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!