Thanksgiving in the Mountains

Valley and Lake, Lookout Mountain, Georgia
Several years ago we spent Thanksgiving weekend in a log cabin near the town of Cloudland in the North Georgia mountains. The cabin is long gone, but the memories of a restful weekend remain. This was one of the many beautiful places we saw during our visit.

Senior Citizen of the Air

Everts Air Cargo DC-6, Everett, Washington, USA
This Douglas DC-6 is over 60 years old and still flying the rugged Alaska wilderness. Despite these airplanes spending more time in the maintenance shop than flying (reportedly 12 hours of maintenance for each flying hour), these aging giants outperform more recent aircraft.

Criss, Cross, Climb

Escalators, Chicago, Illinois, USA
This double escalator bank (2 pairs of up and down) is found in the Macy's on State Street (originally the Marshall Field & Company flagship). We really like how these crisscross and appear almost suspended in the atrium.

Hoodoo Descent

Navajo Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
The switchbacks on the Navajo Trail are slippery with loose rocks and gravel. If inattentive or wearing the wrong shoes, you risk slipping off the trail and tumbling down the canyon. Descending from Sunset Point, the trail takes you below the famous hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park. We loved Bryce and highly recommend it for a day or two day visit.

Almost Unbelievable

Baha'i Terraces, Haifa, Israel
The Shrine of the Báb is a holy place for members of the Baha'i faith and is surrounded by gardens. The exquisite garden terraces traversing steep Mount Carmel above and below the shrine are so perfect as to be almost unbelievable. While we're not Baha'i, we do admire the beauty of the gardens.

A Crisp Morning

Fall Sky, Falmouth, Maine, USA
This was the view from Falmouth one late November morning. You can almost smell the fresh, crisp air!

The Sunshine State

Sunset, Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida, USA
If not for the bay and buildings, you might not know this is Miami. The colors and clouds are more like the Desert Southwest than South Florida.

Florida is known as The Sunshine State. It seems like it is the sunrise and sunset state too!

This sunset came after a nice afternoon watching cruise ships come and go.

Portman's Portholes

Marquis II and Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
John Portman is the architect responsible for much of downtown Atlanta's look, both good and bad. On the upper left is the curvaceous Marriott Marquis hotel, one of the most whimsical and well known buildings in downtown Atlanta. It is a gem inside and out. In the foreground is the Marquis II office tower. Except for its large windows, it would not seem out of place in a communist country.

Utility Art

Utility box, Kfar Saba, Israel
Utility boxes are common on city, suburban, and rural streets all over the world. Most of the time, these boxes disrupt the aesthetic of the surrounding landscape. Kfar Saba has many painted and decorated utility boxes. This box on Weizmann Street is now a whimsical piece of street art rather than just an essential eyesore.

Feeding the Competition

Chick-fil-A, Dahlonega, Georgia, USA

We found it very funny that an employee of Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries in full regalia stopped by the anti-burger Chick-fil-A.

Apples Awaiting Honey

Apples, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Tonight marks the start of Rosh Hashanah.  Jews in the USA traditionally eat apples and honey.

These apples came from a bumper crop and tasted delicious.  We certainly enjoyed these a variety of ways.

Golden Boy

Goldfish, Chicago, Illinois, USA 

This is Albert, the house fish of the Hotel Burnham in Chicago.  Albert certainly added to the Burnham's considerable charm and hospitality.

A Long Haul Afternoon

KAL 777, San Francisco, California, USA
This Korean Airlines Triple-7 was boarding passengers and having catering loaded as it prepared for a trans-Pacific haul from San Francisco (SFO) to Seoul (SEL). Leaving in the early afternoon, this 777 traversed the route in daylight arriving a little more than twelve hours later in the afternoon on the following day.

Twists and Turns

Interstate Highway Interchange, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This highway interchange, with its multi-leveled twists and turns, is the southwest connection of Interstates 85 and 285, the Atlanta Bypass. The Perimeter, as I-285 is also known, is a major structure both physically and psychologically for metro Atlanta.

This particular interchange is nameless, and is thus less well known than the northern Perimeter intersections with I-85 and I-75. However, unlike the northern interchanges, this interchange demarcates the transition from urban to rural Georgia.