbus reached the other side (I don't think he actually ever set foot on the mainland, come to think of it). Possibly Polynesians reached South America... and some believe the mysterious Olmecs were Africans.)

Here's a monument I pass by often in Minnesota...at Alexandria. Statue of early day Viking in America. Recall reading the history of Eric The Red? On the other hand, if you're a football fan Up North..Go Vikings!

Here's an interesting one on the back side of Mt.

Backside of Mt.Rushmore as seen from Wyoming

Let's not forget Baja's Eagle Monument:

Another unusaul monument in Baja...The Virgin of the Rocks...photo from 1975 BG (Before Graffiti).



And The Virgin of the Rocks nowadays...a sign of our times. PC?



Remember the artist who painted all those roadside rocks & boulders to look like FROGS?



[Edited on 2-21-2015 by Pompano]

Kicking this can down the road....more unusual monuments.

Here a little more orderly form of graffiti. The Signpost Forest at Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada at Milepost 613 of the Alaska Highway.

In 1942 a soldier was ordered to repair a damaged road sign on this part of the original Alaska Highway..then a tote road being built for WWII. The homesick soldier ad-libbed the mileage to his home town, Danville, Illinois on that repaired sign. Several other people added directions to their home towns, and the idea has been snowballing ever since. Like Baja's Virgin of the Rocks, the Signpost Forest now takes up a couple of acres, with huge new panels being constantly added, snaking through the trees. We've certainly seen some very wild & strange signs. There are street signs, there are "Welcome To..." signs, there are signatures on dinner plates, there are license plates from around the world - the variety is as broad as people's imagination. The size of some of the signs is amazing - how on earth do people get a 6x10-foot sign from the German autobahn to Watson Lake??

For our second trip by the place I painted a metal tray folk-art style showing our motorhome bouncing it's way over the moguls (frost heaves) on the infamous Alaska Highway. That was in 1991 when there was just over 10,000 signs in the 'Forest' On a trip in 2008, there were over 65,000 and last time we stopped in summer of 2012 the count was more than 72,000 and growing fast...so it's a long-term fad.

Signpost 2009

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Ah the signpost forest, I usually stop there on my rides north, and stay overnight at the Airforce lodge in Watson Lake.
The run up the Campbell hwy from Watson to Carmacks which is really a dirt road is fun.

FOR ALL YOU HOBBITS OUT THERE.

GOING GREEN with a GRASS ROOF.

We are often charmed by this grass-roofed, down-sized cottage. Built as a monument to Icelandic settlers. It lies within the International Peace Garden, (on the ND-Manitoba border) which commenerates the peace between the United States and Canada.

How many of you have used...

....a Green Roof Design for your Cabin?

Green roof design is ideally suited for the 'Hobbit' in you.

Are you eco-friendly - want to live in harmony with Mother Nature - create great roof salads?

Ahead of it's time?...No. A sod or turf roof is a traditional Scandinavian type of green roof covered with sod on top of several layers of birch bark overlaying wooden roof boards. Dating back to before the Viking and Middle Ages, it was the most common type of roof on rural log houses and cabins in Scandinavia until the late 19th century.

Now all you need to add is a goat to mow/chomp your roof.

"Willie Walleye"

Remember the ice-fishing movie, "Grumpy Old Men"? This is the featured fish they were all after.




When home Up North I drive by this fish statue almost every day...and it strengthens my fishing hopes.




The Walleye is a favorite catch for sportsmen angling in America's north-central lake regions. But the glassy-eyed, needle-toothed fish's popularity only partially explains the pile-up of redundant "Walleye Capital of the World" claims made by tourism bureaus of little lake towns. Seems every pond lays claim to being the most famous. Maybe a brain-damaging chemical accumulated in the fish makes walleye eaters blind to the obvious -- there can be only one Walleye Capital of the World!

Baudette, Minnesota: The largest tribute to the fish is Willie Walleye, over 40-ft. long and weighing about two tons. Willie was constructed in 1959. The town's festival, Willie the Walleye Day, cranks up the first week in June. Baudette lays claim to the title "Walleye Capital of the World," though signs on approaches to town state, simply, "Home of Willie Walleye."

If bigness of statue is the defining quality of the "Walleye Capital of the World," then Baudette holds the title.

I'd like to take a shot at today's politics....When smashing monuments, save the pedestals-they always come in handy.

wait a minute.....I thought the fish they were after was "catfish hunter"


and man did ann-margret look good!!!

[Edited on 2-27-2015 by willardguy]

Okay, a lot of travelers have seen this...where is this tallest thermometer monument located?

Quote: Originally posted by rainvato

How about beautiful downtown Baker, CA. ?

Right you are, rainvato...although I've never quite heard Baker described in such a flattering manner.

For your prize-winning answer, here's some fruit for you...



A Banana monument from Melita, Manitoba...a small border town that is said to have the best climate in the province...right on the Banana Belt. Akin to Brookings on the Oregon Coast?

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Yeah what Rainvato said! Your posts are like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get! By the way, about your 'mood' in the Author box; The correct expression is "Happy as a clam, at high tide!". At low tide, they are just shovel ready projects!

You mean like the ones at this beach in Alaska? Let's call it a monument to low tide clams and chocolates...and as a result, we were very happy.

Welcome to Clam Beach, Alaska at low tide.

The Famous Shoe Tree....a monument to travelers on The Most Lonesome Highway in the World. I left a pair of sneakers up there.

This is a common monument on large grain farms of the Great Plains. You'll see them here and there on your cross-country drives...Old time grain threshing machines, out-dated nowadays, set out on prominent hills in ND and other prime grain states in the Midwest. When I was a lad, I imagined them to be like the extinct dinosaurs.

The thresher, was first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. It was devised around 1796 for the separation of grain from stalks and husks. It was a serious innovation to farming and changed that endeavor forever. For thousands of years, grain was separated by hand with flails, and was very laborious and time consuming, taking about one-quarter of agricultural labor by the 18th century. Mechanization of this process took much of the drudgery out of farm labour...and also led to a little trouble with those laborers...




Of interest to practically nobody, here are some odd historical happenings pertaining to this invention....The Swing Riots. In England, where these disagreements seem to happen more often than in America, this machine was responsible for unemployment, farm worker rebellions, and riots in which some were hanged or sent to prison in Australia. Now, who woulda thought?

This one from Rhode Island is in there somewhere

Quote: Originally posted by Pompano

Kicking this can down the road....more unusual monuments. Here a little more orderly form of graffiti. The Signpost Forest at Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada at Milepost 613 of the Alaska Highway. In 1942 a soldier was ordered to repair a damaged road sign on this part of the original Alaska Highway..then a tote road being built for WWII. The homesick soldier ad-libbed the mileage to his home town, Danville, Illinois on that repaired sign. Several other people added directions to their home towns, and the idea has been snowballing ever since. Like Baja's Virgin of the Rocks, the Signpost Forest now takes up a couple of acres, with huge new panels being constantly added, snaking through the trees. We've certainly seen some very wild & strange signs. There are street signs, there are "Welcome To..." signs, there are signatures on dinner plates, there are license plates from around the world - the variety is as broad as people's imagination. The size of some of the signs is amazing - how on earth do people get a 6x10-foot sign from the German autobahn to Watson Lake?? For our second trip by the place I painted a metal tray folk-art style showing our motorhome bouncing it's way over the moguls (frost heaves) on the infamous Alaska Highway. That was in 1991 when there was just over 10,000 signs in the 'Forest' On a trip in 2008, there were over 65,000 and last time we stopped in summer of 2012 the count was more than 72,000 and growing fast...so it's a long-term fad.

World's Largest Flyrod

Aye, that's right, matey...at Houston, British Columbia on Hwy 16...near the communiities of Rupert and Prince George, and on the way to Alaska from Seattle. A spot known as the "Steelhead Capital of the World" because so many anglers flock here for this fish - even though it is catch and release only.



Skipjack Joe and other traveling fishermen will recognize this monument. Wouldn't it be great if your catch was size-equivalent to that flyrod?

"Hookup! in Canadian is 'Fish On, eh?"

Nearby Babine Lake is a hoot, too.

Another Baja Off-Roader?

In all wars some historical weaponry of that conflict is remembered. As we all have seen there are LOTS of war monuments around the country. Some teens are playing their own war games on this one near Barnsville, Minnesota. It's a Sherman tank, known as "America's tank", the M4, and was the most mass-produced tank worldwide. Some specs are 66,700 lbs fighting weight, max sp 26mph, 130 mile range, 1 case of air freshener....

.....and if you are interested in becoming an owner, one of these will cost from 90,000 - 300,000 dollars. And No, you can't use the cannon or machine guns...

Interesting extra info on the tank monument, AKgringo, and Igor, thanks ....and Yes, the Sherman tanks were called the Zippos....named after the popular lighter. Coincidentally, my college roommate, Mike D., went on to become a tank commander at Ft. Knox in the mid sixties.


Pertaining to the Sherman monument, here are some more researched facts about that tank.

During its 50,000-unit production run, the US Army built seven principle variations of the M4 Sherman. Replaced by the Patton series of tanks in the 1950s, the Sherman was heavily exported and continued to operate with many of the world's militaries into the 1970s. It won top praise in the North Africa theatre.

How it got the nickname, Zippo. Other popular variations included Shermans equipped with Duplex Drive for amphibious operations and those armed with the 'flame thrower'. Tanks possessing this weapon were frequently used for clearing enemy bunkers and hence earned the nickname "Zippos" after the famous lighter.


Here's another war monument I came across...the Saber Jet. This was at a small plane airport in the village of Walhalla, ND. A transonic jet fighter aircraft developed to fight against similar Soviet Mig-15s in the Korean War.



The Sabre was by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with total production of all variants at 9,860 units. Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the '50s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable, and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces until the last active operational examples were retired by the Bolivian Air Force in 1994.

I built a model of the Saberjet back in boyhood days. It might be still in the attic with many other model airplanes.

And as to those Soviet Mig-15s....a dear departed Baja amigo got to take a fast ride in one before he went to his rest. RIP Trent.






[Edited on 3-7-2015 by Pompano]

Brubaker, Brubaker do you read me?

Quote:

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe   From Bridges of Toko Ri, one of my all time favorites. I think these are the same jets. Good movie, Igor, and an Best Special Affects Oscar winner for the year. Sidenote: William Holden and Grace Kelly had an affair during the filming, which must have made some gossip in 1955 Hollywood. But those fighter planes in the movie were F9F Panthers, not the Saberjets. I think the Sabers could have been right at the end of their usefullness by then.

We took a different route on one trip and passed through Oklahoma City. Here's a monument to the Ten Commandments outside of the state capitol building. It's a Bible belt thing, I guess. Christianity is a definitely dying, but not quite dead, religion these days. Makes one wonder when this monument will be finally no longer be acceptable in our changing nation..

Monument outside a great seafood and waterfront cafe in Crescent City on the northern California coast.

" Eat seafood...before it eats you!"

Quote: Originally posted by KaceyJ

You're are making me miss my old stomping grounds Pompano Last time we ate at the Chart house I left in a seafood coma- would like to get back up to clam beach to dig some razors - that's a hoot if you've have ever done it before.

Couldn't agree with you more, KaceyJ...I love all kinds of clams and clamming. Here's a post of mine to go along with this photo.

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=73332

Let's call these various clams a monument to clamming.

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Pompano, The top left photo just has to be somewhere near Clam Gulch on the Kenai Peninsula in AK! I love those big, meaty Razor Clams! Since the gills and guts are removed before cooking, they are a lot safer to eat than steamers (yes we get PSP alerts in AK too) With you standing at the high water mark, that steep beach gives folks an idea of the tide change in Cooke Inlet.

Well, AKgringo, you're close, but no cigar. I've been to Clam Gulch many times, and always enjoy the visit, but that beach is on the Washington coast. Also in Washington, Westport is a favorite place to clam. Crabbing is great, too. I have many well-tested recipes for razors and their cousins...

And I have experienced the swift tidal change in Cooke inlet a few times while halibut fishing down deep. Pretty strong tidal surges. Sometimes I had to tie my bait to a school bus to get it down and stay put.

Quote: Originally posted by Pompano

Okay, a lot of travelers have seen this...where is this tallest thermometer monument located?

Quote: Originally posted by elgatoloco

Quote: Originally posted by Pompano   Okay, a lot of travelers have seen this...where is this tallest thermometer monument located? I have a photo some where that i took of that thing showing 122 degrees. It was broken for quite awhile but is back up and running last time thru there. Roger, what about a pic of the monument marking the Geographical Center of North America?

Sure thing, but I'm sure you must have seen it here before, ...but just in case, here it is again. It's located in Rugby, ND on a major highway...some distance south of where I have a hunting cottage near the ND/Manitoba border, and I pass by it frequently during the season. Millions of waterfowl heading for Mexico pass over this spot. Maybe someday I can get permission for a blind.

P.S. I think 122 degrees on that thermometer might be a record. No thanks to that kind of heat.

A monument to the Baja Road and it's travelers.

Mama Espinoza's in El Rosario.

Yesteryear...




And today...nuff said.



[Edited on 3-11-2015 by Pompano]

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

Different lens, I suspect. Color-shot has wider angle lens?!?!?!? Barry

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Roger that was kind of you to say I was close on the location of your clam dig. I missed it by 14 or 15 hundred air miles! Oh well, the clams don't know the difference.

Not so far these days...and yup, both great places for clams.

Here my hat's off monument experience with launching our six-packs into Cook Inlet near those clams. We were after halibut..and trying to stay dry! Co-pilot wanted to bail when she saw what was about to happen, but she was a trooper and caught the first big barn door. Must be a short life on those tractors if they don't get rinsed quickly.

Deep Creek?

You know, AKgringo, I do believe it was 'Deep Creek' where those tractors launched our crew into Cook Inlet. I recall an incident one day when our illustrious captain fired a .44 magnum slug thru our boat's side while trying to subdue a very large halibut....hah, that got our attention and held it till we could get the heck off that six-pack back on shore. Thank God we can still laugh about it today.

Alaska is such a great place it deserves another 'monument'. This one to the river salmon fishery. Here we're part of the Combat Fishing at Soldotna. What a riot trying not to snag or be snagged by your neighbor at your elbow. Lures flying every which way. Never again, we only would go in a drift boat after this rodeo.

So..we can call this one the Great Alaskan Combat Fish-Off.

Combat fishing

Quote: Originally posted by Pompano

I try to stop often at that thermometer, too. Isn't that town where The Greeks Cafe is at? [Edited on 3-11-2015 by Pompano]

Quote: Originally posted by elgatoloco

[/rquote] The Mad Greek. An air-conditioned respite in a hot dry desert. Gyros are not bad either.

Yes, that's the one. Another wonder of the West. Been in there a few times. Good food and nice parking for a large RV. Co-pilot loved the statue. How about the nearby and crazy road sign....Zzyzx? Only on an American desert road..

Quote: Originally posted by Pompano

Quote: Originally posted by elgatoloco   [/rquote] The Mad Greek. An air-conditioned respite in a hot dry desert. Gyros are not bad either. Yes, that's the one. Another wonder of the West. Been in there a few times. Good food and nice parking for a large RV. Co-pilot loved the statue. How about the nearby and crazy road sign....Zzyzx? Only on an American desert road..

Quote: Originally posted by Bob H

This is a fun thread and brings back a lot of memories for all of us I'm sure. I too have seen that Zzyzx Road sign and have always wondered about that area.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California

Pual Bunyan and The Blue Ox. At the 'Trees of Mystery' about 30 miles south of the Oregon Border on Hwy 101.

I don't know how a couple of home boys from Maine got all the way out to the Redwood Forest of California, but with all these tall trees I can see the attraction.

Anthem, AZ

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Pompano, do you have a link to the Veteran's Memorial Monument at Anthem Arizona? It was sent to me in an e-mail a while back, but I am not clever enough to find and post it. Edit; I found the link and sent it to your e-mail address [Edited on 3-13-2015 by AKgringo]

Thanks AKgringo, but have not been to that monument...yet. We do go through many parts of Arizona however, and if given half a chance, I'll take a photo and post.


Here is the photo you sent...enjoy. At precisely 11:11 a.m. each Veterans Day (Nov. 11), the sun's rays pass through the ellipses of the five Armed Services pillars to form a perfect solar spotlight over a mosaic of The Great Seal of the United States.

TR is my favorite US President...and we share a favorite state.

1883 Teddy Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Ranch Cabin
near Medora, ND in Teddy Roosevelt Natl Park (SouthWestern ND)

In 1901, at the dawn of the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt became the nation's 26th President and ultimately one of its strongest conservationists. He later said, "I would not have been President had it not been for experience in North Dakota." In 1883, he came first for his health and stayed to raise cattle. He thrived on the rigorous life-style and actively participated in the life of a working cowboy. He built this two-story ranch house, which was a rarity in those days. Plus he had to have a rocking chair sent out. His quote, "No real American can be without a rocking chair." I agree wholeheartedly.



If in the area from June through September, be sure to take in the Medora Musical, "Old Four Eyes", at the outdoor Burning Hills Amphitheatre. The performance depicts a dramatic retelling of Roosevelt's life in the North Dakota Badlands. I've taken many guests to this event and they are all eager to bring back other friends. Why, it even has stampeding bison and booming cannons! It's a 'monumental' success...


TR had his own battles with Islamic terrorism...and won by speaking softly, but carrying a big stick.

London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

I think most everybody knows the story on this bridge by now...London needed it gone, so the bridge was bought, then dismantled in London, England, the granite blocks numbered and brought to Arizona by city developer Robert McCullough and reconstructed I 1971 across the Colorado River in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

This is a current photo I took of this very popular tourist attraction.




I took this one in the winter of 1973 when the bridge was a very new attraction. Sorry it's a bad photo. I was using a time release. didn't get the focus right, and then somehow stepped behind that post, but it shows my old black lab, Gypsy, much better. The city seemed like a ghost town back then. Nobody around, the new palm-lined and wide streets were deserted, and we felt very lonely being the only guests at the then-new Nautical Inn. Striper fishing was good in the Colorado, though, so we had a good time anyway. We were directed by the inn to spend St. Patricks Day at a bar called the Zodiac with some locals, met the developer McCullough, and had some green beer. The place certainly has changed over the years.



Another current photo of the bridge and someone about to fall off the dock...

West Entrance Monument to Yellowstone Park, near Yellowstone Village, Wyoming.

The off-season suits me better then the crowds of the much-busier summertime.



I believe the park has a new species called... 'Urban Elk'..



Brrrr....c'mon old gal, erupt already! Like waiting for a pot to boil..

But never fear, even during the winter months, Old Faithful keeps to her schedule, erupting every 35 to 120 minutes for 1 1/2 to 5 minutes. So many other geysers nearby prompted me to make a pit stop, and so missed it the first time.




When visiting Yellowstone you can be sure of lots of bison and geysers. 'Cuse me, I gotta make another stop...see ya later.



One thing...there are MANY road hazards in Yellowstone. The two-legged ones present special problems.







[Edited on 3-18-2015 by Pompano]

EAGLE MONUMENT - ARMY DEPOT AT PARALLEL 28 GUERRERO NEGRO

About a mile north of Guerrero Negro lies the 28th parallel and the border of the two Baja states, Baja California (Norte) and Baja California Sur. There is an army base, a Pemex station and the 140 foot tall Eagle monument made out of steel that sits right on the parallel line.


It's also a time and weather zone boundary. Time - The northern state observes Pacific Standard and Daylight time just as in California, USA, and the southern state observes Mountain Standard and Daylight time. You will encounter a one hour time change here. (The southern state converted to using Daylight time in the Spring of 1996.) This area is part of the Vizcaino desert - an especially dry region. Weather - Much of the vegetation around Guerrero Negro survives because of the common morning fog (a possible hazard if you are driving in this area in the early morning hours). This desert, in some rough sense, separates two weather zones, and for that reason gets very little precipitation.

This a photo of the monument in 1975.



A current photo...



A capture photo from my movie camera in 1974.


About a mile north of Guerrero Negro lies the 28th parallel and the border of the two Baja states, Baja California (Norte) and Baja California Sur. There is an army base, a Pemex station and the 140 foot tall Eagle monument made out of steel that sits right on the parallel line.


There is also an Immigration check point (open sporadically) where you should have your tourist permit to show, if not, they will sometimes issue one there. Across the street is an agricultural inspection station, they may or may not want to look in your cooler for that 'forbidden fruit' or a juicy steak. If you are traveling south you 'sometimes' used to have to pay 10 pesos to have the bottom of your car sprayed, to keep any northern Baja insects out of southern Baja. (I've seen some monster insects in Baja Sur, let me tell you! That spray machine may or may not be working today...hey, it's Baja!

[img][/img]
This is the wheelhouse off the MV Jupiter Inlet at Point No Point near Hansville, Wa

In 1905 Dwight Huss drove his Oldsmoble Dash runabout across the country in 44 days

Great sign about the first transcontinental auto trip, BeemerDan. I'd have loved to have made that historical trip...talk about some new scenery & obstacles for that driver. Not a chance he was bored, was there?

The old Camino Real in Baja was a bit like that for the first adventures in their old jalopies. No picnic, either...

[Edited on 3-18-2015 by Pompano]

Nice photos of the monument Roger!

It is kind of sad that the trees planted around it have obscured it so much, it may be confusing as to what it is supposed to be (not that it was that clear on Dec., 1973 when they inaugurated it with the highway opening)!

1976, my girlfriend... Photo from the east side (by Pemex)



2007, my best friend, and wife... Photo from the west side (by hotel)



2009, from the south... on the highway.



Of interest, the thing was built very quickly. The artist conception showed solid wings, but that never happened. In July, 1973 there was no traffic circle or any buildings, but the paved road running straight north to its end, in sections between Jesus Maria and Punta Prieta. The traffic circle, eagle, hotel and Pemex was all built after July and before December 1, 1973.

From Western Outdoors Magazine, January, 1974...

"THE EMPRESS"

"THE EMPRESS" - HISTORIC HOTEL, VICTORIA, BC, CANADA

Truly a "Victorian" Monument.



One of the oldest and most famous hotels in this beautiful seaside city has become an icon over the years. Indeed, it is designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Construction started in 1904 and opened in 1908. It has atmosphere plus and is a great place to stay.

This grand hotel has one of the world's best spas, as Co-pilot will tell you...called The Willow Stream. I enjoyed the fact that Rudyard Kipling hung his hat here for awhile and had a bar named after him. We went down and enjoyed afternoon high tea, but I had to request a little extra libation to honor Mr. Kipling.

Driving the Pacific Coast as close to the ocean as possible, we made our way pulling our fifth wheel from Coyote Bay, Baja Sur to the ferry at Port Angeles, Wa...a very long and scenic trip. But for this ferry trip across Puget Sound to Victoria, we brought only our bikes, with which we toured a lot of the city sights...a great time for this little detour on the way to Alaska.

I loved wandering Chinatown especially and Co-pilot must have found a thousand boutiques.




We both liked Buchart Gardens immensely. Inspiring to say the least.



Later a very pleasant horse carraige ride around this picturesque city provided some fine entertainment and great atmosphere.



Now as to Canada, I've loved this country and our shared open borders since I found it at age 7. I wandered through our north pasture and kept going through the clusters of quaking aspens for quite some distance, then had to get back for supper...but for a whole afternoon, I had a great time in Saskatchewan. Over the ensueing years and countless trips, I've come to know a few things about this northern neighbor.

Like...Canada is still lobbying to get drinking and driving included as an Olympic sport.

Access to the best canoeing and wilderness camping on the planet.

I never tire of saying this to a Canadian westerner, "It's okay, pal... I don't speak French, either."

Once, when we were crossing the border into Canada, they asked if I had any firearms with me. I said, "Well, what do you need?"

Viva Canada!

Originally named Port San Juan but was changed to Port Renfrew due to confusion with mail being sent to the San Juan islands instead.
Port Renfrew is home to some of the largest old growth Spruce and Fir trees

Mexican Sense of Humor

Poor cow died in its tracks!

Photo taken 1976 on the road between Loreto and San Javier (near Rancho Viejo)...

Mulege Archway Monument

If you haven't noticed Mulege's new Archway by now, you're just not looking. It invites you to come on in, wine, dine, shop, and relax for awhile.



Reminds me of this one we biked by the other day.





[Edited on 3-20-2015 by Pompano]

GLACIER (MAYBE) PARK

One joke deserves another.

Drove by this entrance just a few weeks ago..



..and sent a dire post card home.





[Edited on 3-19-2015 by Pompano]

FRYING PAN MONUMENT...found at Long Beach, Washington.

Seeing this display prompted us to stop and shop for bacon, eggs, bread...Don't shoot us, you nutritionists! What do you think...hash browns, too?





Gracias, Co-pilot. Where's the 'Like' button?




I'll do this at the next stop....maybe, but..




..more likely like this!



And so it goes....

World largest Flyrod, Houston BC

Not much of a fisherman, but thought this was worth a stop and a pic

Not really a monument, but it sure got my attention, Dynamited the brakes when I came over the hill and saw this.
Good thing I carry spare brake pads

Quote: Originally posted by BeemerDan

Not much of a fisherman, but thought this was worth a stop and a pic

Hmmm...something oddly familiar about that monument..

Boonjum Monuments - found in the desert near Catavina, Baja.

The tall and sometimes strange shapes of the boonjums or cirios of the Natl Desert near Catavina present great photo ops for any who venture out into this scenic place. A place my daughter, when she was so young, so long ago, used to call..."The Land of the Giant Rocks."

This one reminded her ...and me... of a popular cartoon bird.




A Desert Bighorn Sheep?

DEVILS TOWER MONUMENT NE WYOMING

Remember 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'?

We camped at it's base and had a most pleasant stay. It surprised me to learn that this is our nations first National Monument, designated so by Pres. Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. Rising about 1265 feet over the surrounding terrain, it is theorized by some to be a volcanic plug or igneous intrusion. It figures in native American folklore and was a well-known landmark in their travels. I did not climb it to check for alien visitors.

LDS Temple

Architectural Monument.

The Mormon LDS temple on I-5 near exit 28, north of San Diego, La Jolla area. Built in 1984.

Splendiferous is a good word to describe the view of this Mormon religious monument that never fails to catch my eye when driving I-5 near La Jolla. It seems gothic, but really not. A stark comparison to Europe's dark cathedrals.

The exterior finish is marble chips in stucco giving the building a white glow. The temple is brightly illuminated making it even more noticeable at night. A white jumble of crystalline spires, full of symbology and topped with gilt sculptures glistening in the sun. As anyone who has seen it can attest, it makes quite a statement.




If the interior is anything like the outside, I would love to have the experience of a full tour inside, but can recognize it is members only and closed to the general public.

MONUMENT To A Near-Extinction

World's Largest Buffalo



I had just became a teen when this was contructed in 1959 at Jamestown, ND. Located near the east-west Interstate 94, we would see it on every trip back and forth across the state. Always an informative stop.

The American bison or buffalo is the largest mammal on the North American continent. This magnificent creature was given its common name by early French explorers who called them "les boeufs," meaning oxen. Throughout the years, the name went through several changes from "buffle" to "buffelo" and finally to its present "buffalo." Bison is the correct scientific and common name, but buffalo is widely used and also accepted. Bison were given many names by native peoples, including "tatanka," "pezhekee," and "iinii," among many others. Tatanka in our neck of the woods.


The fossil record shows that over time bison went through many evolutionary changes. One prehistoric bison had horns measuring nine feet from tip to tip.


Their numbers up until about 1875 staggers the imagination. Millions of buffalo/bison, once roamed North America, grazing the plains and prairies and populating the mountains. We may never know just how many buffalo once roamed North America, although estimates range from 30 to 75 million. The range of the American bison extended over about one-third of the entire continent of North America...starting at the Atlantic Coast.

The Badlands in western North Dakota still show the evidence of buffalo wallows...huge bowls carved into hillsides by buffalo 'dusting' themselves clean. They became playgrounds for me, my brothers and sister... and we staged many mock buffalo-'tatanka' hunts in them as kids, not to mention Indian attacks and marauding Hole-in-the-Wall bandits. I must have been trampled, scalped or shot a hundred times in those dusty wallows.

Historical documents around the time of Columbus's arrival describe the animal's importance to the indigenous people. According to early explorers, "the plains were black and appeared as if in motion" with buffalo herds. I read this entry in a fur trader's journal..Alexander Pope, at a museum in Pembina, ND, where the trader describes a huge southbound buffalo migration moving past his post that "stretched west as far as the eye could see and took nine days of continuous movement to pass. The dust from the herds covered everything and the noise from their hooves sounded like rolling thunder and made it extremely hard to sleep."

Woven into the fabric of Native American life for millennia, the buffalo was revered and honored while being their main food & materials supply. For centuries, bison and humans coexisted on the Great Plains. The bison was the mainstay of Plains Indian life, providing food, clothing, shelter, and tools. Every part of the animal could be used for one purpose or another. This way of life persisted for thousands of years until over-exploitation by white hunters and traders in the 1800s drove the bison to the brink of extinction.


Some scholars argue that extermination of the buffalo was an official policy of the US government in order to achieve extermination of the Native Americans, particularly those living in the Western Plains. The Europeans were swarming the eastern USA from overseas...and the emigrants needed to settle the 'empty' prairies and plant crops.





BISON SKULLS ...shown here being stockpiled prior to being shipped east to be ground into fertilizer. At the end of the hunting period came these bonepickers. You rarely find a lone skull and/or bones out there today.



BISON HERD PAINTING....a realistic depiction of what the herds looked like on the Great Plains.



The demand for hides was high thoughout the States and Europe. 25,000 of them made this pile for just one shipment east.



The slaughter left bodies strewn all over the prairies.



The cumulative effect of this unregulated and unethical slaughter was the near-extinction of the American bison. By the turn of the twentieth century, the thundering herds of millions were reduced to less than 300 wild bison.

Thanks to conservationists like Theodore Roosevelt, those surviving buffalo are today thriving in National Parks, like Yellowstone in Wyoming and Teddy Roosevelt Natl Park in North Dakota. Add to that the buffalo being raised on private ranches makes for a brighter future for these magnificent beasts.

Teddy Roosevelt Natl Park. Hah...I recall one night when I was about 16 and was on a date with my sweetheart. We went for a drive north of Medora out into part of the Natl Park north unit, with which I was very familiar... and I admit to knowing that buffalo roamed at will in those badlands. We were driving along in the moonlight on a low maintenance trail when suddenly we were surrounded by a herd of a couple hundred buffalo that had gotten spooked and wanted to cross that trail....hey, it was their world.....it got a little tense when we lost visibility and my pickup headlights could only pick up shining red eyes and rolling dust. I stopped and we sat there watching the massive brutes moving fast and spilling around my truck, missing us by just a few feet. Wildly exciting to both me and my date, for sure. The bulls are massive, 2000lbs, 6 feet tall and not friendly to interuptions. They finally all passed and we just sat there and laughed with an adrenalin rush..after having had the beejeebers scared out of us! For a couple years she would often joke about 'where' I was going to take her next.

And that's what happened to all those buffalo...back in the day.

Don't forget the buffalo jumps created by the Indians

Like this one in Alberta Canadafficial name:
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump National Historic Site of Canada

A 'BLOODTHIRSTY' MONUMENT

MOSQUITO STATUE

This unusual skeeter monument is about 60km North of Winnipeg, Manitoba in the small village of Komarno. 'Komarno' is the Ukrainian word for mosquito, and the area is home to some of the largest mosquitoes in North America, to which a lot of fishermen can attest to...like us.

We nicknamed this area "Transylvania of the North" a long time ago. For years, we heard many campfire stories about finding dry mummified human remains in the forests...and tales of children carried off into the woods to be eaten at the bloodsucker's leisure.

It should be noted that the Ukranian's favorite fireside c-cktail is high-test vodka in a gallon jug.



I recall one canoe trip through this area when we were forced to hide under a tarp for a couple hours to escape the hordes that descended on us...true story. If we had not done this, we would have been just a couple empty husks floating downriver.

I still can hear that horrible roaring & buzzing noise and the thousands of pointed proboscises sticking through the fabric...seeking our blood.

Coffee Pot Monument

Co-pilot and I came across this unusual monument on the grainfields of Alberta one summer while returning from a trip to Alaska. Farming and ranching families are usually heavy coffee drinkers, so naturally we had to stop for a cup or two.

Also like home, the fields were blooming, so we had to get out there in the flax and canola.

Igor, Marty Robbins was one of my favorite CW singers of the 50's & 60's. A group of amigos and I played and sang our version of his hits many times out camping...songs like "El Paso". Plus I still have my old 'White Sport Coat'...but I think the 'Pink Carnation' is history.

Memories....



[Edited on 4-27-2015 by Pompano]

Burger & Fries, please.

One of my favorites in a small mid-western town. A great lunch stop at an old-time 'drive-in'...a monument of Road Americana that unfortunately is fast disappearing.

Here's another favorite with the native Americans.

Quote: Originally posted by Pompano

DEVILS TOWER MONUMENT NE WYOMING Remember 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'? We camped at it's base and had a most pleasant stay. It surprised me to learn that this is our nations first National Monument, designated so by Pres. Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. Rising about 1265 feet over the surrounding terrain, it is theorized by some to be a volcanic plug or igneous intrusion. It figures in native American folklore and was a well-known landmark in their travels. I did not climb it to check for alien visitors.

Must be something to do with size and girth.

Certain monuments are not huge and opulent, but small and plain...and are where you find them. Sometimes very personal and existing just to bring a degree of comfort and solace to mourning families. This one tells us the story of trucker Hector who lost his life at this spot on the Baja Road.