General Aviation

Money Squabble Looms Over Spruce Goose Museum

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Mark Phelps is reporting on the Flying Magazine website that the Spruce Goose may be up for repo.  That’d be something to see!

The Spruce Goose (officially known as the “Hughes H-4 Hercules” FAA registration NX37602) is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history.  It was built from birch wood because of wartime restrictions on metals, like aluminum.  Critics nicknamed it the “Spruce Goose” – a name that Howard Hughes despised – even though it contained no spruce at all.

I guess “Birch Bitch” wasn’t publication friendly.

This magnificent aircraft only made one flight – with Howard Hughes at the controls – at Long Beach Harbor on November 2, 1947.  The war had long since ended, but Hughes was bound and determined to show his detractors that the plane really could fly.

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Day Hikes, National Parks

Four Mile Trail reopened!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Four Mile Trail from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point has reopened. It’s usually closed from December through May because of “dangerous winter conditions,” with the last mile to the top almost NEVER opened up until May.  Even though we’re experiencing a mild winter here on the west coast, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for winter conditions from Union Point to Glacier Point.

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National Parks

Erik Westerlund Receives the 2013 Yosemite Conservancy Award

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Yosemite Conservancy Award is presented each year to an unsung hero in the Yosemite community — someone who goes above and beyond the requirements of their job to truly make a difference. Erik Westerlund recently was presented with this award for his exceptional efforts in providing interpretation in Yosemite National Park and his many volunteer contributions within the community.

Erik recently formed the Yosemite Natural Club, an open group of professional and armchair naturalists from the Yosemite community who gather regularly to investigate seasonal or special natural-history topics in Yosemite Valley. This informal club develops an esprit de corps among all the area naturalists, and creates a platform for new science to be shared among interpreters. Continue reading →

General

Happy Birthday, Sherlock Holmes

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

On this date in 1854 Sherlock Holmes was born.

One of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes was a “London-based consulting detective whose abilities border on the fantastic.” Mr. Holmes was famous for his logic, reasoning, and forensic science skills.

All but four of the Sherlock Holmes stories were narrated by Dr. John Watson; of the four that weren’t, two were narrated by Holmes, and two were written in the third person.

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Interesting Places

Yosemite National Park’s Ahwahnee Hotel – www.openroad.tv

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

From Wikipedia:

The Ahwahnee is a grand hotel in Yosemite National Park, California, on the floor of Yosemite Valley. It was built by the Yosemite Park and Curry Company and opened for business in 1927. The hotel is constructed of steel, stone, concrete, wood, and glass, and is a premier example of National Park Service rustic architecture. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

The Ahwahnee was temporarily renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel in 2016 due to a legal dispute between the U.S. government, which owns the property, and the outgoing concessionaire, Delaware North, which claimed rights to the trademarked name. The name was restored in 2019 upon settlement of the dispute.

You can read more HERE.

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