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  • TV Land's Mary Tyler Moore Statue main page
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 1 Driving into Minneapolis, looking for the Mary Tyler Moore Show statue
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 2 We drove past the Metrodome stadium in downtown Minneapolis, while looking for the Mary Tyler Moore Show statue
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 3 Gawking up at the tall buildings in downtown Minneapolis, while looking for the Mary Tyler Moore Show statue
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 4 Walking around downtown Minneapolis, still looking for the Mary Tyler Moore Show statue. The enclosed walkways that connect buildings are really a good idea considering the winter weather they have.
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 5 We turned a corner and there it was! The Mary Tyler Moore Show statue! And the locals don't even notice it there.
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 6The Mary Tyler Moore Show statue.
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 7 and here I am... finally! Jo goes (I'm the one on the left... the seriously bad touristy looking one...) to the Mary Tyler Moore Show statue
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 8 People walking by were starting to look at the tourist quite strangely
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 9 Driving into Minneapolis, looking for the Mary Tyler Moore Show statue
  • Mary Tyler Moore Show statue picture 10 The plaque on the TV Land Mary Tyler Moore Show statue
  • Point Pleasant Ohio Birthplace of President Ulysses S. Grant main page
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 1 Me at President Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace, Point Pleasant Ohio
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 3 Quoted from historical marker at President Ulysses S. Grant birthplace: Hiram Ulysses Grant was born in this one-story, timber frame home on April 27, 1822 to Jesse and Hannah Simpson Grant. The Grants settled in Point Pleasant Ohio the previous year, and Jesse took charge of the tannery located near the cottage. Now restored, the building remained in relatively good condition through the 1880's. In 1823, the family ovd to Georgetown Ohio, where Hiriam lived until his appointment to West Point at age 17. Although relucant to attend the Academy, Grant, known then as Ilysses Simpson Grant due to an error on the application, graduated in 1843 and was stationed at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, where he courted his future wife Julia Dent, with whom he had four children, Frederick, Ellen, Ulysses Jr., and Jesse
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 4 Quoted from historical marker at President Ulysses S. Grant birthplace: Grant served as quartermaster in the Mexican War (1846-1848), but resigned from the Army in 1854. He was living in Galena, Illinois and working in the family's leather store at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. He volunteered for military servce. Known as "Unconditional Surrender," Grant was appointed General in Chief of Union forces by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. His name recognition and lack of political ties made him the ideal candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Presidency. Grant was elected to two terms in 1868 and 1872. Despite Grant's character, his choice of cabinet appointments led to corruption in his administration. On July 23, 1885, at Mount McGregor, New York, Grant died just days after completing his acclaimed memoirs
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 6 This is the house on Route 52 in Point Pleasant Ohio where President Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 22, 1822. At the time he lived here, the house was only one room. It was later expanded to 3 rooms
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 7 This china cabnet belonged to Ulysses S. Grant's mother and was in the home at the time of his birth.
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 8 This spinning wheel is the type that would have been used in Ulysses S. Grant's home at the time of his birth
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 9 The hearth at Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace, Point Pleasant Ohio. The cooking pots in this picture belonged to Grant's mother
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 10 Gun owned by Grant's father at Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace, Point Pleasant Ohio
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 11 Women's clothing the style worn at the time of Grant's birth on display at Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace, Point Pleasant Ohio
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 12 Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace, Point Pleasant Ohio, the cradle that was used for Grant as a baby. The one room house had one bed and this cradle for the entire family. Everything was crowded into one room
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 13 This dresser belonged to Ulysses S. Grant's family and can been seen at his birthplace, Point Pleasant Ohio
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 14 The bed was stuffed with straw and sits on a rope frame. The wooden thing that looks a bit like a fork in the picture was what they used to keep tightening the roops of the frame.
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 15 This is a family portrait done of Ulysses S. Grant, around the mid 1800's showing Grant, his wife Julia Dent, and their four children, Frederick, Ellen, Ulysses Jr., and Jesse
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 16 Display case at the birthplace of President Ulysses S. Grant holding memorabilia from Grant's term in the Civil War
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 17 Display case at the birthplace of President Ulysses S. Grant holding personal memorabilia from Grant's family
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 18 This box belonged to Ulysses S. Grant while he was President
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 19 Jean De Lanncy was a Huguenot ancestor of Ulysses S. Grant. This is a memorial placed in the yard by the Huguenot Society in 1972 at President Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace, Point Pleasant Ohio
  • Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace Picture 20 This is the house on Route 52 in Point Pleasant Ohio where President Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 22, 1822. At the time he lived here, the house was only one room. It was later expanded to 3 rooms
  • Notre Dame University South Bend Indiana
  • Notre Dame University picture 2 Errin and me outside the Comfort Suite hotel in South Bend.
  • Notre Dame University picture 3 This beautiful mural, refered to as "Touchdown Jesus", is painted on the Hesburgh Library. It can be seen over the south end zone of Notre Dame Stadium during games
  • Notre Dame University picture 4 A closer view of the mural, refered to as "Touchdown Jesus", is painted on the Hesburgh Library
  • Notre Dame University picture 5 Home of the famous Fighting Irish
  • Notre Dame University picture 6 Home of the famous Fighting Irish
  • Notre Dame University picture 7 Coach Frank Leahy, 1908 - 1973 This sculpture was presented to the University of Notre Dame on Sept. 19, 1997 by his former players, the Leahy family, ND alumni and his many admirers
  • Notre Dame University picture 8 The Fighting Irish have given the sport its most famous coach, Knute Rockne "Win one for the Gipper". During Rockne's 13-year coaching tenure here, the Irish won six national championships, the 1925 Rose Bowl, and had five unbeaten and untied seasons
  • Notre Dame University picture 9 The golden dome on the main building of Notre Dame University. This picture was taken from the main drive into Notre Dome
  • Notre Dame University picture 10 The golden dome on the main building of Notre Dame University, with its statue of the Virgin Mary, defines Notre Dame's skyline and its Catholic character
  • Notre Dame University picture 11 The gold dome can be seen from all over the University campus, and surrounding area in South Bend
  • Navy Pier. Chicago Illinois Main Page
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 1 The slow trip up on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel. It stands 148 feet tall and was modeled after the first ferris wheel built for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition.
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 2 Looking out at the lighthouse and a sailboat while going up on the Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier in Chicago.
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 3 Looking out at the view of the Chicago skyline while at the top of the Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier in Chicago
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 4 Looking down on the north side of the pier while on the Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier in Chicago. Each little car on the ferris wheel holds 4 to 6 people, depending on how wide you are... and moves very slowly upwards for a spectacular view of Chicago and Lake Michigan
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 5 Looking straight down from the top of the Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier in Chicago, 148 feet up
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 6 Looking down from the Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier in Chicago, toward the north side of the pier
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 7 Looking at the lighthouse where the Chicago river runs into Lake Michigan from Navy Pier in Chicago
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 8 One of the SeaDog boats that tours from Navy Pier in Chicago. These boats go very fast and it's a bit of a wild ride! But it "is" fun
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 9 The schooner Windy, stands out unmistakably from the rest of the fleet. She is currently the largest sailing vessel on Lake Michigan.
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 10 Me (the old lady in the middle not to be confused with one of the pirates...) and friends meet a couple of pirates on Navy Pier in Chicago
  • The schooner Windy, was built in 1996 specifically for running sails from the new Navy Pier entertainment complex
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 12 Looking up at the ropes on the schooner Windy. She is the first four masted schooner built in the US since 1921
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 13 View of the lighthouse from Navy Pier in Chicago
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 14 Looking toward the lighthouse from Navy Pier in Chicago
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 15 Looking toward the south end of Chicago's loop from Navy Pier in Chicago.
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 16 Navy Pier was originally built in 1916 to serve Lake Michigan freighters and provide transportation to other cities on the Great Lakes, as well as for recreational purposes
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 17 The lighthouse from Navy Pier in Chicago. In 1941, Navy Pier was converted to military use and used throughout World War II. From 1946 to 1964, it was a college campus
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 18 U.S.S. Chicago Anchor at Navy Pier
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 19 View of the Chicago skyline from the far east end of Navy Pier
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 20 View of the Chicago skyline from the far east end of Navy Pier. Not much happened on the Pier in the 1970's and 80's, but by the 1990's, Navy Pier was revitalized and, today, it's Chicago's most visited attraction
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 22 Coming down from the top of the Ferris Wheel on Navy Pier in Chicago, looking toward the south side of Chicago's lakefront
  • Navy Pier. Chicago picture 23 U.S.S. Chicago Anchor at Navy Pier - The plaque reads: This 8 ton anchor is from the third warship named after the City of Chicago. The first "Chicago" was part of the Great White Fleet and saw service from 1889 to 1928. The second was commissioned in 1931, and after distinguished service in WW II was sunk by enemy action in 1943 in the Guadalcanal area. The third "Chicago" from which this anchor was salvaged, was commissioned in 1945 as a heavy cruiser, and after WW II action was converted to a guided missle cruiser (CG-11). She saw service in Vietnam and received the Navy Unit Commendation. She was 671 feet long with a 71 foot beam, and displaced 17,700 tons. She was decommissioned in 1980. This anchor is dedicated as a memorial to each ship named "Chicago" and to the thousands of men and women who served their nation in maritime service
  • Loretta Lynn Coal Miner's Daughter Home Butcher Hollow Kentucky Main Page
  • Butcher Holler picture 1 In Van Lear, stop at Webb's General Store (No. 5 Country Store on Kentucky 302 near Miller's Creek just past Van Lear) and get in contact with Loretta's brother Herman. He gives tours of Loretta's home for $5 a person.
  • Butcher Holler picture 2 In Van Lear, stop at Webb's General Store (No. 5 Country Store on Kentucky 302 near Miller's Creek just past Van Lear) and get in contact with Loretta's brother Herman. He gives tours of Loretta's home for $5 a person.
  • Butcher Holler picture 3 Driving through the hills in Kentucky looking for Loretta Lynn's Butcher Holler home, we saw these mules right next to the road.
  • Butcher Holler picture 4 This is what the road was like in the hills in Kentucky looking for Loretta Lynn's Butcher Holler home. Windy and one lane, gravel, but beautiful scenery.
  • Butcher Holler picture 5 The signs on the private road that leads up to the house.
  • Butcher Holler picture 6 The signs on the private road that leads up to the house.
  • Butcher Holler picture 7 The signs on the private road that leads up to the house.
  • Butcher Holler picture 8 This is the well outside the house. You should remember this well from the movie Coal Miner's Daughter.
  • Butcher Holler picture 9 This is a view of Loretta Lynn's house in Butcher Holler Kentucky. This area of Kentucky is famous for it's coal mines, hard working people, astounding poverty, and Loretta Lynn. If you've ever seen the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, you know about Butcher Holler, and the house that Loretta Lynn grew up in.
  • Butcher Holler picture 10 This is a view of Loretta Lynn's house in Butcher Holler Kentucky. This area of Kentucky is famous for it's coal mines, hard working people, astounding poverty, and Loretta Lynn. If you've ever seen the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, you know about Butcher Holler, and the house that Loretta Lynn grew up in.
  • Butcher Holler picture 11 This is a view of Loretta Lynn's house in Butcher Holler Kentucky. This area of Kentucky is famous for it's coal mines, hard working people, astounding poverty, and Loretta Lynn. If you've ever seen the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, you know about Butcher Holler, and the house that Loretta Lynn grew up in.
  • Butcher Holler picture 12 This is a view of Loretta Lynn's house in Butcher Holler Kentucky. This area of Kentucky is famous for it's coal mines, hard working people, astounding poverty, and Loretta Lynn. If you've ever seen the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, you know about Butcher Holler, and the house that Loretta Lynn grew up in.
  • Butcher Holler picture 13 This is a view of Loretta Lynn's house in Butcher Holler Kentucky. This area of Kentucky is famous for it's coal mines, hard working people, astounding poverty, and Loretta Lynn. If you've ever seen the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, you know about Butcher Holler, and the house that Loretta Lynn grew up in.
  • Butcher Holler picture 14 This is a view of Loretta Lynn's house in Butcher Holler Kentucky. This area of Kentucky is famous for it's coal mines, hard working people, astounding poverty, and Loretta Lynn. If you've ever seen the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, you know about Butcher Holler, and the house that Loretta Lynn grew up in.
  • A Beautiful Day in Savannah Georgia Main Page
  • Savannah Georgia picture 1 City Hall - Looking down the street from Johnson Square you have a wonderful view of the City Hall. Savannah's City Hall is located on Yamacraw Bluff overlooking the Savannah River. This is the same bluff where General James Oglethorpe landed in 1733 with the first group of colonists who would establish the City of Savannah and the last of the 13 colonies of England.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 2 City Hall - City Hall is a Renaissance Revival building with classic proportions and detailing. The structure replaced a circa 1799 City Exchange building which had housed City government for many years. On January 2, 1906, ten thousand visitors attended the opening reception for City Hall. The first City Council meeting in the new City Hall was held the following day.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 3 Johnson Square Fountain - Johnson Square is notable for being the first square laid according to General James Oglethorpe's design, which today includes 21 preserved squares and the fragments of two others. Located on Bull Street between Bryan and Congress streets, Johnson Square is the center of Savannah's financial district and a setting for many civic and historic functions, including a reception for President James Monroe in 1819. The square is named for Robert Johnson, the Royal Governor of South Carolina at the time of Georgia's founding. General Oglethorpe named the square in the governor's honor for his invaluable assistance to the colonists in the first days of their settlement..
  • Savannah Georgia picture 4 Johnson Square Fountain - Savannah's flagship square, first laid out in 1733. Named after the South Carolina Governor, Robert Johnson who was in office when Georgia became a colony. This is me sitting by the fountain in the square.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 5 Johnson Square - In the center of the square is an obelisk memorial to General Nathaniel Greene. General Greene was George Washington's second-in-command during the American Revolution and, in 1782, he was sent to Georgia to oversee its liberation from the British. Most of the city's Loyalists fled for the friendlier climes of England and five years and one week after the signing of the Declaration of Independence (which had first been read to Georgians in Johnson Square), American forces retook Savannah. For his heroism in the Revolution, Greene was given nearby Mulberry Plantation, where, within a dozen years, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a device that transformed the South. Greene died prematurely in 1786 and was buried in Colonial Cemetery. His monument in Johnson Square was dedicated by the Marquis de Lafayette during his triumphant visit to Savannah in 1825 and Greene's remains were exhumed and re-interred beneath the monument in 1902.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 6 Johnson Square Nathaniel Greene Memorial - The Plaque reads: Beneath the monument in this Square repose the remains of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Greene of Rhode Island, who died near Savannah on June 19, 1786 at Mulberry Grove Plantation which has been granted to him by this State in appreciation of his services in the Revolution.
    The 50 foot, white marble obelisk, designed by the well-known architect, William Strickland, was completed in 1830. The original cornerstone was laid here on March 21, 1825, by Greene's old friend the Marquis de Lafayette. At th dedicatoryceremony General Lafayette said: "The great and good man to whose memory we are paying a tribute of respect, affection, and regret, has acted in our revolutionary contest a part so glorious and so important that in the very name of Grene are remembered all the virtues and talents which can illustrate the patriot, the statesman, and the military leader..."
    General Greene's remains were originally interred in the burial ground no known as Colonial Cemetery. His exact resting place was a matter of doubt and speculation for many years. The remains of the famed Revolutionary hero were found in the Graham vault in 1901, and were reinterred beneath this monument the following year.
    ...quoted from the monument plaque
  • Savannah Georgia picture 7 Johnson Square Christ Episcopal Church - Christ Episcopal Church is located on the eastern side of the square. Known as Georgia's "Mother Church," it dates from its initial service on February 12, 1733, the day the first English settlers arrived on the high bluff above the river. Christ Episcopal stands on the site reserved by General Oglethorpe for the colony's first house of worship. Here, John Wesley, the subsequent founder of Methodism, began the American tradition of Sunday School. The current structure was built in 1838 and designed by James Hamilton Couper, a planter from St. Simons Island and a scholar in the field of tabby construction. The building resembles a Roman temple, with a simple portico supported by six Corinthian columns.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 8 Johnson Square - Christ Episcopal Church
    Christ Episcopal Church was the first house of worship established with the founding of Georgia in 1733. Early rectors included the Rev. John esley (1736-37), who began the earliest form of Sunday school and published the first English hymnal in the colonies, and the Rev. George Whitefield (1738-40), founder of Bethesda Orphanage. The cornerstone for the first building on this site was laid in 1744. James Hamilton Couper designed the current and third structure in 1838. The 1819 Rever and Son Bell continues in use today. One of many prominent members was Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of America. Text from the plaque at the church
  • Savannah Georgia picture 9 Telfair Square - Telfair Museum of Art The oldest art museum in the South, the Telfair Museum of Art is an important regional and national resource of the arts, culture, and history. It encompasses two National Historic Landmark buildings, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Owens-Thomas House, as well as the museum's new building, the Jepson Center for the Arts. Established in 1875, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences includes the original Telfair Mansion designed by English architect William Jay. The mansion was built for Alexander Telfair, whose father, Edward Telfair, was governor of Georgia and a Revolutionary War patriot. Mary Telfair, a highly educated and culturally-minded woman, was to be the last of the Telfair line. In her will of 1875 Mary endowed numerous charities and founded the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Savannah Georgia picture 10 Telfair Square - Telfair Museum of Art (building 1818) 121 Barnard Street. Regency mansion designed by William Jay; statues in front of Phidias, Raphael, Rubens, Michelangelo and Rembrandt. I'm standing across the street in Telfair Square, you can see the museum between the trees behind me.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 11 Telfair Square - Trinity United Methodist Church, built circa 1848, resembles the design of Wesley Chapel of London, and is the oldest Methodist Church in Savannah. There's hand-hewn Georgia pine inside Trinity, built of stucco over Savannah grey brick along the lines of Trinity Chapel in London. John B. Hogg was architect. The "Mother Church of Methodism" has moved back in, following an enormous and devastating fire in 1991 Barnard Street on Telfair Square. (c. 1848) Barnard Street on Telfair Square. Oldest Methodist Church in Savannah; two Corinthian columns in front.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 12 Telfair Square - Trinity United Methodist Church, another view
  • Savannah Georgia picture 13 Washington's Southern Tour - George Washington - During his visit to Savannah May 12-15 1791 was a guest at the inn which stood on the northest corner of Barnard and State streets. This tablet is placed in commemoration of the bi-centenary of his birth by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Savannah. text from the plaque
  • Savannah Georgia picture 14 Washington's Southern Tour - During his Southern tour of 1791, President George Washington attended services at the original Christ Church on Sunday, May 15. While in Savannah from May 12-15, Washington lodged at a house on the corner of Barnard and State Streets on St. James (now Telfair) Square, dined at Brown's Coffeehouse, toured the ruins of the Revolutionary earthworks, with General Lachlan McIntosh, was entertained at the Silk Filature on Reynold's Square, and attended a large public dinner. After Sunday services, Washington dined with Catherine Greene (widow of Nathanial Green) at Mulberry Grove plantation north of the city, before departing for Agusta. text from a plaque. This is the building at the corner of Barnard and State Streets.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 15 Columbia Square: The Kehoe House - Red brick and terra cotta, built for William J. Kehoe, founder of Kehoe Iron Works. DeWitt Bruyn, architect. Mr. Kehoe, an Irishman, was the father of nine children. When the eldest daughter and her five children came home to live, Mr. Kehoe often packed up rosary and newspaper and climbed to the cupola (long since rotted away) for respite. The mood of the house is Romantic Revival, and there's handcarved oak woodwork inside, plus twelve marble mantles. Long a haven to the weary, Kehoe House was once a funeral home and is now an inn. 123 Habersham Street. Now an elegant restored B&B.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 16 Columbia Square: The Kehoe House - One of the many haunting stories of the house is of Kehoe's twin children who died in the house and supposedly haunt the second floor. The story has two versions of their deaths: One version has them dying at birth; the other has them dying while playing in a chimney in one of the rooms. If you go through the house and look at the chimneys, they're all blocked up and are decorated with carvings of angels, making the second version sound a little more plausible. Guests on the second floor have claimed to hear children's laughter and footsteps running down the hall.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 17 Columbia Square - This building is right around the corner from the Kehoe house so is not right on the square, but is also reportedly haunted. From the widows walk at the top of the house, the shipyard could be seen. The story tells of a young woman who threw herself from the widows walk when she learned that her lover had died at sea.
  • Savannah Georgia picture 18 Columbia Square: Isaiah Davenport House Museum - Located on the square is Isaiah Davenport House Museum, perhaps the most significant structure in Savannah, as it launched the historic preservation effort that revived the city. Isaiah Davenport House Museum. 324 E. State Street. Anyone who loves Savannah should pay tribute to this museum. Threatened with demolition in the 1950s, this classic Federal-style home became a catalyst for the formation of the Historic Savannah Foundation, a group of seven influential women who stayed the wrecker's hand less than 24 hours before demolition was to begin. Built in 1820, this fine home features Hepplewhite, Chippendale, and Sheraton furnishings
  • Breaks Interstate Park - Virginia Main Page
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 1 - Me, after climbing down the stairs to one of the overlooks at Breaks Interstate Park. There are many trails at Breaks that are "not" for the faint hearted like me.... but there were enough easy places to walk that I was able to see quite a bit.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 2 - This is the outside eating area at the lodge at Breaks Park. From the dining room windows you look out over the Breaks gorge. They have a buffet there that is wonderful. Home style southern cooking. At breakfast one morning we watched an eagle soaring outside the dining room window.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 3 - Looking to the west toward Kentucky from one of the overlooks at Breaks Park. The river isn't really visable in this picture, but on the left just up from the river you can see the train tracks that go into a tunnel under the mountain. We watched several coal trains that afternoon.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 4 - Looking over the edge of Pine Mountain. Before white men came into the area, Native Americans knew this area well. The rough hills and valleys supported an abundance of wildlife. The Shawnee and the Cherokee came here following buffalo and other wild game.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 5 - The Towers, connected to Pine Mountain by a narrow stretch of solid rock, rises 600 feet above and is surrounded on three sides by the Russell Fork River. Breaks Park is so peaceful, and so beautiful, the pictures don't do it justice. The Russel Fork River snakes at the bottom of the gorge, has white water rafting.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 6 - Right above the bend in the Russel Fork River, you can see the winding road that is in Kentucky. This was taken from the stateline overlook at Breaks Interstate Park. The part of the park that is in Kentucky is not developed.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 7 - Looking down into the gorge at Breaks Park. In this picture you can see the whitewater of the Russel Fork River. You can also see the train tracks right before they go into the tunnel under the mountain. The canyon walls are 1,600 feet deep, with elevations ranging from 870 feet at Russell Fork to nearly 2,000 at the Clinchfield Overlook. There are 12 miles of hiking trails and four scenic overlooks
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 8 - Looking down from the Stateline Overlook at Breaks Park. In this picture you are literally looking into Kentucky. The road that is seen right above the river is Kentucky Rt. 80. Right where it turns is the small memorial grave for the unknown Civil War soldier.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 9 - Early settlers referred to the mountain passages located on the Kentucky / Virginia border as breaks. Breaks Interstate Park features the largest canyon east of the Mississippi extending 5 miles along the Russell Fork River.
    Before white men came into the area, Native Americans knew this area well. The rough hills and valleys supported an abundance of wildlife. The Shawnee and the Cherokee came here following buffalo and other wild game.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 10 - The legendary Russell Fork river has been attracting the world's most advanced paddlers each October for over 20 years.
    The Breaks gorge section of the Russell above 500cfs offers stiff Class V technical whitewater. The run's unforgiving reputation is well earned. Fatalities have occured at 4 separate rapids and serious injuries aren't uncommon during 'season'.
    But this is only part of the story. Regional paddlers run the gorge year round at much lower flows, as low as 100cfs. At levels below 375-400cfs, the river loses a lot of its teeth and becomes a good Class IV creek. Because of its pool/drop nature, solid Class III creekers can experience the awesome gorge run at these lower levels.
    Lesser skilled paddlers don't have to be left out of the Russell Fork fun in season. The upper section of the Russell is a class II-IV run at release levels with plenty of play spots and technical rapids. Great for the intermediate boater and fun at any level above 400 cfs. Really fun at 2-3,000 cfs. The lower section of the Russell is a great training ground for beginner and intermediate paddlers. It features the Meatgrinder (known locally as the Ledges), a nasty little Triple Drop-like rapid that's as mean as anything on the upper section.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 11 - Descriptions of each of the hiking trails at Breaks
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 12 - This was taken at the Stateline Overlook. More than 13 miles of hiking trails lace the park, varying from easy to difficult. Most are less than 1 mile long, but interconnected trails provide longer hikes over varying terrain. Maps with descriptions of each trail are available at the park office. Trail names describe the outstanding physical features of each: Cold Spring, Geological, Grassy Creek, Grassy Overlook, Lake, Loop, Overlook, Prospectors', Ridge, River, Towers, and Tower Tunnel trails. The Ridge and Geological trails are self-guided, with booklets available.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 13 - The paths to the overlooks were well taken care of, and one was even handicap accessable. I am not big on hiking or climbing, but I was able to easily walk along these trails. They even had wooden stairs in places. There are many trails at Breaks that are "not" for the faint hearted like me.... but there were enough easy places to walk that I was able to see quite a bit
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 14 - The paths to the overlooks were well taken care of, and one was even handicap accessable. I am not big on hiking or climbing, but I was able to easily walk along these trails. They even had wooden stairs in places.
    More than 13 miles of hiking trails lace the park, varying from easy to difficult. Most are less than 1 mile long, but interconnected trails provide longer hikes over varying terrain. Maps with descriptions of each trail are available at the park office. Trail names describe the outstanding physical features of each: Cold Spring, Geological, Grassy Creek, Grassy Overlook, Lake, Loop, Overlook, Prospectors', Ridge, River, Towers, and Tower Tunnel trails. The Ridge and Geological trails are self-guided, with booklets available.
    Elevations vary from 870 feet at Russell Fork in the canyon bottom to 1,978 feet at Clinchfield Overlook where the Overlook Trail begins. Surfaces are hard-packed dirt and rock, and are well maintained, with steps, handrails, and benches along the way. All are marked with colored blazes, with no intersecting trails having the same color. Pets must be leashed. Register at the visitor center for backcountry overnight camping. Stay away from exposed overlooks during thunderstorms. Bicycles are permitted only on the Mountain Bike Trail.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 15 - The rhododendron bushes were in full bloom and they were gorgeous! Everywhere you looked on the mountain, were rhododendron bushes full of beautiful lavender, pink catawba flowers. The rhododendron in Breaks Park begin blooming in mid May and last through June.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 16 - The rhododendron bushes were in full bloom and they were gorgeous! Everywhere you looked on the mountain, were rhododendron bushes full of beautiful lavender, pink catawba flowers. A wildflower field guide is helpful for identifying the herb robert (Geranium robertianium), showy orchis (Orchis spectabilis), bird's-foot violet (Viola pedata), Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), and wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum). For variety, visitors might search the edges of rock outcrops, deep woods, stream edges, and river habitats.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 17 - The rhododendron in Breaks Park begin blooming in mid May and last through June. The rhododendron bushes were in full bloom and they were gorgeous! Everywhere you looked on the mountain, were rhododendron bushes full of beautiful lavender, pink catawba flowers.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 18 - Everywhere you looked on the mountain, were rhododendron bushes full of beautiful lavender, pink catawba flowers. The rhododendron in Breaks Park begin blooming in mid May and last through June.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 19 - At Clinchfield Overlook:
    The name "Breaks" was derived from the break in Pine Mountain created by the Russel Fork of the Big Sandy River as it carved a 1000 foot deep gorge on it's way to join the Ohio River. By taking the path on the left to the Clinchfield Overlook, you will see this work of nature- often called the Grand Canyon of the South.
    elevation here 1978 ft.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 20 - Formation of the Breaks:
    About 200 million years ago this area was covered by a vast inland sea which caused layers of sediment - mud and sand - to be formed and hardened. Later, forces under the surface pushed these layers upward forming parallel ridges. Although erosion slowly wore those ridges flat, a second upheaval created teh present height and appearance of the land. The wearing away is a continuous process that can be seen from the overlook as the Russell Fork River keeps cutting through the rock to deepen the canyon even more.
    elevation here 1730 ft.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 21 - he unusual formation before you is a good example of the effect erosion has upon different tyes of rock. Sandstone - a hard, resistant rock - caps the top of the towers as well as most of the other ridges here; while a softer, easily-weathered rock - shale - is the lower material. The flowing river slowly wore away areas of sandstone in it's path to expose the soft shale below which was quickly eroded. In this manner, the river was able to cut almost vertically downward leaving the hard rock caps and steep-walled canyon behind.
    elevation here 1680 ft.
    Towers elevation: 1665 ft.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 22 - Stateline Overlook :
    From this vantage point, you are standing in Virginia and looking into both Kentucky and Virginia. In a north-westerly direction. You are looking directly into Potter's Flats. Pine mountain begins here and runs in a south-westerly direction for approximately 125 miles. The road that you are viewing is Kentucky State Rt. 80, which runs by the Breaks Park entrance. The main boundary line for the two states follows the crest of Pine Mountain to the southwest.
    elevation here 1760 ft.
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 23 - A list and description of the trails at Breaks Interstate Park
  • Breaks Interstate Park picture 24 - A map of Breaks Interstate Park

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