Geology 15 (Faults, Folds, and Joints)

Sand Dunes Shouldn’t Exist (Here’s Why They Do)

Amongst the Sand Dune areas I wish to visit (or revisit) include the Great Sand Dunes National Park, White Sands National Monument (again) to begin with.

Forget Yellowstone - These EIGHT Supervolcanoes Could Destroy The World ...

What’s so great about the Great Lakes? - Cheri Dobbs and Jennifer Gabrys

During my lifetime, I have lived exclusively in Georgia (about 54 years) and Texas (14 years), and the bulk of my relatives and in-laws from both marriages live scattered from Georgia to Arizona, with the exception of some of my second wife's relatives that live around Traverse City, Michigan.  That being the case, with the exceptions of various vacations and road trips, e.g., 1973, 1974, 1977, 1981, 1982, and 1983, most of my journeys have been across the "Southern Tier" of states. 

As a follow-up to posts about my second wife and I spending a few days in the area of the Great Lakes in August, another video is offered for the purpose of increasing knowledge about "just how special the Great Lakes are". 

On this August 2021 journey, we saw and photographed Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior and I stuck my hand into all three of them, partially fulfilling a Bucket List item.  (On August 12th, we wanted to visit the Michigan Lake Erie shoreline, but afternoon traffic was "looming large" and my wife's back was hurting, thus getting to Frankenmuth, Michigan at a decent hour was a vital goal.)

Prior to this journey, though my first wife Marla and I visited Niagara Falls in 1983 (before we were married), I was under the impression that I hadn't visited nor seen any of the Great Lakes.  Being "young and in love" (we had met about two months earlier) I didn't engage in much Geology during our 1983 trip, other than our visiting Luray Caverns in Virginia.

That being the case, I didn't give much thought to actually visiting either the nearby Lakes Ontario or Erie.  Prior to reaching the immediate Niagara Falls area, we had been in downtown Dunkirk, NY to visit the now-defunct Fred Koch Brewing Co., but I don't recall if we could see Lake Ontario from our vantage points at or near the brewery.

Now, after watching several videos on Niagara Falls, the Great Lakes, and Lake Ontario (in particular), I have come to understand that Niagara Falls is part of the Great Lakes Ecosystem and perhaps by some definitions, the Niagara Falls "Plunge Pool" might be the "headwaters" of Lake Ontario.

So, here's hoping that this video is educational and entertaining.

A Clarification of the August Travel Diary

The original intention for the 2021 "Van Go!" posts was to be a daily posting (a "travelog") with "freshly downloaded" digital images.  [In a perfect world".]  This was a desire of mine that began with my 2nd Arizona Trip of 2015.

The reality is that after a day of travel this summer, whether we stopped at a campground or a motel, after dinner and showers, we are "wiped out".   

Even five years ago, when traveling by myself during late July/early August, when I sometimes drove solo 500+ miles in one day (650 miles on the 2nd day of that 2nd Arizona trip), I was wiped out after dinner (whether it be at a local restaurant or a PBJ sandwich and a beer in the motel room).

Most of the time, I manage to download the day's photos and make some (cryptic) notes on a legal pad, in a composition notebook, random scraps of paper, and/or on Post-It Notes. 

And also doing some web surfing to check upcoming weather and seek info for the following day's plans.  (I usually prefer to avoid anything more than a just quick look at the day's "political news", so as not to inject unneeded angst into our escape.)  Also, putting coherent thoughts "to paper" (and self-editing) takes time.

These things being the case, after-the-fact postings and editing are not intended to be deceitful, rather they are intended to present a chronological recounting of the journey, perhaps to encourage others to keep records of vacations for future reference.  (I greatly regret not keeping notes, especially during my 1974 road trip, which was instrumental in my gaining the confidence to leave Georgia for grad school in El Paso in early 1977.)

Megatsunami Scenario - La Palma Landslide