Our route today, took us through the Gila-Pinal scenic highway, from Apache Junction, AZ to Globe, AZ. En-route were many scenic natural vistas, but this man-made one was also very pretty. This bridge won the annual award of merit in 1949 for the most beautiful steel bridge by the American Institute of Steel Construction. Click to see image full-size.
We’re on the road again! Today, we stopped for a few groceries in Indio, California. While I was waiting for Bob to come out of the store, I took this photo of a “Pride of Barbados,” a.k.a. “Red bird of Paradise.”
This is probably my favorite flowering shrub in the world – unfortunately, they refuse to thrive where we live. They love desert climates – along the California coast? Not so much. Click on the image to enlarge.
By the way – I took an even better picture of one of these in Kingman, Arizona last year.
Our recent vacation took us to Reno, Nevada. We came back via US Highway 395 through the Owens Valley, just east of the towering Sierra Nevada mountain range. One of the interesting scenic stops along the way is Mono Lake, where strange alkaline formations known as tufa, protrude from the lake bed and shoreline. This is a panoramic image taken from the south shore at a point closest to some of the major formations. Click the image above to see full sized panorama.
Mono Lake is said to have formed at least 760,000 years ago when the Long Valley Caldera erupted. God forbid that should happen again, since life in America would be quite different – or perhaps non-existent – as a result.
Our recent vacation to Reno took us through Angel’s Camp, California. A historic old Gold Rush town and site of the annual Calaveras County Frog Jumping Contest originated by Mark Twain.
While in town, I took this image pair of the classic Art Deco Angels Theater. Click the image to see full size. If you don’t have your 3D glasses, you can always view the 2D version here.
According to Cinema Treasures . . .
Built in 1936 by Harvey Entertainment, the classic Angels Theater was restored in 1999 by its current owners, Cinema West, and converted into a triplex.
The main auditorium features murals of Gold Country miners, which are lit by original trough lighting. The main theater also contains a large stage and curtain. During the restoration, stadium seating was installed along with state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment.
Two smaller theaters are located in the former balcony, which has been refurbished with more leg room and better sight lines. A fourth auditorium was added to the building in the latter part of 2001. Recently, the Angels added a fifth screen.
We stopped for lunch in South Lake Tahoe during our recent trip to Reno. While we were in a park to have a picnic lunch, these Canadian geese came honking to see if we would share with them. Click to enlarge.
We recently drove from Sutter Creek in the California Gold Country to Reno. On our way, we stopped at a park in South Lake Tahoe to have lunch. While we were there, I photographed three images of the lake which I later stitched into this panoramic image. Click the image to enlarge.
