Loop: "T" Loop

The Tehachapi Loop, a spiral track section engineered to facilitate travel up a steep grade, is famous to trainspotters throughout the west. As luck would have it TSG arrived at the overlook spot just before a train passed through.  Pretty cool. Just on the other side of the divide, The  Tehachapi Depot Museum in town has a nice collection of historical images and a diorama of the loop on display. Also pictured is a model re-creation from the San Diego RR museum.

 

What Is With Some People?

A sad commentary on visitor behavior at Pipe Springs National Monument

 

Yet Another Road Trip Post With A Pop Song Connection

Recognize this frame from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid? Paul Newman takes Katherine Ross for a ride and performs some rudimentary bicycle stunts while Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head plays in the background...

Filming location: outside of Zion National Park in Grafton UT

just across the Virgin River from Rockville. TSG

hit Grafton today as an alternative to the massive crowds

 in the park. It proved to be a good option as we had the place to ourselves.

 

El Condor Pasa

 Continuing in a pop song/large bird theme, here we have images of the California Condors who have taken up residence in Marble Canyon next to the Navajo bridge. TSG was taken aback seeing the big birds literally buzzing tourists on the old span that now serves as a walkway with a fantastic view of the Colorado River and the new bridge that crosses the river right next to it. 

Easy Song ID Quiz

 Boy, if you can't figure this one out, TSG doesn't know what to say. 

The only clue we're going to offer (besides the one in the post title): El Duderino hated the band. 

Viva Las Vegas...New Mexico, That Is

The "other" Las Vegas definitely won't be confused with the Nevada version, but it is a very popular filming location due to the relatively well preserved architecture of the downtown area. Movies filmed there include Easy Rider, No Country For Old Men, Red Dawn, and Paul, a TSG favorite. The TV series Longmire was filmed here as well.

 

 

Look For The (Fort) Union Label

At Fort Union National Monument, which, we gotta say is/was one lonely outpost in the middle of nowhere. Of course, back in the day most of the Santa Fe Trail was out in the middle of nowhere. So all things considered, Fort Union was actually a pretty happening place during its heyday in the pre- and post-Civil War era.