Month: July 2025

JohnBoy travel update

I am writing this post from Boise, Idaho, where yesterday I went to the World Center for Birds of Prey facility operated by the Peregrine Foundation (think California Condors, Red-tail Hawks, etc.). I was there almost 2 1/2 hours and took lots of pictures which I promise I will post very soon. I travel up to Seattle tomorrow and will be there 4 nights before crossing into Canada, so I hope to use the early mornings and evenings there to make more posts. I also have several “multiple-nights in one place” stays the first two weeks in Canada so that should enable me to get caught up since I won’t have to unload and reload my car every day or two!

I’ve also been VERY lucky with weather in my first three weeks on the road but am sure I will encounter rainy days sooner or later. Many areas out here need the rain, but most of it I have encountered so far has been while I was driving or at night.

I have good news and bad news concerning wildfires. The bad news for people in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington state is that there are two wildfires there which just recently started and are destroying homes and businesses. The Cram fire in Oregon is currently the largest active wildfire in the United States and developed very quickly. The Burdoin fire, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, is also wreaking havoc. Crews are working diligently to contain both fires.

Fortunately for me they are both well west of the route I will be taking tomorrow morning from Boise to where I will be staying in Bellevue, Washington. I’m sure I will see the smoke, and possibly even have to drive through some, but I don’t expect any detours such as what I opted to take around Kansas City late last week to avoid massive flooding there.

The good news in Canada and Alaska is that, for now, the wildfires I have been monitoring there appear to be under control and should not be a direct threat to my plans. Of course, more could start at any time. There were Red Flag warnings in western Wyoming two days ago for conditions which could have enhanced wildfire development but I didn’t see any sign of any fires anywhere.

So fingers crossed that conditions will continue to be favorable for me.

And one update on travel conditions in western North Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Yesterday it was announced that a 12-mile section has been reopened after major repairs of damage caused by Hurricane Helene last fall. Here is a “before” photo I found online this morning which demonstrates why the repairs (rebuilding, actually) is taking so long.

(Photo credit: FOX Weather)

There are still many more areas along the Parkway in North Carolina which need rebuilding, and logistically it is more difficult to get materials up there to make the repairs than it was for what they had to do on interstate 40. The Parkway is a major tourist draw to western NC so I am sure they are progressing as quickly, but safely, as they can.

Cleveland Guardians game

When I went up to Cleveland for my post-tax season escape in late April my brother and sister-in-law took me to a Guardians (nee Indians) game. They generally take me to at least one a year and I always enjoy it.

The team was renamed for the 8 Guardians, a series of much-larger-than-life carvings on the pillars of a huge bridge near the stadium. I will be making a future post about them once I get down there to take all of their photos.

The “Guards” play at Progressive Field. Progressive Insurance is based in Mayfield Village, a suburb of Cleveland. The game we attended was the third in a series against the New York Yankees. The Guards swept the first two games and we were hoping they’d make it three for three.

Spoiler alert – they didn’t.

Before the game started we went through an area with statues and plaques dedicated to former players, coaches and other notable figures in the team’s history. It was a sobering visit, as one of the memorials was to a gentleman who attended every home game since August 24, 1973. He was always way out in the bleachers under the scoreboard where he beat a huge bass drum (he bought for $25) to motivate the players and the fans. The sound reverberated through the entire stadium.

Sadly he passed away in late 2023. His name was John Adams. He was there for 3 World Series, 3 All-Star games, Len Parker’s “perfect game” and was even honored with a “Bobblehead Night” likeness!

A replica of his drum:

The section where he performed was dedicated in his honor.

RIP John. You will be missed.

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Before the game:

Nearby Rocket Arena, where the Cleveland Cavaliers and a minor league hockey team play:

A mural above one of the escalators inside the stadium:

During the game:

The pitcher’s warmup area:

A souvenir we got on the way in to the stadium:

I’m thinking maybe nose ring???

Three more Cleveland Zoo animals

I looked in my iPhone photo directory for April again and found some more animals that didn’t transfer to my computer when I tried to back them up.

A Condor (which I hope to see more of in Boise, Idaho on Tuesday of next week):

And one, then a pair of Dingoes (kind of a cross between a German Shepherd and a hefty Coyote or Wolf):

Cleveland Ohio Zoo

I drove up to Cleveland in mid-April to visit my youngest brother and his family (my post-tax season escape). As we drove around the area to some of the city’s MetroParks (they have a GREAT network of parks, something that should inspire other cities around the US) I noticed a sign for the Zoo (also a MetroPark). I didn’t even know they had a zoo and my brother offered to take me the next day (to visit, not to leave me!!).

I will spare you the “normal” zoo animals and try to show the more unusual ones. But first, the entrance. An impressive display of tulips:

NOW the animals:

This stuffed animal was in the on-site veterinarian hospital suite. Better him than a live animal:

They build a viewing overlook at just the right height for kids and adults alike to feed the giraffes:

And speaking of unusual creatures… you are probably familiar with flying squirrels (which friends of mine in Pennsylvania have on their property!!).

How about the rare, elusive flying JohnBoy???

Yes, your afraid-of-heights hero agreed (actually PAID) to be pulled backwards above an alligator infested lake and then released to cheat death and laugh at their efforts to bite his shoes off.

As my friend Shawn, a frequent blog commentor, would say – HA!

But I digress….

Not MY shoes…

A reindeer (above)

A Takin (above)

A cuddly Sloth bear (well, the little one anyway).

A Snow Leopard:

And two Amur Leopards:

A “seems kind of small but I’m still NOT getting in there with him” Grizzly Bear:

This one was further away than it looks. I still haven’t seen one “up close” in the wild but I did see one from very far away near Yellowstone National Park in 2017 and I could tell it was enormous. It is what prompted me to get a digital camera with a zoom lens

And finally, a cuddly Koala:

Two days ago I went to the Cincinnati Zoo and will be posting those photos as soon as I get them off my iPhone 16. I recently upgraded but it is giving me fits trying to offload my photos to my Microsoft computer which is where I post the blog from.

More from Jim Thorpe PA

I always try to appreciate the artists of this world. Some are meh but many more are VERY talented.

We saw these signs as we walked around Jim Thorpe during our 5-hour train layover. I didn’t follow them to their destination but will tell you in a minute what they are for:

As you may have noticed, they are all signed by Victor Stabin and evidently lead to his studio. I promise I will visit it when I return to Jim Thorpe sometime in the future.

Sad News from the Grand Canyon

No photos but they will be in an older post referenced below.

Upon my arrival in Cincinnati OH last evening I learned that the Visitor Center, and many other historic buildings, at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon were destroyed by an out of control wildfire on Sunday. Crews were trying to protect the Park from the fire, which was started by lightning, but it managed to get past them. Fortunately, all staff and guests at the Park were able to escape safely and no firefighters were injured. The North Rim will be closed for the rest of the season and probably beyond, as it will be a major undertaking to rebuild everything and make it safe for everyone to return.

I don’t have my photos from that far back on this computer but you may enter “Grand Canyon North Rim – Lodge” in the search box on the Home page to see my post from September 10, 2017 featuring the Lodge (and I believe there were others from that trip as well). Once on that 2017 post, a calendar for September 2017 will be on the right side of the screen to view all the posts from a particular date within that month.

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I am now on the road in earnest so my posts will soon increase in frequency. I am still working on some computer issues. My iPhone sometimes creates two files when I take a photo – a traditional .jpg and a mini-movie which takes up even more space. It wreaks havoc when I try to copy from my phone to my computer (not an Apple product) and it is taking me time to delete them, while keeping the real movies I take from time-to-time.

To quote Gilda Radner from SNL (whose photos and outfits I saw in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland last week) – “It’s always something….”

Thank you for your continued patience.

The Houses of Jim Thorpe (part 2 of 2)

More of the beautifully maintained homes in Jim Thorpe, PA.

Wait a minute….. how did HE (or SHE) sneak in here???

And a few more buildings as we walked back down towards the train station. We thought five hours was a long time to fill but it went by very quickly. Some day I will drive up to the northern end of the Reading & Northern train line and ride south to revisit this beautiful little town again. I could spend all day here.

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

The town of Jim Thorpe used to be called Mauch Chunk. The name was changed as a tribute to the first Native American to win a Gold Medal for the United States in the Olympics (see previous post).

There was vehicular traffic gridlock (and it gets even worse when there are festivals in town, or in nearby Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton or Scranton/Wilkes Barre). We were very happy we had arrived by train and didn’t have to sit in traffic or find a place to park!

We enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the left side of the building above, in an old firehouse! There are LOTS of great restaurants in Jim Thorpe.

I was glad our restaurant wasn’t adjacent to THIS building!

And another building in JT where we enjoyed a beer while waiting to catch the train back to Reading.

Up next, the many restored houses in Jim Thorpe…

Train Ride to Jim Thorpe PA

I have been staying with friends in southern Pennsylvania for a few days and they discovered a great train ride for us to take on Sunday. We drove to Reading PA, not far from where they live, and boarded a diesel-engine propelled train which would take us north to Jim Thorpe, PA which, coincidentally, is about 20 minutes from where my older brother used to live!

We literally took a “Ride on the Reading!” (a Monopoly board game reference for those of you not familiar with it).

We left Reading (at the bottom center of the map) and rode about two hours up to Jim Thorpe, just left of the word CARBON on the right side of the map. The town of Jim Thorpe used to be called Mauch Chunk but was renamed for the Olympic athlete who was the first Native American to win a Gold Medal for the United States. He played professional football, baseball and basketball and was considered one of the most versatile athletes in modern sports (source: Wikipedia). He won two Gold Medals in the 1912 Summer Olympics (pentathlon and decathlon). A statue of Jim Thorpe is located in another part of town.

But I digress…

It was a gorgeous, relaxing ride through wooded areas, small towns and some beautiful countryside. Several rivers and streams ran alongside my side of the train as we went north. We made two quick stops to pick up more passengers, and when we arrived in Jim Thorpe we were given 5 hours to walk around, have lunch, and enjoy the beauty of this small town. I have driven through Jim Thorpe several time over the years but don’t think I ever got out of my car. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time.

Not a word you want to think about while riding a train! There were several of these along our route, in areas where the train could move gracefully to adjacent tracks.

We finally arrived at our destination and set out to enjoy our time there.

Continued on next post