Honoring President Ulysses S. Grant on President's Day

         

The Grant home in Galena, Illinois on a bright blue October day.

         “Reports of Grant’s problems with alcohol are greatly exaggerated”, said the docent at the Galena and U.S. Grant History Museum in Galena, Illinois.

         I didn’t go to Galena expressly to learn about Ulysses S. Grant.  Galena is known as one of those “coolest small towns in America”, filled with art galleries, shops and restaurants.  

         As I drove into town on a crowded art-festival weekend last October I noticed the Grant Homestead and stopped in for a tour.  An hour later I had acquired new-found appreciation, admiration and respect for our nation’s 18th president.  

        The next day I visited the Grant Museum where the friendly and knowledgable docent was only too happy to dispel the notions many of us have about the Grant Presidency.  

        Yes, Grant struggled with alcohol, having developed a fondness for drink when he was stationed at a lonely outpost in the Pacific Northwest during his first stint in the army.  

         And yes, due to his naivete´ about business Grant’s administration had its share of corruption and scandals.

         Despite the above-mentioned problems those who knew Grant describe him as a decent, honorable and trusting man who, as President, navigated the country through reconstruction after the Civil War and was an early proponent of civil rights for freed slaves and American Indians.

        And let’s not forget his accomplishments on the battlefront.  While serving in the Mexican-American War Grant won every battle he was engaged in and this later caught the attention of President Lincoln, who had his own war to attend to.  Grant enlisted in the Civil War in 1861 and in 1864 President Lincoln tapped Grant to be his Lieutenant General in charge of all the Union armies.            
         According to those who worked with him Ulysses S. Grant was the right man at the right time.  He possessed the unique combination of strategic thinking and execution to win the Civil War.

         While the Civil War has been exhaustively studied and researched and you can find facts and statistics about the war in numerous publications, it was the details of Grant’s private life which proved most fascinating to me.

Did you know:

• Julia Dent Grant was born into a wealthy slave-owning family in St. Louis.
• Grant’s family (from Ohio) did not approve of Julia because her family owned slaves.
• Julia Dent’s family, on the other hand, did not approve of Ulysses because he was from a lower station in life and would “never amount to anything”.  How about winning the Civil War and serving as a two-term United States President—does that count toward “amounting to something”?
• In spite of their parent’s objections Julia and Ulysses had a reportedly very happy marriage.  How nice.
• Julia was well-educated, was the first wife of a president to be called “First Lady”, and the first to have her own Press Secretary.
• Julia was a good friend of Susan B. Anthony’s and fought for women’s suffrage.  How about that for a First Lady’s “issue or cause”?
• General Grant loved his cigars and smoked up to 20 cigars a day.  
• Sadly, Grant died a painful death from throat cancer at the young age of 63.  Most certainly the cigar habit, coupled with his alcohol abuse.

         General/President Ulysses S. Grant considered Galena his adopted home town and Galena has certainly returned the favor, embracing Grant and his legacy.

         I enjoyed learning about Grant on this trip and am now tempted to read the 900 page book Grant by Ron Chernow which, ironically, was released the day after I left Galena—so no, I didn’t jump on the Grant Bandwagon because of this book.  However, I’m on the bandwagon now, and invite others to join me.  If you’re ever traveling through Galena, Illinois, be sure to stop at the Grant Home and the Grant Museum.  You’ll be glad you did.

****

A little quiz which will be answered in the next post:

The Smithsonian wants it.  Galena has it.  What is it?

To read the fascinating answer to the above quiz, click here.

Are You a Winter Curmudgeon?

win-ter >n.  the coldest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from December to February.

cur-mudg-eon >n.  a bad-tempered or surly person.

          Remember when you were a kid and someone mentioned a snowstorm?  I do, and this was my reaction:  Sledding!  Snowman-building!  Snowball fights!
         And an ice storm was even more exciting:  Skating on the streets!  Or, at least an evening of skating, toasting marshmallows, and sipping hot chocolate at the local pond.

         As an adult, well, I sometimes have the opposite response to a forecast of winter weather:  
Shoveling, ugh.  I'd better not have to shovel out the chicken coop again.
Driving, ugh.  I bet the roads are a mess; how am I going to get into town to run my errands?
        And if there's ice:
Slipping and falling, ugh.  It's dangerous out there; what if I fall and tweak my back, or break a bone?  As for driving on ice?  Forget about it.

         I pondered my reaction to our latest snowfall and came to a starting conclusion:

I'm becoming a winter curmudgeon!

       
         Now, don't get me wrong—I still love to play in the snow.  It's the adult responsibilities, and also winter's hazards, that get me down.

         The cure for curmudgeon-ness?  Get outside and enjoy a bit of winter fun.

         That's just what Tim and I did last week as we skied the cross-country trails at Devil's Thumb Ranch and snowshoed Rabbit Ears Pass, both in Colorado.

Double Pole Cross-country Ski Trail at Devil's Thumb Ranch, Tabernash, Colorado.

Tim starts out on Ranch Walk Trail at Devil's Thumb.

A picture-perfect winter day.

Sunset over the Continental Divide.

Snowshoeing Fox Trot Trail at Rabbit Ear's Pass, east of
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

On the snowshoe/ski trail at 9429 ft. Rabbit Ears summit.

Farewell to another day of winter action and adventure!

         With the right clothing and the right attitude winter's wonders are every bit as amazing to this adult, as to the wide-eyed kid she once was.

         If you're lucky, yes, lucky enough to see snow this winter, promise yourself to partake of a day of winter adventure.
         And if you need more inspiration to get outside this season, please check out this blog where you'll be treated to a showcase of winter scenery from the mountains of New Hampshire:
1happyhiker.blogspot.com

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....in the Utah Desert?

         While northern Utah's mountains—known for "The Greatest Snow on Earth"—await their first major snowfall, a winter solstice storm blanketed Arches and Canyonlands National Parks with 6-8 inches of the fluffy white stuff.

          Enjoy these red-rock snowscapes.  Wishing you a white Christmas—if only in your dreams.

Balanced Rock,  Arches National Park

Turret Arch, Arches National Park

North Window Arch, Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District

A November Hike in the San Rafael Swell of Southeastern Utah

         November is the perfect time for a desert outing and last Sunday six friends and I hiked the Horsethief Canyon Trail in The San Rafael Swell.  I've posted stories from this hike before, but this was the first time the goal was the overlook—a 7 mile out-and-back trek.  Our group spent four hours exploring this part of "The Swell" and during that time we encountered only two other hikers.
       
         If the San Rafael Swell was located in another state—Iowa for instance—it would be the premier tourist attraction.  In Utah however, The Swell competes for visitors with our state's 5 national parks and 7 national monuments.  Therefore those of us who live in southeastern Utah have this 1,280,000 acre recreation area mostly to ourselves.  And that's okay with me.

        Below are the photos from last weekend's Swell hike.

The trail into the canyon.

This trail has it all, a sandy wash, desert vegetation, rocky spires, and...

... slickrock hiking.

Also plenty of interesting rocky shelves along the way.

The view from the overlook.

The dogs—Annie (left) and Lucinda—loved this hike too!
As a matter of fact, Horsethief Trail was Annie's first desert hike.
Read about it here.

The group hangs out at the overlook.

Weather-sculpted features along the trail.

Annie (left center) leads the way out of the canyon.

What Is There To Do After You Arrive in Isle Royale National Park?

         

Another day of action and adventure dawns in Isle Royale National Park.

         A Yellowstone tour guide once told me: 

         “Get out on the trails and you’ll have the park all to yourself, because most of the tourists spend all of their time in the gift shops and bathrooms.”

         In Isle Royale National Park it’s exactly the opposite.  People go to Isle Royale to experience the outdoors and immerse themselves in it.  Everywhere you look you see backpacks, kayaks, canoes, day packs, hiking poles.  

       
         Visitors to Isle Royale don't snap selfies from scenic overlooks or drive around gawking at the sights.  They don't drive at all, because the park prohibits motor vehicles.  If you want to experience Isle Royale you'll have to walk or paddle your way around.  Because of this, Isle Royale has one of the longest visitation averages (the amount of time a visitor stays) in the country.

         Although the 45 mile-long island boasts 165 miles of trails and is dotted with backcountry campgrounds Tim and I didn't bring our backpacking gear on this trip.  We stayed in Rock Harbor Lodge on the eastern end of the island.  From the lodge we accessed the park's trail system, rented a canoe, and booked an excursion on the Sandy, a 30 person sightseeing boat.

         In my previous post I explained how to get to Isle Royale National Park.  The following photos will help to answer the question posed in this post's title.

         Sightseeing
         The Sandy offers sightseeing tours to remote parts of the island and to various off-shore islands.  We chose a half-day excursion on the Sandy to Moskey Basin, home to Rock Harbor Lighthouse and the Wolf-Moose Research Center.

The Sandy (green and white boat) is docked in front of Rock Harbor Lodge.

The research project documenting the interaction between wolves and
moose on the island is the longest continuous study (almost 60 years)
of any predator-prey system in the world.

Every antler tells a story.  Researcher Candy Peterson shares her stories from
40 years of researching the moose-wolf dynamic on Isle Royale.

The trail to the lighthouse passes through a green-glowing moss-lichen forest.

Rock Harbor Lighthouse heralds the entrance to Rock Harbor passage.

         Hiking
         We hiked trails to the east and west of Rock Harbor Lodge.  Some trails hug the shoreline of Lake Superior or inland bays, others traverse the deep woods of the island's interior.

Elevated boardwalks on the Scoville Point trail resemble balance beams.
Here I'm perfecting my Simone Biles (US Gold-medal winning gymnast)
impersonation.

Scoville Point is the easternmost point on Isle Royale.
After reaching the point we take a break to read and relax.

Along the Tobin Harbor Trail Tim stops to watch a loon and her chick.
If you've never heard the call of a loon in the wild you are missing
out on one of the great things about being alive.

         Paddling
         Isle Royale is a paddler's paradise.  You can chose to circumnavigate the island or paddle the many miles of inland lakes, streams and coves.

No, these fancy stream-lined kayaks aren't ours.  The Ranger III transported these
vessels to the island for two men from Michigan, who planned to spend a week exploring the island.

Tim and I rented this canoe and paddled the relatively
calm waters of Tobin Harbor.

        I have to add that a unique aspect to this park is the absence of cell service.  That's right, no cell service anywhere on the island, even in the lodge and visitor center.  I noticed something extraordinary while walking the footpaths and trails of Isle Royale—people looking up instead of down, truly noticing their surroundings, engaging with those around them instead of with people far, far away.   It was so social.  And so pleasant.

        Isle Royale may not have the grand scenery of a Yellowstone, Yosemite or Grand Canyon.  But the entire park is designated wilderness and it's a place that invites visitors to get out of the indoors, to explore and discover the world around them.

Where in the World is Isle Royale National Park? And How Do You Get There?

         

Here it is.  Isle Royale National Park—(black arrow)—
is encompassed and dwarfed by Lake Superior.
Green hatched lines show ferry routes to the park.

         Three things have long intrigued me about Isle Royale National Park:

         1) The entire park is a designated wilderness area.

         2) It’s one of the least-visited national parks, getting fewer people in a year than Yellowstone gets in a day.

         3) Isle Royale is remote.  Surrounded as it is by the vast inland sea that is Lake Superior, it's not easy to get to.

         To visit this national park, you have to really want to go. 

         And I really wanted to go.

         Now, how to get there?   Three different ships sail to Isle Royale and they're all on different schedules.  A seaplane serves the island but its schedule is highly dependent on weather conditions.  Coordinating my itinerary with available transportation to and from the island was like solving a puzzle.  

         The dizzying array of transportation choices are shown and described below.  See the map above to locate the various ports and seaplane bases.   See the map below for island details.

Isle Royale Seaplane

The seaplane can be chartered from Houghton, Michigan or Grand Portage, Minnesota.
Here, the plane lands on the relatively protected waters of Tobin Harbor
on the eastern edge of the island.

Passengers ready to board at the Tobin Harbor "terminal".  No TSA!

The Isle Royale Queen

"The Queen" sails out of Copper Harbor, Michigan and makes its three hour run
every day.  The ride on this ship is described as nausea-inducing.

The Voyageur II

The Voyageur II sails from Grand Portage, Minnesota and typically provides service
around the entire island every two days.  It does not run on Fridays.

The Ranger III

The Ranger III sails into Rock Harbor.  This 165 foot sea-worthy vessel
was built in 1958 and has been serving the national park service ever since.
The Ranger III arrives in Rock Harbor on Tuesdays and Fridays and
departs on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Let's review the options.

         The Seaplane?  Because of the unpredictable weather and my inherent fear of small planes, the seaplane is out.
         The Isle Royale Queen?  Having read the Queen described as "The Barf Wagon of the Sea", I don't think so.
         The Voyageur II?  Its schedule did not fit ours and I wanted to leave from Michigan and not Minnesota.  And besides, just look at it!

         Two other (not practical for us) transportation choices were available.  The Sea Hunter III sails from Grand Portage, Minnesota to Windigo Harbor but does not continue on to Rock Harbor, home to the Visitor Center, lodge and restaurants.
         Also, you may paddle your own kayak or canoe to Isle Royale from the mainland.  This has been done exactly twice since the park was established in 1940.  Lake Superior has recorded 40 foot waves, so this option seems either very brave, or very foolish.

         After careful deliberation I chose the vessel operated by the National Park Service.  The Ranger III—the largest passenger ferry service to the park—is also the largest moving piece of equipment owned and operated by the National Park Service.   Note that large is the operative word here.  Lake Superior is notorious for its storms and rough seas and, as I am prone to extreme motion sickness, a sturdy mode of transport seemed the logical choice.

The Ranger III as seen from our hotel across the street on the morning of
our departure.  The Ranger III sails from Houghton, Michigan and makes
its six-hour trip across Lake Superior twice a week from early June
until early September.

Luggage and kayaks are loaded on the Ranger III before the passengers board.

       

Please click on this map to enlarge and view details
of Isle Royale.

         The pieces have come together, the puzzle has been solved and Tim and I have arrived at the park.  

         Why the passive construct (Never use the passive voice!) in the previous sentence, and throughout this post?  After researching this trip, my active voice was exhausted.
          Rest assured that voice will return in the next post, where I'll describe what to see and do in Isle Royale National Park.

Warner Lake Campground in the Manti LaSal Mountains of Southeastern Utah

       

Do you like the idea of spending a weekend here?
If so, read on.  If not, well, please read on anyway!

         Mention the words "girl's getaway" and these images may come to mind:  luxuriating with spa treatments and yoga at an Aspen ski lodge; sipping coffee and/or cocktails on the deck of a Key West villa; shopping and dining, then attending a play in New York City's theater district.

         Now compare the above scenarios with sleeping in a tent on the ground, cooking on a gas stove, eating at a picnic table, and using an outhouse.  That's how the girls—okay, middle-aged women—in my outdoor adventure group spent our end-of-June girl's getaway weekend.

         Warner Lake Campground is situated in an aspen grove in the Manti LaSal National Forest, southeast of Moab, Utah.  The 9,200 ft. elevation makes the campground cool in the evenings and comfortable during the days.  The group campsite—at the outer edge of the campground loop with views of the lake and surrounding mountains—is one of the prettiest mountain campsites I've been in.

        While the setting for this getaway was spectacular and the nine women on the campout shared an easy camaraderie, it was the perfect weather which made this vacation a resounding success.  Each morning we relaxed with coffee, then ate breakfast, hiked a mountain trail, took afternoon naps in the tents (for those who needed them), had wine and hors d' oeuvres in the late afternoon, cooked tasty dinners and, finally, relaxed around crackling campfires at night.

         I have nothing against Aspen, Key West, or New York City and I'm sure I would enjoy myself in any of those locales.  But this primitive alpine getaway to Warner Lake Campground proved as invigorating as a spa treatment, as relaxing as a day at the beach, and as enlightening as an evening in the Big Apple.  The perfect "girl's getaway".

Women of the Castle Country Canyoneers prepare for a morning hike.

View from the top of the appropriately named "Mountain View Trail".

"Dog-tired" after a morning hike.  Two girl dogs—Lucinda on the left and
Teva on the right—accompanied the women on this getaway.

Here's where we cooked and ate.
Can any NYC restaurant compare with this?

Evening campfire in the group campsite.

This is the view that greeted me from my tent each morning.
What a way to start the day.