Roadside Pix
I love vintage roadside attractions, from the humblest themed drugstore, alligator farm, maple syrup plant, historically significant landmark, you name it. Today's first vintage photo (from August, 1960) shows tourists enjoying the novelty of being at the site of the GREAT DIVIDE. Also known as the "Continental Divide", it extends from the Bering Strait to the Strait of Magellan, and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain into the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, including those that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and Hudson Bay. The photo was taken in British Columbia (Canada), with a wooden "arch" or "gate", crafted from massive tree trunks. If you spill your Dr. Pepper on this side, it will run to the Pacific, but once you cross that gate, it will run all the way to the Atlantic. There's no stopping it!
Here's a map showing the squiggly red line indicating the Great Divide:
Here's an olde-timey postcard:
And another, probably from the 1950s:
This next one is related, but a less-nice photo (dated "August, 1968") from an unidentified tourist stop. The yellow sign reminds me of the kind one might see in New Mexico - the Continental Divide runs just west of Albuquerque. But it's just a guess!
2 comments:
Major-
What wonderful images of everyone's favorite 'divide'-! In the 1st image, my eyes were immediately drawn to the off-white, clunky-heeled shoes of the photographing gal wearing the blue sweater. (Maybe they were especially comfy for exploring...)
Thanks, Major.
Our family crossed the Continental Divide in 1966 (I was 13 then) while on vacation to many locations in the western US. I think it was near Yellowstone Park. And again, on the same trip, somewhere in New Mexico, probably near Carlsbad Caverns.
I remember my dad explaining the concept to us kids as we stood at the "Divide". Only, he didn't use Dr. Pepper as an example. ;-)
I also remember being dubious of the claim, but didn't waste too many brain cells trying to refute it, or figure it out. I didn't realize until your post today that there was more than one Continental Divide. I thought it was just along the Rocky Mountains. But the map you posted shows several other Divides. So I was right to be dubious; it's not as clean-cut and precise as it seems.
Thanks for the Great pictures of the Great Divide, Major.... Ooops, I spilled my Dr. Pepper. Lets see which way it goes!
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