My Visit to Big Pink

Big Pink, a rock-n-roll landmark.

Hidden down a one-lane dirt road in West Saugerties, NY, is a split-level, pink-shingled house that has the most famous basement in Rock-n-Roll. This is the house where Bob Dylan lived in 1967,with members of The Band. Dylan and The Band recorded The Basement Tapes in the basement on a 2-track recorder back in 1967 but the album wasn't released until 1975 as a double album. The Band, (Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, and Levon Helm) would eventually live there and rent out the house.The Band recorded the legendary Music From Big Pink album, one of my all-time favorite albums, there in 1968, along with the follow-up The Band (the "brown" album) in1969. Bob Dylan also recorded his John Wesley Harding album there. Also other well established artists such as Eric Clapton and George Harrison would frequent Big Pink around this time, and even write and rehearse songs there. The house looks much the same as it did on the back of the Music From Big Pink album cover more than 40 years ago. As I stood there alone in the quiet of a late afternoon, I could swear I heard Dylan and the boys down there in the basement.

Olana

Olana, the Persian/Moorish-inspired home of Frederic Edwin Church.

Standing on a hill with wide views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains is Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, NY. Olana was the home, studio, and estate of Frederic Edwin Church, one of the major figures in the Hudson River School of landscape painters in the 19th Century. Church first sketched on what was then a working farm in 1845 and purchased the property in 1860. Over the next 30 years, he continuously improved the 250-acre property, adding scenic carriage roads, gardens, orchards, a man-made lake, and more than 30,000 trees. The mansion itself is done in a Persian and Moorish style which Church designed based on his travels to the Middle East. Most of the furnishings are original and were collected by Church from his travels.

Cruising the Walkill Valley

Riding through the apple orchards along the Walkill Valley Rail Trail.

The restored railroad bridge over the Walkill River.

If you followed this blog last year, you know that we like to discover rail trails in the vicinity of the campgrounds where we stay. There are several options in the Hudson Valley, one of which is the Walkill Valley Rail Trail, which runs for about 16 miles from Rosendale, through New Paltz, and south past Gardiner. This is a relatively new trail that is still being developed, and takes riders past apple orchards, over a restored bridge spanning the Walkill River, and through miles of dense forest. One of the benefits of traveling in the spring is seeing all the wildflowers blooming this time of year and the Walkill rail trail did not disappoint.

The Gigantic Kaleiedoscope

The World's Largest Kaleidoscope is located in an old grain silo.

Like, far out, man.

Since we were just down the road from Woodstock, NY, we just couldn't pass up the chance to visit a psychedelic roadside attraction. Billed as the World's Largest Kaleidoscope (and recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records), the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope in Mt. Tremper is housed in a 60-foot tall former grain silo. The $250,000 kaleidoscope was designed in the 1960s  by artist Isaac Abrams and his son Raphael and was completed in 1996. About 20 people can fit into the silo at a time. Visitors must lean back against sloping padded boards with sliding neck supports, allowing an easy view up through the kaleidoscope in the silo. The day we visited, Paula and I were the only ones there, so the attendant let us lay on the floor. There are three different shows, all accompanied by music written by a local composer, that last about 10 minutes. I must say, laying on the floor listening to psychedelic music and looking up at the show in the kaleidoscope really was a groovy way to spend an afternoon. Peace.

A Visit to Springwood

The birthplace and home of Franklin Roosevelt

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt are buried on the property.

After arriving in the Hudson Valley, we set out to visit one of the most famous residences of an American President. Springwood was the birthplace and long-time home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, our 32nd President, and is located high on a bluff in Hyde Park, NY, with stunning views of the Hudson River below. The 300-acre site is run by  the National Park Service and includes the FDR Presidential Library, which FDR established as the first of its kind in 1943. FDR's father purchased the land in 1866 and built the original house shortly after. In 1915, FDR and his mother, Sara, undertook a large-scale enlargement and remodeling that brought the house to its current state. One of the most interesting features of the house is the manually operated elevator that FDR used to move between the first and second floors. After he was paralyzed by polio in 1921, he was unable to walk, but retained full use of his upper body. A pulley system in the elevator allowed him to wheel his chair into the elevator and raise or lower himself between floors using his arms. FDR and his wife, Eleanor, were also dog lovers -- their two favorites are buried next to them on the grounds.

Beloved dogs Chief and Fala are buried next to the Roosevelts

A Two-State Lunch Break

Straddling the PA-MD border.

While we were camped at Rocky Gap State Park in the mountains of western Maryland, we decided to hike the Evitt's Mountain Trail, the park's most challenging walk. The trail ascends about 1,200 feet in 4 miles and crests Evitt's mountain at the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania, better known as the Mason-Dixon Line. While most people know the line as the border between north and south during the Civil War, it originally was named for two surveyors (Mason and Dixon) who were hired to delineate the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland in the early 1700s. Today, there is a post marking the border. We had lunch straddling the border, Paula in the state where she was born, Maryland, and me in the one in which I was born, Pennsylvania.

Riding the GAP Bike Trail

The WMSR steam engine was built in 1916 and really makes the uphill climb to Frostburg a pleasure.

We discovered a great way to get a bike ride in and ride a historic railroad in the same day. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland, and runs both steam- and diesel-powered trains from Cumberland to Frostburg, about 16 miles west. We opted for the steam-powered engine originating out of the former Western Maryland station in Cumberland, which also houses one of the six visitor centers of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. This station was built in 1913.The track, which for the most part follows a former Western Maryland Railway line, proceeds northwest from Cumberland through "the Narrows", a deep water gap, proceeds up the Allegheny Front , and terminates at the former Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad depot in Frostburg. The train lays over there for about 90 minutes to allow passengers to visit the town, and the locomotive is turned back there on a turntable before it returns to Cumberland by the same route. They let you bring your bike along and instead of making the trip back to Cumberland on the train, you can ride back on the Great Allegany Passage (GAP) Trail. It's a bike-only trail that is a gradual downhill coast all the way back to Cumberland. Highly recommend the trip for anyone interested in trains and looking for a way to get in some exercise. 

How to Beat the Cades Cove Traffic Jam

The spring wildflowers are in bloom in Cades Cove.

Cades Cove is one of the most popular destinations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and its 11-mile loop road is notorious for traffic jams of tourists inching along the one-lane road. I found a great way to beat the traffic -- ride a bike. For hundreds of years Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove but archeologists have found no evidence of major settlements. The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821. By 1830 the population of the area had already swelled to 271. Cades Cove offers the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in the national park. Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a working grist mill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth and nineteenth century structures. With sunny skies and perfect temperatures, I pedaled the loop road twice, moving as fast as the traffic, and getting a lot better gas mileage. For a flatlander like me, though, the hills proved to be quite challenge.

The Hike that Took 30 Years to Finish

It took 30 years to finish, but we conquered the Ramsay Cascades Trail.

The cascades were in full flow after all the rain in the park this week.

As mentioned in my previous post, the main reason we started our trip with a visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park was to cross the Ramsay Cascades Trail off of our "to do" list of hikes. We aborted our first try in 1982 and never made it to the trail in 2000 because of a washed out bridge. Today, we were at the trailhead by 9:30 this morning and figured we had until 3:00 PM to finish before the predicted thunderstorms hit. The trail is a steady uphill climb (from 2,250 feet elevation to 4,400 feet) over 5 miles (10 miles round trip) and follows the middle prong of the Little Pigeon River. We reached the cascades in time for lunch with a few fellow hikers before heading back down the slippery trail. Just before reaching the truck, the skies opened up in true Smokies fashion and we were drenched for the second day in a row. But at least we made it to the cascades and we consider our trip to the Smokies a rousing success.

Once Again, Rain in the Smokies

The rain has been really good for the mountain laurel.

Morning mist on the trail to Sutton Ridge, Great Smoky Mtns. Natl. Park, TN

Every time we visit the Smoky Mountains, it seems we bring torrential rains with us. Our main reason for stopping here on our way north is to finally complete the Ramsay Cascades trail. We first attempted the trail in 1982, but were forced to turn back near the top due to heavy fog, rain, and an insufficient supply of water -- really embarrassing for us as hikers. We returned in 2000 to conquer Ramsay, but two days of heavy rain washed out the bridge leading to the trailhead. So, we have returned in 2012 to get this trail off of our list of "must do's" before we die. After 2 days of steady rain, it looks like we'll make our third attempt at the trail tomorrow. We'll let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, we did a short hike to Sutton Ridge today, in the rain, of course. At least the mountain laurel is in full bloom.

The Town Sherman Refused to Burn

The courthouse in downtown Madison, GA.

First night we camped just outside Madison, GA, which is about 50 miles southeast of Atlanta. When Paula asked the friendly campground manager what Madison was known for, his reply was that Madison was the only town between Atlanta and Savannah that Sherman didn't burn. The reason -- Sherman's girlfriend lived in Madison. Nice bit of Civil War trivia. Unfortunately, it isn't true. According to the Georgia Encyclopedia, Sherman was south of the area when one of his regiments passed through Madison. Sherman was good friends with Joshua Hill, a former US Senator who lived in Madison, and he reportedly sent word to his troops not to burn Madison out of respect for that friendship. Whatever the real story, downtown Madison today is well-preserved, charming southern town.

On the Road Again!

Hard to believe it's been 10 months since we finished last summer's trip out west. But, here we are again, heading out to explore all the great places our wonderful country has to offer. Our primary goal on our first day was to get further than the 14 miles north of Gainesville we did last year when we had our trailer tire blow out. I am happy to report, we made it all the way to Madison, GA without an incident. Good to get the first day behind us. We are both a bit disorganized but I'm sure after a few days, we'll know where everything is. Hope you'll follow us as we roll down the road.