London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, Arizona

 

 

When the traffic in London, England, became too much for this bridge to handle, a new bridge needed to built. The old bridge was sold to Rober McCulloch and reconstructed in Lake Havasu by Robert Beresford. Each brick was numbered and it was reconstructed in the same manner as the Egyptians built pyramids. Sand mounds beneath each arch were carefully formed to the profile of the original bridge arches. When work was completed the sand was removed. A one-mile channel was dredged and water was diverted from the lake, under the bridge, then back into the lake. The bridge was completed and dedicated on October 10, 1971.

Dry Fork Canyon, Utah

 

 

 

 

Hoover Dam, Nevada/Arizona

 

 

I was unprepared for how magnificent this structure is; I absolutely loved it! I've always been interested in architecture, and this is an amazing piece of concrete. I'm a fan of the Percy Jackson series. In theTitan's Curse the Hoover Dam is Annabeth’s all-time favourite structure. Over two hundred metres tall, it was built in the 1930s and holds five million cubic acres of water. There are two Oscar-like statues with wings, called the Guardians. If you've never been there, it is well worth the wait in slow traffic.

Moenkopi Legacy Inn, Tuba City, Arizona

 

 

 

 

Quite by chance, we found this incredible hotel in Tuba City. It has only been open for a couple of months and is reasonably priced. There is a salt water pool and hot tub as well. The architecture captures the traditions of village life and uses colors of the surrounding desert. It is close to Monument Valley, or you can follow Highway 264 to travel through the Hopi villages. Two of those villages offer guided tours to visitors.

Oatman, Arizona

 

 

 

Oatman is a gold mining ghost town located along the old Route 66. Burros that came in with the miners roam freely through the tiny one road town. The town was named after the Oatman family who were waylaid in 1851 on their way from Tucson to Yuma. Only two daughters survived and were taken by the Mojave Indians. The parents and four other children were all killed. Oatman is a little out of the way, but lots of fun to visit.

Famous View, Monument Valley

 

 

 

The horizon that you see is famous because this is the area where one of John Wayne's movies was filmed. Also, if you look at the picture with the road in it, this is the spot where Forest Gump was running and looked back. The collage is free advertising for a Navajo man named Travis Jake who was excited about being on my travel blog. His jewelry stand is on Hwy 163 that passes through Monument Valley and has the sites in this entry. I put a sample of his jewelry and a picture of the stand so you could find him if you ever travel that way. He was very friendly and enthusiastic about his work and is great to tell you about the sites. He said that his truck is his factory because he makes jewelry from it as he waits for tourists to stop by. He is always watching for nice stones to use and thinking up original designs. The necklace shown is made of hematite and green Mojave.

More of Monument Valley

 

 

 

 

This landscape just screams, "This is the American West!" Monument Valley consists of a 2,ooo square mile section of Utah and Arizona. It showcases red buttes, spires, mesas, and arches. You've just got to see it to really feel how amazing it is!

Monument Valley, Arizona

 

 

 

 

The full sun wasn't the best lighting for these photos, but you shoot them when you can. The rock formations here are incredibly beautiful and change depending on your position to them. God was certainly creative with this little section of the earth!

Belle Fourche, South Dakota

 

 

This cabin was built in 1876 with logs from the Black Hills. Johnny Spaulding was an experienced scout who acted as a look-out,warning settleres of the Sioux. He lived here for 20 years until he headed west to California. Now here's the good part- he reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Nettie. After a 53 year seperation they were married.

The Best Thing About Wyoming

 

Belle Fourche, South Dakota

 

 

How cool is that? I'm standing at the geograpic center of the nation. The actual site is about twenty miles north in an area that is hard to access, so this is the recongnized spot. The center of the nation use to be somewhere in Kansas, but when they figured in Hawaii and Alaska the spot moved north and west. I know I'm easily entertained, but this was just awesome for me!

Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota

 

 

 

The day was overcast and drizzly; it was hard to see where the sky stopped and the water began. But trust me, it was beautiful. It is a reservoir in the Missouri River basin in central North Dakota. Named for the Shoshone-Hidatsa woman Sakakawea, it is the third largest man-made lake in the United States, after Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The lake lies in parts of six counties in western North Dakota: Dunn, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams.It is located about 50 miles from Bismarck, North Dakota.

Aladdin, Wyoming

 

 

 

 

This place is a treasure, literally. Their general store is 114 years old, with no running water. You can see the water pump out to the side of the store. Really, the outhouses- one for the ladies, one for the men- are the bathrooms. Upstairs in the store are antiques. Wonderful, cheap antiques! It is like a really great dream where you find unbelievable bargains. If you are interested, let me know, and I'll tell you about what I bought. Aladdin, Wyoming is a small community located along state highway 24 in the extreme northeast corner of the state. The Aladdin General Store is the largest and most prominent of a total of fifteen buildings that make up the town along both sides of the highway. It is a rare and well-preserved example of late 19th century vernacular mercantile architecture, and one of five 19th century mercantiles left in the state which represent the settlement and economic development period. Through the years the Aladdin Store and Post Office has housed a general store, a bar, a post office, a barber shop, a telephone office, and served as a depot, freight station, and gas station. The store at Aladdin has always been the heart of the community and its center of activity; it continues to be such today.
Aladdin's business base is ranching and timber. Over the years, Aladdin General Store has proven to be quite a popular place for anyone en route to Devils Tower. They just can't pass by without resting a bit and enjoying refreshment and kickin' back on the front porch.