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Showing posts from November, 2024

Exploring Seoul, South Korea

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit South Korea.  It was a work trip, but I did have a day to explore Seoul.  This was my first time in Asia, so I was excited to experience the culture, explore the landscape, and of course enjoy the food! My flickr album from Seoul is here . On Sunday, while I was in Seoul - I embarked on a full-day city tour.  The tour included transportation and an English-speaking tour guide.  One of the great things was the diversity of the tour group - we had a couple from India, a couple from Kuwait, a father-and-son from China, an American military family recently stationed in Korea, and two friends from the US - interestingly, one of the two friends lives in Chapel Hill which is approximately two hours from where I live in Charlotte. The race event that was taking place outside of Seoul Plaza. Our group met outside the Seoul City Hall Subway Station.  At the same time, a distance running event was taking place on the stree...

Madera County Road 606 to Knowles

Madera County Road 606 is an approximately 4.5-mile rural highway located in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Raymond.  The roadway accesses the mining town site of Knowles which was located along Whiskey Creek near the Raymond Granite Quarry.  Much of modern Road 606 south of the Knowles town site was constructed over the grade of the Knowles Spur Railroad.  Said rail spur operated in the area from 1899 to 1946.   Part 1; the history of Road 606 and Knowles During 1886 the Raymond town site was plotted along the then new alignment of the Washburn Brothers Yosemite Stage Road.  The Yosemite Stage Road became popular enough that it drew attention of the Southern Pacific Railroad for the development of a spur line out of Berenda.  Raymond was founded as Wild Cat Station and was the north terminus of the San Joaquin Valley & Yosemite Railroad which was opened by the Southern Pacific Railroad in February 1886.   The San Joaquin Valley & Y...