Why Folks Moove to the Country

Cow, Valley Head, Alabama, USA

Relaxing scenes like this are why folks move to and visit rural areas.

Get on the Bus

Water Taxi, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

We think this little pontoon water-taxi from aquabus is so cute.  It runs up and down False Creek in Vancouver from Granville Island to BC Place.

Coorying in Hops

Rail Cars, Golden, Colorado, USA

These trains are heading to the Coors Brewery.  Perhaps this liquid tanker is carrying beer ingredients.

Ready to Swim

Swimming Pool, JW Marriott, Los Angeles, California, USA

Although it was already October and well into the fall, this pool and the air temperature were perfect for a nice mid-afternoon dip.  If there's a swimming pool or beach at our hotel, we always bring swimsuits.

A Memory of Cheap Gasoline

Old Gas Pump, Cleveland, Georgia, USA

We can actually remember gasoline at 54¢ per gallon.  It hasn't been this cheap since the 1980's!

Pickled for Passvoer

Pickling Spices, Salmon, and Onions, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

It's not just celebrants at the Seder who get pickled for Passover.  Every year we make pickled salmon, just as Marc's family has done for generations.  This is a close-up of how it looks right before we pour the pickling brine on it.  After 7-10 days, it's ready for eating!

Deliverance Then And Now

Seder Table, Jaffa, Israel

This was our Seder table right before the start of Passover in 5764.  Inside the pages of our Haggadah is a prayer for the release of Soviet Jews.  That year, there was irony as we said the prayer.

Sitting at the table was a couple from the former Soviet Union and their son who was born in Israel hours after his parents' arrival.  As we celebrated our Exodus from Egypt centuries ago, we also celebrated this family's recent deliverance.

Seemingly Quiet

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is ranked the world's busiest, but you'd never know it from this picture.  In this flyby from around 10,000 feet, the airport looks quiet and empty.

Hold Your Horses

Stables, Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia, USA

We visited Pebble Hill Plantation back in the spring of 1991.  We were quite impressed with everything, including the old stables.  If you needed somewhere to hold your horses, it looked like they had vacancies.  However, these stables were no longer in use.

On Schedule

Dogwood Blossoms, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

The 78th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival is this weekend.  It doesn't always happen, but this year the dogwoods are in full bloom at the same time as the festival.  In fact, we took this photo just the other day.

We'll Have What She's Having

Catering Sign, New York City, New York, USA

This is the catering and party sign in the famous Katz's Delicatessen.  Open since 1888, Katz's has served generations.  Marc's family has been eating there for decades.  His parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and perhaps even his great-great grandparents ate there.  Katz's is also the site of the famous scene in When Harry Met Sally where Estelle Reiner says "I'll have what she's having".  Meg Ryan's order was too complicated for us, so we stuck to hot pastrami on rye.

A Big Splash

Aqua Tower, Chicago, Illinois, USA

With its wave-like balconies, the eighty-two story Aqua makes a big splash on the Chicago skyline.

Waiting to Azale

Azalea Bud, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

This bud is just beginning and will one day blossom into a beautiful azalea flower.  Spring is springing!

Studying the Heavens

Adler Planetarium on Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, USA

When we arrived at the Adler Planetarium, it was raining cats and dogs.  The rain just wouldn't stop.  While we were studying the heavens inside, the rain poured from the heavens outside.  Just as we finished our visit, the sky cleared and it became a spectacular summer afternoon on Lake Michigan.

Why Rush?

Road Sign, Palmetto, Georgia, USA

Driving through the backwoods encourages you to slow down and see the scenery.  This is especially true when you're behind a farm tractor!

A Guide for the Golden Gate

Point Bonita Lighthouse, Point Bonita, California, USA

Since 1877, the Point Bonita Lighthouse has warned ship captains away from treacherous cliffs and rocks as they passed through the Golden Gate into and out of San Francisco Bay.  Reachable only by a narrow suspension bridge, the lighthouse had to be relocated in the 19th century so it could be seen in the famously thick fog.

Runways Without Approach

Naval Air Station Alameda, Alameda, California, USA

Naval Air Station Alameda (NGZ) closed in 1997 and has not been used for much since that time.  We took this photo while climbing out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which is located just across the bay.

The Upside of Pollen

Zinnia, Pine Mountain, Georgia, USA

This spring, the pollen has us absolutely miserable.  Although the pollen count is not very high yet, this spring pollen season began earlier and contains more varied pollens than at the same time in previous years.

Even though we have red eyes and congested noses, we know pollen is the reason we can enjoy beautiful blossoming flowers like the zinnia above.  We saw this beauty in June a few years back at Callaway Gardens.  It was still unfolding and revealing it's many colors.

A Sense of Scale

MS Pride of America, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA

The MS Pride of America is not one of the largest cruise ships, but seeing it out in the harbor beyond the breakers and kayakers gives you a sense that it is still amazingly large.  Even the tender (in orange), which holds 50 or more passengers, looks tiny compared to the ship.

When posting this photo, we thought of leveling the horizon, but decided to leave it as is.

Projecting History

Movie Projector, Tel Aviv, Israel

This old movie projector is one of the many preserved cinematic artifacts found at the Cinema Hotel in Tel Aviv.  Situated on Dizengoff Square, the hotel began life as the Esther Cinema.  Despite modernized interiors, the Bauhaus architecture betrays this fine lady's age.

La Vegas

Beer, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

This ice cold Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc hit the spot during a break from touring the Las Vegas Strip.  It seemed appropriate to have a French beer as we were dining in Cosmopolitan's Comme Ça restaurant with a view of Paris up the strip.

Holding Back Colorado at Nevada and Arizona

Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and the Colorado River, Nevada and Arizona, USA

Hoover Dam is an incredible structure which holds back the Colorado River to form Lake Mead and provide hydroelectric power and water to millions of citizens in the Southwestern United States.

In this photo you can clearly see the dam, penstock towers, a spillway, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, and the bypass bridge.

This photo was taken near the end of the same flight from which we snapped yesterday's photo of Emory University and the CDC.  Like yesterday's photo, the plane was turning, but instead of climbing, it was descending.  This required being prepared and taking many shots in rapid succession.

We were lucky that there was no cloud cover and that our flight path flew past Hoover Dam where we could see it from our side of the plane.

On Top of the Class

Emory University and the CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

This photo was snapped shortly after take-off as we were making a slow, climbing turn over Atlanta.  Photography from commercial airliners is often difficult because of the aircraft movement, cabin turbulence, window clarity (smudges, scratches, frost), the sun, and our ability to lock in and focus on the subject.

Somehow everything was lined up to get this photo of Emory University and the CDC.  As we often do with our aerial photos, we darkened the photo slightly to reduce atmospheric noise.  For this photo, we also cropped the wing out since it wasn't integral to the photo.

Practice Makes Perfect

Camellia Flower, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

When at first you don't succeed, keep taking photos!  This photo was one of the last of many that were taken of this camellia's flowers.  Among the challenges were wind, changing light, incorrect camera settings, and lots of stooping.  We think our efforts were rewarded with this shot.

After The Climb

The "Rocky Steps", Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

The steps at the entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art have been immortalized in the Rocky movies.

After you reenact Rocky's ascent while listening to Gonna Fly Now on your MP3, take a moment to check out the beautiful park and cityscape behind you.  Be sure to also tour the spectacular Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Abdanoned and Blue

Guardhouse, DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, Chamblee, Georgia, USA

This guardhouse at the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) sits abandoned and we imagine high-tech security or another guard station has taken its place.  It looks very abandoned and blue.

Readying for the Next Wave

Du-par's Restaurant, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Since 1955, the Du-pars Restaurant has been serving up fresh meals (including breakfast 24 hours a day) to visitors and locals in Las Vegas.  Located in the the historic Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, this was a rare quiet moment in Du-pars on a cold, wet, and windy February night.

Du-pars originated in Los Angeles and has been in business since 1938.  We look forward to our next visit in Vegas or LA.  Real food in a 1930's style diner is a real treat.

crafted for us

Diver Sea Scallops and Caesar Salad, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

We realized a culinary dream by dining at Tom Colicchio's craftsteak restaurant at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  From the diver sea scallops and Caesar salad (shown) to the heirloom cauliflower, hen of the woods mushrooms, rolls, and of course the steaks, our meal showed us why Colicchio is at the top of Top Chef.

The portions were very generous and much more than two regular-sized people could eat.  If possible, a couple should share a nice steak and a bunch of appetizers.  We didn't even have room for dessert.

PS: The waiter said his puppy was going to enjoy our leftovers!

Floating Hotel

Diamond Princess, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

From the stern, the Diamond Princess cruise ship looks more like a hotel atop a barge instead of an ocean-going cruise ship.  Such construction and shapes showcase the wonders of modern architecture and shipbuilding.

A Grand for Around $400

The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Overflying the Grand Canyon in a Delta Airlines Boeing 757 cost us about $400 each, but the view was priceless.

Tree Love

Trees, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Marietta, Georgia, USA

You've heard of true love.  This is tree love!  We adored these two trees who appeared to be embracing each other.

Fresh Produce By The Way

The Produce Patch, Buford, Georgia, USA

Along many byways in the US are quaint produce stores selling local fruits, vegetables, jams, baked goods, and more.  We always love stopping in and seeing what we can find to snack on and/or take home for later.

Perfectly Imperfect

Tomatoes, Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver, Canada

With irregular shapes and scuff marks, these beautiful tomatoes would never make it to a big chain grocery store.  Nonetheless, these are likely more tasty and healthy than those "perfect" tomatoes could ever hope to be.

Up the River

Seagull, Savannah, Georgia, USA

This seagull was hanging out along the waterfront on the Savannah River.  Savannah isn't very far from coastal marshes and the Atlantic Ocean, but this seagull was definitely up the river.

Warm and Happy

Smile in the Snow, Evergreen, Colorado, USA

We don't know what the groundhog saw a few weeks ago, but we are glad to see the ice and snow melting and the temperature rising to milder levels.

Night Lights

City Lights, Vancouver, British Columbia, USA

In many a city there is a tall building which affords panoramic views.  Seattle has the Space Needle, Chicago has the John Hancock Center, New York has the Empire State Building, Atlanta has the Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Vancouver has the Lookout.

We visited the Vancouver Lookout during the day and night for some cool views of Vancouver.

In this night view looking south, we love how the lights of Gastown and the Olympic Stadium (aka BC Place) are brightened and how the freeway looks like a river of light bulbs.  We also love the various colors illuminating the buildings, streets and False Creek.

To take this photo, we set a shutter delay (10 seconds) to allow the camera to stabilize and then held the lens open for a slightly longer period than normal (perhaps 4 seconds).

Hubba Hubba

Auto Salvage Store, Alto, Georgia, USA

We passed this cute auto salvage store while wandering on the back roads.  The car on the roof and all the hubcaps caught our attention.  It wasn't open that day, so we're not 100% sure if this was an auto salvage store, but it was still a cool piece of rural art!

No Floundering

Flounder, Mashed Potatoes, and Capers, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

We certainly didn't flounder eating this meal.  It was delicious!  Would you believe this was at Max Lagers, a brew pub?

Roebling On The River

John A Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Spanning the Ohio River between Cincinatti, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, the John A Roebling Suspension bridge was at one time the longest suspension bridge in the world. 

John A Roebling may not be a household name, but a more famous bridge he made in Brooklyn demonstrates the quality and longevity of his work.

Save Me A River

The Everglades, Florida, USA

This was the Florida Everglades back in 2008, looking more wet and lush than it had in years.  A critical part of the ecosystem, The Everglades (aka River of Grass) have suffered from many ailments over the past decades.  Many of these issues were man-made, and it was nice to see that the efforts to fix what we caused were working.

Rite of Spring

Fountain, Burnet Woods, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

This beautiful fountain greets visitors to Burnet Woods Park in Cincinnati.  The scene reminds us of a mild spring day.  The weather in the photo and the sculpture's ballet-like pose gave us inspiration for today's photo title.

Who's in Control?

TV Remote Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Many of us have a variety of gadgets and remote controls to facilitate our television watching habits.  It makes us wonder if these devices allow us to control the television or for it to control us.

Tragic Beauty

Toccoa Falls, Toccoa, Georgia, USA

This beautiful spot was the site of tragedy in 1977.  Toccoa Falls is on the campus of Toccoa Falls College.  After 5 days of heavy rains, a dam above the falls burst and killed 39 people on campus as they slept.  The dam was never rebuilt to ensure this would not happen again.

Mountains Come Out of the Sky

Cattails, Evergreen Lake, Evergreen, Colorado, USA

This picture speaks for itself.  We were driving around Evergreen Lake to see the ice, and discovered this beautiful fall scene.

A Glass Phoenix

Firebird Sculpture, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

One of the great things about traveling is finding and seeing art.  The Firebird (aka Le Grand Oiseau de Feu sur l’Arche) is a giant sculpture found at the entrance to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.  It is covered with mirrored tiles which make up a mosaic covering the body of the sculpture.  Above is a sunburst adorning the shoulders on the back.  Below is the front of the sculpture and the entrance to the museum.

 

Loads of Fun?

Laundromat, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

We were unexpectedly in this laundromat and couldn't believe the sign "Laundry, Loads of Fun".  We're not sure about you, but laundry is not something we consider fun.  We felt this way as students using the laundromat and still feel this way as adults doing laundry at home.

Super Bowl of Cheese Doodles

Cheese Doodles, Mt Airy, Georgia, USA

Tonight the Denver Broncos will play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.  Whether you're a hard core fan or mildly interested, if you're watching the football game tonight you're likely surrounded by super-sized bowls of chips, nachos, pretzel, and perhaps even cheese doodles.  Going along with the carbohydrate fest are likely piles of chicken wings and troughs of salsas and dips.

Hang Around for Some History

Moffett Field Historical Society Museum, Mountain View, California, USA

Moffett Field hosts the one of the world's largest freestanding structures, Hangar One.  Hangar One was built to house very large dirigibles (rigid airships).  Beyond Hangar One, there are many other cool old structures to see at Moffett Field.

This is a side view of the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum, where you can learn all about Moffett Field and the history of dirigibles in United States Navy.

As Moffett Field and Hangar One date back to 1931, we decided to make this a sepia photo.  The sepia really highlights the peeling paint, although the scene was nearly two-tone to begin with.

Part of Hangar One is seen in the far right of the picture.

Cities by the Bay

Miami and Miami Beach, Florida, USA

When you hear the phrase City by the Bay, you likely think of San Francisco.  Miami and Miami Beach are also on a famous bay, Biscayne Bay.  We took this shot during a scenic approach to Miami International Airport.  From the west, we overflew the Everglades, came south past the airport over Dinner Key and Coconut Grove, and then circled through Miami to land.

In this photo you can see Biscayne Bay, downtown Miami, Miami Beach, the cruise ships at Dodge Island, US 1 and Interstate 95, as well as the Rickenbacker, MacArthur, Venetian, and Julia Tuttle Causeways.