Wandering Around: 2015

Monday, October 19, 2015

Driving Across the Country, landing in Utah

October 19, 2015
Written at Deer Creek State Park, Utah (near Provo, UT)

It took us a week or so of driving to get here. We followed I-69 and I-94 through Michigan and Indiana, then I-80 West through Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Lots of driving listening to NPR live, and NPR's This American Life podcasts (thanks Levi), as well as a few Cardinals games. However, the Cubs eliminated the Cardinals from the playoffs, so we were left with plenty of 'praise the Lord' stations, (Leah wonders why, no matter how isolated the road, PTL always comes in....is it divine intervention?) and NPR when we could find it, which was not often enough. High wind warnings forced us to stay at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Walmart for an extra day, so we had some down time to explore the city.

As always, click on any image to see it larger and in greater detail

All the government buildings have these giant cowboy boots in front--kind of like the moose in Toronto

We drove for an hour and stopped for breakfast at Prairie Rose Diner in Laramie, Wyoming. Really good. Leah visited New ToYou, a consignment store, while I explored the town a bit. I was drawn to an old movie theater that was being renovated.

The Wild Theater

I complimented the renovator...and he invited me in for a tour! He showed me the partially renovated lobby and explained that a theater company would be housed there, but it would also be used as a movie house. He took me into the auditorium, itself, but it was pitch black. He searched for the light control, but unfortunately, it didn't work--so I never saw the movie screen and seats! I was disappointed, but set the D750's ISO for 12,800 and took a shot anyway.

Above is the result. I couldn't see a thing beyond my feet but the camera captured this without a flash!

Leah was still at the consignment store, so I dumped and filled the trailer, then wandered around the downtown.

Laramie, Wyoming downtown

Near the railroad tracks, I spotted at an old railway station, now a museum, since Amtrak no longer stops here. No one was there so I walked in. It was empty and smelled of old wood, oil, and maybe leather...and the big clock was ticking loudly, echoing off the walls.

It felt like it had been a bustling station--and then everyone left all at once. It was built in 1928 and it looked it. Everything evoked a different era: the seats were broad, the ceiling vaulted, the doors tall and wide, with door knobs above waist height. The bathroom was no different:

Really a cool place.

We hit the road again in the afternoon, and drove across the rest of Wyoming, stopping for the night at Rock Springs. Next day we made it to our current campsite at Deer Creek State Park, outside Provo, Utah. After something like a week of all-day driving, we were ready to call one place home for a while.

View from Deer Creek State Park, Utah, site 26

Site 26, Deer Creek State Park, Utah

Rainbow at site 26, Deer Creek State Park, Utah

Went for a hike across the bay from our campsite:

Next day, I wandered around downtown Provo, which is quite a nice place. Last time we were here, the Mormons were financing the construction of a downtown Provo government complex. It was interesting to see that it is now complete. The Mormons must have a lot of money.

Provo, Utah city government complex.

You can't see it in the photo, but just to the right of the new government buildings is a beautiful old church that the Mormons renovated.

And it's not surprising that the old church is reflected in the sleek glass and steel city government
building next door.

No church in the reflection, but some of the rest of the complex is visible, if distorted. No wide angle lens.

Although Provo appears to be an affluent town, there are less fortunate folks:

Fairly well dressed...and dancing away to the tunes on his headphones. Not asking for money, just dancing--apparently without a care. Note the spinners mounted high on the shopping cart

As I crossed the street, an interesting-looking old hippie guy who was crossing with me said, "You mind if I ask you a question?" "Not at all", I replied. "Who was St. Christopher? I know he was the patron saint of something." I confessed I didn't know, but consulted my personal assistant: "Ok Google. Who was St. Christopher?" Google Voice: "According to Wikipedia, St. Christopher was the patron saint of travellers." "Oh", he said. "Good! And by the way, thanks." I think he meant me, but it was hard to tell.

Then he walked away.

Met Leah for lunch at Black Sheep. Quite good food!

Strolling around after lunch, we were caught at '....

Closer

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Flint, Michigan

October 7, 2015: 2nd day on the road

I knew that Flint, Michigan was a depressed area, but I wasn't prepared for the totally abandoned 3-storey hotel directly next door to the Cracker Barrel. After breakfast, I had to explore:

Click any photo for a larger, more detailed view

Abandoned hotel, Flint, Michigan

No way in from this side (above)...

So I tried the other side...Yes. A window and a door with the boards removed.

Good-sized pool area.

...with a hot tub.

From the pool area, I made my way farther into the building.

Must have been a bathroom.

Then into the hall...

There were hotel rooms off either side of the hall. Here's room 108:

That dark blob on the right is the shadow of my popup flash.

Farther down the hall, I came to a half-open set of doors:

It was pitch black, so I had to use the flash in order to see where it was safe to step. I'd take a flash photo, then check the camera's monitor to see what was ahead. I proceeded in this manner past the doors and began up a stairwell...

It was pitch black in here, but the flash photo showed me what was ahead.

But then I heard the sound of muffled footsteps on a floor above...and decided it was time to leave.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Back to Tucson: San Xavier del Bac

February 10, 2015 (Written Aug. 16th--What kind of blogger am I?!)

Heading out from Gibert Ray campground, we began the day with a pretty good breakfast at Theresa's Mosaic Cafe. The Huevos Rancheros were very good. Full of good food, we drove to...

San Xavier del Bac

Known as the White Dove of the Desert, San Xavier del Bac is a Catholic mission founded in 1783 by Father Kino, and "widely considered to be the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States." Read about it here. Seemed like a good opportunity for photography.

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Ready to shoot...

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Lovely Mission...

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Lovely companion...

Mission interior:

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Just inside the entrance door, facing the front and the apse.

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Ceiling detail

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Detailed frescoes and statues on the wall to the right of the apse.

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A little closer...

Detail of statue on the left in previous photo

Apse with altar

The body of St. Francis (I think).

A native convert??

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Looking toward the entrance door, and away from main altar.

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In the Mission courtyard beside the church.

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Exterior architectural detail.

While I took photos, Leah took the Mission tour. From her journal: "I went on the tour and learned that 'Baroque' meant balanced. The lady who led the tour kept on forgetting really obvious things--must have been how I sometimes was when teaching--but she was worse."

We ended the day with a fabulous dinner on the patio at Poca Cosa in downtown Tucson. This place is listed as having the best food in the city by many ranking sites. And its little sister, Little Poca Cosa, which serves only breakfast and lunch, is rated just as highly, and is just as good, in my opinion. It's a real dining experience! The two restaurants are owned and operated by two sisters, one at each restaurant. Sandra, at Little Poca Cosa, is a real character. Both are worth a visit if you're in downtown Tucson.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Back to Tucson: Raptor Free Flight @ Desert Museum

Jan. 30-Feb. 12, 2015

After Puerto Peñasco and a brief stay at Organ Pipe, we returned to the Tucson area. Leah got to attend the Gem Show (sorry, no pics) and we both got to see the Raptor Free Flight at the Desert Museum. Neither of us had seen it, though we'd heard it was not to be missed. Basically, you walk about 1/4 mile out to the edge of the Desert Museum and gather with 50-75 other folks for about 40 minutes to watch 3 or 4 handlers 'call' various raptors to small trees just feet away. Kneeling at the base of the tree, they stretch their arms up to a branch and wiggle their fingers. The birds see this--sometimes from miles away--and come swooping in and land on the branch for the meat that the handler has left. An MC narrates as the birds fly, adding interesting information about them and about their training. Picture a group of people in the middle of the open desert with cacti and bushes all around. The handlers are situated on both sides of the crowd, so once a bird lands 5 feet from the group on one side and eats the meat, a handler on the other side wiggles her fingers, and the bird flies over the crowd inches above their heads, to land on a tree on the other side. The MC warned that the birds treat the crowd as bushes, and that, occasionally, one will brush the top of a person's head. And, yes, I was one of those people!

In the Q & A after the show, the handler fielded a question about the intelligence of the various raptors. The Harris Hawks, she said, are really smart: they hunt in family groups of 3 to 7, and, much like coyotes, they set up ambushes. One hawk lands on the ground next to a bush where a rabbit is hiding. That hawk flaps its wings close to the bush and makes a lot of noise, which causes the rabbit to bolt, exposing itself just long enough for the other hawks to swoop in and nab it. Crows and ravens are really smart, too: they have been seen unzipping backpacks to get at the food inside. Also, according to the handler, they pick up nuts from the ground, fly to a highway overpass, and drop the nuts, knowing that the cars will run over them, making it easier for the birds to access the meat inside. Another handler said that, when he was a rookie, he called a raven to him--and the raven came, but instead of settling on his leather-gloved hand, it dove head-first into the food satchel slung over his shoulder, emerging with a huge mouthful of meat! He said he's since learned to keep the satchel closed. Leah and I have also witnessed raven intelligence. Click here to see it (scroll down half a page).