2019 Daily Photos
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February 9, 2019 -- Chapel of Transfiguration
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The Chapel of the Transfiguration is a small log chapel in Moose, Wyoming, just inside the south entrance to Grand Teton National Park. The chapel was sited and built to frame a view of the Cathedral Group of peaks in a large window behind the altar, in place of customary stained glass. The chapel, which was built in 1925, is owned and operated by St. John's Episcopal Church in nearby Jackson, Wyoming. Additionally, this little chapel played a primary role in the movie Spencer’s Mountain, which was filmed in Jackson Hole in 1963, and featured Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara.
Tomorrow's daily post will be an interior shot showing the large picture window behind the altar, as mentioned above.02092019011464202014AugustD7100Grand TetonMonthsNational ParksNikonPlacesTravelWyoming
February 8, 2019 -- Let’s Get Outta Here
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4-wheelin’ fun in the outback of Denali National Park, Alaska. In 2012, my wife & I spent a little over 3-weeks exploring inland Alaska and Yukon Territory (Canada). One of our most enjoyable times was a 6-hour ATV trek deep into Denali National park with a small group. This is a shot of the group leaving one of our rest stops during that junket.
February 6, 2019 -- Boston Avenue Methodist Church
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Tower of Boston Avenue Methodist Church - Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma and completed in 1929, is considered to be one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Art Deco architecture in the United States, and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
February 5, 2019 -- Matthew Watson General Store
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Matthew Watson General Store in Carcross Yukon Territory, Canada.
The Matthew Watson General Store was built in 1898 and still looks much as it has for the past hundred plus years. Although it’s not a museum, it does have a substantial inventory of fascinating artifacts as well as a huge variety of arts and crafts, gifts, souvenirs and clothing in two of the rooms, and gourmet ice cream and snacks in the other room, with tin-ware and candy jars, gasoline signs and wooden packing boxes everywhere. It’s the oldest continually running business in the Yukon Territory according to the current owner. A very interesting and unique place to visit.0205201901140923902012AlaskaCarcrossJulyTravelYukon Territory
February 4, 2019 -- The Boathouse
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The Boathouse at Tulsa’s Gathering Place reflects off the adjoining pond at night.
The Gathering Place is a 100-acre park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Construction on the park began in September, 2014. The first 66.5 acres opened September, 2018. The 21,000 Sq. Ft. Boathouse is the iconic center of this newly designed park, with three levels. The top level is an overlook providing views of the park as well as downtown area. This level also contains a restaurant offering fine dining inside and casual food outside. The 2nd level is dedicated to classrooms, activites & administrative offices. The lower level is a fully equipped dock for kayaks, canoes & paddleboats available for rental on the park’s pond.02042018122100632018AfterDarkChristmasD750DecemberEventsGathering PlaceHoliday LightsHolidaysNikonOklahomaOtherTravelTulsa
February 3, 2019 -- Swimmer School
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Swimmer School -- Swimmer School at Adams Corner Rural Village of Cherokee National Museum near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Adams Corner Rural Village is a collection of seven buildings representing Cherokee life in the 1800s before Oklahoma statehood. A self-guided tour of the rural village is part of the offerings of general admission to the Cherokee Heritage Center.
“The Cherokee Nation has long emphasized education as a tool for survival. During the 1800s, the literacy level of the Cherokee Nation was higher than that of both Texas and Arkansas. Literacy was spurred on by the use of Sequoyah’s syllabary, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoyah ) which aided Cherokee speakers in immediate literacy, enabling citizens to read the Cherokee Advocate newspaper and to keep abreast of the Nation’s issues and events.
In 1841, the Cherokee Nation opened the first free compulsory co-educational public school in the United States. The first public school in Tahlequah opened in the spring of 1846 opposite the southeast corner of the public square. At the end of the 19th Century, there were 124 schools with 28 designated for full blood students, 15 for descendants of freed Cherokee slaves, and the rest were open to all students. A Female and Male Seminary for higher education was also supported by the Cherokee Nation. The Female Seminary was the first school for higher education for women west of the Mississippi River. Studies included Latin, botany, chemistry, physics, and music. After Oklahoma statehood, the state Department of Education granted 62 hours of college credit to the Seminary’s graduates.” -- http://www.cherokeeheritage.org/attractions/swimmer-school-house/020320140410FMP40132014AprilBuildingsCherokee MuseumD610MonthsOklahomaSTRUCTURESTravel
February 2, 2019 -- The Lookout
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A blue heron looking for a tasty lunch at Magnolia Plantation near Charleston, SC.02022019011424032013CharlestonMagnolia PlantationSouth CarolinaTravel
February 1, 2019 -- The Inspiration
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It is this old garage on old U.S. 66 in Galena, Kansas, where the director John Lasseter and Joe Ranft of Pixar “Cars” saw the rusty old tow truck that inspired the character “Tow Mater” in the movie "CARS". It’s a great place to stop by and enjoy the story with old gas pumps, food, and Route 66 collectibles. You can even enjoy its celebrity Tow Truck. Other inspirations for the film were also found within the city of Galena itself.
January 31, 2019 -- Small Town - Larger Heart
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A colorful mural in Prague, Oklahoma celebrating the towns Czech heritage and one of their most famous citizens -- Jim Thorpe, Olympic gold medalist, considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern times.01302018030308902018ArtBuilding ArtD750MarchMonthsMuralsOklahomaTravel
January 29, 2019 -- Standin' On The Corner
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Just standin' on the corner, in Winslow, Arizona.
Don't let the sound of your own wheels
Drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Don't even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
And take it easy
January 27, 2019 -- Nowatta
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Nottaway Plantation House near White Castle, Louisiana.
Nottoway Plantation & Resort, a magnificent 1850's sugarcane estate, a AAA Four-Diamond property, and a member of Historic Hotels of America, is the home of the South's largest existing antebellum mansion, now stunningly restored to her days of glory. The plantation house is a Greek Revival and Italianate-styled mansion built by John Hampden Randolph in 1859, and is the largest extant antebellum plantation house in the South with 53,000 square feet (4,900 m2) of floor space.
January 26, 2019 -- Polishing The Chrome
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Polishing the Chrome. The owner-operator busy polishing the chrome undercarriage of his 53-foot trailer at a Shell Rotella Big Rig Show, in Tulsa, Oklahoma0125201705206FP37452017Car_ShowsD610EventsMayMonthsOklahomaShell Rotella Super Rig ShowTransportationTravelTrucksTulsa
January 24, 2019 -- Ready for Takeoff
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Stearman Kaydet PT-13 Trainer of the Commemorative Air Force getting ready for take-off at Tulsa International Airport.
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known as the Stearman, Boeing Stearman or Kaydet, it served as a primary trainer for the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Navy (as the NS and N2S), and with the Royal Canadian Air Force as the Kaydet throughout World War II. After the war was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market. In the immediate postwar years they became popular as crop dusters, sports planes, and for aerobatic and wing walking use in air shows. It’s powered by a Lycoming R-680, nine-cylinder, air cooled radial engine.01232018091371732018AirplanesD750MilitaryMonthsOklahomaSeptemberTransportationTravelTulsaTulsa AirSpace Museum
January 23, 2019 -- Paddle Wheel
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The paddle wheel of Victorian Princess on Lake Erie, near Erie, Pennsylvania012218592018BoatsD750ErieJunePassengerPennsylvaniaShipsTransportationTravelWatercraft
January 21, 2019 -- Winged Motometer
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Pierce Arrow Motometer atop the radiator of a 1919 Pierce Arrow in the Pierce Arrow Museum of Buffalo, New York0120287019192018AutomobilesBuffaloD750JuneModel YearMuseumNew YorkPierceArrowPierceArrow MuseumPlacesTransportationTravel
January 20, 2019 -- Red Oak Cafe
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Red Oak Café sign at Red Oak II, near Carthage, Missouri.
It was a real, operating restaurant at one time, but is now closed & sits idle, but the sign is still there with the artist’s name in lower right.
Red Oak II is a “real, but fake” town created by Artist Lowell Davis. Davis is a well known artist generally referred to as the “Norman Rockwell of Rural Art”. His love for the simpler times is reflected in his pet project Red Oak II, a real, but fake town he created just off old U.S. 66 near Carthage, Missouri over 30 years ago. It’s a collection of more than 40 vintage buildings that comprise the town where he had so many memories as a child. Davis has a love for the simpler times of the past that are reflected, not only in his “new” town, but also in his paintings and sculptures. Of his re-created town, he said: “Red Oak II is a combination of a painting and a sculpture, and it is just made from things that someone else threw away.”
January 18, 2019 -- Spouting Off
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Old Faithful sends up a spout of water at Yellowstone National Park0118FMP61202014AugustD7100GeysersNational ParksNikonOld FaithfulPlacesTravelWyomingYellowstone
January 16, 2019 -- The International
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The International Hotel & Bar in Austin, Nevada sits along a portion of U.S. 50 which crosses the center of the state and was named “The Loneliest Road in America” by Life Magazine in their July 1986 edition.
The International Hotel & Bar, first built in Virginia City, Nevada in 1859 but was dismantled in 1863 and moved 163 miles east to Austin where it was reassembled becoming the first commercial building in Austin. The International, said to be the oldest in Nevada, still serves meals and drinks but no longer rents out rooms. Austin contains numerous other historical buildings, in various states of repair & disrepair. The town’s population was said to be about 350 in 2005 but had dwindled to 192 at the 2010 census. That’s quite a change from the 10,000+ that were there by summer of 1863 when scores of miners were attracted to the gold & silver prospects in the area. The International Cafe and Bar is said to be haunted by a ghost called “Tommy” that sometimes appears in the bar area ….. I suspect that may be based on how long one has been imbibing at the bar. 😊
The city of Austin was mapped out in 1862 by David Buell. This was during the American Civil War, and the Union was eager to find new sources of precious metals, especially gold & silver, to support the war effort. The city was named after Buell's partner, Alvah Austin, during a silver rush. The valued metal was reputedly found when a Pony Express horse kicked over a rock and observers noticed the silver.
January 15, 2019 -- Phillips 66
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Old Phillips 66 Gas Station in Red Oak II, Missouri.
Red Oak II is a “real, but fake” town created by Artist Lowell Davis. Davis is a well known artist generally referred to as the “Norman Rockwell of Rural Art”. His love for the simpler times is reflected in his pet project Red Oak II, a real, but fake town he created just off old U.S. 66 near Carthage, Missouri over 30 years ago. It’s a collection of more than 40 vintage buildings that comprise the town where he had so many memories as a child. Davis has a love for the simpler times of the past that are reflected, not only in his “new” town, but also in his paintings and sculptures. Of his re-created town, he said: “Red Oak II is a combination of a painting and a sculpture, and it is just made from things that someone else threw away.”
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mo-redoakii/
January 14, 2019 -- Straight Arrow
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Hood ornament on a 1936 Pierce Arrow at the Pierce Arrow Museum in Buffalo, New York.011427832018AutomobilesBuffaloD750JuneMonthsMuseumNew YorkPierceArrow MuseumPlacesTransportationTravel
January 8, 2019 -- Delicate Lavender
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Not sure of the official name for this pretty lavender & white flower I found in the Crystal Bridge Conservatory at Oklahoma City’s Myriad Botanical Gardens. It just struck me as a good candidate for a closeup.01086FP20942014D610JulyMonthsMyriad GardensNikonOKCOklahomaTravel
January 6, 2019 -- Tom Mix Museum
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The Tom Mix Museum in Dewey, Oklahoma where he served as Sheriff prior to his time as one of America's best know western movie stars.
Tom Mix (1880 – 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western movies between 1909 and 1935. Appearing in 291 films, during his career, he was Hollywood's first Western star and helped define the genre as it emerged in the early days of the cinema.
Mix made 291 movies throughout his career, nearly all featuring action-oriented scripts where Heroes and villains were sharply defined and a clean-cut cowboy always saved the day. Millions of American children grew up watching his films on Saturday afternoons. His intelligent and handsome horse Tony also became a celebrity. Mix did his own stunts and was frequently injured. His performances were noted for their realism and for screen-friendly action stunts and horseback riding, attention-grabbing cowboy costumes, and showmanship.
Mix was the acknowledged "King of Cowboys" when Ronald Reagan and John Wayne were young, and the influence of his screen persona can be seen in their approach to portraying cowboys. When an injury caused football player Marion Morrison (later known as John Wayne) to drop out of the University of Southern California, Mix helped him find work moving props in the back lot of Fox Studios. That was the beginning of Wayne's Hollywood career.
December 4, 2019 -- U-Drop Inn
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The U-Drop Inn Restaurant and Tower Service station in Shamrock Texas opened for business on April 1, 1936 as a real “show stopper” for its day. This unique building, constructed of brick and green glazed tile basically followed a design created by a friend of the builder who scratched the design on a patch of dirt in the driveway of a nearby motel. The design was perfected for construction by architect J.C. Berry of Pampa, Texas representing the popular art-deco style of the 1920s & 1930s.
When the business opened, the local newspaper called it "the most up-to-date edifice of its kind on U.S. Highway 66 between Oklahoma City and Amarillo", with the café considered "the swankiest of the swank eating places" where “delicious food was courteously served”.
It finally closed for business in the late 1990s; was added to the National Historic Register in 1997 and a total restoration was completed in 2003-04. The building’s distinctive architecture was used as the model for Ramone’s Auto Body & Paint Shop in the 2006 Disney movie “CARS”.
It’s still one of the most interesting & eye-catching points of interest along what remains of old U.S. 66 and currently contains a museum, visitors’ center, gift shop, and the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
January 3, 2018 -- Crystal Bridge
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The Crystal Bridge Conservatory at Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. home to thousands of beautifully displayed tropical and desert plantings.
The Conservatory is 224 feet long, 70 feet in diameter, and is covered by 3,028 sections of translucent, double-layered acrylic panels. It contains 13,000 square feet of plant display area in two distinct climates: the Tropical Wet Zone; and the Tropical Dry Zone, which receives water from April through September, followed by drought from November through March.
January 1, 2019 -- The First in Texas
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Clearly from a much simpler time, this vintage 1928 gas service station, designed in “Cottage Fashion” and often called a “Doll House” was started in 1927 after Congress authorized a coast-to-coast highway called Route 66. Finished in 1928, the station operated under different owners and brands of products until the Interstate system came into being.
Company records show this station was the first Phillips Petroleum Company retail outlet in Texas and the first built outside Oklahoma at the time. Renovated in 1992 by local citizens under the auspices of the Old Route 66 Association of Texas, this now famous Route 66 Icon is the most photographed property all along Route 66. The site is owned and maintained by the Texas Route 66 Association.
Happy New year to all -- hope you all have an awesome 2019. Keep shooting!!!
