El Paso, Texas
My brother and his family have lived here for years, and it's not that far from my other family in Albuquerque ... yet I've never visited. El Paso is just over the border, and the Rio Grande, from Juarez, Mexico. Interesting factoid - the sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso.
Eastland, Texas
My grandparents lived here for a short time in the 80's. It was a small town then, and the thing I remember the most about it was 'Old Rip'. I'm borrowing this story from the Eastland visitors website, and I hope you enjoy.
Old Rip, the "horny toad," put Eastland County and the county seat of the same name on the map back in 1928. Folks are still amazed and amused by the critter's tale. The story began in 1897, when a horned lizard, the animal's proper designation, was placed in the cornerstone of the county's third courthouse. When that edifice was demolished in February 1928 to make way for the current Art Deco model, the cornerstone was opened. According to published accounts, a crowd of three thousand showed up to see the opening of the old building's time capsule. Much to everyone's surprise, when the marble box was opened the interred lizard was still alive 31 years later! Despite skeptics who questioned how the critter could have survived, the lizard was dubbed Old Rip (after Rip Van Winkle) and became an instant celebrity. Town folks took him on a tour of the nation that included a stop in Washington D.C. to meet President Calvin Coolidge. The travel and excitement must have been too much for Old Rip, because on January 19, 1929 he went to the pesticide-free land in the sky. The autopsy showed that he had fluid in his tiny lungs and pneumonia was list as the official cause of death. He was subsequently embalmed and placed in a red velvet-lined box in the courthouse lobby for all to see.
In 1973, Old Rip was in the headlines again. This time he had been "toad-napped" from his exalted perch in the courthouse. The anonymous kidnapper wrote a letter claiming to have been part of the conspiracy to hoax the nation. The letter demanded his co-conspirators confess and a small ransom be paid. When neither seemed forthcoming, the velvet box containing the lizard was left at the county fairgrounds. Now there is controversy whether or not the item in the box today is really Old Rip or an imposter. The frog rests in peace in a glass display case at the Eastland County Courthouse.
One final note on the incredible journey of the horned lizard from Eastland County. In 1955, cartoonist Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese, inspired by the legend of Old Rip, created "One Froggy Evening." The classic cartoon tells the story of a frog who is freed from a cornerstone and sings ragtime jazz when no one is watching. That creation morphed into Michigan J. Frog, the official mascot of the Warner Brothers Television Network.
Ellis Island, NY
We've all heard of Ellis Island. Ellis Island, in New York Harbor, was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States as the site of the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954. I'm proud to say that my maternal grandfather came through Ellis Island, as a child, from Germany.
Everglades, Florida
I first visited the Everglades when we moved from Nevada to Maryland, in 1974. We were there in late summer, so the mosquitos/heat/humidity were almost unbearable. What I remember about that trip were the spoonbills and seeing my first wild alligator.
Everglades National Park It is the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states after Death Valley and Yellowstone - nearly 1.5 million acres. Unlike most U.S. national parks, Everglades National Park was created to protect a fragile ecosystem instead of safeguarding a unique geographic feature. Thirty-six species designated as threatened or protected live in the park, including the Florida panther, the American crocodile, and the West Indian manatee. Most of the Everglades see only two seasons: wet and dry.
Eagles Nest, New Mexico
So many fond memories for me here. Every summer that we visited family in Sante Fe, we always made a day trip to Eagles Nest for some fishing and general family fun. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins - there were many of us that gathered at the lake to fish, play, eat, and just be family. It was here that I first fell in the water ... a bad habit that has stayed with me into adulthood. Take me to a stream, I'll find a way to fall in. :)
Eagles Nest is located in northern New Mexico, surrounded by the Carson National Forest and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The area is also known for its ski resorts - Angel Fire, Red River, and Taos Ski Valley. The lake itself is fairly large, about 2,400 acres, and the main game fish are kokanee salmon and rainbow trout.
Estes Park, Colorado
This cozy little town sits in the valley at the entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. In the 80's, the National Wildlife Federation held 'conservation summits' in the summer season. Usually lasting a week, and geared to both families and adults, the days were filled with a variety of workshops, and the evenings with more traditional summer camp fun - campfire singalongs, etc. The town reminds me of a scaled down version of Jackson Hole, Wyoming - western flavor, speciality gift shops, restaurants. I attended the conservation summit two years in a row and fell in love with this area.
El Toro, California
More specifically, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. I was stationed here from 1983 to 1987. This base is located about 10 miles south of Anaheim, California. In its day, it was a very active air base. We had every type of aircraft - from the 'vintage' F-4 to the new kid on the block, the F-18. This base was home to all the Marine Corps' west coast air operations. Being in the heart of Southern California, even the base's "Flying Bull" patch was designed by The Walt Disney Studios. The base held an air show every summer, drawing crowds of up to 2 million in its final year. Demonstrations included the Navy Blue Angels, Air Force Thunderbirds, all manner of aircraft from near and far, and even some combat simulations. This was an incredible place to be in the 80's.
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| This was my squadron picture. Not sure where I am in the group, but I am in there somewhere. |
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