Lost River Cave

Lost River Cave is a seven-mile cave system located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Lost River originates outside of the cave and flows into it. The cave contains one of the largest natural entrances in the Eastern U.S. Boat tours are available year-round, but closed for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The river was once listed by Ripley's Believe it or Not as the "Shortest, deepest river in the world" because the blue hole is over 437 feet deep, while the river itself is only 400 feet long. In fact, the blue hole is only 16 feet deep, but is linked to a further underground river. The 72-acre cave property is jointly owned by Western Kentucky University and the non-profit Friends of Lost River Cave.
Geology.
The cave consists of Chert (known as the Lost River Chert), which is overlaid by the Ste. Genevieve Limestone and St. Louis Limestone, both of which were laid down in the middle to late Mississippian Period. The river appears above ground in three short sections before flowing into the mouth of the cave. The most interesting section is the blue hole, which is the cause of the Lost River being listed by Ripley's Believe it or Not as the "Shortest, deepest river in the world." Plumb bobs indicated that the blue hole was 437 feet deep, while the river itself is only 400 feet long. The blue hole is though in fact linked to a further underground river. This caused plumb bobs to be swept underground, returning erroneous measurements.
According to Malcolm Field and Guanguan Li:
In 1847, Thomas Kite provided the following description of the river and cave in his journal:
First inhabitants.
Archaeologists at Western Kentucky University have uncovered a significant history of human presence dating from the Paleo-Indians at the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago. The location of the cave and the valley provided area inhabitants with shelter and with safe and plentiful sources of food and water.
Ten thousand years ago, the Kentucky climate was cooler and wetter. The landscape supported evergreen forest. The Paleo-Indian Cultural Tradition, also known as "big game hunters", roamed the forests in search of food and shelter. These humans utilized Clovis spear points to bring down such animals as the giant ground sloth, the woolly mammoth, and the mastodon. The inhabitants were nomadic groups, moving between different camp sites seasonally. Anthropologist Jack Schock of Western Kentucky University believes that these prehistoric Kentucky tribes camped at Lost River Cave in the winter, enjoying shelter from the cave and clean water from the blue hole.
Starting around 8,000 B.C., during the Archaic period in North America, the inhabitants began exploiting the environment in a more organized fashion. One of the only Dalton points found in situ in southeastern Kentucky was discovered at Lost River by Dr. Schock. This spear point, dated at around 8,000 years old, is a rare find, making Lost River an important archaeological site for studying the Archaic period. These native groups occupied the Cave region until around 1,000 B.C.
Mill.
The proximity of the cave to Bowling Green and the Louisville-Nashville Turnpike allowed it to contribute to the 19th century commercial and agricultural development of Warren County. There are many conflicting reports on the construction of the first water mill at Lost River Cave. Some undocumented 20th century reports state that it was built in 1792 (the year Bowling Green was founded) as a corn gristmill and saw mill. Other accounts place the construction of the "first flour mill in Warren County" much later. Throughout the 19th century, the site hosted several mills with different operators and production goals. The first of these structures sat inside the cave; however, later millers built their operations on top of the arched entrance to the cavern. According to W. F. Smith, who bought the cave in 1917, Shank's Mill was the only underground water mill in the U.S.
By 1825, the mill was under the ownership of James Skiles. In 1847, a Mr. ShanksWho? owned the mill. In addition to producing grist, he installed a wool carding machine. This mill was built directly in the stream under the rock arch of the cave entrance.
In the mid-1870s, John L. Row built a stone dam in the stream near the cave entrance, drilled through 42 feet of bedrock in the arched ceiling of the cave entrance, and constructed a three-story high mill above the cave. A shaft ran to an undershot wheel in the dam raceway. He operated his mill as a distillery and flour mill until 1889 when it was purchased by James Skaggs.
The last mill at Lost River, owned by Robert Crump, was destroyed by fire in 1915. A history of industry which lasted over a century ended with the burning of the old mill. Today, the hole John Row drilled in the cave ceiling, a reconstructed dam from the nightclub era and a large waterwheel at the entrance to the park are used by interpreters to explain the importance of economic and industrial development for early owners of the cave and valley.
Civil War.
During the Civil War, the cave and valley were under the control of both sides at different times. Confederate forces occupied Bowling Green from September 18, 1861 to February 14, 1862. The area was then taken over by Union soldiers and used as a camp. John Hunt Morgan allegedly hid in the cave when escaping from pursuing troops after burning the train depot at Shakertown, South Union, Kentucky. However, this story holds little credibility, since Union soldiers were camped there.
During the period of Union control, nearly 40,000 soldiers camped in the vicinity of the cave. Later explorers have found places where soldiers wrote their names, ranks and companies on the ceilings and walls of the cave. Archaeologists have also found Union bullets within the cave chamber.
Cavern Nite Club era.
Like many caves, Lost River was rumored to have been used for manufacturing alcohol during the Prohibition, although this has not been proven. With the repeal of Prohibition, however, the cave obtained a new use. In 1934, local businessman Jimmy Stewart opened a nightclub in the mouth of the cave, complete with stage, bar and dance floor. Known as the "Cavern Nite Club," the venue was popular because of its cool temperatures during a time when air conditioning was relatively rare. Famous performers included Dinah Shore, Francis Craig, and the NBC Orchestra. In 1939, Billboard Magazine named the Cavern Nite Club as the only air-conditioned nightclub in the U.S. Electricity was generated by the water wheel, using a 15-kilowatt alternator manufactured by the Ideal Manufacturing Company of Mansfield, Ohio.
The Cavern Nite Club was made accessible to tourists by the construction of the Dixie Highway (now U.S. 31-W) on the right-of-way of the 19th-Century Louisville-Nashville Turnpike. The nightclub and cave tours were enhanced by a local legend that the famous outlaw Jesse James hid out in the cave depths to escape the law after robbing the Southern Deposit Bank in Russellville, Kentucky.
Decline, use as a dump site, and founding of nonprofit.
The nightclub era ended in the late 1950s and early 1960s. FM radio and television brought about a decline in nightclubs nationwide. Meanwhile, the construction of I-65 re-routed traffic away from Dixie Highway and Lost River Cave. The cool, natural breeze in the cave entrance was less enticing to a generation that had air conditioning in their homes. In 1962, the Cavern Nite Club closed its doors and Lost River Cave entered a time of neglect and abuse. By the 1980s, Lost River Cave had become a dumping site.
In 1990, the Friends of Lost River was formed as a non-profit organization with 501(c)3 status in an effort to return the site to its former glory. The Lost River valley and cave site is now owned jointly by Western Kentucky University and the non-profit Friends of Lost River. The cave reopened to the public in 1997, and most traces of abuse have been wiped away. Programs are in the works to remove invasive pest plants from the valley and upland trails and to construct a wetlands area to improve filtration of storm water entering the cave system.
Cave boat tour and activities.
The two-part tour is 45 minutes long. The first part consists of a guided walking tour along the river, the blue hole, and the cave entrance. This offers an opportunity to learn about both the natural and human history of the region. The second part of the tour is conducted on the boat, and allows visitors to explore the inside of the cave.
Lost River Cave contains two event venues. The Historic Lost River Cave Ballroom is located in the cave, on the site of the Cavern Nite Club. The River Birch Meeting Room, located adjacent to the visitor center, and contains its own restrooms, a kitchen, and a big screen TV. Both venues are available for event rentals.
The park includes approximately two miles of nature trails, which are admission-free. The trails are part of the Bowling Green-Warren County Greenways program. Other activities include a seasonal butterfly habitat, gem mining, geocaching, bird watching, and bird bingo. Binoculars can be checked out in the visitor's center. The park includes a Young Interpreters program, an outdoor classroom, and children's activities.


Poda Protected Area

The nature conservation site Poda was declared a protected area in 1989 by the Bulgarian Ministry of Water and Environment. It was the first protected area in Bulgaria that is completely managed and maintained by a non-governmental organization, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds(BSPB). BSPB prepares and implements activities adopted by the Council of Minister's Management Plan, but receives its funding completely from entrance fees, souvenirs sold, and donations. Through this arrangement, it aims to be a sustainable model for nature conservation, environmental education, and eco-tourism.
Located south of the port city of Bourgas on the Southeastern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, Poda is surrounded by the Black Sea and three large lakes - Vaya Lake, Mandra Lake, and Atanasovsko Lake. Along with the protected area Poda, they form a large wetland area called the Burgas Lakes. It is a biologically important area as a resting station for many of the migratory birds who use the Eastern European migratory route, Via Pontica; as well as an important nesting habitat for many breeding species. In 1994, it was classified as a CORINE and in 2002 Poda was included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. It is proposed to be included in the European Natura 2000 network within the natural area Mandra - Poda.
Ecology.
Despite occupying a relatively small area, 265 bird species have been observed in the protected area Poda. 46 bird species nest in the area and it is the only location on the Black Sea Coast with a mixed heron breeding colony of spoonbill, glossy ibis, purple heron, grey heron, night heron, great white egret and little egret. Other species breeding in the area are marsh harriers, common terns and little terns, and great cormorants - which have forsaken their usual breeding sites in reed beds and made their nests in the abandoned electrical pylons in the area. Its rich biodiversity is attributed to the three different types of water habitats it contains - brackish, fresh, and hyper-saline salt water. During the winter months in the bay at Poda, pygmy cormorants, a globally endangered species, rest at Poda. Other endangered species in the area at this time are Dalmatian pelicans and white-headed ducks. They share the bay with thousands of coots, pochards, and other ducks. Poda is located along Europe's second largest bird migration route, the Via Pontica. Annually, 75% of the European white stork population (over 250,000), 100% of the white pelican population (over 40,000) and thousands of raptors, waterfowl and song birds can be observed during the months of migration in March-April and August-September.
Other rare species of note in the protected area include Bulgaria's largest snake, the four-lined rat-snake ("Elaphe sauromates"); Europe's smallest mammal, the pygmy white toothed shrew; nutria, which are not native to the area; and a worldwide endangered European otter.
Tourism.
To facilitate its mission of environmental education and eco-tourism, BSPB has operated a Nature Conservation Center at Poda since 1997. It is open the entire year and offers lectures on the unique habitats and species in the area to tourists and visiting groups of students. Visitors can use the center's binoculars and telescopes, species identification posters, and nature path with a covered bird hide to observe the different birds in the protected area. Guided tours are given by on-site ornithologists or BSPB volunteers that explain the different habitats and common species found in each. The center receives around 15,000 visitors a year, mostly in the summer.


Bath, North Carolina

Bath is a town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 249 at the 2010 census. Incorporated in 1705, Bath was North Carolina's first port of entry, located on the Pamlico River near its mouth. It developed a trade in naval stores, furs, and tobacco.
Bath is North Carolina's oldest town, celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2005. Located in the coastal plain region, it is near Pamlico Sound, a destination for sport fishing and commercial harvest of fish, shrimp, and crab.
Geography.
Bath is located at (35.474437, −76.808863).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 60.99%, is water.
Demographics.
As of the census of 2000, there were 275 people, 122 households, and 86 families residing in the town. The population density was 759.0 people per square mile (294.9/km). There were 150 housing units at an average density of 414.0 per square mile (160.9/km). The racial makeup of the town was 95.64% White, 2.91% African American, 1.09% Native American, and 0.36% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population.
There were 122 households, out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,625, and the median income for a family was $58,125. Males had a median income of $45,625 versus $23,958 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,029. About 8.0% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.3% of those 65 or over.
History and legends.
European settlement near the Pamlico River in the 1690s led to the founding of Bath. The first settlers were French Huguenots, Protestants who went as refugees to Virginia; among those inhabitants was John Lawson, naturalist, explorer, and town father.
In 1708, Bath consisted of 12 houses and about 50 people. Early Bath was disturbed by political rivalries, epidemics, Indian wars (the Tuscarora War), and piracy. Residents suffered yellow fever, along with a severe drought in 1711. A war between the early settlers and the powerful Tuscarora Indians arose following the fever and drought, as the American Indians tried to push out the peoples encroaching on their territory. They attacked Bath, as well as plantations along the rivers, but by 1715 were defeated by a coalition of colonial settlers from the Carolinas and a much larger group of American Indians allied against them.
From 1705 until 1722, Bath was the first nominal capital of North Carolina; Edenton was designated next. The colony had no permanent institutions of government until their establishment of the new capital New Bern in 1743.
John Lawson was known as the town father. He documented the beauty and unique qualities of the town, laid out the town plan and helped secure its charter in 1705. On March 8, 1705, the tract of land was incorporated as the town of Bath by the General Assembly at a meeting at Capt. John Heckenfield's home in Albemarle. Lawson had laid out the town into 71 lots measuring half an acre and four poles (about a tenth of an acre). The lots were located on the waterfront; as was typical, this was the main transportation route. The bordering road is now known as Main Street. Early merchants had easy access by the water.
Blackbeard the pirate was notorious in the southern colonies. He was a prominent figure by the time he settled briefly in Bath. He had conducted piracy off the East Coast and in the West Indies. He settled in Bath in 1718, gaining a royal pardon (these were offered by the Crown through colonial officials in an attempt to reduce piracy). He soon started piracy again, and was captured and executed later that year by Virginia forces.
Bath was also the site of Cary's Rebellion in 1711.
During the Great Awakening in America, the English Methodist evangelist, George Whitefield, visited the town four times between 1747 and 1762 to preach the gospel. On his fourth visit, the Anglican church reportedly refused to allow him to preach. T. Jensen Lacy in his book, "Amazing North Carolina," writes:
Whitfield finally gave up on converting Bath ... Just like the disciples of old, he drove his wagon to the outskirts of town, removed his shoes, shook the dirt from them, and put a curse on the town. He told onlookers that the Bible said people who couldn't get sinners to reform were to do just what he had done, and by shaking the dust of Bath from his shoes, the town would be cursed for its hardness of heart against the Word. Whitfield declared, "I say to the village of Bath, village you shall remain, now and forever, forgotten by men and nations until such time as it pleases God to turn the light of His countenance again upon you."
Development moved past Bath and the town lies almost entirely within the same boundaries laid out by its primary founder, John Lawson. The major business cities of North Carolina have developed in the Piedmont area, stimulated by construction of railroads and nineteenth-century textile mills. Bath has remained a sleepy little village on the North Carolina coast. By contrast, population has continued to increase in the county, reaching nearly 50,000 in 2010. But the area is being developed for retirement and second homes, making it strong in a service economy, but with mostly low-paying jobs.
Bath today.
Bath has changed little since the colonial and early federal period. People interested in heritage tourism have made it a destination for both locals of eastern North Carolina and visitors from other regions. Tourists swell the population during the summer. Favorite water-based recreation includes wakeboarding, water skiing, and boat rides or jet ski rides through the creek down to the river.
Other attractions include the Historic Bath State Historic Site, which gives tours of the old town of Bath; St. Thomas Church, the oldest standing Episcopal Church in North Carolina; historical houses; and a visitors center. A ferry route provides service from the northern shore of the Pamlico River to the southern shore of the river. Visitors to Goose Creek State Park can see and learn about the beautiful marshes and swamps along the Pamlico River and Goose Creek; they can rent canoes as well as fish from the shores of the river.
In addition to the Bath Historic District and St. Thomas Church, the Bath School, Bonner House, and Palmer-Marsh House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Education.
Beaufort County Schools operates area public schools. Bath Elementary School is the local K-8 school, and Northside High School is the local high school.
BHM Regional Library operates the Bath Community Library.


Deer Creek Road


Glenn Square

Glenn Square is a 250,000 square foot power center located on a 25-acre parcel in the Mountain View neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The center consists of a collection of small shops and eateries and several large anchor stores; the most prominent being an 80,000 ft² Bass Pro Shops Outpost. The center's name is derived from the Glenn Highway, whose western terminus is near the southern property line. It sits across the Glenn Highway from and supplements the Northway Mall, a major shopping area in Anchorage since its development during the early 1980s.
History.
The center was developed by P.O’B Montgomery & Company (now Benchmark Opportunity Partners LLC.) after purchasing the land from the Municipality of Anchorage. The city had formed the Anchorage Community Development Authority (ACDA) in 2005 for the purpose of negotiating the sale of municipal lands without the usual process involving the city council. The ACDA made the sale for very little profit considering the cost of cleaning up pollution in the area, for the purpose of revitalizing the neighborhood. During the same time period, urban renewal in Mountain View to the north of the center saw large-scale construction of new housing, in some cases replacing homes built during the early development of the neighborhood in the 1940s. To the center's east, Clark Middle School was demolished and a new school building constructed in its place. The at-grade intersection of the Glenn Highway with Bragaw Street was replaced with an interchange.
Construction of the center spanned the years of 2006 and 2007 but leasing was initially slow. Just a few miles east of the center, construction of the much larger Tikahtnu Commons began in 2007 with the state's first Target store. In the years following, Tikahtnu Commons pulled many potential leases away from Glenn Square and in 2011 the center was still largely vacant. A major aspect of the center's plans was a 12 screen Century Theater which was to be the chain's second Anchorage location, but when plans for competitor Regal Cinemas to build a 16 screen multiplex at Tikahtnu Commons were discovered, the company pulled out, which was a major blow to the project. With the 2014 opening of Bass Pro Shops however, the shopping center has seen an upswing in popularity and an influx of new businesses.
Glenn Square was purchased by JL Properties from Kimco Reality Corp. in October 2014.


Bolon Nature Reserve

Bolon Nature Reserve () (also Bolon'sky) is the oldest Russian 'zapovednik' (strict ecological reserve) in the Russian Far East. It is located on the Middle Amur River lowlands adjacent to the south-west of Lake Bolon. The reserve covers the wetlands of international importance. Large numbers of migratory waterfowl use the area for nesting and stopovers on long flights. The reserve is situated half way between the city of Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in the Amursky District of Khabarovsk Krai. The reserve was created in 1997, and covers an area of .
Topography.
The Bolon Reserve covers 100,000 hectares south of Lake Bolon, a terrain of meandering streams of the estuaries of the Selgon River and Simmy River flowing into the lake. The reserve covers a portion of the southern lake shore. The Amur River runs southwest to northeast about 50 km from the reserve. Anyuysky National Park is across the Amur from the Bolon Reserve.
Climate and Ecoregion.
Bolon is located in the "Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests" ecoregion. This ecoregion os of the Ussuri River region in the middle Amur River basin on the west slope of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains. The Ussuri ecoregion is characterized by mixed broadleaf species such as Manchurian ash and Japanese elm in the lowlands, and Korean pine and broadleaf forests in the middle elevations.
The climate of Bolon is "Humid continental climate, cool summer" (Köppen climate classification "(Dwb)"). This climate is characterized by high variation in temperature, both daily and seasonally; with dry winters and cool summers.
Flora and fauna.
Swamps occupy 80% of the territory. The plant life of the reserve is accordingly aquatic and wetland-associated. On the lower terraces are reed-sedge and herb-sedge. Meadows are reed grass and reed grass-forb. Scientists on the reserve have recorded 348 species of vascular plants in 92 families.
Around Lake Bolon on the plain are the summer feeding grounds for elk and deer; they migrate from the nearby mountain ridges for calving and rearing. Typical other mammals are the brown bear, badger, and raccoon dog.
Spring and autumn migrations bring an estimated 1.2 million to the reserve. Over 200 species have been recorded, including the Far Eastern stork, Steller's sea eagle, and snipe-spoon-billed sandpiper. The reserve also hosts the Japanese crane at the northern edge of its range.
Ecoeducation and access.
As a strict nature reserve, the Bolon Reserve is mostly closed to the general public, although scientists and those with 'environmental education' purposes can make arrangements with park management for visits. It is possible for the public to arrange for guided tours on the eco-route "Avian Crossroads" during the migration periods - April 20 to May 15 in the spring, and September 15 to October 20 in the fall. Applications must be made in advance with payment of fees; the route can be arranged for visit on foot or small boat. The excursion takes 6-8 hours, and there is a bird observation deck on the lake. The reserve's office is in the village of Dzhuen. Recently, the reserve has opened an ethnographic museum dedicated to the Nanai people in the village.


Laguna Torca National Reserve

Laguna Torca National Reserve is a national reserve of Chile's Maule Region.
Laguna Torca is South-West of Santiago, in the Maule Region 7. Situated a bare from the Pacific Ocean and adjoins Lago Vichuquen, in the coastal mountains. The fresh water in the laguna comes from these local mountains, rather than the inland Andes.
Geography.
The Reserve is divided into three very different areas.
Main Lagoon.
Where 120 species of birds, have been spotted, according to Head Ranger Don Luis. Black-necked swans (1600 at the last count including some ringed birds from Valdivia), fill the Laguna. The feeding swans add to the tranquility of the scene, and the main road runs through the side of the laguna giving a close up view of the Wildlife. Coscoroba swans, pimpollo (white-tufted grebe), tagua (coots),and many more, all can be seen in the lagoon.
Fish in the laguna such as the liza, tench, and carp. However you won't see any as there is a no fishing, swimming, boating policy in the park!
The reserve is a true sanctuary staffed by dedicated, knowledgeable, and very friendly Rangers. Viewing stations and a small reception centre is located at the Laguna. The main road cuts through one of the side arms of the lagoon and gives a great vantage point to see the many swans feeding.
Llico Forest.
The second section of the National Reserve is Llico forest,(Bosque de Llico) an area which was forested with exotic species. This area is accessed through a long wooden bridge in the middle of Llico, and is a couple of kilometers from the Laguna. The sheer size of these old trees is something that is seen very rarely in this area with the modern forestry industry geared up for quick growth and replanting. Walking through the park under the shade of these giants gives a glimpse of the older times. The trees were planted originally to stop the inland march of the sand dunes from the beach at Llico playa. It worked.
Cerrillos Island.
The third area of the National Reserve is Cerrillos Island, and is to be found south of the main reserve, in the southern section of Vichuquén Lake . The island is uninhabited, with a forested area of .


Nature Reserve of Saint Bartholomew

Nature Reserve of Saint Bartholomew (Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Barthélemy) is a nature reserve of Saint Barthélemy (RNN 132), French West Indies, an overseas collectivity of France.
Background.
Founded in 1996, it covers 1,200 hectares in five sectors: Gros Îlets and Pain de Sucre off Gustavia harbour; the waters surrounding the islets Fourchue, Frégate and Île Toc Vers; and part of Colombier bay. Protected marine areas of the reserve are demarcated on nautical charts of the region. The management of the reserve rests with the Grenat Association. It was established in 1996 with the objective of conserving coral reefs, sea grass beds and the marine life. The reserve has coral formations in an area of .
Fauna.
45 coral species are recorded, apart from "Ascidiacea", sea sponges and anemones. Sea urchins, starfish, shellfish, crustaceans, a few sea turtles and 165 species of fish are also reported. An invasive species of fish found in this reserve is the lion fish, which is poisonous and has a dangerous bite. The reserve is the habitat of 80 species of birds. The land area is small and its xerophytic vegetation is grazed by goats, causing loss of nestling ground for 15 terrestrial birds. Six species of water birds have also been recorded in the ponds of the island. The bird population witnesses a boost during the winter when a large number of Neotropical migrant birds flock the area. Within the reserve three bird areas have been identified by BirdLife International, which cover an area of , apart from 0.4% of the land area of Saint Barthélemy. The key bird species recorded here are: brown booby ("Sula leucogaster"); laughing gull ("Leucophaeus atricilla"); royal tern ("Thalasseus maximus"); and common tern ("Sterna hirundo").


Lamoille Canyon Road

Lamoille Canyon Road, also known as Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, is a National Forest Scenic Byway in Elko County, Nevada in the western United States. The road traverses Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains of northeastern Nevada, and it is administered by the Ruby Mountains Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Route description.
Lamoille Canyon Road is officially designated National Forest Road 660 (NF 660). It starts near the eastern terminus of State Route 227 (SR 227) just west of the small town of Lamoille and proceeds south toward the entrance of Lamoille Canyon. From the entrance, the road winds southeast and then south up the canyon, rising from a base elevation of around to about , where the road ends at a large parking area with multiple trailheads. Throughout its length, the road is undivided and two-lanes wide (one each way) with a speed limit of .The road is not plowed in the winter, when it is used for winter recreation such as cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Motor vehicle access to the upper end of the road is generally limited to the months of June through October, though this is partly dependent on snowfall. In contrast, the section of the road below is usually motor-vehicle accessible for most of the year.
Points of interest.
Powerhouse Picnic Area, Camp Lamoille, Thomas Canyon Campground, Changing Canyon Nature Trail, Terraces Picnic Area and Roads End Trailhead are all located along Lamoille Canyon Road. The Roads End Trailhead is the northern terminus of the Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail.
History.
Lamoille Canyon Road was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and 1940s.


Geneva Commons

The Geneva Commons is an upscale lifestyle center in the Chicago suburb of Geneva, Illinois. The center is located along Randall Road in the heart of the St. Charles/Geneva/Batavia retail complex. The center includes over 80 retailers and restaurants spread over . The center, which was developed by Jeffrey R. Anderson, was opened on September 5, 2002. The developer also built the Algonquin Commons, located north along Randall Road in Algonquin, which opened in 2004.
The Geneva Commons is managed by Mid-America Asset Management, Inc.
Geneva Commons comprises over 80 retailers in total.


Big Sur Coast Highway

Big Sur Coast Highway is a section of California State Route 1 through the Big Sur region of California that is widely considered to be one of the most scenic driving routes in the United States, if not the world. It is both a National Scenic Highway and a California Scenic Highway, and was described by Australian painter Francis McComas as the "greatest meeting of land and water in the world". "Condé Nast Traveler" named State Route 1 through Big Sur one of the top 10 world-famous streets, comparable to Broadway in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The road itself is a destination for visitors.
The Big Sur portion of Highway 1 is generally considered to include the segment adjoining the unincorporated region of Big Sur between Malpaso Creek near Carmel Highlands in the north and San Carpóforo Creek near San Simeon in the south.
Prior to its completion, the California coast south of Carmel and north of San Simeon was one of the most remote regions in the state, rivaling at the time nearly any other region in the United States for its difficult access. In 1920, the trip from Monterey to the Pfeiffer Ranch in the Big Sur valley in a light spring wagon pulled by two horses could be completed in about 11 hours. A lumber wagon pulled by four horses could make the trip in 13 hours. The rough road ended in present-day Big Sur Village and could be impassible in winter. There was no road beyond the Pfeiffer Ranch, only a horseback trail connecting the homesteads to the south.
The highway was first proposed by Dr. John L. D. Roberts, a physician who was summoned on April 21, 1894 to treat survivors of the wreck of the S.S. "Los Angeles" (originally USRC "Wayanda"), which had run aground near the Point Sur Light Station about south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. The ride on his two-wheeled, horse-drawn cart took him hours, a very fast trip for the day. Construction began in 1921, ceased for two years in 1926 when funding ran out, and after 18 years of construction, the Carmel–San Simeon Highway was completed in 1937. The route was incorporated into the state highway system and re-designated as Highway 1 in 1939.
Along with the ocean views, this winding, narrow road, often cut into the face of towering seaside cliffs, dominates the visitor's experience of Big Sur. The stunning views, redwood forests, hiking, beaches, and other recreational opportunities have made Big Sur a popular destination for about 7 million people who live within a day's drive and visitors from across the world. The highway has been closed more than 55 times by landslides, and in May 2017, a slide blocked the highway at Mud Creek, north of Salmon Creek near the San Luis Obispo County line, to just south of Gorda. The road was reopened on July 18, 2018, but is subject to closure during heavy storms. From January 28th 2021 to noon on April 23rd 2021, the roadway was closed at Rat Creek, a point south of Big Sur Village, where the entire road surface and the land under it washed into the ocean due to heavy storms. After 30 days of debris removal and only 56 days of construction, the highway was reopened on April 23rd 2021 in a ceremony attended by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
History.
Rancho San Jose y Sur Chiquito, including the land from Carmel to near Palo Colorado Canyon, was granted to José Castro in about 1848. Castro built the first trail from Monterey to Palo Colorado Canyon as early as 1853, when he filed a map of his purchase.
After California gained statehood, a rough trail from Carmel to Mill Creek (present-day Bixby Canyon) was in use by about 1855 when it was declared a public road by the county. But the California coast south of Carmel and north of San Simeon remained one of the most remote regions in the state, rivaling at the time nearly any other region in the United States for its difficult access. It remained largely an untouched wilderness until early in the twentieth century. When the region was first settled by European immigrants in 1853, it was the United States' "last frontier".
Yankee businessman Charles Henry Bixby bought several hundred acres south of Mill Creek and harvested lumber, tanbark, and lime. Without a road, he resorted to using a landing chute and hoist to transfer the goods to steamers anchored offshore.
Bixby tried to persuade the county to build a road to Bixby Creek, but they refused, replying that "no one would want to live there". In 1870, Bixby and his father hired men to improve the track and constructed the first wagon road including 23 bridges from the Carmel Mission to Bixby Creek.
Further south, the Rancho El Sur grant extended from the mouth of Little Sur River inland about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) over the coastal mountains and south along the coast past the mouth of the Big Sur River to Cooper's Point. It was largely a cattle operation. There was a brief industrial boom in the late 19th century, but the early decades of the twentieth century passed with few changes, and Big Sur remained a nearly inaccessible wilderness.
In 1886, Bixby partnered with W. B. Post and they improved and realigned what became known as the Old Coast Road south to Post's ranch near Sycamore Canyon. At Bixby Creek Canyon, the road was necessarily built inland to circumvent the deep canyon. The road from Bixby Canyon climbed steep Cerro Hill and crossed the Little Sur River where its two forks diverted. The road entered the Cooper Ranch (formerly Rancho El Sur) and continued south about south to the Pfeiffer Ranch. In 1920, the trip from Carmel in a light spring wagon pulled by two horses could be completed in about 11 hours. A lumber wagon pulled by four horses could make the trip in 13 hours. Bixby obtained a patent on April 10, 1889 for south of Mill Creek.
In 1891, visitor C. A. Canfield wrote about how a trip on the mail wagon to Posts took most of a day, where he remained the night. The next day he rode horseback over the South Coast Road with Thomas B. Slate. They reached Slates Hot Springs at about 5pm. The single-lane road was closed in winter when it became impassable. Due to the steep and narrow road, even during the summer Coast residents would receive supplies via boat from Monterey or San Francisco. Due to the limited access, settlement was primarily concentrated near the Big Sur River and present-day Lucia, and individual settlements along a stretch of coast between the two. The northern and southern regions of the coast were isolated from one another.
In 1900, the country improved the road south to the forks of the Little Sur River. Charles Howland, who drove the mail stage between Monterey and Big Sur, built the Idlewild Hotel in about 1900 on the Old Coast Road where it crossed the Little Sur River. The Pfeiffer family's hospitality was enjoyed by friends and strangers alike for years. They finally began charging guests in 1910, naming it Pfeiffer's Ranch Resort. It and the Idlewild Hotel were the earliest places to stay.
In 1909, an advertisement for the Idlewild Hotel on the Little Sur River stated that the camp would be accessible by auto as soon as the "Cerro Grade", the stretch of road from the coast to the Little Sur River near Cerro Hill, was completed. In 1910, the "Monterey Daily Cypress" reported that Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Cooper "motored down to Mrs. Martha M. Cooper ranch at Sur, leaving Monterey at 12 midnight and arriving there at 2 a.m." But the road was still very rough, and most goods including cheese produced on the Cooper Ranch was still shipped by boat to Monterey. The Idlewild competed with the Pfeiffer Resort for guests through about 1920, when the Idlewild was forced out of business by Martha Cooper, who acquired the land. In 1904, residents extended the unpaved road from the Pfeiffer Resort to the Post Ranch, and then it was extended another south to Castro Canyon, near the present-day location of Deetjen's Big Sur Inn.
As late as the 1920s, only two homes in the entire region had electricity, locally generated by water wheels and windmills. Most of the population lived without power until connections to the California electric grid were established in the early 1950s. The region has always been relatively difficult to access and only the sturdiest and most self-sufficient settlers stayed.
In July 1937, the California Highways and Public Works department described the journey, "There was a narrow, winding, steep road from Carmel south ... approximately 35 miles to the Big Sur River. From that point south to San Simeon, it could only be traveled by horseback or on foot." The southern portion, which was for many years merely a foot and horse trail, became known as the "Coast Ridge Road". It used to begin near the Old Post Ranch. It is currently only accessible on foot from near the Ventana Inn. It passes through private land and connects with the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. It follows the crest of the coastal ridge south about to within a couple of miles of Cone Peak. Both the Old Coast Road and the Coast Ridge Road are often unusable during and after winter storms.
The southern region of Monterey County coast was isolated from the few settlements in the north by the steep terrain. The southern homesteaders were more closely tied to the people in the interior San Antonio Valley including the Jolon and Lockwood areas than to coastal communities to the north. A horse trail connected Jolon through present-day Fort Hunter Liggett to the Santa Lucia divide, from which several trails split to the coast or to the several mining camps. Those who lived in the vicinity of the Big Sur River were connected with Monterey to the north.
Road proposed.
On April 21, 1894, Dr. John L. D. Roberts, a physician and land speculator who had founded Seaside, California and resided on the Monterey Peninsula, was summoned to assist treating survivors of the wreck of the S.S. "Los Angeles" (originally USRC "Wayanda"), which had run aground near the Point Sur Light Station about south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. The ride on his two-wheeled, horse-drawn cart took him hours, a very fast trip for the day.
In 1897, he walked the entire stretch of rocky coast from Monterey to San Luis Obispo in five days and mapped out a course of the future road. He photographed the land and became the first surveyor of the route. He became convinced of the need for a road along the coast to San Simeon, which he believed could be built for $50,000 (). In 1915, he presented the results of his survey and photographic work to a joint session of the California legislature. Roberts initially promoted the coastal highway to allow access to a region of spectacular beauty, but failed to obtain funding.
Funding.
California was booming during the 1920s, driven by rapidly expanding aviation, oil, and agricultural business. The number of state residents doubled between 1910 and 1930. This stimulated the rapid expansion of the state's road network. State Senator Elmer S. Rigdon from Cambria, at the southern end of the Big Sur region, embraced the necessity of building the road. He was a member of the California Senate Committee on Roads and Highways and promoted the military necessity of defending California's coast which persuaded the legislature to approve the project. In 1919, the legislature approved building Route 56, or the Carmel – San Simeon Highway, to connect Big Sur to the rest of California. A $1.5 million bond issue was approved by voters, but construction was delayed by World War I. Federal funds were appropriated and in 1921 voters approved additional state funds. Additional funds were made available from the National Industrial Recovery Act in June, 1933. California received $15 million for state highway work.
Construction.
The California state legislature passed a law in 1915 that allowed the state to use convict labor under the control of the State Board of Prison Directors and prison guards. In 1918, state highway engineer Lester Gibson led a mule pack train along the Big Sur coast to complete an initial survey to locate the future Coast Highway. When the convict labor law was revised in 1921, it gave control of the convicts and camps to the Division of Highways, although control and discipline remained with the State Board of Prison Directors and guards. The law helped the contractors who had a difficult time attracting labor to work in remote regions of the state.
1921-1924.
The first contract was awarded in 1921. The contractor Blake and Heaney built a prison labor camp for 120 prisoners and 20 paid laborers at Piedras Blancas Light Station. They began work on of road between Piedras Blancas Light Station near San Simeon and Salmon Creek. Most of the road lay within San Luis Obisbo County. As they progressed, the work camp was moved north to Willow Creek and then another north to Kirk Creek. When the section to Salmon Creek was completed, the crew began work on the road north toward Big Creek.
Contractor George Pollock Company of Sacramento started construction next on one of the most remote segments, a stretch between Anderson Canyon and Big Sur in September, 1922. The region was so remote and access so poor that the company brought most of its supplies and equipment in by barge at a sheltered cove near the middle of the project. Machines were hoisted to the road level using steam-powered donkey engines.
Construction required extensive excavation utilizing steam shovels and explosives on the extremely steep slopes. The work was dangerous, and accidents and earth slides were common. One or more accidents were reported nearly every week. Equipment was frequently damaged and lost. In one incident, a steam shovel fell more than into the ocean and was destroyed.
Overcoming all the difficulties, the crews completed two portions of the highway in October, 1924, the southern section from San Simeon to Salmon Creek and a second segment from the Big Sur Village south to Anderson Creek. When these sections were completed, the contractor had used up all of the available funds and work was halted.
California Governor Friend William Richardson felt the state could not afford to complete the remaining, including the most difficult section remaining between Salmon Creek and Anderson Canyon.
1928-1937.
In March 1928, work was renewed. Convicts were paid $2.10 per day but the cost of clothing, food, medical attention, toilet articles, transportation to the camp, construction tools, and even their guards was deducted from their pay. Actual wages were just under $0.34 per day. If a convict escaped, the law provided for a reward of $200 for their capture and return. The reward was automatically deducted from the all other convict's pay.
San Quentin State Prison set up three temporary prison camps to provide unskilled convict labor to help with road construction. The first was built in March, 1928 near Salmon Creek for 120 prisoners and 20 free men. They worked north toward Big Creek, about south of Carmel.
In July 1928, a second camp was built near the mouth of the Little Sur River on the El Sur Ranch about south of Carmel. They worked on an section of the highway from to the south, to Rocky Creek, about to the north. When they completed this portion in 1932, the contractor moved the work camp south to Anderson Creek. From this camp, they built the road south south to Big Creek. When this task was finished, the workers almost completely reconstructed and realigned he portion of the road from Anderson Creek to Big Sur that had been completed in 1924. Two and three shifts of convicts and free men worked every day, using four large steam shovels. Locals, including writer John Steinbeck, also worked on the road.
Construction methods.
Walt Trotter, a long-time resident of the coast who had many years of experience in construction, observed in 1978 that the road could have been better built. "Had this been a modern constructed way", he said, "it would have been all infilled, tailgated, the brush would have been cleared off all the cuts, they would have taken the dozers and gone down and compacted all the fill." Still, looking at a picture of the construction, he said, "Then they would have started up here at the top of the hill and made nice slopes all the way down and benched it down and you wouldn't have had all this..."
Bridges required.
Road construction necessitated construction of 29 bridges, the most difficult of which was the bridge over Bixby Creek, about south of Carmel. Upon completion, the Bixby Creek Bridge was long, wide, above the creek bed below, and had a main span of . The bridge was designed to support more than six times its intended load. When it was completed on October 15, 1932, Bixby Creek Bridge was the largest arched highway structure in the Western states. Five more reinforced concrete bridges were built at Rocky, Granite, Garapata, Malpaso, and Wildcat Creeks. But the entire highway was not completed for another five years. All of the concrete arch bridges were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. They were also included in the California Register of Historic Resources in 1992.
The contractor built a large bridge of Redwood with a span of at Dolan Creek because of the considerable distance required to haul concrete. They also built wood bridges at Lime Creek, Prewitt Creek, Wild Cattle Creek and Torre Canyon. Steel bridges were built at Burns Creek, San Simeon Creek, Pico Creek, Castro Canyon, Mill Creek and Little Pico Creek. The timber and steel bridges, with the exception of Castro Canyon and Mill Creek, were all replaced with concrete bridges later on.
Water fountains.
To provide water to thirsty travelers, the Civilian Conservation Corps built between 1933 and 1937 six hand-crafted stone drinking fountains, indicated by their distance from the Monterey/San Luis Obispo County line:
The crews built masonry stone walls around local springs at each location. One of the fountains is believed to have been lost due to one of the many landslides. Some of them are still operational.
Completion.
After 18 years of construction, aided by New Deal funds during the Great Depression, the paved two-lane road was completed and opened on June 17, 1937. About of dynamite was used to help blast more than of granite, marble and sandstone. Bixby Bridge alone required 300,000 board feet of Douglas fir, of concrete, and of reinforcing steel.
On June 27, 1937, Governor Frank Merriam led a caravan from the Cambria Pines Lodge to San Simeon, where dedication ceremonies began. The wife of the late Senator Elmer Rigdon, who had promoted the bridge and obtained funding, dedicated a silver fir to her husband's memory. A water fountain in a turnout between Vicente Creek Bridge and Big Creek Bridge, four miles north of Lucia, was dedicated as the Elmer Rigdon Memorial Drinking Fountain. The Native Sons of the Golden West dedicated two redwood trees. The caravan then drove north to Pfeiffer Redwoods State Park, where a larger dedication ceremony was held. The initial $1.5 million bond measure was not enough. The final cost when the road was completed 18 years later was $19 million (equivalent to $ million in ).
The road was initially called the Carmel-San Simeon Highway, but was better known as the Roosevelt Highway, honoring then-current President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The road was frequently closed for extended periods during the winter, making it a seasonal route. The new route was incorporated into the state highway system and re-designated as Highway 1 in 1939. In 1940, the state contracted for "the largest installation of guard rail ever placed on a California state highway", calling for of steel guard rail and 3,649 guide posts along of the road. In 1941, of rain fell on Big Sur, and the state considered abandoning the route. Slides were so common that gates were used to close the road to visitors at the northern and southern ends during the winter. During World War II, nighttime blackouts along the coast were ordered as a precaution against Japanese attack.
Impact on residents.
The opening of Highway 1 in 1937 dramatically altered the local economy. Before the highway was completed, a developer who wanted to build a subdivision offered to buy the Pfeiffer Ranch from John and Florence Pfeiffer for $210,000 ($ in ). John was the son of Big Sur pioneers Michael Pfeiffer and Barbara Laquet. Pfeiffer wanted the land preserved and he sold to the state of California in 1933. This became the foundation of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The Civilian Conservation Corps built campgrounds, build
ings, fences, a footbridge, and trails in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. They used redwood lumber and river rocks as building materials to create a wood and stone "park rustic" style. They also fought fires and removed poison oak. A relative of the Pfeiffer family built the Big Sur River Inn in 1934.
Land values rose. Some residents regretted the access provided by the highway. Jaime de Angulo, who first arrived in Big Sur in 1915, wrote:
Many original settlers were extremely upset by the destruction caused resulting from the construction. Machinery blasted through the great cliffs, scarring granite promontories, defiling canyons and waterfalls with debris. The construction employed primitive construction methods. The laborers used tons of dynamite and blasted large amounts of earth and rock debris over the edge of the road and often into the ocean. Many members of the original families were upset by the damage to the environment caused by the construction. When the workers cut into hillsides, they left naked scars void of brush, and pushed "millions and millions and billions of yards of earth" down the slopes and into the oceans.
Deetjen's Big Sur Inn was opened in 1936. The region's economy and population growth was strongly influenced by the construction of permanent and summer homes. Many visitor facilities were constructed. The agricultural and minor industrial economy was quickly supplanted by a tourism-oriented economy.
Recent history.
The remaining segment of the unpaved Old Coast Road intersects with the Coast Highway at Bixby Creek Bridge and climbs steeply inland up Cerro Hill, traversing the El Sur Ranch. It crosses the Little Sur River near the junction of the North and South forks, formerly the location of the Idlewild Hotel from about 1900 to 1921. The road then descends and rejoins Highway 1 across from the main entrance of Andrea Molera State Park. It can be impassable in wet weather and is suitable for high-clearance vehicles. The Coast Ridge Road south of Posts is closed to vehicles. From Posts, it climbs to the coastal summit, and follows the westernmost ridge of the Santa Lucia Range from Big Sur to Cone Peak. From Cone Peak the road extended south, crossing Nacimiento Summit and continuing south past Chalk Peak to where the road is now named Plaskett Ridge Road. From there it began a westerly descent to a point along the South Coast near Sand Dollar Beach and Plaskett. Segments of the Old Coast Ridge Road have been given new names, and some sections of the road are closed. Portions of it are now a Forest Service trail.
During the 1970s, highway engineers and others advocating turning the two-lane road into a four-lane freeway. In 1976, the state legislature permanently limited the road along the Big Sur coast to two lanes.
Highway 1 has been at capacity for many years. As early as 1977, the U.S. Forest Service noted in its environmental impact statement, "Highway 1 has reached its design capacity during peak-use periods." It is currently at or near capacity much of the year. The primary transportation objective of the Big Sur Coastal Land Use plan is to maintain Highway 1 as a scenic two-lane road and to reserve most remaining capacity for the priority uses of the act.
The steep topography, active faults, diverse geology, and seasonal storms combine to make the rugged Big Sur area one of the most landslide-prone stretches of the California coast. As a result, the California Department of Transportation has had to make many repairs to the road. Highway 1 has been closed on more than 55 occasions due to damage from landslides, mudslides, erosion, and fire. Aside from Highway 1, the only access to Big Sur is via the winding, narrow, long Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, which from Highway 1 south of Lucia passes east through Fort Hunter Liggett to Mission Road in Jolon. It's about a and hour-and-a-half drive to U.S. Route 101 (US 101).
On January 15, 1952, the highway was closed north of San Simeon to Big Sur due to "numerous heavy slides". December 1955 was the fifth wettest since 1872. At the Big Sur Maintenance Station, 8.45 inches of rain was recorded in one 24-hour period on December 23. Torrential rains caused flood conditions throughout Monterey County and Highway 1 in Big Sur was closed in numerous locations due to slides.
A series of storms in the winter of 1983 caused four major road-closing slides between January and April, including a large high landslide slide near Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and McWay Falls that buried Highway 1 with of rocks and dirt. Twenty-six bulldozers worked for 22 weeks to clear the highway. The repair crews pushed the slide into the ocean which ended up creating a beach inside McWay Cove that did not exist before. It was up to that date the largest earth-moving project ever undertaken by CalTrans. CalTrans routinely pushed slide debris into the ocean shore until the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was created in 1992, which made dumping material into the ocean illegal. Highway 1 was closed for 14 months.
In 1998, about 40 different locations on the road were damaged by El Niño storms, including a major slide south of Gorda that closed the road for almost three months. The Associated Press described the damage as "the most extensive destruction in the 60-year history of the world famous scenic route".
In March 2011, a section of Highway 1 just south of the Rocky Creek Bridge collapsed, closing the road for several months until a single lane bypass could be built. The state replaced that section of road with a viaduct that wraps around the unstable hillside. On January 16, 2016, the road was closed for portions of a day due to a mudslide near Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
In January 2014, CalTrans completed construction of a new bridge and rock shelter at Pitkins Curve in Big Sur, one of the ongoing trouble spots on Highway 1 near Limekiln State Park.
One individual was killed while repairing the road. In 1983, Skinner Pierce died while clearing the slide near Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park when the bulldozer he was operating fell down the slide into the ocean. His body was never recovered.
2017 closures.
During the summer of 2016, the road was closed on several occasions due to the Soberanes Fire. During the following winter, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park received more than of rain, while other locations received up to , the most rain recorded since 1915. In early February 2017, several mudslides blocked the road in more than half a dozen locations. The failure of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge and two major slides closed the highway for more than 14 months. The closure of Highway 1 in two locations isolated the 60 families and 350 residents between the two locations for weeks, forced Esalen Institute to evacuate guests by helicopter, and residents to ferry supplies in the same way.
Just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, shifting earth damaged a pier supporting a bridge over the deep Pfeiffer Canyon. CalTrans immediately closed the highway on February 12, 2017 and announced the next day that the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge was damaged beyond repair and would have to be replaced. Highway 1 remained closed.
CalTrans immediately began planning to replace the bridge and contracted with XKT Engineering on Mare Island to construct a replacement single-span steel girder bridge. The new roadway was designed without support piers. The rebuilt bridge opened on October 13, 2017 at a cost of $24 million after 8 months of road closure.
To the south, a slide totalling about million closed Highway 1 in February at a perennial problem point known as Paul's Slide, north of the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road. Businesses and residents were isolated between the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge and Paul's Slide. For about two weeks supplies and residents were ferried in and out by helicopter. CalTrans contractors finally opened the road for residents and delivery trucks to limited one-way controlled traffic.
On May 20, the largest slide in the highway's history at Mud Creek blocked the road southeast of Gorda or about south of Monterey. The slide began up the side of the mountain and dumped an estimated , or about 1.5 million tons of dirt, on to the road and more than into the ocean. The slide was national and worldwide news. Larger than the slide that blocked the highway in 1983 at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State park, it covered one-quarter-mile (.40 km) of the highway and buried it up to deep in some places. On August 2, 2017, CalTrans decided to rebuild the highway over the slide instead of clearing it. To stabilize the toe of the slide and prevent the surf from further eroding the slide, CalTrans contractors brought in about of rock to build the revetment. Crews worked seven days a week, at least 12 hours per day, from January 2017 until mid-July 2018 to get the road repaired. It was reopened on July 18, 2018 at a cost of $54 million.
CalTrans announced in December 2019 that they would preemptively close the highway in advance of forecasts of significant rain.
2021 closure.
Following several summers of intense drought and wildfire, which weakened soils, a rainy 2020-2021 winter season produced mudslides in the Big Sur region. On Friday, 28 January, 2021, a large section of the road collapsed into the sea near Rat Creek, south of the community of Big Sur Village. The breach began the day before, with California Highway Patrol officer noting loss of the southbound (ocean side) lanes. Caltrans noted the debris flow the same day, and ordered am emergency repair. When repair crews arrived Friday, they reported that the both lanes of the road had been lost. Media drone footage showed a complete loss of the road at the breech, including land on the inland side of the road.
Popularity.
The drive along Highway 1 has been described as "one of the best drives on Earth", and is considered one of the top 10 motorcycle rides in the United States. Highway 1 was named the most popular drive in California in 2014 by the American Automobile Association. "Condé Nast Traveler" named State Route 1 through Big Sur one of the top 10 world-famous streets, comparable to Broadway in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Most of the nearly 7 million tourists who currently visit Big Sur each year never leave Highway 1, because the adjacent Santa Lucia Range is one of the largest roadless coastal areas in the entire United States; Highway 1 and the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road offer the only paved access into and out of the region.
The beauty of the scenery along the narrow, two-lane road attracts enormous crowds during summer vacation periods and holiday weekends, and traffic is frequently slow. Visitors have reported to the California Highway Patrol hours-long stop-and-go traffic from Rocky Creek Bridge to Rio Road in Carmel during the Memorial Day weekend. The highway winds along the western flank of the mountains mostly within sight of the Pacific Ocean, varying from near sea level up to a sheer drop to the water. Most of the highway is extremely narrow, with tight curves, steep shoulders and blind turns. The route offers few or no passing lanes and, along some stretches, very few pullouts. The sides are occasionally so steep that the shoulders are virtually non-existent.
Traffic and parking problems.
Since the introduction of smart phones and social media, the popularity of certain Big Sur attractions like Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach, McWay Falls, and the Pine Ridge Trail have dramatically increased. During holiday weekends and most summer vacation periods, traffic congestion and parking in these areas can be extremely difficult. Some locations have limited parking, and visitors park on the shoulder of Highway 1, sometimes leaving inadequate space for passing vehicles. At Bixby Creek Bridge, visitors sometimes park on the nearby Old Coast Road, blocking the road and residents' access to their homes. Highway 1 is often congested with traffic backed up behind slow drivers. There are a large number of unpaved pull outs along the highway, but there are only three paved road-side vista points allowing motorists to stop and admire the landscape. Due to the large number of visitors, congestion and slow traffic between Carmel and Posts is becoming the norm. There have been reports of tourists leaving their vehicle in the middle of Highway 1 to stop and take pictures.
In 2016, the average daily vehicle counts at the Big Sur River Bridge (milepost 46.595) were 6,500, a 13% increase from 5,700 in 2011. An average daily vehicle count of 6,500 translates to 2.3 million vehicles per year. Counts up to 14,200 were obtained from measurements at the northern and southern boundaries of the region. The lowest number was found at the border of the Monterey and San Luis Obispo County lines.
When the highway opened in 1937, average daily vehicle traffic was over 2,500, but dropped to 1,462 the next year. It rose somewhat until December 1, 1942, when mandatory gas rationing was instituted during World War II. The rationing program and a ban on pleasure driving extremely limited the number of visitors who made the trip to Big Sur. On August 15, 1945, World War II gas rationing was ended on the West Coast of the United States. The number of vehicles rose dramatically in 1946 and increased steadily. Tourism and travel boomed along the coast. When Hearst Castle opened in 1958, a huge number of tourists also flowed through Big Sur.
Visitors continued to increase during the 1960s, due in part to the opening of several major attractions in the area, especially the Esalen Institute. The filming of "The Sandpiper" in 1964 and its release in 1965 dramatically increased public awareness of the region. In 1970, the average daily vehicle count was 3,700, and as of 2008, reached about 4,500.
Residents are especially concerned about traffic along single-lane Sycamore Canyon Road to Pfeiffer Beach. The beach has been owned by the U.S. Forest Service since 1906, and they own an easement along the road. About 80 homes are situated along Sycamore Canyon Road. About 600 vehicles a day use the road, but there are only 65 parking spaces at the beach itself, so some tourists park on the highway and walk the road to the beach, which is illegal because the road is so narrow. On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 2018, the parking lot was full all day. Parks Management Company, which manages the day-use parking lot at Pfeiffer Beach, turned away more than 1,000 cars from the entrance to Sycamore Canyon Road. Visitors were redirected to the parking lot the Big Sur Station, a nearby multi-agency facility, where for $15 they could park and take a newly introduced shuttle service to the beach. The Coast Property Owners Association had been pressuring the Forest Service for a shuttle service for more than a year.
Bixby Creek Bridge issues.
Due to the large number of visitors, congestion and slow traffic between Carmel and the Bixby Creek Bridge is frequently the norm during popular holiday and vacation periods. Residents complain that the bridge area is "like a Safeway parking lot". Traffic can come to a standstill as motorists wait for a parking spot. There is a pull out to the north and west side of Highway 1, but when it is full, visitors sometimes fail to completely pull off the highway, leaving inadequate space for passing vehicles.
There are no toilets within several miles of the bridge, and visitors resort to defecating in nearby bushes. Residents complain about toilet paper, human waste, and trash littering the roadside.
Scenic designations.
The section of Highway 1 running through Big Sur is widely considered one of the most scenic driving routes in the United States, if not the world. The views are one reason that Big Sur was ranked second among all United States destinations in TripAdvisor's 2008 Travelers' Choice Destination Awards. The unblemished natural scenery owes much of its preservation to the highly restrictive development plans enforced in Big Sur; no billboards or advertisements are permitted along the highway and signage for businesses must be modestly scaled and of a rural nature conforming to the Big Sur region. The state of California designated the section of the highway from Cambria to Carmel Highlands as the first California Scenic Highway in 1965. In 1966, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson led the official scenic road designation ceremony at Bixby Creek Bridge. In 1996, the road became one of the first designated by the federal government as an "All-American Road" under the National Scenic Byways Program. The designation defined the highway itself as the destination. CNN Traveler named McWay Falls as the most beautiful place in California.<ref>


Aquariquara Extractive Reserve

Aquariquara Extractive Reserve () is an extractive reserve in the state of Rondônia, Brazil.
The main source of income for the residents is sale of latex (rubber) extracted using traditional methods.
Lumber is also extracted on a sustainable basis, but many residents receive little or no compensation.
Given the very low income from extraction, residents may turn to illegal logging, farming and livestock husbandry.
Location.
Aquariquara Extractive Reserve is in the municipality of Vale do Anari.
It has an area of .
The reserve is in the basin of the Ji-paraná River, on the left bank of the Machadinho River sub-basin.
The terrain is undulating.
Average annual rainfall ranges from .
The driest months are June, July and August, with less than of rain.
Temperatures range from with an average of .
Vegetation includes dense rainforest of the low hills of the southern Amazon, and open rainforest.
As of 2002 the reserve had 97.94% of its original forest coverage.
History.
Aquariquara Extractive Reserve is one of 15 small extractive reserves in the municipalities of Machadinho d'Oeste, Cujubim and Vale do Anari, remnants of the former Seringal Santo Antônio, Seringal São Paulo and Seringal São Gonçalo rubber extraction concessions.
They are administered by the Association of Machadinho Rubber Tappers.
On 18 November 1991 the Aquariquara Forest Reserve was closed to settlement, deforestation, professional fishing, logging, mining and other activities that could compromise sustainable use other than the activities of small farmers, rubber tappers and fisherfolk.
Aquariquara Extractive Reserve was created by state decree 7.106 of 4 September 1995 with an area of .
The purpose was to provide an area for sustainable use and conservation of natural resources by the agro-extractive population.
The decree recognised that the great pressures of predatory activities on areas occupied by the traditional people of the forest were causing irreversible loss of plant and wildlife resources, and were exacerbating social conflicts and degrading the quality of life of the forest residents.
The reserve created a forest management plan, and began exploiting wood in 1998.
Some of the leaders and residents have sold abandoned lots to businesses and farmers from other regions.
A 2011 survey of key people involved with the reserve showed that the extractive community did not perceive the significant potential for income generation of sustainable extraction as opposed to traditional methods.
In April 2015 members of the association met with the Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development of the state legislature.
The committee was told that the members lived in a climate of terrorism and had been receiving death threats.
16 homicides had been recorded in the past ten years.
The protected areas were being laid waste with no effort being made by the state government to protect them.
Economy.
The main resource extracted from the forest is rubber, as well as nuts and copaiba oil.
In 1994 the Aquariquara Extractive Reserve had 181 residents.
According to a 2000 survey there were 91 residents in 27 placements.
As of 2011 there were 47 families in 27 placements in the reserve.
A 1999 state government report said there was considerable and diversified agricultural production, especially coffee, in Aquariquara.
A project to manufacture and market babaçu ("Attalea speciosa") flour had been started in 1998, with considerable success, with the output sold to schools and stores in Machadinho.
However, as of 2011 activities other than latex collection, such as acai production and seed collection, were negligible.
Extraction used traditional methods, involving walking long distances to collect the latex.
Although there are wide variations, on average each family produced of latex per year.
The Rubber Tappers Association buys this output for R$2.00 per kilo.
Due to the large effort and low economic value of sustainable rubber extraction, residents turn to other activities such as logging, agriculture and raising livestock.
Forest management began in the reserve around 2001, covering about half the area of the reserve.
The area is divided into lots, each explored for one year, giving a predicted 20-year cycle.
Residents are involved in the forest inventory, identifying trees of each species to be harvested, and help open and demarcate the tracks for forestry. They also supervise the lumber operation and record the amount of wood extracted.
An estimate of forestry income payable gave R$8,809 per family in 2010.
The actual amount received by families for 2009 varied from zero to R$1,000.
However, some residents with jobs with the lumber companies received as much as R$7,000.
The method of allocating profits is opaque, and there is little government supervision.


Border Corridor Wildlife Refuge

Border Corridor Wildlife Refuge () is a wildlife refuge, running through Guanacaste, Arenal Huetar Norte and Tortuguero Conservation Areas, in the northern part of Costa Rica running as a 2,000 metre wide strip of land along the border with Nicaragua.
It was created in 1994 by decree 22962-MIRENEM, and there are no public facilities specifically for this refuge. The refuge contains a number of research programs of varying disciplines.
This refuge is partially disturbed but includes beaches, dry forests, wetlands, moist forests and coastal lagoons.


Legacy Village

Legacy Village is a lifestyle center in Lyndhurst, Ohio. Owned by First Interstate Properties Ltd and designed by Dorsky Hodgson Partners of Cleveland, it opened on October 24, 2003. Located at the intersection of Cedar and Richmond Roads, it stands on a portion of the former TRW headquarters property, which was previously the Dudley S. Blossom estate. Beachwood Place is located diagonally across the street.
The center combines upscale dining, shopping, and entertainment. Upon its opening, 60% of its stores were new to Ohio. During the summer weekends, the complex hosts a series of outdoor concerts which it has dubbed Legacy Live.
Opening.
Legacy Village was so popular on its first day that police officers were needed to direct traffic. While traffic became more normalized and regulated in the following months, the complex was built near an already busy intersection, and Legacy Village did not contain the amount of parking spaces required to by city law, even though Lyndhurst voters had already changed the laws for parking spaces specifically to benefit the complex. Parking meters were installed along the center section of the complex, and "parking tickets" that were not legally binding were issued to those parked at expired meters, which led to increased calls to the Lyndhurst police station. Legacy Village officials stated that proceeds from parking tickets were donated to charity.
About a month after its opening, architecture critic Steven Litt complained in "The Plain Dealer" that Legacy Village was "a shopping center in the midst of a vast parking lot". He stated that the design, which sets some restaurants apart from the "village" mall area, created problems for foot traffic, and decried the center as a failed experiment in New Urbanism.
Despite the criticism, Legacy Village had an extremely successful first year, netting over $225 million and pulling shoppers to the area from far-away towns. The complex celebrated with a birthday cake and fireworks.


Holy Family Old Cathedral (Anchorage, Alaska)

Holy Family Old Cathedral is a former cathedral of the Catholic Church located in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It was the mother church of the Archdiocese of Anchorage and served as its cathedral from 1966 to 2020. After the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau were united in 2020, Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage became the archdiocesan cathedral. Holy Family remains a parish church in the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau.
History.
Holy Family parish was established the same year as the city of Anchorage. In 1915 the Rev. John Vander Pol, S.J. was sent to Alaska to investigate the need for a parish in the new settlement. A. J. Wendler acquired two lots for the new parish in an auction for $175. Father Vander Pol designed a simple wood-frame building with a veneer of ornamental cement block that measured by feet. It was built for $1,400. Construction of the new church was begun in September 1915 and completed on December 15 of the same year. It was the first church building constructed in Anchorage.
The congregation quickly outgrew their new church and plans were made early on to replace it. Funding a new structure proved difficult, however, and it was several decades before they could afford to build a larger church building. It was during the pastorate of the Rev. Robert O'Flanagan, S.J. that the present church was built. Seattle architect Augustine A. Porreca was chosen to design the new church. Work began on the Romanesque Revival structure in 1946. The first mass was celebrated in the unfinished basement on December 14, 1947. The parish was able to use the main church by the end of the following year. Father O'Flanagan became Bishop of Juneau in 1951. The church's interior was completed the following year.
On Good Friday of 1964, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 devastated much of South Central Alaska. The Pope's apostolic delegate came to view the damage, and upon doing so they saw that Anchorage would be the focal point of both state and spiritual growth. In 1966, the Holy See created the Archdiocese of Anchorage, and made Alaska a separate province. Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan was installed as the first Archbishop of Anchorage on April 14, 1966. Holy Family church became a cathedral with the establishment of the new archdiocese.
The original main entrance into the cathedral was along the side of the building through the tower. The architectural firm of McEntire and Pendergast designed a new portico of the main facade. It features two pairs of doors with oversized transoms that replaced a large window. The exterior had been a natural gray color from the time of its construction. In 1970 it was painted off-white. Archbishop Ryan invited the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) to staff the cathedral in 1974.
The cathedral was the host church for the 1981 visit of Pope John Paul II to Anchorage, which attracted a crowd estimated at about 80,000 people. The Holy Father held a papal audience in the Cathedral itself, and a similar audience for the handicapped in the basement during his visit.
Because of growth in the archdiocese and the limitations of its downtown location, it was decided that Holy Family was no longer a practical location for many liturgical functions of the archdiocese. Archbishop Roger Schwietz, OMI petitioned the Holy See in 2013 to have Our Lady of Guadalupe Church named a co-cathedral and Holy Family maintained as the historic cathedral. In October 2014, the petition was approved and Our Lady of Guadalupe was elevated to co-cathedral status on December 14 of that year.
In 2020, Pope Francis united the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau and erected the new Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau with their combined territory. The Papal bull, which established the new archdiocese, designated Our Lady of Guadalupe as its cathedral and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Juneau as its co-cathedral. Holy Family ceased being the cathedral at that time and was given the title "Old Cathedral."


Wagon Wheel, Oxnard, California

Wagon Wheel is a densely populated, planned neighborhood of Oxnard, California at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and Pacific Coast Highway. The neighborhood was originally developed as an office, motel, and restaurant complex named Wagon Wheel Junction with a convenient roadside location near the historic community of El Rio. The site in Ventura County became a popular stop for travelers between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, particularly during its heyday in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The entire site was demolished in 2011 to begin the development of the community with 1,500 residential units.
History.
Construction.
Constructed in 1947, it was the first development by Oxnard developer Martin V. ("Bud") Smith. The Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant were part of a mid-century real estate development in north Oxnard, California called the Wagon Wheel Junction. Before Smith purchased the land in 1945, it was prone to flooding, and was not within the city of Oxnard, but situated four miles (6 km) north of Oxnard and six miles (10 km) south of Ventura. After its completion, it became mid-century a roadside attraction on the 101 Ventura Freeway in Ventura County.
During excavation of the site, Smith uncovered branding irons from the Hobson Brothers' feed lot operations in the area in the 1920s, and he used this as the basis for his western theme. He began with the repurposing of surplus Seabee barracks won at auction in Port Hueneme, which he relocated in the typical sweeping U shape of period motels. It was the pre-pool era so the rooms all faced a grassy play area with picnic tables. He cut some of the barracks in half and transformed others into a restaurant and office with a western ranch style.
He hired Hollywood set designer and carpenter Roy Beatty to design and create wrought iron lamps from branding irons and spurs, and furnish the original rooms with rustic wood beds, chairs and lamps. The theme for the property was typical of the then popular cowboy movies, with windows made from wagon wheels, and cowhide chairs in the restaurant. Along the highway real wagon wheels were placed in the median next to a rustic wooden sign that read:
WAGON WHEEL MOTEL
NEW AND MODERN
BREAKFAST SERVICE DAY AND NIGHT
SINGLE $3 DOUBLE $4
FAMILY SUITES
Smith had to develop, and the area soon had a bowling alley, shopping center, roller skating rink, industrial units, and a row of restaurants. These were all located on streets with wild west names like Winchester Dr., Petticoat Lane, Saddle Ave., and Buckaroo Dr. His restaurant row included the Wagon Wheel Steakhouse, the El Ranchito and the Trade Winds Polynesian restaurant.
When Bud Smith shifted into semi-retirement in the mid 1990s, his company, Martin V. Smith and Associates was the biggest developer and landlord in Oxnard with some 4500 tenants and over 200 properties from Calabasas to Santa Maria. Rather than retire and vacate his office on the 21st story of the Financial Plaza tower, he divested himself of most of his properties, but he kept the Wagon Wheel.
Decline.
The demolition of the Colonial House, in 1988, left the Wagon Wheel as the only remaining early example of Bud Smith's vision.
The Wagon Wheel Restaurant closed in 2005. The Wagon Wheel Motel was closed in November 2006.
Landmark status.
The Wagon Wheel Junction was a part of a fast disappearing piece of Americana architecture. In 1910, the Automobile Association of America planted the seeds of motel identification with its debut of the "Official Automobile Blue Book". In the 1950s, independent motel owners began competing with the cookie cutter Holiday Inns of the time with their gargantuan, green-and-yellow signage. Independents, such as the Wagon Wheel, developed the art of roadside showmanship through thematic architectural design and elaborate signage that employed porcelain-enameled panels of steel and used a myriad of lamps and neon. The thematic and imaginative sign of the Wagon Wheel and its "B" movie ranch architecture served not only as a style statement of a particular time in motel history, but has served as a visual place marker along Highway 101 for more than 50 years. On approaching the Wagon Wheel, the roadside traveler knew immediately "We are in Oxnard", as there was nothing like it anywhere else. In much the same way, the Madonna Inn and the Apple Farm notifies the traveler that one has nearly reached San Luis Obispo. These thematic roadside motels and hotels are the story of California's love of the automobile, written in their architecture and lending identity to the cities they occupy along the monotonous threads of numbing highway that string those cities and towns together throughout the state.
The project proponent hired a consultant to do a historic resource assessment in November 2005 of the entire property, including the Wagon Wheel Motel, Restaurant and Bowling Alley and all other buildings on site. The results of this assessment concluded that these structures did not meet criteria for designation as a landmark. Since this first report found no significant resources, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) would not compel mitigations, however for some reason the report still listed significant mitigations. The mitigations proposed a memorial to Martin V. Smith in a coffee kiosk on-site, prominently displaying the iconic features of the Wagon Wheel, the neon sign, a photo-documentary of the architectural qualities of the structures, and the creation a video and two 30 minute TV programs about Wagon Wheel Junction and Martin V. Smith to be run on local cable channels.
A Peer Review of the original historic assessment in the EIR concluded that the Wagon Wheel Motel did in fact meet criteria for landmark eligibility, so a second Peer Review was commissioned. Both the initial Peer Review by San Buenaventura Research Associates (of Santa Paula) and the second Peer Review by Applied Earthworks (of Fresno) contradicted the first assessment, and stated that the Wagon Wheel Motel, and Restaurant were eligible for landmark status, and in addition the El Ranchito restaurant and Wagon Wheel Bowling Alley may be eligible as well.
On March 26, 2007, the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, acting as the Oxnard Cultural Heritage Board ruled on the Wagon Wheel. The Board concluded that the Wagon Wheel Motel, Restaurant, and El Ranchito Restaurant were historically significant on the local level because of their association with Martin V. ("Bud") Smith and as an example of themed roadside architecture of the 1940s and 1950s. By unanimous vote, the seven-member board forwarded a recommendation of landmark designation for the motel buildings, office, and restaurant buildings, to the Oxnard City Council. Then in June 2008 the board added the Wagon Wheel Bowling Alley to their recommended landmark recommendation. In June 2008 the City of Oxnard began circulation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed development. The Oxnard City Council, voted that the Motel and buildings not be listed as an Oxnard City Landmark. Preservationists and architects from the community and as far away as Los Angeles were on hand at Planning Commission and City Council Meetings. The San Buenaventura Conservancy, a local preservation organization, commented at all the public meetings, and then filed an appeal to the Planning Commission decision certifying the EIR; claiming that there was no cause for a Statement of Overriding conditions that would allow the demolition. The Oxnard City Council voted for EIR certification at the appeal. The City Council Vote approving the Project came on January 27, 2009. In January 2009, the EIR was certified and the Project was approved by the Oxnard City Council, demolition was scheduled to begin as soon as documentary mitigations were completed.
Lawsuit.
On March 2, 2009 the San Buenaventura Conservancy, a local non-profit preservation advocacy group filed suit in Ventura County Superior Court against the City of Oxnard, claiming that the City's approval of the Oxnard Village Specific Plan project violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).<ref name="LAT 2009/apr/10"></ref> The project, as approved, requires the demolition of the Wagon Wheel Motel, restaurant, El Ranchito and bowling alley along with everything built on the site. The Conservancy case argues that the project can be feasibly accomplished without demolition of the Wagon Wheel, and CEQA therefore does not allow the Class 1 impact. The lawsuit requested issuance of a peremptory writ ordering the City to set aside its approval of the project pending compliance with CEQA.
The original Ventura County Superior Court case was presented July 10, 2009. The Judge sided with the city of Oxnard. The San Buenaventura Conservancy appealed the ruling and received a stay of demolition until the outcome of the appeal case: San Buenaventura Conservancy v. City of Oxnard et al. (CEQA) (Case: B220512 2nd District, Division 6.) On Wednesday December 15, 2010 a three judge panel at the California 2nd district Court of Appeal in Ventura heard arguments. They rendered a decision finding the CEQA process sufficient and affirming the Superior court decision on March 17, 2011. Demolition of the Wagon Wheel began a week later, and was completed in May 2011. The Wagon Wheel neon sign will be integrated into a small interpretive kiosk about Martin V. Smith in the new project. The Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles has also expressed interest in the sign.
In August 2009 FEMA released new flood maps for the Wagon Wheel Area, and it was noted that Wagon Wheel is directly across the street from a gap in the levee, and the new project would be in the flood zone.
Redevelopment.
Redevelopment of the neighborhood will include 1,500 housing units and 50,000 square feet of commercial space where 450,000 square feet of old industrial buildings were demolished. The developer plans to restore the Wagon Wheel neon sign and integrate it in the development such as at the transit center. The Wagon Wheel Family Apartments, a 120-unit complex managed by the Cabrillo Economic Development Corp., was the first new building on the site. The units were first offered to the residents of the Wagon Wheel Trailer Lodge. The demolition of the trailer park waited until completion in 2014 of the first phase of the apartments that has five rent levels based on income and family size. Over 200 apartment units were finished in 2018. Five hundred condominium units were constructed next.
Architecture.
The Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant was an example of American roadside architecture from the mid-century. The ranch-style office, motel and restaurant were originally built on the side of Highway 101 and Highway 101A (Alternate) in 1947. The office/restaurant complex incorporated a variety of roof lines, primarily low to medium pitched gables covered with wood shingles and punctuated by several decorative cupolas with weather vanes, and neon lighting. A free-standing 12-unit, two-story motel addition was completed in 1953. One of the most recognizable features of the motel was the giant neon sign that included an animated stagecoach driver and galloping horses. The Wagon Wheel was alongside the 101 freeway at the northern edge of a site between the Santa Clara River and the Esplanade Shopping Center. The site also included industrial buildings, a trailer park an ice skating rink, a former roller skating rink, a bowling alley and a shopping center, all of which were demolished for redevelopment as a development with retail, for sale residential, condos and two high-rise towers totaling 1500 residential units.<ref name="LAT 2007/jan/13"></ref>
The Wagon Wheel Bowling Alley was a 32-lane bowling alley built in the Wagon Wheel Junction across the street from the Wagon Wheel Motel in 1953. Designed by the Beverly Hills architect, Arthur Froehlich, known for his mid-century supermarkets and racetracks including the Hollywood Park Racetrack, and the Hanna Barbera Studio in Los Angeles 1962. The building had planer wall surfaces, an over-scaled wing wall and plate glass windows; the bowling alley included a restaurant and banquet room and was an example of the type of reductive Modernism that enjoyed great popularity in the mid-century. The bowling alley was known as Hoberg's after its proprietor, Ed Hoberg. The building was in continuous operation as a bowling alley from 1953 until May 2015. Demolition of the building began in October, 2015 as part of the Wagon Wheel area redevelopment.


Mammoth Cave (Utah)

Mammoth Cave is a lava tube located on the Markagunt Plateau in the Dixie National Forest of Southern Utah, and is one of the largest lava tubes in Utah. The cave has over 2,200 feet (670 m) of passage and is about a quarter mile (400 m) long. It was formed by cooling lava and water less than 2,000 years ago. Due to moisture and its elevation of 8,050 feet (2,450 m) above sea level the cave stays cool year round.
The cave has four chambers, the largest to the west. At the end of the largest tunnel, it narrows to a small opening that can be used as an exit. Although the cave is open year round, portions of it are closed off from October until April to protect hibernating bats. Additionally, Mammoth Creek Road may be completely impassable during the winter months due to snowfall.


Aillwee Cave

Aillwee Cave is a cave system in the karst landscape of the Burren in County Clare, Ireland. The name "Aillwee" is derived from the Irish which means "yellow cliff". Privately owned, it forms part of the Aillwee Cave and Birds of Prey Centre attraction.
Description.
The cave system consists of over a kilometre of passages leading into the heart of the mountain. Its features include an underground river and a waterfall as well as some large stalactites and stalagmites. The remains of bears can also be seen inside the caves and allusions have been made to it being the last bear den in Ireland. The cave is typical of the Clare caves, consisting in the main of stream passage and ending in a sump. The general direction is east to west but turns due south some into the cave.
The cave is considerably older than most of the Clare caves and originally contained a large stream. The stream has all but disappeared from the cave and is heavily backfilled with glacial infill. The formations visible on the show cave tour are rarely more than 8,000 years old but calcite samples in the recesses of the cave have been dated to over 350,000 years old.
Discovery and exploration.
The cave was discovered in 1944, when a farmer named Jack McGann followed his dog, who was chasing a rabbit. The farmer did not explore very far into the caves, and did not tell anyone of the find for nearly 30 years. He told cavers of the cave in 1973 and that summer the cave was explored as far as a boulder choke. Show cave development began quite soon after.
The boulder choke was removed in 1977 and access was gained to the rest of the cave. The "Marine Blast" tunnel was completed in 1992 to allow a circular trip.
In 1976 the bones of two brown bears were found. These were subsequently determined to be over 10,000 years old. During this period only about 1000 people lived in Ireland.
Public access.
The cave was opened to the public in 1976. As of 2018, roughly of cave passage is open to the public, one third of the total length of the cave. The tours end at a point called the Highway and exit the cave via a man-made tunnel.
The access building has been awarded the Europa Nostra prize. Facilities include a café and gift shop.
Birds of Prey Centre.
At the location there is also a Birds of Prey Centre offering shows and "hawk walks".
In popular culture.
The caves appear in the "Father Ted" episode "The Mainland" under the name "The Very Dark Caves". They are also mentioned in a story in Part II of "The Basset Chronicles" by June J. McInerney.
Partnerships.
The cave complex is a member of the local hospitality association, and an active partner of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark.
Rock climbing.
Just 400-meters to the north of the upper car-park of the caves is the popular novice rock climbing location of Aill na Cronain.