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Entries in Old Cars (4)
USA Road Trip: Collier Logging Museum, Oregon
Heading south on old highway US97 -- taking the long way from Bend, Oregon to Lake Tahoe, California -- we happened upon the Collier Logging Museum. Of course I had to stop.
In southern Oregon, not too far from the California boarder . . . The Collier Logging Museum.
I HAD to stop. I love these old machines . . .
As a child I loved trucks of all kinds.
Giant steel wheels on this ancient road grader meant to be towed by a bulldozer.
A pull along log skidder, also pulled by a bulldozer.
The front of a giant log would be lifted by this rig and then the other end dragged ("skidded") along in the forest floor.
Another approach for skidding logs . . . .
The front of a log, or logs, were lifted and then skidded out of the forest to a roadhead for loading on trucks, or small gauge rail systems.
There were many of the large iron-wheeled wagons sitting out in the forest of the museum.
Big wagons for big work in the big forests of Oregon.
Big red wagon wheel . . . .
One can imagine an old dozer chugging through the forest pulling one of these steel-wheeled skidders.
There were many old dozers sitting around in the pine straw.
Once the logs had been skidded to a landing, a crane, perhaps like this one, would load the logs onto trucks or a rail car.
Very early on, a steam powered crane/log loader would be rolled out on rails.
In the foreground is an old "mule" diesel locomotive used to push around cranes and other rail cars out in the logging site. By the 1950s and 60s, road worthy truck-mounted cranes, like the one in the rear, became more widely used.
The little "mule" diesel locomotive.
Old log trucks and log loaders to satisfy my little heart's content!
Much of the lumber used to build the houses on the west coast of the USA rode to the lumber mills on trucks like these.
Not something you would want to see in your rear view mirror while going down a steep hill!
A very old steel-wheeled log trailer.
Steam powered pumps used in the wild woods early last century.
An antique steam powered winch . . .
Steam winches mostly used for powering 'high lead' cables to drag logs up steep hills and across deep canyons.
Remnants of big steam power systems laying around. Imagine dragging these up into the woods a century ago!
Boiler tubes.
Big sled winch used for high lead logging. Nice rigging blocks.
Wheeled steam pump wagon.
Marvelous machine work from a bygone era.
1880s locomotive shed with lots of old machinery here and there.
A rail track-laying crane needed to build access rail lines into the old forests.
1912 Aultman-Taylor steam engine . . . WOW!
These lumber movers (yellow machine in the back) were still common in Oregon lumber mills in the late 1970s (when I worked in Oregon lumber mills!).
Yep, you need a saw blade ("head saw") this large to cut some of these giant trees in the lumber mill.
A well used high lead winch truck . . . Simpson Lumber Company.
ONEY, CALIFORNIA
Located in the extreme northeast corner of California, Oney is a beautiful place . . . but the winters must be severe in such an isolated place.
"The Oney Frosty In Town". -- in Oney, California. After driving a long stretch on winding two-lane mountain roads from Klamath Falls, Oregon, the Frosty was a welcome sight.
I was not disappointed! The choices were pure Americana . . . and delicious.
Unfortunately, the following year a major forest fire burned all around the Logging Museum . . . . but fortunately, only a few of the antique machines were damaged. The firefighters saved 90% of the collection!
Pandemic Silver Linings: Two Week-End Trips in Khao Yai
The first Khao Yai week-end . . . . small roads and beautiful temples.
As my university has called off live, in-person instruction, I have been making my lessons at home and posting them online. This has had the hidden benefit of allowing me to physically be wherever I want to be, as long as I have a computer and a good internet connection. So twice in the last month my wonderful wife and I have gone up to the mountains of Khao Yai, 2 1/2 hours northeast of Bangkok.
We visited friends at Toscana Valley in Khao Yai.
Khao Yai is a region at the western end of Sankamphaeng Mountain Range and is a heavily wooded area with a fair amount of natural environment still with wild animals, such as elephant and tigers, in the Khao Yai National Park.
Although Khao Yai is known for the National Park, much of the region is developed for weekenders from Bangkok to escape the city hear (especially in the 'cool season'). There are many, many small resorts and tourist activities sprinkled around the beautiful countryside . . . as well as an interesting assortment of Buddhist Wats.
So, while my wife played golf at the beautiful courses in the area, I explored the small roads to see what I could see. . . .
I had fun following 'points of interest' signs . . . and seeing if I could get to the hilltop temples I could see here and there in the landscape.
Wat Sanaamsai is a giant white Buddha statue on top of a hill. To get there you have to climb up hundreds of stairs.
Hundreds of stairs and hundreds of bells to be rung.
I am often amused by the cartoonish monks who adorn Buddhist shrines and altars in Thailand. I decided to light some incense and candles before I embarked on the hundreds of steps. Fortunately, some nice people pointed out that I could drive all the way to the top if I wanted to. So I drove up.
In addition to a fine mandala, there was a wonderful view across Khao Yai from the top of the stairs.
I was glad that I hadn't walked up the stairs!
A fantastic giant Buddha image looking out over the valley.
I loved this row of Buddha statues in the many symbolic poses.
So many beautiful Wats in rural Thailand, and it seemed like there were more than the average number here in Khao Yai.
Such a pretty setting for this hilltop Wat.
Back out driving on the small farm roads through a great variety of agricultural crops. These were planted in quite a few fields . . . but I have no idea what they were for.
Even out on the smallest rural roads there are little stalls for Thai street food.
I saw a temple on a hill top and drove along very small rural lanes until I found the entrance.
I eventually found the Wat entry . . . and drove up the steep hill.
The road did not go all the way to the top. I parked and found the steep steps to the top. I opted to take a service path that wound along the side of the steep hill.
The walk up to the temple had wonderful views out over the surrounding farm land. Some say this area looks like the Italian countryside around Tuscany.
I arrived at last on top to discover a very fine, new Wat.
Magnificent. Wat Pa Phu Hai Long.
Buddhas of all kinds atop the hill.
A grand view.
I love these stone balls that have been covered in gold leaf by pilgrims.
Such an interesting contrast of shapes and textures . . .
I left a donation at the beautiful altar.
I was sorry I had to leave this wat . . . it was so beautiful up on the hilltop.
I enjoyed my walk back down the hill from the temple . . . and admired the view. Many people say this region of Thailand reminds them of Tuscany in Italy . . . yes, it does.
I saw this little fellow near the car park.
We stayed at the guest house at the Tuscana Resort, an Italian-themed development for mostly Bangkok week-enders. Beautiful.
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A Second Week-end Trip to Khao Yai: A Buddha Cave and a Floating Market Garden
Another week-end out and about on the country roads of Khao Yai while my wife played golf.
Just a village Wat along a country road.
Such a wonderful, and brand new temple. So new, in fact, there was no sign and no marking on GoogleMaps.
There are an abundance of Wats to see in Khao Yai. This one on the way to the Magic Caves.
A beautiful multi-roofed staircase leading to a hilltop Chedi and temple . . .
I opted not to walk up the hundreds of steps to the top of the hill. The caves beckoned.
My GPS took me to this place.
My GPS makes perfect artistic decisions sometimes, for next to the hill was this fantastic corrugated building hung with an aging banner of some long forgotten festival. Textures to dream about!
Road dust obscuring a sitting monk image . . . and corrugation . . .
The other end of the banner held another fabulous image.
MAGIC CAVE LAND
After snooping around for a while I found the cave entrance located inside Wat Tham Trai Rat, a woman approached me and showed me a card that said she was an official guide for the Magic Cave Land. I asked how much it cost (in Thai)" and she answered in English, "Something or nothing." She took out her keys and we walked in the cave.
And down we went under the Earth into a colorful and wondrous world.
Not long after the Buddha altar grottos began to appear. Magnificent!
Ad on in to the cave we walked. Of course there were colored psychedelic lighting throughout!
Buddhas, monks, and hermit statuary throughout.
Some of the Buddha altars were more formal . . .
I'll bet this place was on the Hippie 'must see' list!
It seemed like wherever you looked there would be a Buddha statue in a nitch in the rocks. Wonderful.
Although the cave is not completely full of amazing rock formations, there are enough to make anyone with an interest in geology interested.
There were some fascinating flowing rock formations.
After about 39 minutes of walking and stooping through narrow and low passages, a sign in the dim shadows appeared . . . I thought, "this is going to be interesting" . . .
"Interesting" is an understatement. Truly a wondrous thing to see deep in a cave in Thailand.
Not only 'cave man bones' but the bones of animals and perhaps other humans were embedded in the stone display.
We caught up with a big family here . . . they were rubbing the bones and then spreading the 'bone spirits' around their heads . . . so, of course, I did the same. Very therapeutic.
As there always are, pots for making donations to the upkeep of the caves and nearby wat. I left coins in each.
At one point there was an opening in the cave ceiling and a perfect light shaft shown through . . . I wished it had fallen on a golden Buddha . . . but it didn't.
My favorite Buddha altar in the cave. Magnificent.
Astonishingly beautiful cave Buddha altar.
Colorfully lit passages . . .
Passing from underground room to room and 'discovering' new vistas and Buddha altars. Extraordinary!
After a 90 minute 'tour' underground we at last came to the stairs leading out. It was a very interesting experience in a low key kind of way. The cave was very low key, not at all an over-developed tourist attraction. It is, after all a Buddhist temple.
The Khao Yai Floating Market
I stopped in at the Khao Yai Floating Market and was greeted by this old Chevy pick-up. Nice.
Another nice, funky old Vespa with a side-car at the entrance.
Although it would be fair to say that the Khao Yai Floating Market is a bit of a 'tourist trap' . . . it is not without its charms, beauty, interest, pretty gardens, and photo opportunities.
You enter the 'floating market' through pleasant gardens before walking 100 meters down a hill to the pond (not a river) they dug for the water feature.
I didn't have a map of the layout, so I followed the signs . . . OH! COFFEE! I'll have to check it out . . . but first . . .
I started along this wooden boardwalk to explore the old buildings. Very pretty.
The actual 'floating market' does not actually float. It is a manufactured replica of a traditional Thai floating market [my photos of a real floating market can be found here]. It looks nice, but is not authentic.
Before the pandemic, one assumes, Bangkok week-enders would flock here for food, a little shopping, and to enjoy the gardens.
At 10:00am on the morning I visited the Khao Yai Floating Market I was the only patron.
Fortunately there was ONE little food stand open selling my favorite papaya salad (sum-tam).
A side order of sticky rice and puffed rice cakes (and a CokeZero) made a nice snack. It was delicious.
I cold see that it would be nice to while away a hot afternoon in a hammock here . . .
There were a few antique items setting around to create an old-timey feel.
The wooden boardwalk was a thing of beauty (to me!). It was a little strange to be in this place all alone . . .
I was fascinated by this old barber shop . . . I wondered if a real barber occupied it as a business during more touristy times.
All the little shops along the boardwalk were closed . . . on to the gardens.
This is good. I love flower gardens.
A vast and wonderful hillside garden greeted me!
They had a good eye for color.
I followed a black butterfly around for a while . . .
Sunflowers are such a happy sight . . . always.
A sunflower is an amazingly complex thing.
A sunflower is one big flower filled with many, many smaller flowers opening up in rings around the center. WOW!
Each sunflower is quite unique.
Someone thought it was a good idea to plant sunflowers in the rose garden . . . it sorta worked . . .
Many different flower beds winding up the hill to what I hoped was an open coffee stand.
Beautiful colored whispy fronds.
The flower gardens were quite extensive and well-maintained, considering the wet season had yet to begin.
Up on the hill were a row of lounging huts . . . places to spend the day.
The coffee shop was open . . . and the coffee was delicious. There were pleasant places to relax while enjoying the coffee (and a brownie) too.
Two couples in their 20s showed up and took photos of each other in this heart-shaped 'frame.'
It was hot, and it was time to leave. I walked back down the hill under the cover on these wonderful stairs.
Shadow and pattern . . . on the stairs down . . .
I passed this along the way . . . I have no idea what the plan was for it . . . but it was very interesting.
And back along the pond . . .
. . . and across a very rickety bamboo bridge . . .
For some reason, there was an old fashioned schoolroom set up. I suspect the developers were collectors of all kinds of old stuff, and this project was a good place to display it.
And at last I was back to the Strawberry People and the park exit. It was worth the nominal entry fee for a nice morning of photography and coffee.
And we finished the day at our friends house for a magnificent BBQ in Toscana.
Road Trip USA: Bonneville, Utah to Swall Meadows, California
In early September 2018, after camping/spectating at the World of Speed land speed event on the Bonneville Salt Flats, I drove at a 45 degree angle across the state Nevada to get to Swall Meadows, California in the Eastern Sierras.
On the road again!!!
The road out of Utah went through some very deserted landscape. There were miles and miles between any sign of human activity.
A little human activity after the first hundred miles . . . a roadside stop up ahead on the right.
I suppose these geological features exist all over the world, but they would be obscured by forests and towns, and farms. Out here, in this high scrubland, every little remnant of a cinder cone still stands out.
I absolutely love this type of landscape . . . and I don't know why . . . maybe the expression "high lonesome" explains it. I feel pulled to just wander around these hills . . . for years.
An endless expanse of an endless variety of shapes and colorful vistas.
Here and there can be seen traces of former mining operations in the scars on the mountains.
An abandoned water tower servicing an abandoned rail spur near Cherry Creek, Nevada.
I passed by many roads I didn't have time to explore.
A story for each abandoned shack out here . . . a story never to be told.
Used and left behind. I'm surprised the hot rodders and rat rodders haven't scavenged these old truck cabs.
Hopes of ranching left behind with the decaying split beams.
It is good to have four wheel drive when nature calls.
An ancient bristle cone pine trunk.
A left behind moon on a clear Nevada morning.
A solar reflector energy farm way out in the desert. Amazing technology . . . you could almost smell the fried birds from the road!
Loving my life on the road!
A long road to an other abandoned mountainside mine.
Scrub brush, dry lake, and mineral rich mountains.
With so few structures around, I stopped at each one . . .
Mineral rich hills . . . another abandoned mining operation.
Strange hills left behind to weather after mining. This looks like a tungsten vein.
The colors, shapes, and textures of these mined hills were simply fantastic.
Geology everywhere (of course).
Along the highway a gypsum deposit.
An active gypsum mine.
Coming up on the Boundary Range, which separates Nevada from California.
Some stunning flowering scenes as I began to gain in elevation into the Boundary Range.
Up and over a mountain pass through a sea of yellow!
There were a few wide spots in the road along the way . . . here in Benton, California.
Fabulous textures of age.
After Benton (and Benton Hot Springs), the GPS took me down 120 miles of gravel road to my destination. I was very happy about it too!
100 miles of this! I took my time.
I drove for two hours on this gravel road and did not encounter a single other vehicle.
The trees became larger the more altitude I gained.
Up and over and up and over many steep passes . . . .
And on such a beautiful day . . . .
After two hours on Owens George Road I crested a hill to see Crowley Lake, just 15 miles from my final destination.
Civilization At Last!!!!!
The view approaching Swall Meadows; looking toward Bishop, California in a recent burn.
Near Swall Meadows where I would base myself for my next adventure: camping up in The Buttermilk Country.
Road Trip USA: Benton Hot Springs, California . . . Almost A Ghost Town
On my drive from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah back to my friend's house in the High Eastern Sierras, I took a 'short cut' down some very small, and often unpaved, roads. One of the joys of this type of travel is the discovery of amazingly photogenic little wide spots in the road. One such gem was Benton Hot Springs, just off of US Highway 6, just across the state line . . . on California State Road 120.
The Benton Hot Springs Hotel is the pride of the nearly dead town. The hotel (now closed) was founded as a general store and Wells Fargo Station in 1868.
This lovely, and poetical plaque was placed on the old hotel in 1968.
A nice place to lean a chair and pop open an ice cold Nehi on a hot summer day.
The old hotel/store still had its old gas pump outside.
A lazy place lost in the dust of time.
But what caught my eye in the first place as I drove along State Highway 120 were the old abandoned cars just beyond the hotel.
Although these cars were not necessarily abandoned where they sat (they had obviously been towed to their present locations for photographic effect, one suspects), they made for a wonderful atmosphere of age and neglect . . . my favorite subject!
When I crisscrossed the USA with my family in the '50s and '60s, these kinds of scenes were common. Now, not so much.
I spotted a few very interesting cars here, like the 1934-1937 Chrysler Airflow (middle) - the first production car that attempted aerodynamic streamlining to increase economy.
I had fun being an "art photographer" with all the shapes and patterns around me.
These scenes lend themselves to black and white photography, so I have added a number of B&W photos to the end of this blog entry.
There weren't very many buildings in Benton Hot Springs, but this one had nice arched windows.
A chopped up old VW bus.
There was a nice old farmhouse across the road from the hotel.
Very pretty little place . . . and only 30 miles to Bishop, California . . . the nearest mall.
Although very fascinating to look at, it is a shame to see these old farm implements rusting away in the harsh weather. The average low temperature in January is 16(f) and the average high temperature in July is 92(f).
An antique tractor.
Another antique tractor.
People who live out in the deserted parts seem to like to drag old stuff out of the hills and old mines and display it around their houses as yard decor. In Benton Hot Springs someone had gathered many old wagons and wagon wheels just outside of town. These should be preserved too.
There was a hillside covered with these old wagons from the horse and buggy days.
Benton Hot Springs sits in a green valley below Boundary Peak.
I walked out of town and up a hill to get a view of Benton Hot Springs.
"If these walls could talk." Indeed.
As I travel the world I often ask myself, could I live here, in this place? I mean actually live here . . . to actually move to the place and make a life there. I am capable and free enough to live wherever in the world I want. I can say YES, I could live here. I may look into it more closely.
I left Benton Hot Springs behind and headed into the rocky landscape along California State Highway 120 toward Swall Meadows.
BONUS: Black & white photos of Benton Hot Springs, California!