Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Treemendous Sunset

Sunset, Denver, Colorado, USA
Beautiful sunsets are not just about unobstructed skies and ocean reflections.  This stunning sunset in Denver showcases the silhouettes of trees and the vibrant colors of the sky to make a wondrous landscape.

As today is the last day of 2013, we thought we'd send the year off with a beautiful sunset.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Tennessee in Georgia

Railroad Track, Buford, Georgia, USA
Despite the Tennessee markings on this track, we took this photo while driving on Georgia's backroads.  We really like the various shades of red and brown in this photo.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Desperately Seeking Seafood?

Seafood Restaurant, Panama City, Florida, USA
Whenever we go to the Florida Panhandle, we have a craving for hushpuppies and deep fried fish and seafood.  This simple, unpretentious, down home place sure did deliver the goods.  We found Hunt's Oyster Bar by accident, but a lot of other folks seem to know about it too.  Check it out the next time you're in Panama City.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Soundstage

DeSoto Theater, Rome, Georgia, USA
The DeSoto Theater was specially built in 1928 for the new talking pictures.  It opened in 1929 and was the first movie theater in the Southeast to show talkies.  The typography and lights on the marquee and the box office in the entryway hearken back to an earlier time.  With movies now shown mostly in multiplexes, the theater is now used for stage plays.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Winter?

United Airlines Boeing 777, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
While much of the nation is in the cold of winter, it is usually warm in Hawaii during December and every other month.

At most airports, you can only see the planes through thick panes of glass.  At Honolulu International Airport (HNL), you can enjoy a stroll outside and see and hear the planes while you await your flight.  They even have lovely gardens to enjoy.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Lookout Below

Tennessee River, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Back in the 1990's, we took a trip to Chattanooga during a cold December.  We took this picture from a rock ledge in Point Park atop Lookout Mountain.  We remember the beautiful scenery, but also the bitter cold of that day.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Ice Themed Cone

Pine Cone, Evergreen, Colorado, USA
We saw this pine cone sitting on Evergreen Lake and zoomed in on it to capture this magical scene.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Holiday Travels

Downtown Connector, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Many people are on the roads today traveling to friends and family for the holidays.  Unlike the quiet scene above, Atlanta's highways are likely jam packed today.

Atlanta's Downtown Connector is the combined highway of Interstates 75 and 85.  At the spot pictured above, you can see downtown Atlanta and the ramps to and from Interstate 20.

Atlanta isn't just a leader in air travel (Atlanta has the world's busiest airport), it is also a major hub for road traffic.  You can travel I-75 from South Florida to Canada, I-85 from Alabama to Virginia, and I-20 from South Carolina to Texas.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Lift to Work

Construction Cranes, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
These cranes helped build new freeway ramps between Interstate 85 and Georgia 400.  While construction may have slowed the morning commute for many, drivers were rewarded with majestic views like the above.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Christmas Dinner

Egg Rolls, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Many Jews around the USA will be enjoying Chinese food on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  While their Christian friends are eating ham, they'll be enjoying egg drop soup, egg rolls, and sweet and sour chicken at their local Chinese restaurants.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Hawaiian Twins

One Waterfront Towers, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Honolulu comes in fourth for US cities with the most skyscrapers.  The One Waterfront Towers, named Mauka and Makai, were built in 1990 and were for a time the tallest buildings in all of Hawaii.  The Hawaiian word Mauka means towards the mountains and Makai means towards the sea.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Winter Wonderland

Southwestern Norway
During a trip to Israel from the States, we made our European landfall over western Norway.  Surprisingly, it added very little mileage to our trip.  This was the amazing view as we soared through the sky.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Harbor Hues

Boats, Portland, Maine, USA
This week's Canadian Clipper likely has Portland deep in snow today.  This was the scene by the harbor on a nice fall day back in 2001.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Cone of Lula

Pine Cone, Lula, Georgia, USA
We really struggled to come up with a title and text for this photo.  We decided to be simple and title it "Cone of Lula".

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Angelic Request

Angel Sculpture, Prague, Czech Republic
We saw this dramatic angel while walking towards the Royal Castle in Prague.  We loved his expressive, heartfelt pleading to Heaven.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

A Trifle of an Orange

Trifoliate Orange, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This is a trifoliate orange, also known as a Chinese bitter orange and a hardy orange.  It is a relative of citrus, but is grown on a thorny shrub instead of a large tree.

To take this photo, we put the fruit on a white table and placed the iPhone 4 just inches away.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Echoes of the Past

Ruins, Sweetwater Creek State Park, Lithia Springs, Georgia, USA
While touring Sweetwater Creek State Park, we visited the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company textile mill.  The mill was built before the U.S. Civil War and was powered by Sweetwater Creek (the creek is more like a river).  The Union Army shut down and burned the mill and then arrested all of the employees.  The ruins are now a reminder of times and struggles long ago.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Shrunk By Sprawl

Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Unlike the dense megalopoli of Chicago and New York, many sprawling cities look like a collection of small cities from the air.  Whereas New York is a continuous city of skyscrapers, Atlanta's skyscrapers are spread out in groups.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Essential Oil

Chanukah Sufganyot, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Besides lighting the Chanukah Menorah, cooking in oil is essential during Chanukah.  For kids and adults alike, these delicious Sufganyot (doughnuts) are fun to make and eat!

While olive oil is preferred for Chanukah cooking, vegetable oil is better for cooking sweets like Sufganyot.