Nicaragua... no it isn't nicotine infused water

Have you heard about Nicaragua lately?  If you assume I’m talking about the migrant caravans, you’re close, but the majority of migrants involved in that are from neighboring Honduras.  Honduras actually has a better economy than Nicaragua, being the second to poorest nation in Central America, while Nicaragua is dead last.  However, Honduras does take the prize for highest homicide rate in the world, so that could explain why people are fleeing.  But I digress…

I haven’t heard much about Nicaragua lately either.  Although I can’t say that I’ve been searching for Nic news, even though I had recently visited the country and had taken note of the reporting after I left about political unrest and protests.  Apparently the government made changes to the pension program and that sparked the protests, government backlash and multiple people being killed and wounded.  But then, like all of us, my own life concerns and the ‘shiny object’ 24-hour-news-cycle distracted me with other local in international problems.  I’d say it is pretty safe to say Nicaragua has failed to play a significant role in US news throughout both of our histories… despite being linked in each other’s history. 

Did you know an American Soldier of Fortune once tried to take over the entire Central American Region?  I’m not talking about Oliver North and the Iran Contra scandal, of the 1980’s, in which the US sold weapons to Iran to then fund the Contra guerilla groups in Nicaragua.  Nor am I talking about the Banana Republics of the turn of the century in which US fruit companies like the United Fruit Company and Chiquita essentially controlled the government and commerce of many central American countries.  No, I’m talking about William Walker, who took advantage of political unrest in 1855 to take control Granada and declare himself president of the country and re-institute slavery.  The US government quickly moved to recognize Walker’s government in the country, and his plan was to take over the entire region to make it a slave based agricultural powerhouse like the southern states of the US.  His rule lasted less than a year, when Costa Rica intervened to help the Nicaraguans defeat Walker’s forces and oust his government.  Sadly, Walker burned Granada to the ground on his way out.

Even before Walker, the US had its eye on Nicaragua.  Prior to the Panama Canal being built, the US considered a route through Nicaragua.  With the navigable San Juan River connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Nicaragua, there is actually very little land left to cross to get to the Pacific.  The US government voted down the idea in 1826 because it feared Nicaragua’s political instability would jeopardize the project, but during the California gold rush Cornelius Vanderbilt struck a deal with the Nicaraguan government for exclusive use of the route and it became the primary shipping route between the east and west coast of the US.  Vanderbilt would have built the canal too, but Walker’s invasion and fall also led to the end of Vanderbilt’s deal with the Nicaraguan government.

As I said, our histories are linked, and I traveled some of Vanderbilt’s old trade route when I took a ferry out to the beautiful volcanic island of Ometepe.  If I had more time, I would have loved to continue the trip east to the San Juan River and down to the Gulf of Mexico, but alas, time did not permit.

San Ramon Falls, at the base of Maderas Volcano. 

The larger of the twin volcanoes on the island... Mt Concepcion, this was the first time it had come out from the clouds during my visit.

White Heron watching the waves... or me.  The lake is large enough that it has surf.

However, on Ometepe, I saw an example of the positive influence America has had on Nicaragua.  While on the island, I stayed at Hacienda Merida, which is run by a Nicaraguan-American.  The site was once a coffee plantation, and an old railcar line still runs through the center of the property, down to the docks were the coffee beans were loaded on boats for export. When I arrived I was struck with dread when I saw the hostel's sign that it was a bilingual school.  I thought, “Oh my God, I did not come on vacation to learn Spanish. I can’t handle the stress of trying to check-in in Spanish.”  Much to my delight, I discovered that the schooling was for the local kids, and they were learning English to help tourists like me explore their country.

Sunset over the Hacienda dock

The old rail car and tracks leading to the dock.  Both served the old coffee plantation that use to operate on the site.

Bilingual School?!  This sign greeted me when I arrived and filled me with dread that I would have to learn Spanish during my stay at the Hacienda.

Al Molina is the founder of the Hacienda and school and has quite the story himself.  Al's grandfather didn't own a pair of shoes until he was 28, but saved enough to send two of his kids to the US to learn English.  One was his father who in turn sent Al to learn English as a child as well.  When Al was 17, the family was forced out by civil war and he became a US citizen, but eventually he returned as a tourist.

During his stay as a tourist, he actually camped at the site of the Hacienda.  At the time it was the abandoned remnants of the old coffee plantation. He slept under the roof of an open air building right on the shore of the lake, which is now the Hacienda’s restaurant. 

After that trip, Al could have returned to the US and pursued any number opportunities that his citizenship and education afforded him, but instead he returned to his camping site on Ometepe and established a business designed to give back to the local community.  His mission is two-fold: First, he wants to teach the local children English, so that they can get jobs in the eco-tourism industry of the country. Second he has promoted and created recycling initiatives for the community to literally build the school from the ground up. 

He pays the locals $.50 per plastic bottle that they fill with non-biodegradable waste, like plastic bags cigarette butts, etc.  He then has turned 3 tons of these trash filled bottles into the building blocks of the school buildings, which I found to be one of the most innovative recycling initiatives I’ve ever seen.  Meanwhile, the Hacienda’s revenue both helps fund the school, but the business also provides employment for the graduates of the school. 

Recycled Bottle Bricks in the walls of the School

I found Al to be an inspiration, and many others have as well.  Many of the Hacienda’s guests become volunteers that either teach, or help build the school.  Sadly, I did neither, but I hope that I can at least raise some awareness and maybe even some funds.  You see, since the political unrest flared up last year, tourism has plummeted, and that means the Hacienda income to help run the school has also all but dried up.  The school has had to rely on donations to keep the teachers employed and the students fed and clothed.  

One of the class rooms, where you can also see the plastic bottle brick wall on the left.

I bet you were just thinking, "How can I help?"  Well I'm glad you ask.  Not only could you help, but I will help you help them by matching any donations made, up to a total of $1000.  Below is the link to their website, and let me know what you donate, so that I can match it.  Thank you.  

http://obs.edu.ni/how-to-donate

Ghost Riders: Book Review

I just finished reading "Ghost Riders" by Mark Felton, the story of 2nd Cavalry's mission to rescue POW's and "the world's most beautiful horses" from behind enemy lines in Czechoslovakia at the close of WWII.  Horses from across Europe had been collected in Hostau for a German breeding program in which the Germans wanted to produce the world's greatest war horse.  The primary breeding stock was the magnificent Lipizzaners from the Spanish Riding School in Austria, but also included famous racing horses, Arabians, and more.  The Germans feared the horses would become lunch meat if they fell into the Russians hands, so in order to save the horses, the Germans approached the US forces that had just halted their advance at the Czech/German border, just 18 miles west of the horse stud.  What followed was a bold and unprecedented rescue mission in which German and American forces worked together to save a living piece of history.

Mark Felton is a WWII historian and author of twenty books, and did an excellent job bringing this story to life in his latest book.  It ends with 20 pages of notes and sources, which is to say his research was extensive and thorough, including American, Austrian, British, Czech and German sources.  With so much information, one could easily get bogged down and lost in minutia, but Mark turned it into a page turning race against the clock as the Russians advance, Hitler commits suicide, the war comes to an end, and communist locals take control in Czechoslovakia,  all while the Americans and their ad hoc foreign legion defends and delivers over 600 horses to safety in Germany.

The book begins a little slowly as Mark provides background information about how the Spanish Riding School was evacuated out of Vienna to escape the bombing campaigns and the Russian advance.  The show horses were moved to St Martin, Austria, and the breeding stock ended up in Czechoslovokia, which, if lost, would mean the end of the Spanish Riding School and the Lipizzaner breed in Austria.  However, once the setting is established, the story picks up speed, and Mark does an excellent job of cutting through the fog of war, in its final days, to bring this story to life.

My only complaint is that I didn't get to read this book while I was stationed only a few miles from the center of this story.  It would have been incredible to have visited the sites as I read the book.  I guess that is just a good excuse to revisit the sites and re-read the book.

My edition of the book did not include any situation maps for reference, so I have included two below for reference while you read the book, if you aren't familiar with the region.

Situation Map of the western front of WWII in APR/MAY 1945 when the rescue mission took place.

Map of SE Germany, SW Czech, and Austria where the story takes place.  The blow up shows Hostau (where the horse stud and POWs were located), Vohenstauss (where 2nd CAV Grp HQ was located) and Furth im Wald (where the horses were evacuated)

You can learn more, or buy the book at the publisher's website here

Bermuda Triangle Trouble

My trip out of Bermuda was filled with the grim foreboding of a tragedy plotline.  Our route from Bermuda to St Martin took us down the eastern edge of the Bermuda Triangle, which also completed our circumnavigation of the Triangle, so it was bound to come with some challenges. 

Just like the America’s Cup, where the race begins before the start line, our problems began before we departed.  Before we could leave Bermuda, we needed to sail over to St George - on the east end of the islands - in order to check out at the customs office.  We pulled into the harbor and as we reversed throttle to set the anchor, the boat swung to port.  The captain thought the starboard engine might not be engaging, but we soon discovered that the propeller we had just cleaned was gone! 

Fortunately, we had a spare.  We pulled it out, assembled it, took a three-hour tender ride to rent extra dive gear to install it, dove in, and discovered the propeller was the wrong size!  So, the $5,000 worth of bronze-feathering propeller was now extra ballast weight returned to the bilge.  AND, to make matters worse, the company that made the propeller informed us that they no longer manufacture the $5,000 three-blade version anymore.  Now, they only make an $11,000 five-blade version.  So, our $5,000 one-prop fix jumped to a $22,000 two-prop problem!  This is why they call a boat a hole in the water that you throw money into.

Before we committed to replacing both props, we decided to search the channel and harbor for the missing propeller.  On the trip into St George, the captain had noted our propulsion was lackluster, but had attributed the poor performance to the strong tidal current.  Having discovered that the propeller was missing, we assumed we may have lost it when we made the turn into the harbor, so we focused our search on the entry into the harbor. 

On the first day we searched with our four-person boat crew.   We had a line and buoy to track the divers from the tender (small motor boat) above, and the grid search seemed pretty thorough, but we failed to find anything.  With poor visibility below, and a large area to search, our efforts were like trying to find a needle in a haystack, so we tried to employ more resources to the second day of the search. 

First, we visited BIOS (Bermuda’s Institute for Oceanic Sciences) to see if they might want to deploy their research vessel and it’s high-powered underwater RADAR to help look for the propeller.  The BIOS center is a world renowned research and education facility; however, every time I had boated past the BIOS center, it seemed to give off a frat house vibe.  The first time we went by, some people were out grilling on the BBQ, while other 20-somethings sat on the dock tossing a throw net in hopes of shrimp dinner I assume.  Dress was always more beach party than science lab, and on our visit to inquire about the boat it wasn’t much different.  Our enquiry was not met with the enthusiasm we had hoped for, but they did put us in contact with a local guy that had an underwater metal detector.

 

Although the local guy was an amateur, he told us tales of previous discoveries in the area and seemed like an experienced old salt.  However, as I waited on the surface, it soon became apparent, by the bobbing buoy following the path of irregular search patterns unfolding below the surface, that he had exaggerated his skills.  The captain, who was also searching for the propeller, had to turn back a few times to find his dive buddy, and finally lost him before completing a grid search.  After the captain boarded the tender, we scanned the horizon for our local assistant, and a few minutes later he surfaced about 180 degrees in the opposite direction from our start point and the intended search area.   

Our final dive was another comedy of errors and hampered further by strong currents.  The needle was not found, so the new props were ordered to be delivered to our destination of St Martin, and we departed without one of our props.  Lots of boats only have one engine and propeller, so this wasn’t an outrageous move, but we were sailing around the Bermuda Triangle, so of course it didn’t go smoothly.  Our one engine began to sputter, and eventually quit a day out from our destination.  Fortunately, we were sailing and had good wind to carry us the rest of the way to St Martin at a nice speed. 

During this crossing, I read “The Godforsaken Sea” by Derek Lundy about the Vendee Globe solo round-the-world sailing race.  The race takes the solo sailors south from France, through the Atlantic, around Antarctica, past the three southern capes, and back north up the Atlantic to the start.    

In the 1996 race, three boats capsized and one boat was lost completely.  In two cases, racers turned back, into the storms, in order to search for capsized or damaged ships.  One actually saved a fellow racer’s life, while the other had to give up the search as there was no rescue signal to hone in on. 

It is an amazing and insane race, and the first attempt was described in the book “A Voyage for Madmen” by Peter Nichols, which described the 1968 Golden Globe Race in which only one of nine contestants crossed the finish line!  I won’t spoil the ending by telling you who won, but he was not considered a strong candidate going into the race.  However, he ended up doing some amazing repairs at sea, overcame countless setbacks and challenges; and became the first person ever to sail non-stop solo around the world. 

I tried to imagine what it must be like to compete in the race as we sailed through a few minor squalls on our way to St. Martin.  At our latitude, the rain and wind were warm; the seas were calm and the winds were light.  However, I still found it both thrilling and challenging to manage the sails and helm through these short lived squalls.  The southern ocean’s weather and waves are treacherous and I cannot imagine what it must be like to sail, solo, in 60-foot icy seas, hurricane-force winds, snow, and the threat of icebergs for months on end! 

The first Golden Globe and the modern Vendee Globe races are considered the Everest of yachting.  However, Everest is climbed in two months with a team of support and a series of acclimation camps during the accent.  The Vendee Globe is twice as long, in total isolation, in seas that rarely give you a break.  These sailors are truly mad to subject themselves to these conditions for so long to simply get back to where they started!  As Ishmael said in Moby Dick, “Round the world! There is much in that sound to inspire proud feelings; but whereto does all that circumnavigation conduct? Only through numberless perils to the very point whence we started.”

I finished the book and the sail to St Martin, and spent a wonderful day touring the island before flying home for a month off.  I was excited for all the destinations that still lay ahead on the boat’s itinerary: the British Virgin Islands in the fall, followed by Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Columbia over the winter.  Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma came along and destroyed the boat.  I was crushed to lose my job, but at the same time thankful that was all I had lost. 

Before Irma

After Irma

Before and after pictures of one of the British Virgin Islands

So many people across the Caribbean have lost everything, and have months to years of recovery ahead of them before their lives and island homes will resemble anything that they remember from before the storms.  I would encourage everyone to consider giving to an aid organization supporting the recovery in the Caribbean. 

Below are some charities and relief groups that you might consider.  If you donate before 7OCT, let me know how much you contribute and I will match it.  (Fine print: I’ll match up to $100 per person, and not to exceed $1000 in total matching contributions) 

Initially, I was looking for local groups, but decided it is difficult to confirm the efficacy, efficiency and legitimacy of new groups.  So these are established groups with very high ratings on financial performance, accountability and transparency.  With most you can direct your contributions to a specific relief campaign, or give a general donation.

International Relief Teams During disasters, IRT deploys medical and reconstruction teams, provides supplies, and finances the restoration of infrastructure. IRT builds healthy communities through medical training programs; medical missions to low-income countries, including surgical and eyeglass teams; shipments of medicines to rural hospitals and clinics; and health, nutrition and education support for vulnerable populations.

Direct Relief Direct Relief’s medical assistance programs equip health professionals working in resource-poor communities to meet the challenges of diagnosing, treating, and caring for people without regard to politics, religion, gender, race, or ability to pay.

Samaritan's Purse  is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world since 1970.

Let the giving begin! J

Travel through time in Wyoming

Recently, I returned to Wyoming for a short vacation from my vacation. That isn’t entirely true.  I do work at my job as a deckhand; however, my vocation is another man’s vacation.  The trip home - from Bermuda via St Martin – wasn’t short of adventure, but I’ll tell you about that in my next blog.

 

I made it home to Green River, and during my stay in Wyoming, I drove across the state along I-80 several times.  Although I’ve driven this route hundreds of times in the past, this time I made several stops along the way as a tourist in my home state.  It’s a historic route in American transcontinental transportation.  It roughly follows parts of the Oregon and Overland Trails, the transcontinental railroad, the Lincoln Highway, and even a major air corridor, which began with giant painted cement arrows along the route to guide pilots. 

These routes originated with old Native American trails that also followed this path over the continental divide, the spine of the continent.  The high desert has preserved many of the ruins from the early trails, with ruts from stagecoach wheels still visible today, along with names carved in cliffs like Independence Rock, and even petroglyphs from the Native Americans who crossed the high plains long before Europeans landed on American shores.

Petroglyphs outside Rock Springs

In the early days, these routes hugged the rivers for both the people and horse power.  Even though horses and coaches were used, most people still walked the trails, and a trip across Wyoming could take nearly a month.  In northern Wyoming there is a town called Ten Sleep.  It got the name because it was ten days/sleeps from Yellowstone, to the west; and ten sleeps to Fort Laramie, to the southeast. 

 

The railroad began to drift away from the rivers to find the most gradual grades, but still needed the water for the steam engines, and forts were added at strategic bridge crossings to both protect the bridges, but also act as supply hubs.  The highway didn’t need to follow the rivers, but hugged the same paths because you still needed stops for rest, food and fuel. 

You might think the Lincoln ‘highway’ (established in 1913) would speed up travel, but it was actually still a dirt road, and the speed limit was a whopping 25 mph, for those daring enough to drive that fast.  At that speed, the 450 mile, dusty, bone rattling drive across Wyoming would take over 18 hours!  However, that was lightning speed compared to the month of walking with wagon trains.

Today, the driving route has been straightened, paved and the speed limit reaches 80 mph, so you can make it across the state in about 5 hours, a third of the time.  And if you fly, you’ll be over the mountains and on to the Nebraska plains in under an hour.  However, I recommend the drive with stops to see some of the historic sites along the way. 

Cheyenne

In the tradition of manifest destiny, I’ll travel east to west starting with Cheyenne.  Cheyenne, as well as the rest of Wyoming, was part of the Dakota Territory, until the Wyoming Territory was created on July 25^th, 1868.  The railroad came in and the town was established in 1867.

The early years were lawless and the town was initially just another ‘Hell on Wheels’ railroad boom town, at the end of the plains and foot of the Rockies.  However, it didn’t bust like many railroad towns across Wyoming, and with cattle barons, and gold coming in from the Black Hills, Cheyenne became the richest town in the world by 1882.  There was Millionaire’s Row on what is now Carey Avenue; and the famous Cheyenne Club, where the cattle barons gathered for fine dining, socializing, and even acted as the de facto government.  The Cheyenne club and all but one of the mansions are gone now, as are the cattle barons.

That all began to change in the 1890’s after the economic crash of 1893 and several harsh years of winter blizzards and summer heat killed off much of the herds.  This drove the leaders of Cheyenne to develop the tourism draw of Cheyenne Frontiers Days, in 1897.  Today it is the world’s largest rodeo known as the “Daddy of Them All.”  Last year the crowds that came to see the show doubled the state population!  500,000 people came through Cheyenne during the ten day event, and 29,000 people volunteer to make the whole thing possible!  I’d love to tell you all about my experience, but in all my years living in Wyoming I’ve never been to the big show! 

Cheyenne Train Depot Plaza and one of many painted boots, which can be found throughout the city.

Buford or Phin Deli Town

Buford is another of the ‘Hell on Wheels’ railroad towns that sprang up in 1866 to ‘support’ the railroad with booze, brothels, and gambling halls to separate the workers from their pay.  The most notorious was the town of Benton, which sprung up west of Buford and disappeared in 90 days.  Many of the ‘residents’ were even shorter-lived because the town racked up 100 murders in those 90 days! 

Buford's famous pop. 1 sign.  Don Sammons had Buford recognized as a town and requested signs to help bring in customers to his gas station and store.  Then he sold the 'town' to Vietnamese investor Pham Dinh Nguyen who renamed it Phin Deli Town.

Buford wasn’t as notorious, but the population also crashed when the railroad moved on.  Today, it has gained quite a bit of notoriety as being the smallest town in America, population one!  As I pulled into town, semi-truck traffic hummed past on I-80 to the north, while a train squealed along the tracks to the south.  A billboard reads “Welcome to Phin Deli Town Buford”, much to the annoyance of the gas station attendant.  “There is no deli, but I get asked about it every day.”  He is now the population one.  He lives in the house behind the station, but he’ll be leaving after Labor Day, and the store will close its doors unless the town’s owner can find a new tenant. 

Me and Buford's one resident.

The owner, Mr. Nguyen, is a Vietnamese investor and coffee roaster, and he bought the whole town in 1999 for a cool $900,000 in an online auction.  He had grand visions of the town being the US hub of Vietnamese imports, but the main product sold is his line of Phin Deli Coffee.  It has a unique nutty flavor thanks to being roasted with soy and butter. 

Mr. Nguyen bought the town from Don Sammons, who is quite the character, as you can read in his book “Buford One.”  He writes about making Buford a town, his shoot-out in the parking lot, fires, Buddhism, and the bidders from 110 nations and 30 news outlets that took part in the auction.  On the cover it says ‘Don Sammons, former Mayor of Buford, Wyoming', but in the book he is makes a point to note that, “I didn’t call myself Mayor of Buford.”  Quite the character, story and ‘town.’

Ames Monument

Just a few miles west of Buford is a six-story pyramid on the site of another bygone railroad town named Sherman.  I found this strange pyramid in the middle of nowhere interesting as a kid, but would have never guessed that there was once a small town surrounding the site.  I also had no idea that there could be quite a bit of controversy about the site, if anybody knew much about it. 

It stands on a knoll about a mile south of I-80, but you have to watch carefully as you drive by, or you might miss it.  The original railroad line ran 300 feet north of the monument, and early train passengers gawked at the towering pyramid and some even were hoisted to the top of it, before the tracks were rerouted three miles south.  The monument was built to honor Congressman Oakes Ames, and his brother, the Union Pacific (UP) President, Oliver Ames. 

The Oakes family had made their millions starting in shovels and moving up to larger earth moving projects like the building of the NYC Subway.  So it makes sense that President Lincoln would turn to him to revitalize the transcontinental railroad project, when it looked like construction was grinding to a halt.  Ames invested a million dollars of his own money into the project, and was a driving force behind the eventual completion of the transcontinental railroad, completed in 1869. 

So, what’s the controversy?  Is it the fact that the monument is in the middle of nowhere and cost $65,000 to construct in 1880 (equal to about $1.4 million today) and was shaped like a pyramid from Egypt?  Nope, the issue is that the men were honored for completing a project that turned out to be one of the greatest cases of political graft in American history! 

Turns out the Union Pacific (UP) railroad company created a satellite company, Credit Mobilier of America, and they subcontracted the construction of the railroad to them/itself.  Credit Mobilier then charged the UP almost twice the actual construction costs, which UP turned around and charged the government, and they pocketed the $44 MILLION in overcharges (equal to about $673 million today)!   Thirty-two politicians were given shares of Credit Mobilier stock at discounted prices with hefty dividend returns, to include the Vice President, Secretary of the Treasury, and Congressman Ames.  The fraud and graft were uncovered in 1872, but Ames was not even removed from office (he did resign)!  Instead, the men he made rich built him a monument eight years later to shift the nation’s focus from great controversy to great accomplishment!

In 1885, a man tried to buy the land the monument was on and planned to plaster the monument with ads, but the UP was deeded the land to preserve the monument in 1889 and turned it over to the state in 1983.  In 2016, the monument became a National Historic Landmark, and new historic plaques all echo the UP’s sentiment that the Ames brothers were great patriots and the railroad’s construction was a grand accomplishment.

Fort Steele

I always drive past Old Fort Steele, which isn’t much more than a rest stop now.  However, on the south side of the highway, is an old gas station that I thought was photogenic in its decay, so this year I stopped to snap a quick photo.  As I was snapping the picture, I wondered what the story behind the name was, and as I was pulling back out to the highway I saw the answer in a sign for a historic site.

I like the sense of humor in the graffiti: "Armed Guard on Duty (took rest of year off)"

Fort Steele also traces its origins back to the transcontinental railroad.  The military fort was established on the North Platte River, to protect the strategic river crossing and as a supply depot, for receiving military supplies by rail to support other forts throughout the region.  It was established in 1868 and abandoned in 1886.  The local community took over the buildings primarily supporting the timber and sheep grazing in the area, but it had a second transportation boom in the 1920/30’s with the building of the Lincoln Highway.

Today, there is little more than a few buildings and a few more foundations remaining.  However, the state has done a good job refurbishing the remaining structures to create a museum.  I found it particularly interesting to read about the officers that were stationed here, to include Arthur MacArthur Jr. (Douglas MacArthur’s father) and several West Point graduates. 

Foundations and chimneys are all that remains of two enlisted barracks.  They were converted to hotels for Lincoln Highway travelers before vandals burnt them down on New Years Eve 1976

Troops from the fort protected settlers and the railroad from Indians in the area, and also were dispatched to quell labor riots as far afield as Chicago.  They also quelled local labor clashes like the Chinese Massacre in Rock Spring, Wyoming in 1885. 

Rock Springs was a coal mining/UP company town and Chinese labor had been brought in to replace white workers because they would work for less.  The riots left 28 dead, 15 wounded and 78 Chinese homes burned.  Local officials and citizens supported the white miners, and not a single person was convicted for the crimes committed.  In addition to the Ft Steele troops, there were six companies sent to Wyoming from Utah, and a military camp remained outside Rock Springs until 1899.

Point of Rocks Stage Station

This stage station is another poorly marked historic site.  It dates back to 1862, when “Stagecoach King” Ben Holladay took over the transcontinental stagecoach business and United States mail contract.  Ben decided to use the more southern route through Wyoming and Colorado, rather than the Oregon Trail route, which followed the North Platte river out of Nebraska toward Casper and then over South Pass and on to Fort Bridger, where the two trails reconnected. 

What remains of the Stage coach stop, and my modern coach parked where the Overland Trail was located.

During the Civil War, Lincoln believed it was imperative to maintain communications with the west coast in order to keep them in the Union.  The Pony Express and these Stagecoach lines were key to that effort.  However they quickly fell out of favor when the Railroad was completed in 1869, but pioneers continued to use the Overland Trail and Stage stations like this into the early 1900’s. Much of the Overland Trail route was also chosen by the railroad and later the Lincoln Highway as the preferred route west across Wyoming.

Green River

Just west of the coal town of Rock Springs is my hometown, Green River.  It also got its start as a stage station on the Overland Trail. When the railroad was built though town it became one of the major hubs for rail routes on the western side of the continental divide. 

View of town looking NW.  Castle Rock is in the upper right and the palisades are in the upper left.

The railroad hub also made it a convenient stepping off point for several expeditions, to include early trips into Yellowstone, and the first rafting expeditions down the Green/Colorado Rivers and Grand Canyon by John Wesley Powell in 1869 and 1871. 

One armed John Wesley Powell stands in front of the Museum, which was the originally a Post Office

Thomas Moran, a famous American painter started his trip to Yellowstone from Green River and painted some of his most famous paintings, based on sketches he did in Green River, to include several of the Palisades. 

One of several paintings Thomas Moran did of the Palisades in Green River

The Lincoln Highway ran through Green River, and I-80 still runs along the north side of town.  However, don’t just drive by, stop and enjoy the same buttes that so impressed Thomas Moran, and visit the County Museum or Expedition Island where you can learn more about the Powell Expeditions, railroad history, wild horses and more. 

Fort Bridger

As a kid I remember visiting Fort Bridger on school trips and with my family for the Fort Bridger Rendezvous.   The fort is a great spot to learn about the long history of migration across Wyoming and the pioneers that settled here.  The fort was established in 1842 by its namesake, Jim Bridger, a famous mountain man and trapper.  In the early days, the fort was a trading post for trappers and mountain men who would rendezvous here to trade and ship their beaver and other fur pelts back east.

Entrance to the replica of the original fort

Jim Bridger is one of the men that are credited with finding south pass route later used by settlers traveling the Oregon Trail, as well as the pass leading to Salt Lake that bears his name, and is still used as part of the I-80 route.  The fort became the hub for the California, Oregon, Overland and Mormon trails, making it a key fort for resupply for settlers heading west.  

In 1847, there was a dispute between Mormon settlers and Jim Bridger because Jim was selling alcohol and firearms to the Indians.  By 1853 the Mormons had formed a militia to arrest Jim, so he left the area.  In 1855, the Mormons bought the property to expand their own settlement and supply post, although Jim Bridger denied he ever agreed to the sale. 

However, they hadn’t even paid it off before the military arrived in 1858 and took over the fort, which the Mormons actually burned as they left the area.  After the military left in 1890, the post and buildings were bought up by locals, and parts became milk farms, motels, cafes, and stores to support the new Lincoln Highway traffic.  Finally, in 1928 the site was sold to the state to establish a museum and historical site. 

One of the oldest remaining building from the military days, this cabin was an officer quarters duplex, built in 1858.

Black and Orange Cabins was built outside the fort grounds as Lincoln Highway traffic increased.  It is an early example of the motor hotel, or motel, with carports next to each cabin.

Today, you can relive some of the historic glory during the Fort Bridger Rendezvous, where traders hawk their western wares, participants dress in authentic pre-1840 clothing and camp in tents and tee-pees from the period as well.  It is held at the fort every year around Labor Day weekend.

Teepee city at the edge of Fort Bridger Rendezvous

Native dance demonstrations

There’s much more to see in Wyoming and along I-80, much of it I haven’t even explored myself.  I hope the next time you’re traveling across the country you think back on the long history of migration across the United States.  And if you’re driving the historic route of the Oregon Trail or Lincoln Highway seek out some of the historic sites along the way.  After all, what once took 20 sleeps now takes one day, so spend a little of that time saved, off the path now paved.  

Bermuda and the America's Cup

I’ve just started working on a sailing catamaran as a freelance delivery and charter deckhand.  I was excited to get the job because I intend to buy my own sail boat in about five years to live aboard and sail for several  years.  However, I have very little sailing experience, so an opportunity to get paid to learn a little about sailing was pretty awesome.   Boat owners typically don’t like crew disclosing information about them or their boat, but I can say it is a 74-foot sailing catamaran that is typically crewed by a husband-and-wife team, and only takes on additional crew when the owners have bigger trips with extra guests.  In my case, they were going to Bermuda for the America’s Cup.

On our first day, we were treated to some good tail winds, following seas and the Gulf Stream, which gave us a good push around the top of the Bahamas.  Our route was taking us along the western edge of the Bermuda Triangle, which made it interesting for the superstitious, and I’m learning superstition is part of the sailing culture.  As the sun set, the eastern skyline lit up with a massive electrical storm.  It looked like we were sailing right into it, but it was miles off, and stayed ahead of us lighting up the sky and black seas around us for hours before it finally died out. 

The storm and sailing highlighted one of the biggest differences between this crossing and previous trips I have done on motor yachts.  In the motor yachts, we conducted our watches inside, but on the sailboat we were outside.  Although we still watched and logged wind and sea state on the motor yachts, it was much different being outside the whole time, feeling the wind and air temperature.  I enjoyed it more, but I was also thankful we didn’t get rained on. 

On day two, several small birds took refuge on the boat.  It was a wonder how they had found themselves so far out to sea.  Normally, I hate to see birds on a boat because it always means you’ll be cleaning up bird crap later, but this time I just felt bad for the little guys that must have been blown out to sea on one of the passing storms.  They were the size of a finch, and mostly bright yellow with some black and white on their wings and head.  We named one that was almost full yellow Tweety, and the other Bandit, as it had black on its face resembling a Zorro style mask.  We put out a little tin with bread crumbs and another of water, assuming they must be starved and thirsty.  They never took any interest in the food, but, much to our delight, they did go about eating any bugs that found their way on board. 

On day three, my evening watch started after sunset and well before the moon rose.  I was lucky because we also passed through some bioluminescence, which I may not have seen if the sun or moon was out.  The sky was nearly cloudless, so I alternated between watching our wake light up, and watching the sky for falling stars.  Again, I probably would have missed both of these on a motor yacht since you don’t have the unobstructed view from the bridge that you do when you’re outside. 

On day four, we saw some dolphins that chased us down, and played in our wake for a few minutes before moving on, and on our fifth day we arrived in Bermuda, with the early morning sun lighting up the colorful houses along the south shore.  We hugged the coast around to the east side, and entered Saint George harbor where we needed to check in for customs and immigration. 

St. George

If you ever travel to Bermuda, I recommend spending a little time in both St. George and the Dockyard area.  If you do, you will also travel the islands from end to end, which is also well worth it.  St. George is a UNESCO world heritage site on the eastern tip of Bermuda.  It was the site of first settlement on Bermuda, and the site of the Sea Venture’s grounding in 1609, after it was damaged in storms while sailing to Jamestown, Virginia, with supplies from Britain.  Sir George Somers and the crew of the Sea Venture were able to build two ships from supplies they recovered from the Sea Venture as well as the ample cedar that grew on Bermuda.  After ten months, the ships were ready to complete the resupply mission to Jamestown; however, some of the crew didn’t want to leave the island.

Replica of the Deliverance, located in St George.  It is one of the two ships Somers' crew built to replace the Sea Venture

Their experience and Sir George Somers’ report back to the British government led the British to colonize the island, which had no native population before that time.  Bermuda is still a British territory, but has also grown more independent since WWII.  Prior to the British, the island was first discovered by a Spanish sailor Juan De Bermudez in 1503.  Then the Portuguese visited in 1543, leaving behind wild hogs, which they planned to use to resupply meat supplies on future visits.  However, the cries of the wild hogs, tree frogs and birds – and the treacherous northern reefs – led future sailors to refer to it as Devil ’s Island, and they preferred to give the island a wide berth.  (These reefs have claimed more than 300 ships over the years, and I was able to snorkel around some of the wrecks during my stay.  The hogs have all been eaten, but they remain on the local ‘Hog Penny,’ which was one of the first forms of currency and is also the name of one of the islands oldest pubs.)

Today, St. George is filled with colorful and historic buildings dating back to the early days of colonization, and, despite being a British territory, it is also linked to a lot of American history.  Barber’s Alley is named for Joseph Hayne Rainey (1832-1887), an American slave who escaped to Bermuda and earned a living cutting hair there before he returned to the US and became the first African American member of Congress in 1870.  And, after building up defenses on Bermuda to protect it from possible attack from the US, it housed US troops multiple times.  The confederate Army had staff in St George, and US submarines were also stationed there during WWII. 

Some colorful and historic buildings on Water Street, St. George

One of several torture devices you can find in King's Square, St. George. 

Although the Dockyard - on the western end of the island – is the largest and most impressive fort on the island, St. George is also surrounded by many interesting forts that reflect the changing nature of coastal fortification over the last 500 years -- from Fort St. Catherine, the oldest fort in Bermuda, to Alexandra Battery.   St. Catherine has the classic look of a coastal castle, complete with a dry moat and draw bridge, while the Alexandra Battery is nearly invisible from the sea, and was equipped with modern cannons to defend the island during WWII. 

One of the gun positions for a disappearing cannon at the Alexandra Battery

Fort St Catherines

The Dockyard

After the US declared independence from Britain, the British established a significant naval fort on the western tip of Bermuda to defend against American aggression and support what remained of its Colonial Empire across the Atlantic.  Construction began in 1809, with slaves doing most of the work until they were liberated.  Then convicts were shipped in to complete the construction and housed on old ships that acted as floating prison barracks until construction was completed.   Interestingly, rather than protecting Bermuda from US aggression, the Dockyard was the place the British planned and conducted their attacks on Washington D.C. and supported the blockade of the US seaboard during the war of 1812.  AND, it later housed the US forces it was built to deter, during WWII.

View of the clock tower mall from our boat at the Dockyard

The Victualing Yard, where the British Navy prepared and stored food and other supplies for their ships 

View from one of the gun positions in 'The Keep,' the final defensive fort in the Dockyard

The British operated the Dockyard until the 1950’s, and, although the British Navy departed, they maintained the historic lease on the site until the 1990’s.  During those 40 years, the site was largely left to the elements, but in the past 20 years, it has seen a major revitalization as a harbor for private boats, and major Cruise lines.  In addition, the historic buildings built to house supplies, personnel and naval ship repairs have now been renovated into shops, restaurants and an impressive museum. 

We were lucky enough to dock at Pier 41 for the duration of the America’s Cup.  This gave me an opportunity to explore the Dockyard, and provided a ‘backstage’ view of the America’s Cup team docks and Race Village. 

Watching Team Oracle(USA) leave the docks, as Team New Zealand preps their boat in the background.

America’s Cup

I didn’t know much about the America’s Cup before this trip other than it was a sailing race, but, I’ve learned that it’s actually the oldest trophy in international sport, and it was named after the first boat to win the race in 1851, which actually took place in England.  The victorious sailing yacht, America, returned to America and gave the trophy to the New York Yacht Club, which then began holding the race in which one challenger competes against the current champion.  This challenger is the winner of a race series – called the Louis Vuitton Series - prior to the final race for the cup.  However, the defender doesn’t even compete in the initial Louis Vuitton series of races.  Instead they are guaranteed the spot in the final series of races against the single challenger.  In addition, the defender gets to select the boat design for the race and decides some of the rules for the race.  One analogy I heard was that it would be like the winner of the Super Bowl being guaranteed a spot in the next Super Bowl, and writing the rules for the next season!  This explains why the race also holds the record for longest winning streak in sport history. 

The America’s Cup has led to many innovations in sailing as well as controversies.  This year’s race featured several of those innovations.  The primary one is the foiling catamarans that actually fly through the air and sea.  The main sail is actually more like a plane wing on a Boeing 737 than a traditional fabric sail, and it operates like a wing as well, providing horizontal lift as the wind flows around it, propelling the sailing ships at 3 to 4 times the wind speed!  On a traditional sailing ship the wing sail alone would not be able to provide enough power to overcome the drag of water flowing around the ship’s hull, so they have reduced that drag by using a hydrofoil.  The hydrofoil is a wing under water that provides vertical lift to raise the boat out of the water, so the only points of friction are the small hydrofoil wing and the rudder used for steering and stability, like the tail of an airplane.  They are amazing to watch in action, but also controversial within the sailing community, which has found it hard to accept such radical innovation in the oldest race in international sailing.

The second major innovation is a creative system to keep the boats ‘man-powered.’  I feel I need to put it in quotes because there seems to be a fine line the race teams sail in this regard.  The boats actually have a lot of computer devices to aid the sailors, and the majority of the ‘sailors’ on board are actually called grinders or cyclers, who really don’t need sailing skills or knowledge; some of them actually come from Olympic cycling backgrounds.  They are responsible for charging a hydraulic system that’s used to control the hydrofoils and other systems on-board.   Although controversial, these innovations have led to astounding speeds on the race course of over 50 mph!

Another interesting fact about sail racing is that the race actually begins before it starts.  In the America’s Cup races, the two competitors enter the race course two and a half minutes before the start, and spend that time trying to out maneuver their competitor as they approach the starting line.  They try to cross the start line with the best angle and speed to attack the first mark or turning point on the course.  However, if they cross the start early, they have to drop back two boat-lengths behind their competitor as a penalty.  All of this makes for some very exciting racing before the race has officially started.  One shocking statistic that highlighted how crucial this pre-race jockeying was is the fact that Team New Zealand never lost a race if they won the race to the first mark.

I was fortunate enough to get to watch the races from several vantage points ranging from a small boat on the edge of the race course to a TV in a pub.  But the best place was at the America’s Cup Village Grandstand, where I was able to see the race course, listen to the animated play-by-play of the announcers, feel the wind in my face, and watch the race footage on a big screen.  Without the race-course graphics and camera angles on the big screen, it could be hard to tell who was in the lead at times.  In addition, they have put multiple cameras on board each boat, plus chase boats, helicopters and drones; so the race footage and instant replays are excellent, making TV viewing the second best option, beating out in person viewing from land or even a boat on the edge of the race course. 

Watching Team Groupama come into the finish line from the Grandstand

Not only did I get to watch some of the preliminary Louis Vuitton Challenger Cup races from the Grandstand, I was also lucky enough to have the owners of the sailboat that I work on gave us tickets to join them in the sold-out final day of races.  It was a great experience. 

The mood was set early, before we even left the yacht, as we could hear the announcers doing sound checks and announcing winner ‘XYZ’ and ‘ABC’ before cuing pre-selected victory soundtracks.   As the announcers were rehearsing, we could see the teams preparing their boats for racing and leaving the docks. 

We arrived at the race village shortly after the gates opened and, despite our early arrival, the Grandstands were filling quickly.  However, we were still able to claim prime seats behind the announcers’ booth.  After claiming a seat, I went to the Cup merchandise tent and discovered a fire sale crowd in a feeding frenzy of half-price bargains.  The line for check out extended the entire length of the store, and, as I waited to buy a T-shirt and hat, I heard some other shoppers chatting.  "This is the danger of a sale," a man lamented. "You buy a bunch of stuff you don't need. We came in here for one shirt.  Now look at all this.  I don't even know what this is,” the man said, holding up a tote-bagged item as his wife ran about the store returning to his spot in line with nearly one of everything.

I returned to the stands just in time for the announcers to begin their pre-race analysis, and pump up the crowd before the races began.  As the announcers probably said, the mood was electric.  The Team New Zealand fans knew they only need one more race to win the first-to-seven competition, while the American fans hoped it would be the start of another epic turn-around similar to their famous come-from-behind victory in 2013 when they won eight straight races to beat New Zealand 9-8. 

As the race started, the American fans were cheering early as Team USA won the race to the start line and around the first mark, a critical task when racing Team New Zealand.  However, the mood began to change and then the energy flipped as Team New Zealand pulled into the lead, causing the other half of the stands to erupt in cheers of excitement. 

Throughout the races, the announcers had been throwing some groan-worthy analogies, and they didn’t disappoint on this final day of racing, as they announced that “Team USA’s chances are slipping through their fingers like sand at the beach!” And it continued to slip, as Team New Zealand slowly gained ground.  “It is their race to lose” the announcers loved to say as a team secured a lead, and in this final race it was close, and New Zealand could lose if they slipped up, dropped off foil, or jumbled a jibe.  But they didn’t and the New Zealand fans were elated as they brought home the win and the cup, for the first time since 1995 when they beat the American’s in San Diego.

Typically, the race is held in the home country of the champion.  However, after successfully defending the trophy in San Francisco in 2013, with one of the greatest comebacks in sport history, the US team decided to open a bid for next race venue, and Bermuda won the bid.  It turned out to be a pretty great location for racing, with a large lagoon protected from the big sea swells of the open ocean, and fairly-consistent winds.  Five of six teams in the race actually voted to keep the races in Bermuda in the future; however, New Zealand opted out.  As it turned out, New Zealand won, so the next America’s Cup will most likely be held in New Zealand, much to the Bermudian’s dismay.

If I stay with the yacht I’m working on now, I might just make the journey to New Zealand in 2021 for the 36^th America’s Cup.  The owners of the yacht were rooting for America and a return to Bermuda.  It was a beautiful and central location for the races, and as my boss says, “New Zealand is 100% farther than you think.”  I certainly wouldn’t mind experiencing a Pacific crossing, but 2021 is also 100% farther than I think.