Weekly Field Trip: Cass Scenic Railroad, WV

Weekly Field Trip: Cass Scenic Railroad, WV

Going to divert from the Las Vegas based road trips for a couple weeks and hit a few spots in my home state of WV. I recently took a trip 2.5 hours south-east to Cass,WV for a trip up to Bald Knob on Cass Scenic Railroad. The railroad used to be a major timber operation that fueled the WV economy along with coal for most of our statehood. Cass trains were designed specifically for this mountain  (one of the three tallest in the Appalachian Mountain Range) so they could carry massive loads up steep grades and around the sharp turns required to make the switchbacks going up the extreme elevation changes. Lets now get to the views you will see on this 5 hour round trip, But first up is a video of the trip back down the hill in segments:

 

 

Weekly Field Trip: Death Valley, CA

Weekly Field Trip: Death Valley, CA
Links to other Las Vegas Based Trips:  Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon

Next stop on our weekly field trip based out of Las Vegas, NV we trek to the dessert to the hottest place in the United States (or for those WWF/WWE fans, home of the Undertaker). Caution, if you make this trip please be prepared (PPPPPPP) and have an have an emergency kit for your vehicle and lots of spare water.

 

 

 

 

Weekly Field Trip: Grand Canyon

Weekly Field Trip: Grand Canyon

This week we continue our sightseeing trip with the Las Vegas base camp by crossing the Hoover Dam in to Arizona and driving (some pictures are from a helicopter trip as well) 6.5 hours through the dessert to one of my favorite places on Earth- the Grand Canyon. This is right up there with Yellowstone as one of the best places I have ever been and I highly recommend the trip to anyone who possibly can. I also highly recommend that if you are not part grizzly bear like my self that you wear pants and take a fleece coat as there is a massive drop in temperature once you enter the high mountain dessert of the South Rim. Just to illustrate this we left Vegas and its nearly 100 degree temperatures and found snow on the ground at the Grand Canyon (Once again PPPPPPP :)). Also for anyone visiting make sure you check out the steak house across from the IMAX theater, best food I ate on the entire trip (which included time in LA and Vegas). Enough talk, lets commence with the digital tour: 

Weekly Field Trip: Hoover Dam

Weekly Field Trip: Hoover Dam

Continuing our weekly field trips with Las Vegas,NV as our western base camp we will make our way to the Hoover Dam (conveniently on the way to the Grand Canyon, which is next weeks destination).