Sunset – RDZ Photography

Across America – May 2019 – Random Scenes Part 1

Architecture, Art, History, Nature, Transportation

The following are interesting scenes that didn’t fit any of the other postings.

Lajitas, Texas – The only place to stay was a golf resort, but it had a great sunset.

Texas border area – We saw a few instances of the border patrol in action, including going through 2 checkpoints along the highway. Strangely the checkpoints were at least 40 miles from the border.

Marfa, Texas – This town is an artist enclave for New York artists. How and why a bunch of New York artists decided to go to a small west Texas town is far too long for this blog.

Fort Davis, Texas is a historic town with a former frontier fort. Today it has a couple of cool re purposed buildings.

Pecos, Texas – For about 100 miles in any direction from Pecos were new fracking oil wells. The landscape was filled with these towers burning off natural gas, as well as truck traffic jams and RVs parked in the desert for the workers. The high pay also caused our most expensive hotel night in Carlsbad, New Mexico as the demand for housing far exceeds supply.

Roswell, New Mexico – While I have a posting for the UFO industry of Roswell, there was also a very cool airplane ‘boneyard’.

Portales, New Mexico – When we were driving into town the billboard for Burger King said ‘next to the airplane’. They weren’t kidding.

Hereford, Texas – Beef capital of the world. I think they are correct.

Canyon, Texas – A Giant Cowboy

Amarillo, Texas – Much cleaner energy source.

Canadian, Texas – Lonesome train blues.

Near Shattuck, Oklahoma – Folk Art along the Highway.

Fairview, Oklahoma – We were looking for some Good Eats, but needed to find somewhere else.

Jet, Oklahoma – One of our disappointments was being unable to check out the Salt Plains National Refuge – where you can dig around for crystals in the salt flats. Much of Oklahoma was flooded, and it flooded the salt flats.

The cows however were making the most of their new beach.

Somewhere in Oklahoma – The Perfect Farm Photo

Part 2 in a second posting.

Hawaii – November 2018 – Day 11 Lahaina, Maui

Architecture, Art, History, Nature, Transportation

Our trip brought us to Lahaina, on Maui. One of the oldest settlements in Hawaii, it was once the royal capital of Maui Loa.

Today it is a center of tourism (as is most of Hawaii).

We were anchored just off shore where we had great views of the houses and boats along the coast.

Another day – another great Hawaiian rainbow.

Meanwhile the first mate casually monitored the situation.

While the crew readied the skiffs.

Once on the skiff, we headed towards shore.

But first, a dolphin show (not planned, just lucky).

Once on ground, we made our way to the famed Banyan tree of Lahaina. Planted in 1873, it is the largest banyan tree in America, covering almost 2 acres.

We took a walk around town…

To check out some of the historic buildings…

Including the former prison.

Some colorful houses.

And a great mailbox.

Eventually it was time to leave Lahaina.

With one last look…

We sailed off into the sunset.

Chicago – October 2018 – Open House Part 2

Architecture, Art, History, Nature, Transportation

Open House Chicago continue…

The North Leg of the Chicago River toward Chicago Avenue – clearly we are in … Chicago.

151 North Franklin – a new, nondescript building saved by a great rooftop deck.

Some strange lighting on a nearby building.

180 North LaSalle – it was billed as Open House, but really just a lobby was open.

Another (brief) revisit – The Builders Building. But this skylight is worth it.

20 West Kinzie – Originally a Google Building it is now home to a flexible work space group called We Works.

Their 17th floor common space offered some different aspects on some iconic buildings.

They too have a nice outdoor space on the 17th floor.

Just up the street in a 100 year old warehouse is the architectural firm of Ross Barney.

330 North Wabash – Miles van der Rohe designed this basic, yet famed 695’ high skyscraper.

The minimalist, but stylish lobby.

Originally built for IBM and completed after Rohe’s death in 1969, the Open House Chicago event was held on the 15^th floor in the offices of Thornton Tomasetti.

This firm is a leader in engineering design, focusing on mechanical engineering of many famed skyscrapers around the world.

Our final stop of the day – the John Hancock Observation Deck. Definitely not part of Open House Chicago, but worth the visit on this partly cloudy day.

We arrived about an hour before sunset and barely made it up in time, but we did!

Enjoy sunset and night time in Chicago.

continued….

New York City – May 2018 – Manhattanhenge

Architecture, Festival, Nature, Sciences

Most people in the world know about Stonehenge in England. Less known, but still amazingly cool and very popular is Manhattanhenge.

With most of Manhattan built in a grid street system in a general east-west pattern twice a year the sun sets directly down the east-west streets. Because it is not exactly due west it does not occur on the equinox’s, rather slightly different dates. We were fortunate enough to be there for the May event.

We chose to watch the event from Park Avenue and East 34th Street, as it is a wider street and lined with tall buildings. With sunset scheduled for 8:13 PM we arrived around 7:45 to already find people gathering.

While we waited we noticed there was some light fog around the Empire State Building. The fog made some interesting streaks into the sky (which was even more visible to the eye).

As the sun continued to set the crowds grew. Each time the light would change for Park Avenue people would crowd into the street for the view west on 34th Street.

Literally ever minute the view changed.

Eventually the crowds were blocking the street long enough the taxis and other cars would blast their horns to get through – further adding to the atmosphere.

While a few clouds obscured the event it was still amazing.

With a 600mm zoom the views were intense.

When the sun is just right it will also reflect off of the street.

Finally at 8:13 the last of the sun set over the buildings in New Jersey.

Chicago – December 2017 – Christmas Sunset

Architecture, Art, Transportation

Christmas Day in Chicago, 2017 was a cold one, with temperatures near 10 Fahrenheit. But it was mostly clear, with a beautiful sunset coming, so it was time to go back up the John Hancock Tower.

From here you had a great view of the snow covered, empty Navy Pier.

The marina in Lincoln Park is vacant as well.

But as the sun set the lights came on.

Looking back toward the Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. Of note in the far distance top center is a bright light. One of the steel mills in northern Indiana was having a ‘burn off’ of gases causing what is known locally as the Pilot Light of Northwestern Indiana.

The view southwest toward the Willis Tower (aka – Sears Tower) and beyond.

The view down Michigan Avenue as the darkness approached from the east.

The beautiful Wrigley Building. Built in 1920 as the first large office building north of the river, it continues to be one of the most majestic in the city.

Empire, MI – August 2008 – Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Architecture, History, Nature, Water Features

Sleeping Bear Dunes is a National Lakeshore located along Lake Michigan in the upper part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. It features massive sand dunes along the lakeshore.

This park is one of the great jewels of the midwest. The scenery is spectacular, providing numerous places for enjoying it. The 2 mile + hike each way to the lake through the sand was the hardest hike I have ever done. It goes up and down the dunes, with poor footing. I was exhausted by the time I got back to the car.