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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Eilat of Boats

Marina, Eilat, Israel

These tour boats were readying for tourists early one December morning.  Situated at the northern tip of the Red Sea, Eilat is a popular destination year round for Europeans, Israelis, and others.  Although it is called the Red Sea, the water is usually very clear and at least one of the boats in the foreground has a glass bottom for viewing fish, coral, and urchins.

Night Swim

Swimming Pool and Hot Tub, Springdale, Utah, USA

The swimming pool and hot tub at the Majestic View Lodge were not empty this day because it was cold, or dirty, or uninviting.  These were empty because neither could compete with the scenery all around.  After dark, when travelers had completed a day of touring Zion National Park, the pool and hot tub came alive and we were rewarded with soothing waters and a beautiful night sky.

This Lead Doesn't Sink

Leadville, Colorado, USA

At 10,152 feet (3,094 m), Leadville is the highest city in the USA.  Perhaps it should be named Floatville.

Surprisingly, Leadville was at one time the second largest city, by population, in Colorado.  It now has just over 2,000 residents.

We took this photo back in 1998, and this part of Leadville doesn't appear much different today.

Barn Find

See Rock City Barn, Gainesville, Georgia, USA

At one time, there were almost 900 "See Rock City" barns spread across 19 states from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.  Now, fewer than 100 remain.  We spotted this old barn near Gainesville, Georgia while meandering down Old Cornelia Highway.  The new Cornelia Highway, U.S. 23, is a high speed extension of Interstate 85.  Surely, this barn and the sign are from another time.  When we drive the older roads, we're often rewarded with surprises like this historic structure.

On a side note, we took all sorts of shots of this with our Canon Powershot SX40, but our Apple iPhone 4 tracking shot (for GPS) was the best.

Where Are the Plains?

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

While we see no waving wheat and no open plains for the wind to come rushing down, we can see that you're doing fine Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city in Oklahoma.  The North Canadian River (bottom of the photo) passes through the city and is temporarily renamed the Oklahoma River for those few miles.

Like so many aerial photos taken from a commercial airliner, the original shot was washed out.  We used Picasa's I'm Feeling Lucky filter to enhance the photo's colors and contrast.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Everyday is Winding Road

Clear Creek Canyon Road, Golden, Colorado, USA

Clear Creek Canyon Road is a section of U.S. Route 6 linking Idaho Springs and Golden.  We took this photo from a vista in Lookout Mountain Park.

Farming on the Mighty Mississippi

Mississippi River, Illinois and Missouri, USA

Flying along a river, especially one as storied as the Mighty Mississippi, reminds us of how much of our nation's growth flows from river commerce and agriculture.  These fluffy, low hanging clouds add to the beauty of the river and farmlands.