Aunt Marjorie, who drove the Lincoln Highway in 1925

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While my maternal grandfather directly inspired my wanderlust, my cousin asked “what about Aunt Marjorie?” Determined that she get proper respect, he handed me a dossier about her, and another great road trip inspiration came back to life.

In 1925, my paternal great great Aunt Marjorie Scattergood went down to the corner of Broad & Market in Philadelphia, saw a sign pointing west with ‘San Francisco, 3000 miles’, and she thought, why not? Her college friend Gladys was driving a used Model T on the first transcontinental road (golden spike was 1869) and thought it would be fun. The car may have been the town car version, same year as the one above with a thin roof.

Aunt Marge was no shrinking violet. She held a world record in the hammer throw, college record in javelin, and was captain of her water polo, swim, and hockey teams.

She held degrees in History, Economics and Politics, and she had studied abroad in Edinburgh by then. She volunteered in France during WWI. And she was involved in social work connected to reformers like Jane Addams and Frances Perkins.

Her family, my father’s side, were Abolitionist Quakers, and Thomas Garrett was her great uncle and my great great great great uncle. In any case, Aunt Marjorie was not one to shy away from a challenging adventure.

The Lincoln Highway ran from Times Square NYC, past Edison’s labs, to Philadelphia, through Gettysburg, through rural Pennsylvania, through Lincoln country, joining what became Route 66 somewhere near Dixon Illinois, then switching to the old pioneer trails, through Iowa, to Salt Lake City and ending at Lincoln Park in San Francisco, about 2 1/2 blocks from where I raised my kids.

My cousin’s records revealed clues about Marjorie’s route, and they chose the longer Colorado Loop. She went to explore the west, picked apples for two months in Utah to pay for 3 tires, looked through the Keyhole on Longs Peak—a ‘high commitment/ considerable rockfall trail around 14,250 feet’ in Rocky—, and spent a month on a sheep dude ranch up in Granby Colorado. She must have passed by the Colorado NM on her way to Utah. Most of the roads out there still follow the old Spanish trails, really Native American trails for centuries.

Our country is still starkly and dramatically beautiful, the high mountains, the prairies, and the salt flats. In an interview, she showed photos of prairie schooners that were still traveling by wagon in 1925. Much of her trip followed the route my maternal grandfather had taken just a few years earlier. And my route too, 100 years later in an EV, to historic sites, heritage areas and scenic spots has crisscrossed theirs.

History is a funny riddle, too often forgotten or ignored. My dad didn’t tell me enough about his side of the family, so I’m grateful to learn this chapter of Aunt Marjorie’s story. If it weren’t for my cousin, I might never have realized that we traveled the same road a century apart, exactly how my family is related to Harriett Tubman’s close friend and partner in crime you may know as Simeon Halliday, why a building at the CIA is named after Aunt Marjorie and her partner Florence Thorne (they met in 1926), how she wrote Dr Martin Luther King Jr, how she protested wars, hosted refugees and fought for workers’ rights. If we only try to remember, then once again, we will realize that we walk in the footsteps of giants.

“Hi there, neighbor. Going my way? East or west on the Lincoln Highway.”

— From God’s Country starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney

“I’ve been walking that Lincoln Highway, I thought you knowed. I’ve been hittin’ that 66, way down the road.”

— From Hard Travelin’ by Woody Guthrie

Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve

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A couple hours drive northeast of Quebec City, up in the mountains is the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie park, the core of this pristine UNESCO Biosphere. The landscape is dramatic with high cliff multi-level waterfalls in spring and lovely maple foliage in fall, and above a low dam, there’s a boat (above) that takes sightseers up the lake in summer. Canadians are more fit than Americans, so 5 1/2 hour trails that would be labeled “strenuous” in the US are called “moderate” here. They also bring canoes and bicycles to get around, but I think the best views are found by hiking part way up one of the many trails to get a view of the water from above, such as from the Acropole des Draveurs—the rafter’s Acropolis—that looms over the scene above.

The Biosphere includes a big chunk of land from the mountains to the seaway, and there’s a tourist train in the summer that brings folks up to some of the dozen interesting little towns where they can catch buses to a half dozen parks and reserves. Up here the St Lawrence is less lakes & rivers and more ocean bay, and there are whale watching tours from Saguenay. While the peaks are around 3,000 feet—only a fraction of Colorado’s 14ers—, they’re beautiful with plenty of skiing in the winter.

National Parks to Visit in February

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On the first Saturday of every month, I recommend 3-5 parks to visit in the contiguous US, matching each of 51 parks with a great month to visit, as I did in January.

There are a few parks in the US which are dangerously hot to visit in the summer, but they’re perfect in February. In the west, especially at elevation, the coldest day of the year is often in December, and by February the southwest deserts are just beginning to bloom with wildflowers.

Big Bend, Death Valley, Saguaro and White Sands are my February favorites. These are beautiful parks, and you’re going to want to get out, hike around and take fabulous photos, without risk of heatstroke.

Big Bend is huge and takes time to explore, so you need to schedule several days there. Unlike most other parks, the full range of activities are open in February, including rafting and horseback riding. In February, the park’s daily temperature variations still stay in a range that allows you to explore the varied terrain. When I was hot, I spent time along the river and enjoyed sunset in the mountains. On cool days, you could go on a more challenging scenic hike. If camping, prepare for beautiful cold nights under clear dark skies. It’s a great park, and February is a great month to see it.

Death Valley daytime highs are around 70-75° F in February. Wildflowers bloom and even super-bloom when the rains have been good. The high Panamint mountains in the background of your photos will have snow-capped peaks as they cast a rain-shadow over the valley, keeping it extremely dry. Every February the park holds stargazing festivals, as the skies are exceptionally clear.

Saguaro also has many wildflowers in February, and the comfortable daytime temperatures mean the coyotes, javelina and roadrunners are more likely to be roaming around. Some say May is when to go in order to see the Saguaro cacti bloom, but there are many other great parks to visit in May, without any risk of over 100° F days. If you’re really interested in seeing the small Saguaro flowers, you can probably find a botanical garden to visit close to home.

White Sands, to me, is about stepping out on the other worldly landscape, so the solitude of February is best. It’s cold at night, but there’s no camping currently in the park anyway. As it’s quiet, there aren’t a lot of ranger-led hikes in February, but White Sands is best appreciated in silence. Many visit a bit later in order to see some wildflowers, but the gypsum desert does not allow much life. I’d happily trade the crowds of spring for easier parking and fewer footprints in February.

We visit national parks to be out in nature exploring, so good temperatures are very important. February is the perfect time to visit these southwestern parks which are dangerously hot for much of the year.

Lac Saint-Pierre Biosphere Reserve

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Between Montreal and Quebec City is the beginning of the St Lawrence Estuary, near the city of Trois-Rivières. (One of the dozen tributaries here has islands at its mouth, making it look like three rivers). The UNESCO Biosphere includes this large wetland lake and many islands in the seaway and tributaries, making it an excellent site for birds. Its great blue heron rookery is quite famous, but may be difficult to access. I chose to visit the Ecological Park of Anse du Port, because it has a very long boardwalk out through the wetland all the way to the lake, with a three story viewing platform to view container ships passing in the main channel. From the boardwalk, I saw several great blue heron, two beaver, a raccoon, a woodpecker, ducks (above), bittern, and a half dozen other types of birds. Binoculars or a telephoto lens camera would be helpful, but sometimes the birds come quite close.

Mont Saint-Hilaire Biosphere Reserve

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Between Lake Champlain New York and Lac Saint-Pierre Quebec is tiny Lac Hertel (above) in the Gault Nature Reserve of McGill University in this UNESCO Biosphere. The hills are covered in Sugar Maple, Beech and Hemlock, some of which are hundreds of years old, plus some other species that have become quite rare recently. Being close to Montreal, the hiking trails were busy, so I didn’t see much wildlife besides ducks and geese. But there are bats, beavers, red foxes, grass snakes and turtles, among others. Advance, timed entry tickets are required, and there are well developed trails, boardwalks, picnic areas and camp sites. Very pretty nature reserve in the middle of a rural farming river valley.

All UN Sites in Canadian Maritimes

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New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the three provinces known as the Maritimes, have three world heritage sites and three biospheres recognized by UNESCO. Well, almost all the sites are in Nova Scotia, but I enjoyed driving around all three provinces.

With plenty of great seafood, hiking, Celtic & Acadian culture, wildlife, history and miles of picturesque coastline, this region is highly rewarding for travelers, especially an electric road tripper. With a CCS adapter and the ChargeHub app, it’s not difficult to explore the entire region and well worth the drive.

World Heritage Sites

Grand Pré conveys the tragic history of the British expulsion of the Acadians. The landscape is lovely, and be sure to try the Tidal Bay local wine in a coastal town like Wolfville home to Acadia University.

Joggins Fossil Cliffs reveals an impressive geologic record of the coal age. Take a hard hat tour at low tide and find fossils.

Lunenburg is a beautiful, well-preserved seafaring and fishing port. Spend the night and eat all the local seafood you can.

Biospheres

Bras d’Or Lake is open to the sea through small channels making it an important fish and bird habitat. Try a local restaurant and maybe listen to some Cape Breton fiddle at a céilidh (kay-lee).

Fundy has the world’s largest tides with dramatic coastline, shorebirds and forests. The biosphere is on the New Brunswick side of the bay around the eponymous national park.

Southwest Nova protects many species, including the piping plover and blanding’s turtle. The biosphere has both a coastal and a forest component with plenty of hiking.

Bonus: Green Gables is home to LM Montgomery and her beloved characters. Prince Edward Island is the smallest province but very charming.

New Brunswick also has Kouchibouguac and Fundy National Parks, plus Campobello. Nova Scotia has Kejimkujik and Cape Breton Highlands National Parks. And Prince Edward Island has the new Pituamkek and Prince Edward Island National Parks.

Green Gables

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LM Montgomery walked through the woods here trying out dialogue for Anne, her adoptive parents Matthew & Marilla, and her friends Diana & Gilbert. Nature was her kindred spirit, and this home on Prince Edward Island inspired her greatly in writing Anne of Green Gables. The author’s own modest home is almost 10 miles away still in a simple rural village, while the heritage area above is now in the middle of an entertainment district with kiddie rides, candy shops and themed merchandise. At the time Montgomery wrote the book in 1905, it took courage, imagination, determination and hard work to figure out how to inspire people with her delightful story of a girl who embodies those characteristics in a practical, conservative and mundane setting. Five times her manuscript was rejected, before being accepted 3 years later.

While this site is not a world heritage site (yet), I wanted to visit. Anne is a romantic, who fills herself with ideals from literature, and she has to make a place for herself in a stern, reserved household. The themes of youthful dreams, belonging, love, making something of oneself and of wisdom are timeless and precious. When I lived in Japan, I saw Anne interpreted and adapted into a different culture, yet still simply relatable on the other side of the world. There’s great power in imagination, including creating characters that take on a life of their own and also in re-imagining ourselves to live better. Driving past the old farms and churches made me appreciate Montgomery’s imagination all the more, although I suspect she would be less impressed by the summer crowds of kids eating ice cream and riding around in circles. There’s not much imagination involved in doing the same as everyone else.

If You Really Cared About Border Security, You Would Stop Burning Carbon.

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Because you burn carbon, you exacerbate the climate crisis, which causes rising seas and more disasters. The US is responsible for more total carbon emissions than any other country, creating refugees and increasing migration globally. Maybe you neither know nor care about people in other countries, but your carbon emissions are driving migrants to the US. Nicaragua alone has over 100,000 climate refugees due to increasingly violent hurricanes and severe drought wiping out crops and cattle. These problems increase poverty and weaken their government, causing many to flee to other countries, especially the US. If you don’t want a lot more immigrants in the US, then you should stop burning carbon and vote for carbon reduction policies.

Understand that the unprecedented scale of these disasters is man-made, climate-driven and increasing at a rate that humanity has never faced. The problem is not just the disasters we are seeing now. The problem is that we are continuing to make even more disasters even worse every year. Carbon pollution makes disasters more deadly, driving dramatic diasporas and magnifying violent conflict, which causes wars and even more refugees. Wars burn even more carbon. Burning carbon increases border insecurity globally, so the underlying problems are accelerating.

Already, there are tens of millions of climate refugees globally, in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Extreme heat and drought drive violent conflicts in Somalia, Sudan, Syria & Yemen. But in 15 years, the number of countries with similarly extreme climate crises is expected to rise from 10 to 65. Flooding has already displaced millions of refugees in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Many of the countries currently hosing refugees are already suffering or will suffer severe climate consequences themselves soon, including millions already displaced in China and the Philippines. As the climate crisis continues to worsen and intensify, the total number of refugees globally will increase dramatically.

Whether you care about the human suffering or not, more and more climate migrants will continue trying to reach the US every year. Increasing border security is extremely expensive. Last year the US allocated an additional $170 billion for more border fencing, Customs and Border Patrol, ICE, new detention facilities, surveillance, etc. Given that the global climate refugee problem is accelerating exponentially, future costs will continue rising even more rapidly. Spending more on solar and wind would lower both energy costs and future costs of dealing with climate refugees. Fixing the climate crisis is the most direct way to reduce the disasters that drive migrants here.

Refusing refugees is cruel. Desperate people historically have also found many ways to enter the country, including flying and overstaying their legal visas. Deporting long term residents to countries that they haven’t seen since infancy is also cruel and can be quite expensive with airfare and legal costs. Spending more on relief programs like USAID both saves lives and reduces the future costs of dealing with climate refugees. And of course, it is not moral to refuse assistance to hundreds of millions of our fellow human beings who will be displaced by our cumulative carbon emissions.

January is National Trafficking Month, and refugees are among the most vulnerable populations forced into human trafficking operations. So choosing to reduce carbon emissions is choosing to reduce human trafficking. Politicians may talk tough on border security, but if they deny the climate crisis, they may be worsening rather than fixing the problem. You may consider yourself anti-crime, but if you vote for people who call climate change a hoax, encourage cryptocurrencies and have personal history with sex-traffickers, then you are contributing to human trafficking on multiple fronts.

So don’t tell me you care about border security, prove it. Stop burning carbon, and vote for climate justice. Fix the climate crisis to increase global border security and human safety.

Joggins Fossil Cliffs

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This UNESCO World Heritage Site is on the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy, and it is a remarkable area for fossils. The high cliffs in the background have tilted layers, so that if you walk north (left) you go back in time and south forward. I took the tour at low tide, because the high tide rises 30 feet over where I took the photo above. The tidal erosion is harsh, so that we heard and saw several small rockfalls in 90 minutes. As a result, new fossils are constantly being revealed.

Most of the discoveries date to the Carboniferous Period or the coal age. That’s after the age of fishes and before dinosaurs, although they did find a very small reptile here which was identified as one of the first reptiles to lay eggs out of the water, the first time our ancestors could live away from the sea. Most of the fossils are of marine life, algae and plants, including giant fern-like trees that grew over 100’ tall, leaving copies of themselves in stone that formed in their hollow trunks. We also found some 12” wide tracks of a giant 150 pound bug with lots of little legs.

Most of our fossil fuel comes from this 75 million year long Carboniferous Period. So when someone claims that fossil fuels are sustainable, ‘the same as burning an ancient forest’, you can tell them that we are actually burning maybe a million global forests every year at current rates. And then you can tell them that’s not at all sustainable and is obviously changing our global climate very quickly.

Many ages have ended in mass extinctions for various reasons including asteroid strikes. It’s sad that we, the first species with the capability of averting an asteroid-strike mass extinction, are currently causing a carbon-pollution mass extinction out of foolishness, rather than simply switching most of our fossil fuel to sustainable fuels like wind, solar and tidal power.

The fossil record and science is clear. We just need to pay attention, think and act before it’s too late.

Bras d’Or Lake

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Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Region is the brackish waters and surrounding land that takes up much of the middle of Cape Breton Island in northeast Nova Scotia. The ‘Golden Arm’ lake area is famed for beauty, boating and seafood. There are many narrow channels dividing the lake restricting the tides which are extreme in the surrounding area, and several rivers reduce the salt content. Above is the Little Narrows cable ferry.

Alexander Graham Bell lived and worked here for many years, and his family still own his beautiful home on the lake. Among many inventions, he designed a hydrofoil that broke the world speed record here in 1919, and it can be seen at his historic site in Baddeck. I enjoyed a day here exploring and admiring the views. Many folks venture up into the highlands on the Cabot Trail or attend ceilidhs (‘kayleez’) to listen to Gaelic music. I enjoyed a couple fine seafood meals and some good local music in Baddeck.