North Palm Beach Life
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traveling
​   with joe

About the Author

PictureJoe Cartwright
​Born in North Central Texas, raised in Fort Worth.  Spent childhood and youth summers camping with my parents all over the American West, with extra time spent in Yellowstone National Park.  College summers spent working in Yellowstone Park.  Started out career as high school science teacher, then moved to Shell Oil Company for 35-year career.  Married for over 40 years to Carol, who I met while I worked in Yellowstone Park.  We have one son.  Have grown through all forms of camping: Backpacking, tenting, small pop-up camping trailer, and now large travel trailer.  Enjoy church activities, reading, photography, camping, hiking, and road trips.  If we can drive there, we prefer to – over flying, that is.  

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Yellowstone National Park has, for most of my life, been my favorite place to relax, sightsee, hike, and just in general, unwind. However, my favorite areas in Yellowstone are those out-of-the-way, little-known destinations bypassed by the usual Yellowstone visitor. I do love geyser-watching, photographing and watching the wildlife, just like the typical tourist; but anyone who thinks that Yellowstone is crowded should try to get a little more off the beaten path. They will be rewarded with a new Yellowstone, mostly located just a few hundred yards from the most popular sights. READ MORE.
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​THE BEST ROAD IN AMERICA
is not a title given lightly. Especially, since my first solo trip across the highway was almost my last trip, period. The Beartooth Highway is a section of US Highway 212 that connects Yellowstone National Park with the Billings, Montana area. Beginning at the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone Park, the highway curls and climbs a 70-mile path all the way to Red Lodge, Montana.


​READ MORE.

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Most national parks in the United States have some sort of recognizable identity. For example, Yellowstone: Bears and geysers; Yosemite: A gorgeous valley and the Sierras; Grand Canyon: Well, the obvious. The list can go on and on. But what about North Cascades National Park? Maybe . . . waterfalls?
North Cascades is one of our least known and least visited national parks. It is located in north central Washington state – not in any inaccessible location. Florida’s Dry Tortugas National Park gets almost twice as many visitors a year, and you can’t get there except by airplane, or a long, long boat ride. A two hour drive from Seattle puts you deep into North Cascades.  READ MORE.

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Most of us live in our comfort zones, only grudgingly getting out if necessity demands it. As we age, we dread those times when we have to do something unfamiliar. At 70, my wife and I were planning a two-week trip to the Philippines. We’ve never done anything remotely like this before. Before this trip, I had never been outside of the United States – other than a short trip over the border into Canada or Mexico.  READ MORE.

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Carol and I had started on a two-day trip from Yosemite to Grand Canyon National Park when we first heard the words “Hurricane Harvey” uttered.  In a short news break, the country music station we had tuned to said, “In other news, Hurricane Harvey is continuing across the Gulf of Mexico . . .”  We both said, “WHAT?!?!?” and tuned the satellite radio to CNN to get filled in.  I suppose I should add that we have lived in the Greater Houston area for over 40 years now, and are very familiar with, and leery of, any hurricane in the area.  ​  READ MORE.


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​There are, I suppose, all kinds of people, based on what area they like to play in.  There are City People, there are Beach People and there are Mountain People.  Probably many others as well.  My wife and I are confirmed Mountain People.  Our best vacations usually occur high in the Rockies, with cold mornings, pine trees everywhere, and a distinct lack of Wi-Fi or even basic cell coverage. This year, we designated the month of August to be shivering in Glacier National Park, then Yellowstone.  READ MORE.


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Director and producer Ken Burns has called national parks “America’s Best Idea”.  If that is true, then Yellowstone is the first example of that idea.

In 1870, a group of citizens, after a tour of the area, first discussed the idea of setting aside the area as a national park.  In 1864, the state of California had asked Congress to set aside Yosemite Valley and the Merced Grove area as federally-protected areas; Abraham Lincoln signed the bill, and two years later it became a preserve run by the state of California. The group of prominent citizens, mainly from Montana, proposed going all the way, and making the Yellowstone area a National Park, the first of its kind in the world. READ MORE.

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When you hike a trail in Yellowstone or Glacier National Park, you may need to share your trail with indigenous park wildlife.  The wildlife that causes the greatest concern for most hikers is charismatic megafauna.  This modern term includes deer, elk, moose, bison and bear.  

Of these species, the two that cause the most concern and outright consternation are Ursus Arctos Horriblilis, the grizzly bear, or Ursus americanus, the American black bear.  READ MORE.


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Located in the Southern Cascade mountain range in Oregon is a park with the deepest lake in the United States.  Crater Lake is almost 2,000 feet deep, and the park gave us an interesting time in the two full days we spent there.  Crater Lake National Park has its central attraction – the lake itself – in the center of the park.  The round lake is about 6 miles long by about 5 miles wide, with a surface area of about 20 square miles.  A loop road circles the lake and presents the visitor with beautiful views of the lake or the surrounding countryside.  The raw beauty of this lake is this park’s primary drawing. ​  READ MORE.

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ALBUQUERQUE_Does the sight of over a hundred hot air balloons lifting off at once stir your heart?  Do you long for the sight of a dozen hot air balloons rising together in a desert mountain sunrise?  Does the notion of getting up at 3:15 in the morning to see all this make your pulse race?  

If you can answer a resounding “YES!” to two of these, and a “. . .uhhh . . . I don’t know about that . . .” to a third – then the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta might be just the thing for you.   ​  READ MORE.


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Every year, for the last 45 years, an area south of Kerrville, Texas becomes a gathering site for aspiring songwriters from all over the nation, and a few foreign countries.  For 18 days, singers and songwriters gather at the Quiet Valley Ranch to share songs, perform around campfires, and listen to singers not many people have heard of – yet.  The Kerrville Folk Festival applies a very wide definition to “Folk” music, including blues, bluegrass, country, rock, and other acts that often defy categories. ​  READ MORE.


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The Rio Grande Valley is a name given to a region of far south Texas, just before the lower Rio Grande flows into the Gulf of Mexico.  Initially a farming area known for citrus production, it has evolved into a favorite, low-cost destination for Northerners to spend a comfortable winter.

All along Interstate 2, the orange and grapefruit groves are slowly being pushed aside by shopping centers and RV parks.  Beyond the orchards, stores, and RV parks, the Valley area is also home to poverty on a large scale.   ​  READ MORE.



NORTH PALM BEACH LIFE

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  • Home
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      • Belle's Bar and Grill
      • Elisabetta's
      • Oliv Pit Athenian Grille
      • Cupcakes >
        • Lady Bug Cupcakes
    • News >
      • 2019 North Palm Beach Fireworks Show
      • 2018 Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade
      • Brightline >
        • Brightline Dino Train
        • Polar Express 2019
        • Breezin' on Brickell
        • Brightline Day Trips: Frost Science Museum
        • A Trip on Brightline
        • Brightline Select Service
        • Brightline Tasting Train
        • Brightline Train Unveiling
        • Brightline Topping Out
        • The Polar Express Train Ride
        • Richard Branson at Brightline
      • David Drebin
      • Downton Abbey Exhibit
      • The Lubben Brothers
      • History >
        • 25th Anniversary
        • 50th Anniversary
      • North Palm Beach Country Club
    • Weather >
      • Hurricane Readiness
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    • Cruise Compete
    • Azamara Quest
    • Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line >
      • Grand Celebration Cruise
      • Grand Classica Inaugural Cruise
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      • Carnival Horizon >
        • Carnival Horizon Pig and Anchor
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        • Carnival Sunrise Cruise to Bermuda
        • The Chef's Table on Carnival Sunrise
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        • Carnival Vista Craft Beer
    • Crystal Serenity Holiday Cruise - The Beginning >
      • Crystal Serenity - Grand Turk
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      • Crystal Serenity - Wrap Up
    • Harmony of the Seas - Preview Cruise Review >
      • Harmony of the Seas - Wonderland
      • Harmony of the Seas - The Ultimate Abyss
      • Harmony of the Seas - The Fine Line
      • Harmony of the Seas - 1887
      • Harmony of the Seas - Bionic Bar
      • Harmony of the Seas - Pre-Cruise Coverage
    • Cunard's Jackie Chase >
      • History of Cunard
    • MSC Seaside >
      • MasterChef at Sea
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      • River Cruise in Germany -- Mainz and Koblenz
      • River Cruising in Germany - The Romantic Rhine
      • River Cruise in Germany - Heidelberg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Wurzburg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Bamberg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Nuremberg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Regensburg
    • SeaTrade Cruise Global 2019
    • Symphony of the Seas - Miami Inaugural Voyage >
      • Symphony of the Seas - Ultimate Family Suite
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  • Blogs
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    • My Father's Tales >
      • My Father's Tales - Photo Album
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      • GX2
    • Rock and Roll Rewind
    • Susan Goldfein -- Blog >
      • Susan Goldfein
    • Travel Bistro
    • The Lady Reggie
    • Because, Cate
  • Video
  • Travel
    • Travel News from Business Wire
    • Snaps >
      • Snaps - Page 2
    • Fun >
      • Events >
        • La Bella Macchina 2017
      • AtmosFX Digital Decorations
      • Calypso Cruise
      • Pumpkin Patch 2017
      • Reindeer Games
      • River Paddle Event
    • Brian Wilson: Life in the UK >
      • Life in the UK - Bath, England
      • Life in the UK - Croquet
      • Life in the UK - Music in Russia
      • Life in the UK - Sri Lanka
      • Life in the UK - Sri Lanka - Sigiriya
      • Life in the UK - US Embassy
    • The Florida Keys >
      • Key West
      • The Hemingway House and Museum
    • Joe Cartwright - Travel Writer >
      • Beartooth Highway
      • North Cascades National Park
      • A Visit to the Philippines
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Glacier National Park
      • Yellowstone National Park
      • Hiking in Bear Country
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
      • The Kerrville Folk Festival
      • Building Hope in the Rio Grande Valley
    • Island Destinations
    • Lake Okeechobee Picnic
    • October Odyssey >
      • Cartagena, Columbia
      • Panama Canal
      • Antigua, Guatemala
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Birds and Bees Speakeasy in Los Angeles
      • We Love LA
      • Coast Starlight
      • Napa Wine Tour
      • California Zephyr
      • California Zephyr Part Two
      • Chicago
      • Amtrak Capitol Limited
      • Washington DC
    • Pam - Traveling in Style
    • Road Trip! >
      • Road Trip! -- Tucumcari, New Mexico
      • Road Trip! -- The Painted Desert
      • Road Trip! - Sedona, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - Sedona Wineries
      • Road Trip! Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
      • Road Trip! - Mogollon Rim
      • Road Trip! - Verde Canyon Railroad
      • Road Trip! - Jerome, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - California
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Celebrity Tour
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
      • Road Trip! - Festival in Palm Springs
      • Road Trip! - Willcox, Arizona and Apple Annie's Orchard
      • Road Trip! Willcox Wineries
      • Road Trip! Chiricahua National Monument
      • Road Trip! Tombstone, Arizona
      • Tombstone, Part Two
      • Road Trip! - Epilogue
    • Unknown Yellowstone >
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Heart Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Summit Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Shoshone Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Grizzly Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Riddle Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Pelican Cone
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Mt. Washburn
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Specimen Ridge
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Avalanche Peak
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Divide Creek
    • U.S. Virgin Islands >
      • Coral World - U.S. Virgin Islands
      • St. Thomas Food Tour
      • St. Thomas Tour
    • Vizcaya
  • Contact
    • Gigi in the 561 - Pete Menefee
    • Smoothie Me Please
    • Pamela Barker - Author
    • The Story of StarText
  • Search