July 31, 2007 at 8:10 AM MST
· Filed under Panoramas, Photography, Vacation
Posted by Bob
In 1930, Fred Harvey commissioned Mary Colter to design and build a gift shop and rest area at the Grand Canyon’s Desert View scenic overlook. The Watchtower resulted from Colter’s efforts and was opened to the public in 1933.
The Desert View lookout and the Watchtower make for a climactic final stop if you are driving Desert View Drive from Grand Canyon Village, or a dramatic beginning if you enter the park through the East Entrance. From the top of the 70-foot stone-and-mortar Watchtower even the muted hues of the distant Painted Desert to the east and the 3,000-foot-high Vermilion Cliffs rising from a high plateau near the Utah border are visible. In the chasm below, angling to the north toward Marble Canyon, you can see an imposing stretch of the Colorado River. The Watchtower houses a glass-enclosed observatory with powerful telescopes.
I made this image of the tower using a vertical panoramic technique; first, I took three images of the tower in portrait mode, one above the other with slight overlap. I was standing about 30 feet (9 meters) away from the tower. The camera was my little Canon A710 IS and the photo stitch software was part of Canon’s Zoom Browser which came with the camera. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger view of this interesting, looming tower.
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July 30, 2007 at 10:06 AM MST
· Filed under Military, Panoramas, Vacation
Posted by Bob
During our visit to San Diego, I took this panoramic view of the USS Midway docked at Navy Pier. The Midway is now permanently moored as a floating museum. Verna’s Dad, Bill, served on this ship when he was a sailor.
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July 29, 2007 at 8:36 PM MST
· Filed under Flowers & Garden, Photography
Posted by Verna
As promised, I am posting this shot of the bromeliad in bloom. Pink and blue pods make this flower look like a candy confection. Don’t get too close, though, you might get stuck by the spiny petals.
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July 28, 2007 at 6:57 PM MST
· Filed under Photography
Posted by Bob
Verna snapped this unusual vehicle just before we got home from our vacation. Unlike most trikes which have one wheel in front, this one has two steering wheels in front, and a single drive wheel in the rear. Very interesting!
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July 27, 2007 at 7:26 PM MST
· Filed under Panoramas, Photography, Vacation
Posted by Bob
This is the Arboretum at Balboa Park in San Diego. We spent the day visiting the park and other nearby attractions. Click for the full panoramic view.
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July 26, 2007 at 7:12 PM MST
· Filed under Photography, Vacation
Posted by Bob
I caught this image as she was doing her thing photographing the canyon.
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July 25, 2007 at 7:05 PM MST
· Filed under Photography, Vacation
Posted by Verna
Bob poses near a 600 foot cliff at Canyon de Chelly for this picture. There is no truth to the rumor that I said “Step back just a little.”
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In 1930, Fred Harvey commissioned Mary Colter to design and build a gift shop and rest area at the Grand Canyon’s Desert View scenic overlook. The Watchtower resulted from Colter’s efforts and was opened to the public in 1933.
