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.