Tohono Chul

Today's photo again takes us back to nature in Tucson. This shot was taken a couple of weeks ago at Tohono Chul Park. Obviously, there were a lot of blooming flowers a couple of weeks ago, not only here but throughout the entire desert southwest. Many museums and parks can help with your desert bloom experience, too.

Saguaro National Park, Tucson AZ

Another desert shot, this taken a little over a week ago near Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ.

William Heise County Park

It's been too long since my last post. But either today or tomorrow I'll be getting some new shots back, so I should be adding more to the mix soon. In the meantime, this shot was taken at William Heise County Park in San Diego County, near Julian, a few years ago. This park was - as you can see from the photo - affected by the Cedar Fire in 2003. We were there in 2005 on a little mini-vacation for Julie's birthday.

US 50 - Colorado

Took this back in 2002 on my way to Omaha for the Preseving Historic Roads Conference. I don't recall exactly where it is, so if anyone has that information, let me know. (All I know is that it was just off of I-70 west of Denver somewhere.)

A Tree

Well, it WAS a tree. It still sort of is. Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly where or when I took this. I just remember that it seemed to be the only older thing around. All the rest of the plant life was new growth, so I figured this must have survived a somewhat recent wildfire. And I felt that it was indicative of Southern California right now, unfortunately. My heart goes out to all those who are struggling against the wildfires, especially those fighting them.

Dancing in Prague

The "Fred & Ginger building" in Prague was designed by Frank Gehry and is officially called the "Nationale-Nederlanden Building."

Vitus Cathedral - Prague

This is Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. Note the construction on the left hand side of the shot. Still an absolutely wonderful site!

Prague - Cityscape

Another shot of Prague from April, 2005.

More Prague - Town Hall

This is a shot of the town hall in Prague, with one of the churches in the background. Unfortunately, that's about all the information that I have on this one. If anyone can provide any more details on them, I would be greatly appreciative.

View From Room - Prague

I was discussing some of my photographs with co-workers yesterday, trying to decide what photos to put up in my new office. Europe definitley became a topic of conversation. So I decided to re-visit some of my photographs from that trip. I thought this would be a nice shot to add. This is the view we had out the window our first night in Prague a few years ago when we stayed at the Hotel at St. John. It was a great room and one I would highly recommend.

Sycamore Inn (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)

Another shot from along Route 66 in Southern California, this one of the Sycamore Inn's sign in Rancho Cucamonga. Nearby is also the Magic Lamp, with another great neon sign, complete with flame coming out the lamp's spout. (I'll have to try to find the photo I have of it again!)

Preservation Lost - Trader Vic's (Beverly Hills, CA)

Today's photo is also available in my book, "Finding the End of the Mother Road: Route 66 in Los Angeles County." It's a shot of Trader Vic's, a long-time icon along Route 66 in Beverly Hills. Unfortunately, due to heavy redevelopment at the Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevard intersection and along each corridor, Trader Vic's is slated for demolition.

Up Down In Out (Chagrin Falls, OH)

This photograph of mine still always intrigues me. Shot in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, I still cannot get past how crystal-clear the reflection in the glass is, and yet how visible the railing on the inside portion of the stairwell is still so clearly visible in front of the inside light. And, with just a hint of it showing, the pine garland with christmas lights and the interior ribbon just provide a hint that it should be snowy and cold outside, but there is no hint of snow, just an overcast sky visible in the upper left. This was a strange mix of a lot of things to me.

This stairwell in Boston inrigued me quite a bit. I think that a fear of heights might make it a bit difficult for me to find my way onto it, though.

More Verticality

Keeping the vertical theme going is this shot from downtown Ojai, taken about five years ago just after Julie and I met.

Behind Bars (Williamsburg, VA)

Keeping with yesterday's vertical imagery, today's photo comes from Williamsburg, VA.

More Nature - The Redwoods

A couple of years ago (back in April 2004, to be precise), Julie and I traveled north along the Pacific Coast Highway to Tillamook, Oregon, where we then cut inland to Portland. Along that trip, we went through the Redwoods. Of course, when in the Redwoods, you HAVE to take the gratuitous shot of the trees looking straight up into them. Here's mine.

On the Lincoln

In going through my old photos, I couldn't believe that I hadn't posted this in my blog yet. I love this shot, despite its simplicity and relative flatness. There's something intrinsically interesting in the old "L" being repainted on the leaning telephone pole, with the original Lincoln disappearing into the distance.

Aztec Hotel

The Aztec Hotel is perhaps the crown jewel of Route 66 in Los Angeles County. It is definitely one of the two most-photographed Route 66 structures in LA County and may be the best known. It is also amongst the best known hotels along the entirety of the Mother Road, from Chicago to Santa Monica.

Over the last several years it has undergone some major renovations and restorations. This includes repainting the exterior. Looking at the Aztec today from the outside, its shell would be the same as these two photographs (taken in 2001), but the colors would be vastly different.



Congratulations to Kathie Reece-McNeill, owner of the Aztec, and all of her staff for such a wonderful job of restoration, which is still in process. I encourage everyone traveling the Mother Road to continue their trek into LA County and stop in to see Kathie at the Aztec!

Last Photos From Mendocino Botanical Gardens

Here are the last photos from the Mendocino Botanical Gardens. There were several left for me to post, but after a few days on the road, I felt it only fair that I post all of these at once to make up for the missed days.

More Mendo

I just can't help continuing to post my photos from the Mendocino County Botanical Gardens. So here's another close up taken on that wonderful trip.

Believe It or Not, More from Mendocino!

Oops - More Mendocino

Sorry I missed yesterday. Still more from Mendocino!

A Rose is A Rose

Remember last Monday when I said I'd be posting at least a weeks' worth of photos from the Mendocino County Botanical Gardens, the Garden by the Sea? Well, this is the eigth one, and I'm still growing strong.

I'm partial to roses. It must have something to do with living two blocks away from Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. But the rose garden at Mendocino was not very photographable, at least in my opinion. This, however, was nice.

Another Set of Flowers

More from the Mendocino County Botanical Gardens.

More Mendocino

And they just keep coming, don't they? This place really was extremely beautiful and very easy to shoot good photos at!

For Mom

I spoke with my mom last night, and she said she's been looking at these photos from Mendocino County Botanical Gardens daily and loves them. So this is for her.

An Overview

This is probably the widest view that I took from within the Menodocino County Botanical Gardens. It gives a pretty good overview of the gardens area that is closest to the Pacific Coast Highway and the entrance. As you can tell, this area is overwhelmingly beautiful, and well worth a return trip sometime!

Botanical Gardens Hillside

Another from Mendocino Botanical Gardens, showing the hillside where the continent ends and the ocean begins.

Mendocino Gardens on the Coast

If you have looked at the link posted on Monday to the Mendocino County Botanical Gardens, you will notice that it is also called the Gardens By the Sea. This expansive garden is located between the Pacific Coast Highway (California Route 1) and the Pacific Ocean. It covers a great distance from the Gardens' entrance to the edge of the ocean, and the walk is wonderful. But views like this through the gardens and tress to the ocean make the anticipation of the ocean's edge all the more wonderful.

More Mendocino

As promised, another today from the Mendocino County Botanical Gardens. This one is higher resolution than normal for me on my blog. I left it that way because as I lowered the resolution to where I normally would save it to, the flowers just became way too fuzzy. So higher resolution and added a "copyright" line. Hope you enjoy it.

Mendocino County Botanical Gardens

Around six weeks or so ago, I visited the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg, California with Julie and her family. This place was incredible. I took about 70 photos that day. My normal 1 in 10 ratio of good shots was dramatically increased at the Gardens, only because of how incredibly beautiful the whole, huge area is. It was hard NOT to get a good shot.

Today will be the first of a multitude of shots that I post from there. I will post one each day for the remainder of the week, all from these Gardens.

"A Tree" - Santa Barbara County, CA

This burnt-out-looking tree was found alongside a small trail located at a rest area on CA-154, near Lake Cachuma.

Solitude

This photograph was taken in Northern California along the Pacific Coast Highway in April, 2004, shortly after the previous shot on Coleman Valley Road. Still a little rainy, and cool, but a beautiful day, and a wonderful opportunity to show how few people were on the road around us that morning.

Coleman Valley Road

I can't believe I haven't posted this photo yet! I absolutely love this shot. I think that this is one of my favorites of all the shots that I have taken. It was shot in April, 2004, during Julie's and my trek up the Pacific Coast Highway to Tillamook from the Golden Gate Bridge.

The name of this road is Coleman Valley Road. It runs inland from the Pacific Coast Highway, just a couple of miles north of Bodega Bay, to a junction with the Bohemian Highway. This was a great little sidetrip that was recommended to us by a coffee shop owner in Bodega Bay. It was still pretty early in the morning when we hit this spot after leaving our campsite. YOu can still sense the fog in the air. It obviously had a small amount of rain in the air prior to out drive through, too. And you can even get a sense of the 180-degree turn in the road as well.

Ah, I think it's time for another road trip!

More Quintessential Chicago

This is another one of the quintessential Chicago landmarks. The Art Institute of Chicago - located on Michigan Avenue in the Loop - is also considered a bit of a jumping-off point for Route 66 travelers. This museum is one of the premiere art museums in the world, but is so much more than that. Almost directly across the street is the Chicago Architecture Foundation and its store. This, too, is a must-stop while in Chicago.

Chicago, IL - The "EL"

It has been WAY too long since my last post here. Have some photos back from my wedding anniversary trek to Chicago, and will be posting some of those over the next few days. Today, the gratuitous shot of Chicago's "EL."

FOR SALE

Just a reminder that all photographs seen on this blog are available for purchase. For more information, go here or contact 66 Productions.

More Desert - Near Death Valley

This was taken near Death Valley on the west side of the park, on our way in to the park from US-395.

Essex, CA

I am a huge fan of the desert and its weather and environs, and find it to be absolutely beautiful. I took this shot in 2001 during the Harley Owners Group tour of Route 66. I had been following their tour since Chicago and was supposed to meet one of the owners near here to hitch a ride through a portion of the desert with video camera to my eye. It was a great ride, I might add, through a beautiful stretch of desert and on up to Cadiz Summit from this spot at Essex.

Route 66 Western Terminus - Downtown Los Angeles

Initially, Route 66 ended in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles at the intersection - seen here - of 7th and Broadway, in the heart of the Theater District. In 1936 the highway was extended to Santa Monica, reaching Lincoln and Olympic. Effective in 1964, the highway was then truncated to have a western terminus in the heart of what is now "Old Pasadena" at Colorado and Arroyo Parkway. And in 1975 the road was again shortened, this time at the California border.

Today, Los Angeles' Theater District is in the beginning stages of a revitilization, in part due to the Los Angeles' Conservancy's efforts, and their annual program entitled "Last Remaining Seats." Additionally, the Conservancy offers walking tours of this area.

Like anywhere else along Route 66, this area is worth the time and effort to see, and is quite safe, especially for the experienced traveler who already has their eye on what is happening around them. (Dispelling a myth here, there is PLENTY to see and do along Route 66 in Los Angeles County, and all areas that the highway traversed in LA County are quite worth visiting.)

Formosa Cafe, West Hollywood CA

It's been awhile since my last post, and for my loyal viewers / readers, I do apologize. Part of my reason for being so bad on this website lately is that I was preparing for yesterday's Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I spent a couple of hours there yesterday signing books and talking to people about Route 66. Well, really, it was more like I was trying to push sales of the book, because few people by our booth seemed interested in buying, and few people were coming by our booth to begin with.

But since I was doing a book signing yesterday, I thought that putting up another image that is in the book would be a good idea, so here's a shot of the Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood. I've been in this place a couple of times and have to say it has a great, incredibly interesting vibe. Lots of good weird about it, if that makes sense. Worth a stop and a look, if time permits, in your travels along the Mother Road in Los Angeles County.

My 100th Post

I'm just going to tease you today by saying that this is my 100th post in this blog. No photo to provide, though, as I'm still feeling lazy.

Actually, I hope to get out today and spend a lot of time driving 66 in SoCal and shooting as many photos as I possibly can. So that is anything but lazy!

Extremely Un-Dry (Bodega Bay)

From the Owens Dry Lake to Bodega Bay and a separate road trip. This was taken in April 2004 when Julie and I drove up the coast from San Francisco to Tillamook, OR. From there inland to Portland.

The night before this was taken Julie and I stayed in the campground at Doran Regional Park. It is literally on the small isthmus that separates the Bay from the Pacific Ocean. It was mid-April. There were about two or three RV's and no other tents in the entire campground. I woke up freezing my a** off, but it was absolutely wonderful. A beautiful night, a beautiful morning, and a great day on the road.

Owens Dry Lake

Another shot from along US-395, this one of the Owens Valley and Owens Dry Lake. For those of you who are not up on California history, the city of Los Angeles stole the water rights in the Owens Valley ages ago, and the result was the drying of the Owens Lake. Recently, an effort has been made to restore some of the Owens River, but the likelihood of the lake ever being restored is, in my opinion, next to nothing.

Manzanar

Not too far away from Mount Whitney, and with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background, is Manzanar. Manzanar was an internment camp during World War II and is now a National Historic Site. As of last time I was there a couple of years ago, the interpretive center was still under construction. Definitely an embarrasing part of American history.

Blue Skies Over Whitney

Another wonderful blue sky, this one near Mount Whitney. Whitney is the tallest mountain in California and the contiguous 48 states and is a part of the vast Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is easily accessible from Bishop along US-395.

Desert Building (Burning Man)

Another buildling out in the middle of nowhere. I can confirm that this one burned down in September 2003. Nothing currently remains of it, except photographs and memories.

Meteor Center (Arizona)

Continuing the desert theme, but moving further east. This is the old lookout tower at Meteor Crater in northeast Arizona. This tower was alongside old US-66. Obviously, there's not a lot left there to look at. But the state of decay combines perfectly with the surrounding beauty to make for a wonderful location.

Sunset in Death Valley

Well, in Death Valley National Park, that is. This was taken on our way back out of Death Valley, out the westward exit toward Lone Pine and Bishop and toward US-395.

Death Valley Sand Dunes

This was taken a few years ago in Death Valley National Park. Still one of my favorite locations of all time, and definitely a place that we want to get back to.

More Desert - Four Peaks (Phoenix area)

More from the desert southwest, this from outside of Phoenix at Four Peaks. (There's a pretty good brewery named Four Peaks Brewing Company, too, by the way, but their own website appears to be down.)

Mojave Desert

More from the Desert Southwest, this from alongside Route 66 in the Mojave Desert, near Goffs.

More Desert Southwest (Sedona, AZ)

Another photo of the red rocks that seem to be prevalent in the Southwest, this one from Sedona, Arizona. I have to admit that this area is one of the more beautiful that I have been to on a mile-for-mile comparison. From the time that you begin to descend into Oak Creek Canyon from the north until well after you leave the Sedona area in the south, beauty abounds. But it is still not my favorite place to visit. I'll leave that for future photographs and posts.

New Mexico 66

From one eastbound-northward curve on 66 to another, this one taken in western New Mexico. It's really hard to see in the upper right, but if you look closely, you can see where the dreaded superslab cut through the mountain as opposed to the path taken by the Mother Road around the obstacle. This is probably one of my favorite locations along 66 in New Mexico, just because of its natural beauty and the way that the highway hugged the landscape rather than destroying it.

More From 66 - Pasadena, CA

This past Saturday, the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts held their annual auction. The auction - held (sort of) on 66 near the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Eagle Rock Boulevard in the Los Angeles community of Eagle Rock - is called their Annual Route 66 Auction. For the first time this year, I donated an item for the auction. This photograph is the print that I donated to them and is a night shot of the Suicide Bridge in Pasadena, a portion of 66 from 1934 until 1940. This particular shot was taken on New Year's Eve (technically New Year's morning, as it was after midnight) this year when the bridge was closed prior to the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Another from 11/11/06 in Victorville

One more from the anniversary celebration in Victorville on 11 November, 2006.

Quarterly Update

In honor of the first edition of the 66 Productions Quarterly E-Update being released this past weekend, I thought I would put up this photo to get back in the Route 66 frame of mind again.

This photo was taken on the 80th Birthday of Route 66, November 11, 2006. It was shot at the car show in Victorville, California, during the 11th Anniversary celebration of the California Route 66 Museum.

More From Burning Man

Thought I'd post another shot from Burning Man today.

On My Mind

I've been sick for several days, and really bad Thursday night and Friday morning. Feeling better today, though. Realized that the nice, warm weather with sunny, blue skies was part of the reason for the improvement in health. And that made me realize that there is something badly missing for me right now: the desert.

And that, of course, can only mean one thing. Well, OK, it can mean a lot more than one thing. But, in this case, with a friend of mine sending several emails lately, it means BURNING MAN! I wish it were just around the corner. It seems like it should be. I can't believe we are still about 175 days away. Oh well. Until then, thoughts of the man burning are enough to keep me warm and cozy! (By the way, lest any of you think I'm that stupid, someone else's flash hit just about the time my shutter opened ... I wasn't stupid enough to use my flash, but theirs certainly helped me!)

More From Pipestem

This takes us back to Pipestem Resort State Park. This was taken at Indian Branch Falls within the park. This waterfall is located below the Nature Center, and I believe that this was the first time that I was on this trail and at this falls. What I was most surprised about by this location is Julie's willingness to walk right to the edge of the falls and look down. Craziness! (I wish she had uploaded those photos for me to link to!)

Another From West Virginia in the Fall

Another from our West Viriginia trip in October, this one from Hawk's Nest State Park.

Other Foliage

In October, Julie and I went to West Virginia for a few days right around the time of peak fall foliage color. In addition to seeing some of my family, we also spent a couple of nights at Pipestem Resort State Park in the southern part of the state.

We were blessed with mostly good weather, and got in one wonderful hike, too, while we were there. This is just one of the many photos that I took that show some wonderful foliage, as you will see over the next several days.

More Float Details - Rose Parade 2007

If you read the link in my last post, you will have read "Every inch of the float must be covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds, or bark." This photograph shows detail of another float, showing the use of materials other than flowers that cover some of the floats.

Float Details - Rose Parade 2007

You are probably already aware that the floats in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade are dressed with roses and other flowers. But seeing them on TV does not do justice to the what the floats actually look like in person. This detail shot shows one of the floats from this year's parade and the ornamentation involved in the floats.

St. Louis in Pasadena on 66

As promised yesterday, today's photograph is of the City of St. Louis' entry in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade. St. Louis is another one of the metropolitan areas along Route 66 that has a lot to offer the roadie that is willing to look for it. However, much like Los Angeles, St. Louis' hodgepodge of multiple and complex alignments can be difficult to track without a knowing guide or guidebook. I, myself, have gotten lost there twice.

More OK Rose Parade

This is the last of the Oklahoma Rose Parade photos that I will be putting up. Tomorrow, I'll move on to St. Louis. This one shows a bit of the Will Rogers OK/CA Route 66 connection.

Oops - More OK

Well, yesterday I accidentally put up the wrong photo. I meant to put up a shot of the band itself, but instead posted another one of the OK floats. So, here is the photo I should have posted yesterday of the Oklahoma All-Star Centennial Band.

More Rose Parade / Oklahoma

Continuing from yesterday, today is the Oklahoma All-Star Centennial Band from this year's Rose Parade.

Oklahoma - in California (Rose Parade)

I scanned some new photos in a couple of days ago and have not taken the time yet to clean them up (I always clean dirt from the scans, but rarely - if ever - alter the nature of the photograph itself) but I thought I would start posting a series of shots in honor of Oklahoma's Centennial in 2007.

This first one was shot on January 1, 2007. In California. It was taken during the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, which happens to traverse a portion of Route 66 for most of its journey. There's no doubt that the cities of Duarte and St. Louis (both Route 66 towns) and the state of Oklahoma (which 66 also runs through) realized this connection while taking the journey down the parade route.

I posted some of the upcoming photos in the Route 66 egroup, and heard back from one of my friends, who sent me this link. And it's a pretty darn good link for anyone interested in taking a trip to Oklahoma, perhaps for the annual Route 66 celebration that happens in a different city every year and this year is being held in Clinton.

I Love This Name - Wenceslas Square, Prague

I've been debating for awhile whether or not I wanted to post this photo. I love it and hate and find it amusing all at the same time. So I really am not sure if it is very good.

I am amused at the "fuji" and "olympus" signs, since this was shot on kodak ektrachome using a pentax camera.

I hate the lower half of the photo, finding it way too dark and not terribly interesting.

But I love the way those two signs stand out on the middle line, with that gorgeous sunset in the background.

And since I've been showing so many Prague photos lately, I thought I would keep it going with this one.

(Besides, I have a bunch of scans to do tonight, and didn't have too much more immediately ready to post at the moment!)

Prague Castle - Guards

Two more shots from Prague, these from the castle area showing a guard shack and also some of the guards just after they have been relieved.

Prague Overview

This was taken from the hills near the castle overlooking Prague.

Another Prague Streetscape

More from Prague this morning. (I REALLY wish I could go back!)

Prague - Residence

One of the things that I really enjoyed about all of Europe was the blend of old and new. It seems that the places in Europe that we went - Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Budapest - all have a very nice blend of old and new, with the eye toward restoration and adaptive reuse of their historic structures. It leeds creedence to the belief that Americans are a disposable society. Too bad. We have a lot of historic structures worth saving that we just do not put forth the effort to keep.

This is another one of those shots I took in Prague that the building just seemed really neat, but I can't tell you exactly why. If I remember correctly, this is located near the Magika Laterna Theatre, which was anoter enjoyable experience in Prague.

Buildings - Prague

After yesterday's seemingly "newer" side of Innsbruck, I thought I'd show a streetscape shot from Prague this morning. I know, not much in common really, aside from the fact that they were both shot on the same trip to Europe. But hey, at least I posted another photo this morning!

Innsbruck

Two more shots from Innsbruck. I especially like the blue building on the left in this first one.

More Trains (Austria)

This was taken in April 2005 on our train ride from Salzburg to Innsbruck.

Storm - Slovakia / Austria border

This was taken on the train ride from Salzburg (Austria) to Budapest (Hungary), and as best as I could tell from the map and what I knew of our route, we were near Bratislava (Slovakia) at the time that I shot this.

Another Train Station (Santa Barbara)

Taken from the Amtrak train, this photo is the Santa Barbara train station. I took this during Julie's and my train ride to San Luis Obispo for Julie's birthday in 2004.

One More From Union Station

One last one, the BACK of the building. Well, I think it is the back. To me, the front faces the tracks, like in the days of the Harvey Houses, such as the La Posada in Winslow, AZ, the El Garces in Needles, CA, or the Casa Del Desierto in Barstow, CA. All 3, of course, are on Historic Route 66.

Union Station (Los Angeles) - Interior

Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles has always fascinated and mystified me. I completely understand our nation's lack of interest in trains as a method of travel. Amtrak is horrendous in terms of on-time arrivals and even worse in terms of locations that they travel to. However, with both the Red and Gold Lines going directly to Union Station, as well as the Metrolink trains, I am hoping that Union Station will again be a central hub within the city.

It's interesting to think of life in Los Angeles in the 1930's, when "Old Chinatown" existed where Union Station sits today. The scenario of eminent domain must have played out much differently then, in the way that "Old Chinatown" was destroyed to make way for Union Station.

Today's photo is of the interior of Union Station, of one wing which is closed off to the public. It is still pretty accessible to the photographer, though, as you can see.

More Water - Union Station, Los Angeles

Keeping in the water theme from yesterday, here's some more water, this in a fountain adjacent to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles.

My Own Boat (PCH, Northern California)

Another of my titled photographs, "My Own Boat" was shot in Northern California along the Pacific Coast Highway in April 2004, while Julie and I were driving up to Portland. He's a little difficult to make out, but there is a rather large bird on the roof of the boat, hence the title.

Lincoln Graveyard

I don't usually title my photos, but this one just seemed too easy. This "Lincoln Graveyard" is not Abraham Lincoln's graveyard. And it's not in a city called Lincoln, either. But I found this series of old cars near the side of the contemporary version of the Lincoln Highway in Nebraska on my way to Omaha in 2002. (I'm not really a car guy, so I can't say if they happen to be Lincolns. I kind of doubt it, though.)

Filling Station (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)

In keeping with the last photo's theme, I thought this shot of the old filling station in Rancho Cucamonga along Route 66 would be a logical next choice. This station - although still standing - sits vacant near the northwest corner of Foothill Boulevard and Archibald Avenue. Directly across the street is "The Deli," which is a pretty awesome sandwich joint. On its walls are photos of the area that date back at least 60 years.

Rancho Cucamonga itself is a city that I have a love-hate relationship with in terms of Route 66. I love this station and "The Deli." I love the older-feeling western end of town. But the development and box housing that have sprung up along Foothill Boulevard near I-15 are almost enough to send me into convulsions. Don't get me wrong. I understand that preservation here was not really an option. After all, there wasn't much to preserve. And at least RC did decide that they wanted to recognize Route 66's importance to the area. But it's still hard on MY eyes. (I really couldn't find anything online regarding Rancho Cucamonga's Master Plan and their development of the Foothill Boulevard corridor. Apparently, since it is complete, all mention of it has been removed from even the city's own website!)

Toward Death Valley (Keeler, CA)

This photo was taken on our way from Death Valley back to Lone Pine on the same trip. This place was in Keeler, just off the highway (190) that leads into Death Valley from the west. This shot was taken at night, using the headlights of my car as the light source that created the shadows.

More Desert (Artist's Palette, Death Valley)

From one desert to another. Last photo was from Burning Man at Black Rock Desert in Nevada. These photos are from Artist's Palette in Death Valley National Park, California. The color photo is from the drive up the narrow road to Artist's Palette, the black and white is the palette itself.

Julie and I went to Death Valley in 2003. It was pretty darn hot, almost too hot even for me. My car hated it, too. We came in from the west side (think Bishop, Lone Pine, and that wonderful drive up and down 395) and had been in snow outside of Bishop the day before.

Death Valley is definitely a place we want to get back to!

Burning Man

In honor of having just bought my Burning Man tickets for this year on Tuesday, and needing to get back to posting some photographs, here is a great shot I took from the man in 2005, when I was last there.

More from Tahoe Desolation Wilderness

Three more from the backpacking trip, two from Half Moon Lake and one from Gilmore Lake.

More on the Outdoors (Tahoe Desolation Wilderness)

As much as I loved my recent hikes to the Bridge to Nowhere, I have to say that they do not compare to camping or, better still, backpacking.

Back in August, I had the pleasure to go backpacking in the Tahoe Desolation Wilderness of the Eldorado National Forest with my wife and a couple of friends. Beginning at about noon on Thursday and going until about noon on Sunday, we covered just shy of 30 miles. Not much, I know, compared to what some people cover in that same time frame. But it was our first time out, however, so I'm pretty pleased with it.

We learned a lot that trip, about what to prepare for next time and how to be better prepared for a longer stay. But, overall, we did really well in terms of meals and water (fortunately there are plenty of lakes out there, such as Susie Lake, seen here). The biggest down side was that some of our gear was not as sturdy as it could have been, but we will improve upon that before our next trip.

The Final Word on the Bridge

I'll go back sometime, but not sure when. Until I do, here are my last two photos. Hopefully next week I'll move on to the Rose Parade. Look for more in the next few days, though.

The Real Proof about Bridge to Nowhere

OK, so the last post was really a tease.

The Bridge to Nowhere Exists, and Here is My Proof

Back on September 23, my wife Julie, co-workers Jamie and Jill, and I all decided to hike to bridge to nowhere. We didn't make it.

On December 16, I found out why. I did the hike by myself that day, and covered the distance from trailhead to bridge and back in about 5 hours. That includes a 30 minute break at the bridge, four stops to change from boots to sandals and back, and re-filling my water twice using our filter system.

The "trail" itself has been washed away in places and is difficult to find, unless you know to REALLY look for it. Sometimes on the way up the trail, I was actually climbing up the hillside when I didn't need to in order to look for a trail that I thought was there but wasn't. It's kind of crazy. But so worth it, as these pictures can attest.

The story of the bridge, by the way, is that the Republic of California decided in the mid-1930's to build this road up the canyon where the East Fork of the San Gabriel River flows down the San Gabriel Mountains. A huge flood in 1938 destroyed a lot of the road, but left the bridge intact. Today, bungee jumpers routinely make the trek out there for the jump off of the bridge.



(Having problems getting the photos to load, but will do so later.)

More Budapest ... on the Train

This past (Christmas) weekend, I was in both Sacramento and Tucson. Julie and I drove both places. I don't even want to know the total mileage that was covered. I'm afraid to ask. It would have been so much easier in a plane ... other than the airport crap. And it would have been easier on a train ... if Amtrak knew how to stay on time, and had a decent amount of service in this country. But alas .....



So, with transportation in mind, and thinking back to a year and a half ago and how easy it was to get around Europe, I am posting several more shots from Budapest today, all of the train station there. If I remember correctly, the station that we arrived at and left from was the Keleti Station.

Farmer's Market, Budapest

Since I'm about to get ready to leave for the Farmer's Market in Pasadena (I hope it is open today, I haven't checked!) I thought I would post these photos from a permanent farmer's market that I visited in Budapest. It's in an old train station there.

Another Old Diner (6 & 40, West of Denver)

Found this place on my way to Omaha for the 2002 Preserving Historic Roads Conference. It is west of Denver along current I-70. I don't remember the exact location, but I believe it to be in Idaho Springs.

Individualism (101 Near Solvang)

Been involved in an interesting discussion over the last 24 hours about chain stores and how crappy they are. Well, I feel that way, and so do others (albeit for different reasons). Unfortunately there are actually Wal-Mart supporters out there who just do not understand individuality and personal flair and flavor. They probably buy pre-made gingerbread men, too, so that they all look alike.

Anyway, it's made me think about locally owned businesses lately. And when I opened my photos folder on my computer this morning, to see what locally owned business I had photos of, the first one that showed up in the list was this one, and it made me wonder whatever happened to the owners of this place after all the chain restaurants opened along the 101 at the nearby exit to Solvang.

More Salzburg - Train Station

This was taken from the Salzburg train station on our way out of town to head to Budapest. I loved riding the trains in Europe. Very close to on time every time. Very pleasant and enjoyable, and an opportunity to see the countryside a little bit, too. Definitely beats flying, and although you don't have the flexibility that you do while driving, it is a lot less stressful, too. Now if only Amtrak were as extensive and on-schedule!

More Salzburg

I have to keep this short as I am about to walk out the door on a long hike. But I wanted to post more from Salzburg, since I loved that city so much. Both of these shots were taken from Salzburg Castle, and show that just outside the city is a lot of open, agricultural space.

The Real Castles - Prague, Salzburg, Budapest

With yesterday's toy castle still fresh in my mind, I thought I would post photos of each of the three major real castles that Julie and I saw on our honeymoon.

First up is Prague Castle, where Julie and I started and finished our honeymoon. Next in line and the next we visited is a view from Salzburg Castle of the city of Salzburg below. And finally, a few of several statues in an entrance to Budapest Castle (this is one of my favorite shots from our honeymoon!).

From Flowers to Toys (More Prague)

Yesterday's warm and fuzzy flowers brought me back today. I thought I would post a few photos from another one of our stops in Prague. One of the greatest things about that trip was walking around with a goal or a destination in mind, but being open to what you might see in your travels.



One of our finds was the toy museum at Prague Castle. Very interesting collection. Very difficult to describe. My favorite was quite possibly the oversized pig (for its location, anyway) in the gates of a toy castle. Not sure what the statement is that is being made by it, but definitely funny.

Back - Finally (More from Prague)

It's been about THREE WEEKS since my last post here. I've been pretty bad, I know. I guess I am just a little tired of the Holly Daze thing already. I was on the road the entire week of Thanksgiving, with more than enough going on to keep me busy. Hopefully now I can get back into the routine of posting here every day.

With the upcoming Holly Daze in mind, I couldn't decide whether to look for a photo with snow and cold in mind, or something warm and fuzzy. Warm and fuzzy wins. These two photos from the Botanical Gardens (Botanicka Zahrada) in Prague brought back some great memories of walking around that city and enjoying a completely different time, place, and culture. And hopefully will be something that will remind me to come back here tomorrow morning.

Happy Anniversary, a Few Days Late (Victorville, CA)

Those of you who have followed my adventures recently via my website's "appearances" page will know I have been quite busy. I've had a presentation in Glendale, book signings in West Hollywood, Duarte, and Monrovia, and a bus tour from the Wigwams to Sycamore Grove Park.

Why so busy lately? Well, Saturday myself and several hundred other people celebrated the 11th Anniversary of the California Route 66 Museum and the 80th Anniversary of Route 66 (and the US Highway System). The musuem did the celebration in style with a 50/50 raffle (take home was over $400!), lunch by Juan Pollo, and a big car show. Chick Kirk and Betty Halbe ran the show and made everyone feel welcome. And a special presentation was made by Jerry Holmes to David and Mary Lou Knudson of the National Historic Route 66 Federation for all of their continued hard work over the last 12 or so years.

Friends in attendance that day included the aforementioned, as well as Helen and Harry Baker (Route 66 Preservation Foundation), Kevin Hansel and Lucie McMurtie (California Historic Route 66 Association), Russ Olsen, and fellow "egroupers" Barbara Cummings (Sacramento), Mike and Sharon Ward (Mesa, AZ), and David Willman (Aurora, CO).

Back East, and Back to Government BY the People, FOR the People

In light of yesterday's elections, I thought it would be fitting today to remind everyone what our government is supposed to be about. Those of you who remember your history classes in elementary, middle, and high schools will recall some things about our founding fathers and early American history.

You will recall the Declaration of Independence, and its unalienable rights. You will recall the Constitution, and its powers provided to each of the three branches of government: executive, legistlative, and judicial. And you will recall the Bill of Rights, and what rights were granted to the citizens. You might even recall some of the Constitutional Amendments that were passed.

But in this day and age, it seems to me like governmment has become too much of a BUSINESS, complete with lobbyists getting paid way more than I make to tell government officials what special interests - a smaller portion of society - think should be done. I personally feel that it would be wonderful if government would return to its early days, like at Old North Church and Fanueil Hall, when there seemed to have been a greater responsibility to ALL the people, not just those with the money to have the politicians' ears.

From the Capitol to City Hall (Beverly Hills, CA)

So I'm moving backward a bit. No one has ever accused me of always moving forward. (OK, maybe a couple people have, but that was too far back in time.) From the Capitol building in Williamsburg, I've returned now to Los Angeles County, and the Beverly Hills City Hall. This building is on Santa Monica Boulevard, right alongside the most famous highway in the world, Route 66.

Capitol Building (Williamsburg, VA)

More on Colonial Williamsburg today. My brother and I both woke up early one morning specifically to take photographs at morning light. This is one of the results on my end.

(By the way, anyone reading yesterday, there was a link embedded in the title of yesterday's post as well, in case you missed it.)

All Hallow's Eve (Williamsburg, VA)

OK, I know that this is a bit on the kitschy side, but I had to do it anyway. This photo was shot during Christmas of 2001 at Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg. Seems that Christmas and Halloween are now tied in two ways: Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and the fact that retailers throughout the country are now starting to put Christmas crap out before Halloween. I'm surprised Valentine's Day has not started to get publicity before Thanksgiving. (Maybe it will this year now that I have said that!)

Bridge Comparison (Budapest)

OK, this shot is a little soft focus, too, but it's hard to take such a long shot at night without the use of a tripod! (When Julie and I went to Europe for our honeymoon, the tripod was one thing that didn't fit into the luggage.)

I think it is interesting to compare the ornamentation and construction of the older bridges in Europe that are still in use and maintained against the newer bridges in the US that are already being taken down because they are "unsafe." Makes one wonder how the bridges in Europe have withstood the test of a couple of hundred years of time, and ours in the US can't live to 100!

More Bridges (New River Gorge Bridge)

Just got my photos back yesterday from the West Virginia trip. So I can now post this of the New River Gorge Bridge. Surprisingly, my focus is a bit soft. But the colors come through pretty well, and the bridge itself is pretty clear, so I thought I would put this up anyway, even though it is not up to my usual standards.

Bridges (Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena CA)

Sorry for the long time since the last post. Julie and I went to West Virginia for a few days to see some family, and to try to enjoy the leaves changing colors. They were definitely close to peak color, but the lack of sunlight made it a little bit difficult to enjoy the full spectrum.

While we were there, we went south across the New River Gorge Bridge, US-19. It was the day before Bridge Day. At Bridge Day this year, for the first time in about 17 years, there was a death. So this photo of the Colorado Street "Suicide" Bridge is being put up today in honor of Brian Lee Schubert, a pioneer in the sport of BASE jumping.

PCH - Near Gaviota, CA

Much further south than either Umpqua or Bodega Bay is this old bridge just "south" (actually east) of Gaviota State Beach, CA. This bridge is easily accessible off of US-101 between Gaviota and Santa Barbara via a vista turnout from the southbound lanes. Just pullout via the exit ramp, then walk back north / west to the bridge.

Or, to get this photo, ride Amtrak north out of Santa Barbara. It's a pleasant ride, and it takes you much further north / west along the coast than does PCH, to see some areas of the coast that you do not see while driving. (More of my San Luis Obispo trip / photos coming in the near future.)

I had first seen this bridge on a trip north up the coast to San Francisco many years ago. But it was not until my wife and I started taking frequent day trips to Santa Barbara County's wineries - especially Foley, Cottonwood Canyon, and Kalyra - that I really got to look closely at this bridge. (We are also fond of several other places for their wines and their locations, but those three are most likely our favorites.)

More PCH Trip (Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, OR)

On the trip I mentioned yesterday, Julie and I camped out two of the four nights that we drove up the coast. One night was at Doran (Sonoma) County Park on Bodega Bay. That was our first night out. On our last night before reaching Portland we stayed at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park in Oregon. It was pretty amazing the difference between the two campgrounds.

Doran was pretty quiet. It literally was right on the coast, on the strip of land separating Bodega Bay from the Pacific Ocean. There were two or three RV's there at the most, and we were the only tent.

Umpqua, on the other hand, was quite crowded with both RV's and tenters. Surprisingly, it was also NOT right on the ocean. There was a small bluff slightly inland that the lighthouse was on, and in the valley just inland from there is where the campground was. It was extremely nice, and a bit less breezy as a result. I'd hate to see the place in the middle of summer, though, if it was that crowded already in April!

The Fog (Northern CA, Pacific Coast Highway)

Back in 2004 Julie and I drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge to Tillamook, Oregon. Our ultimate goal was Portland, where I was going to be attending the biennial Preserving Historic Roads Conference. About the only negative that we had on the entire trip was the fog that rolled in one night before we reached a stopping point for the night.

Had I been smart, we would have stopped for the night in Eureka or Arcata. Instead, I thought we would have enough time to keep going. We did get to see some cool scenery with the fog as a result, but we also drove through a stretch of horrible conditions that scared the living daylights out of me before we reached Crescent City. One of the coolest was a loop road off of the main road (check out page 22 of 23 here for some information) that we took, and from which I took this photo. (I'm still looking forward to an opportunity to do the trip again, though.)

(Oh, the reason for posting this shot this morning: it is kind of gross like this out our window today, and it echoes the way I've been feeling for several days, which is why I haven't posted recently.)

Self-Portrait (more Burning Man)

Shot this at Burning Man the same year. Believe it or not, that is Julie and I in the reflection. This was one of the art installations that year.

Friends (Burning Man)

Today I participated in the Duarte Friends of the Library book festival. I got to spend some wonderful time with several authors, including John Robinson, Elizabeth Pomeroy, and Laura June Kenny.

It got me to thinking about how many wonderful people there are out there in the world, including this group from Burning Man a couple of years ago. They were walking past our camp as I was getting ready to head out for the night, and I asked them to stop for a minute for me so that I could snap this (and several more) shot. They were more than happy to oblige. And now I'm anxious for one more trip to the desert!

Another Lost Icon (Cadiz Summit, CA)

This is one of many lost Route 66 service locations in the Mojave Desert. Cadiz Summit is located between Essex (still there) and Amboy (being revitilized) in the Mojave. Heading west, there is a long, slow, low uphill grade, the ruins are on the north side, and then suddenly you go through a pass and head down a much steeper hill toward Chambless and the Roadrunner Retreat, another lost icon of 66.

Sad Trails - Trails Restaurant, Duarte CA

This shot is of one place that, unfortunately, you can no longer have dinner at. The Trails Restaurant was demolished several years ago to make room for - surprise! - more grotesque tract condos. And no, I will NOT spare you the horrid photographs of these places, but if you have been to Valencia, you already know what they look like! (Sorry I can't find any shots online of the specific condos in question, but trust me, they are WORSE than what I have linked to!)

The Trails, though, was built in the early 1950's. The Los Angeles Conservancy's Modern Committee made an effort to save this establishment, but it was another case of too little too late for the preservationists. The restaurant was a Duarte area landmark, too, which is somewhat disappointing. Duarte's historical society is supposedly fairly good. (I, personally, though, wouldn't know, as they have not returned several requests for stocking my book, but that's another story.)

More Dinners (The Hat, Glendora CA)

I decided to keep the "dinner" theme going in a way with this photo of "The Hat" in Glendora. This is one of several such restaurants in Los Angeles County. It is a small local chain known for its pastrami, but I will tell you what, it's turkey sandwiches are outstanding, too! And the sandwiches and portions are just absolutely huge. The place is usually fairly crowded, at least this one. It's worth the stop, but I would recommend pulling into the parking lot or drive thru with an appetite!

Prague Dinner

Sticking with the recent European photos, and feeling a bit reminiscent tonight, I thought I would post this shot taken during Julie's and my first dinner in Europe. I wish I could find this place online, but darn if I can't even remember the name of the place. All I know is that the food was exquisite, the service was good, and the beer really hit the spot. Ah, yes, my first true European pint of beer!

More European Bridges

Prague's Castle from the Charles Bridge.

Several shots of Budapest's Chain Bridge

Budapest's Liberty Bridge

A view of Salzburg's Castle

My Awesome Wife (Prague, Charles Bridge)

We just heard word that one of Julie's scarves sold at the Majestical Roof today! A grand day. And worthy of celebration. For my part, a shot of my AWESOME wife on the Charles Bridge in Prague, from our honeymoon!

US-34 Across the Missouri

On my way back from the Preserving Historic Roads Conference in Omaha in 2002, I had the luxury of time. My only itinerary included catching part of 66 back and recording some more interviews for my in-process Route 66 documentary.

So I choose to leave Omaha early on Sunday, and head south and west, criss-crossing along 2-lane roads the entire way down to 66. If something neat caught my eye, I would head that way. Otherwise, the idea was to follow the road less traveled. In doing so, I came across these bridges over the Missouri River. Now, not being a fan of either heights or water, I was hesitant to cross. But it was well worth the trip. This still ranks as one of my fondest "discoveries" in all of my travels - not counting the people. (The shot of just the one bridge is the US-34 Plattsmouth Bridge - still toll - across the river.)

Too Lazy, Almost Late (Lincoln Highway, NE)

I thought I was going to be late posting this, and not have it up before midnight. I thought maybe I was being lazy. Then I looked at how much I got done today, and realized, nope, I'm doing OK. In addition to work and a load of laundry, I also cooked a pretty darn good meal, went grocery shopping, went to the local coffee shop, and did some more work on an oral history interview that I'm editing together. All and all, a good day.

And most importantly, I was not being Lazy!

Brige that IS Nowhere (Oregon Coast)

We did not make it yesterday. But we learned a lot. We learned that the little, narrow, almost-invisible thing that could not possibly be the path / trail, really IS the trail. We learned it on the way back down. In other words, the "trail" does not really exist. You follow the river up, finding whatever path suits you, and if you are lucky, everyone once in awhile you are on the actual trail. Next time, we know where to look. (Next time might be in just a few weeks.)

In the meantime, keeping the theme from yesterday going, I thought I would post a photo of one of those wonderful McCullough Bridges in Oregon.

Bridges (Frank J. Hyman Bridge, CA Coast)

I'm leaving in about an hour for a day hike. It will be my first trip to the Bridge to Nowhere. This road once was going to reach from Azusa ("A to Z in the USA") all the way up to the Angeles Crest Highway in the Angeles National Forest. Following a flood in 1938, the road was swept away, and Caltrans determined it was not going to rebuild the road.
In honor of this hike, I thought I'd post this shot from Julie's and my trip up the coast in 2004. At the time that we went, the Frank J. Hyman Bridge was being surveyed for pending replacement. I would learn in Portland at the Preserving Historic Roads Conference a few days later that despite having spent money to research a "reverse ionization process" to protect coastal bridges from the destructive forces of salt water, Caltrans has instead decided to replace most of its 60-70 year old coastal bridges. Oregon, on the other hand, is using California's research to restore and preserve its McCullough bridges. Go figure. So, although this bridge was not a bridge to nowhere at the time, it may not even exist now.

Honoring the Rendezvous? (Oatman car, AZ)

With the San Bernardino Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous completed last weekend, I thought I would pay tribute to it. Then I realized, I have no photographs from it, because I'm more into preservation of historic elements as opposed to custom and hot rod automobiles. So, instead, I provide this shot of a vintage vehicle taken in Oatman, AZ. It is one of the FEW car shots I have, despite my passion for historic roads. Go figure.

Photo Posting Problems (Death Valley, CA)

Had problems posting photos for the last couple of days, so no new post yesterday. Will try again today, and since I felt all lonely not being able to post yesterday, I will post this lonely road shot from outside of Death Valley.

More Europe

Needless to say, while in Europe for 10 days last year, I shot a lot of photos. I came back with something like 18 rolls of film. That's a lot of shooting, at least for me. So I figured that I would continue the current theme today, and add some more of train-related photos from our trip. I'm feeling generous again, and today I'm adding two shots from Prague.

The first is a shot of another train, sitting idle in the Prague station, a couple of tracks over from where we were on the train waiting to head to Vienna and on to Salzburg. This particular train seems much more dilapidated than many of the other trains that we saw and were on. But it seemed pretty cool sitting there.

This second shot is the sunset as we arrive back in to Prague from Budapest. For our trip, we had planned to start in Prague, head to Salzburg (via a day trip in Vienna), go back to Vienna for one night, then on to Budapest, before returning to Prague for a couple of nights. We then had an overnight in London, just long enough to be able to fly back to LAX at the right time on a Saturday evening.

Of course, the plans changed upon arrival in Salzburg, and we ended up adding an extra night in that fine city instead. And I am so glad that we did. The hotel that we stayed at was great, the city itself was beautiful, and we got to enjoy a day trip to Innsbruck. In Salzburg, we enjoyed riding bikes for a day that we rented from our hotel owners. It was a great way to get around and see some more of Salzburg that we probably would not have been able to otherwise, and made for an enjoyable experience.


*** Due to problems uploading to blogger, the second photo has not posted. I will attempt to post it again later on this same blog page. ***

More Europe (Budapest)

Yesterday's post had me thinking a lot about our honeymoon again, and how much fun it was, and how much I want to go back. So yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine a bit about it, and reliving it yet again, to some extent. And I recalled how incredibly wonderful Budapest was. I really enjoyed those cities a lot.

But I also really enjoyed the train rides in between destinations. The trains were always on time. And it was so much easier riding a train from one place to the next, and letting someone else get you there, and enjoying the countryside along the way.

So today I decided to post a few more Europe photos. The top two are the exterior and interior of the train station in Budapest that we left that city from. And above is a shot from the train ride between Salzburg and Innsbruck. (Note Julie's slight reflection in the window.)

(And I'm being lazy today. Three pictures means no links. Hey, it's Sunday. I'm entitled.)

Innsbruck, Austria

I scoured my photos, again looking for something to honor the "Majestic Roof" theme that I had yesterday. And I saw this shot.

It is not necessarily a roof, or even a series of roofs. And I would not necessarily say that this scene is "majestic." But no one can deny its beauty.

This streetscape from Innsbruck, Austria, was shot during Julie's and my honeymoon in April, 2005. It was our first visit to Europe, and we went to Prague, Salzburg, and Budapest. The trek to Innsbruck was a day trip from Salzburg, and was a great little visit. Our only real regret was that we did not have more time for the honeymoon. Next time, we will stay longer.

Majestic Roof Opens Tomorrow

In honor of the opening of the Majestic Roof in Pasadena tomorrow, I wanted to post a shot from Old Pasadena. And nothing says OLD Pasadena better than the Castle Green. The Castle Green was built in the late 1800's as part of Pasadena's resort sensibilities of the time, and today is used as apartments and condos. I once heard that a several hundred foot space in the Green goes for nearly $2K per month. Craziness, in my opinion, but a beautiful building nonetheless.

The Majestic Roof, on the other hand, is much more up my alley. Yvonne Russo and Randy Redroad are opening this space officially tomorrow, and it will be housing a workshop for artists as well as a storespace and gallery areas. It will truly be an independent artisan's dream, and will hopefully quickly become a legend in Northeast Los Angeles and Pasadena. Of course, I'm also pleased to announce that both my wonderful wife Julie Keehner and I will have goods of our own available for purchase at the Majestic Roof, and we will both be spending a good deal of time there tomorrow.

Palm Tropics (Glendora, CA)

I decided to stay on the them of hotels that I started a couple of days ago. Today's photo is the Palm Tropics Motel on Route 66 in Glendora (Los Angeles County) CA. This is almost right next door to The Hat, which might just be my post tomorrow.



I have not stayed here yet, but the place looks like it has gotten some fixing up of late. It might be a Dining and Lodging Guide addition in the near future, if it is nice on the outside as it appears on the outside.

Blue Swallow (Tucumcari, NM - Route 66)

I took yesterday off from posting for one simple reason: I didn't feel that great. So I am making up for it today by posting two photos. They are both of the famous Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM, along Route 66. The first was taken one evening while there with many other Route 66 authors and artists, celebrating at the annual Route 66 celebration in Tucumcari. The next was taken the next morning. In the first shot, notice the full moon behind the clouds, and the reflection in the camera's mirror of the neon sign that is hanging upside down between the building and the moon. Both are from production ... nothing has been altered from the original shot (as is the case with 99% of my photography that you will see).

Aztec Hotel, Monrovia CA

Much like the Phillips 66 Station in McLean and the Blue Whale in Catoosa, the Aztec Hotel is another of the crown jewels along US-66. The Aztec is one of thirty-four (34) National Register of Historic Places landmarks within the cultural corridor of Route 66 in LA County. It is also one of only a few projects to receive grant funding from the National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. (The only others are a historic resources structure report of the Casa de Adobe and a comprehensive resource study of the entirety of the road in California.)

The Aztec is so beautiful that it just HAD to be the cover photo for my book, "Finding the End of the Mother Road: Route 66 in Los Angeles County." It was also the site of one of my presentations, this one given to the California Historic Route 66 Association, of which I am an honorary member.

The Aztec Hotel was designed by architect Robert Stacy Judd, and opened in September, 1925, more than a year before Route 66 would be christened. It has remained in operation ever since. After a recent period of only having long-term tenants, under new owner Kathie Reece-McNeill the Aztec Hotel is undergoing a long-term renovation and restoration which is seeing a return to nightly occupancy. The accompanying Brass Elephant Bar is a wonderful place to grab a cold Sierra Nevada and relax with friends.

LA Downtown at Sunset

In the foreground is the Buena Vista Viaduct, or Broadway Bridge. This bridge is currently the oldest in-use bridge remaining on the entire length of Route 66. In the background is Downtown Los Angeles, the original terminus of Route 66.

This is one of several shots that I have submitted to the Los Angeles Times' online "Your Scene" section.

Up the Coast (Bodega Bay, CA)

In April, 2004, my then-fiancee (now wife) Julie and I drove up the coast from San Francisco to Tillamook, OR. We were heading to Portland for the biennial Preserving Historic Roads Conference. We had both already driven the coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco, so we decided to officially start our trip by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Our first night out, we camped on Bodega Bay. This was one of our views the next morning.

(The entire trip's travelogue was available in the American Road group on Yahoo. But that group decided to move to American Road Magazine's own server. I haven't participated, mostly because I've been too lazy to log in. There was always something nice and easy about having everything emailed to me, and reading what I wanted, as opposed to actively trying to find out if I wanted to read anything.)

Not Just 66 (Lincoln Highway Bridge, Nebraska)

Even though Route 66 is my first love in terms of old roads, there is much more out there than just the Mother Road. The Lincoln Highway is widely considered to be the first transcontinental highway in the United States, and is considered by some 66'ers to be the Father Road. Its significance cannot be doubted, no matter how you view history.

I will explore as much as I can, and my photos will show as much of that exploration as possible. Stay tuned.

Another Icon (Blue Whale, Catoosa OK)

No less well-known than yesterday's McLean Phillips 66 Station is the Blue Whale in Catoosa, OK. What I really like about this shot is that it shows there is so much more to this area than most other photos. Before I actually arrived here the first time, I thought there was just a pond with a whale in it, and that was about it.

Despite the bright colors that abound here, this was actually an overcast, cloudy, relatively grotesque day. I was amazed at how well the shot came out, in light of that. Perhaps the brightness of the tables, chairs, and whale itself would be TOO much on a sunny day!

Restored 66 (McLean, TX)

Restored Phillips 66, that is. This is the now-famous restored Phillips 66 filling station in McLean, Texas. This, along with the Devil's Rope Museum, are just two of many internationally-known icons along 66 in the Texas Panhandle. In addition to those two locations in McLean, there is also the U Drop In in Shamrock, the Big Texan in Amarillo, and the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian. Soon to be added to the list will be the Vega Motel in Vega. And, of course, no one can forget the infamous Jericho Gap, the last section of 66 to be paved.

Goffs, CA

I hope to add a photo a day to this blog, until all my current "best of" photos are added into here. Starting at the top of the list in terms of "date modified" is this photo from Goffs, CA.

This location lies alongside Route 66 in the Mojave Desert, between Amboy and Needles. It was taken during the approach of a wonderful desert thunderstorm, which I fortunately was able to skirt around without too much hail hitting my car.