Friday, October 29, 2010

Biloxi, Mississippi

We made a quick stop at Shepard State Park outside Biloxi Mississippi on our way to St. George Island in Florida. After the last 5 months in the desert, it’s nice to be around trees again!



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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

New Orleans, Louisiana

We took the ferry from Algiers to New Orleans, Canal Street Station and started exploring from there. Bourbon Street is a famous and historic street that spans the length of the French Quarter. The most popular section of Bourbon Street is "Upper Bourbon Street". The street is home to many bars, restaurants, as well as souvenir shops. Though largely quiet during the day, Bourbon Street comes alive at night, particularly during the French Quarter's many festivals. Most popular among these is the annual Mardi Gras celebration, when Bourbon Street teems with hundreds of thousands of tourists.






Wedding party marching down Bourbon Street



No need to describe this photo :)



The Trolley on Canal Street



Lafayette Cemetary








Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Howdy Partners!

We made it to the Lone Star State! We’re passing thru Texas pretty fast, we should be in New Orleans soon. Look out Bourbon Street!




Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Four States Fairgrounds, Texarkana Arkansas

We stopped over in Texarkana at Four States Fairgrounds for a night, we were a few days early for the fair. Good thing too, we probably wouldn’t have been able to get a spot!


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Monday, October 11, 2010

Red Rock Canyon, Oklahoma

Located near Hinton in Caddo County, Oklahoma, was a favored winter camp for the Plains Indians. It was also landmark and camping area on the California Road. Settlers going west used this sandstone canyon for collection of fresh water and wagon repairs. On the west side of the canyon you still can see the wagon ruts. The canyon and the surrounding land were owned by Samuel Handley until his early death during the Depression/Dust Bowl. His widow sold the canyon and the rest of the lands and moved her family to California.

We found a nice spot for camping here. The park was empty, so we had it all to ourselves!



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Thursday, October 7, 2010

Dodge City, Kansas

The wickedest little city in the west

Dodge City is infamous for lawlessness and gun-slinging. There was no local law enforcement and the military had no jurisdiction over the town. Buffalo hunters, railroad workers, drifters and soldiers scrapped and fought, leading to the shootings where men died with their boots on. And that created a hasty need for a local burial place - Boot Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is now a part of downtown Dodge City. It was used until 1878. For six years before Boot Hill, Dodge City had no official cemetery. Persons dying who had friends, enough money or sufficient standing in the community were buried in the post cemetery at Fort Dodge. Others, penniless or unknown, were buried where it was convenient to dig a hole.

Dodge City was the Buffalo capital for three years until mass slaughter destroyed the huge herds and left the Prairie littered with decaying carcasses. An estimated 850,000 Buffalo hides were shipped from Dodge City in the years 1872-1874. Farmers, during hard times, gathered the Buffalo bones and sold them for six to eight dollars a ton. The bones were used in the manufacture of china and fertilizer. By 1875 the Buffalo were gone as a source of revenue, but the Longhorn cattle of Texas drove the dollars into town. For ten more years, over five million head were driven up the western branch of the Chisholm and Western Trails to Dodge City. Law and order came riding in to town with such respectable officers as Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Bill Tilghman and Charlie Bassett. Out of these personalities evolved the famous fictional character of Marshal Matt Dillon. The town these early men knew was laid out with two Front Streets, one on either side of the railroad tracks. The city passed an ordinance that guns could not be worn or carried north of the "deadline" which was the railroad tracks. The south side where "anything went" was wide open. In 1876 the population was 1,200 and nineteen businesses were licensed to sell liquor.



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Let's get the heck out of Dodge!! ;)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses approximately 265,770 acres of land in Colorado's northern Front Range. The park is split by the Continental Divide, which gives the eastern and western portions of the park a different character. The east side of the park tends to be drier, with heavily glaciated peaks and cirques. The west side of the park is wetter and more lush, with deep forests dominating

The park contains 359 miles of trails, 150 lakes, and 450 miles of streams. The park contains over 60 named peaks higher than 12,000 feet, and over one fourth of the park resides above tree line. The highest point of the park is Longs Peak, which rises to 14,259 feet above sea level.

We found some Elk sunning in a meadow

There are 5 active glaicers at Rocky Mountain Park, you can see some from the Trail Ridge Road at nearly 12,000 ft above sea level.

This is where the Colorado river begins its trip to the Gulf of California



Click here to see the rest of the
Rocky Mountain National Park photos

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Sunday, October 3, 2010

Stafford’s are On the Road again!

We finished our work camping job in Utah and are on the move again! We have a few weeks before we start at Amazon.com in Kentucky, so we’re planning on seeing as much as possible! Stay tuned for the road trip!

This is our first stop at Heaton Bay campground in Frisco, Colorado



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