Thursday, October 15, 2015

Land of the Wind Turbines

You know you are finally getting away from the urban sprawl of S. CA when you spot the first wind turbines as you head east on Interstate 10. These start to pop up somewhere around the Cabazon dinosaur (the "world's biggest dinosaur gift store", the Morongo Casino, and the outlet stores. San Gorgonio Mountain (11,503') is immediately to your north, and Mt. San Jacinto (10,834') to your south. These two mountains create something of a wind tunnel in the area, hence the nearly constant winds. Palm Springs is just ahead. As the big desert vistas come into view, my blood pressure immediately drops by about 10mmHg (at least that's what it feels like!). I took these shots two weekends ago on our way out to 29 Palms. The sky was heavy with rain clouds (turned out to be just a tease with not much rain). I chose B&W for this post, as I think it gives the sky a bit more drama.
The turnoff sign for 29 Palms/Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree (Highway 62) as you head east on Interstate 10.
My wife and Coyote Bait, Whitewater Road
Land of the Wind Turbines
Westbound traffic, Interstate 10
Unidentified and fenced off old buildings at Whitewater.  I wonder what this was??
I'm reading a book called My Life on the Mojave by June LeMert Paxton, who moved to the 29 Palms area in 1932. She said back then the closest mail delivery was in Whitewater (where these photos were taken). That's some 30+ miles on unpaved, rocky desert road to get your mail!! It would have been a very long, treacherous drive, even for the best of vehicles! I wonder if the old structure above might have been the Whitewater post office? I like that old door and the frame around it!


Linking with   and Skywatch Friday.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!
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44 comments:

  1. Photo CacheOctober 15, 2015 at 4:15 PM

    Wow, these are amazing. Calendar shots for sure.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  2. Ruth HiebertOctober 15, 2015 at 5:15 PM

    Yes, the B&W certainly works for these shots. We have wind turbines around here too,but they are spaced much farther apart.

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  3. Sylvia KOctober 15, 2015 at 5:17 PM

    Awesome captures they are indeed!! Thanks so much for sharing!! They would make a terrific calendar!!!

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  4. TexWisGirlOctober 15, 2015 at 5:33 PM

    really neat! :) go, lower bp! :)

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  5. Yogi♪♪♪October 15, 2015 at 6:38 PM

    Wow, very spectacular and interesting pictures. I've only visited the Mojave desert two or three times but it is really haunting. So much has happened there.

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  6. AlOctober 15, 2015 at 7:27 PM

    I remember lots of wind turbines around Palm Springs when I was there a few years ago. These are great B&W shots!

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  7. StephanieOctober 15, 2015 at 7:50 PM

    Beautiful black and white images, dramatic and moody!

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  8. rupam sarmaOctober 15, 2015 at 8:11 PM

    Amazing views, Great monochrome clicks.
    ~ Have a nice weekend ~

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  9. Joanne OlivieriOctober 15, 2015 at 9:03 PM

    WOW! Beautiful dramatic shots.

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  10. MaschaOctober 15, 2015 at 9:59 PM

    A forest of wind turbines... Great photos in b&w.
    I like the fence and the old wooden gate.

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  11. ak_utOctober 15, 2015 at 10:01 PM

    phantastic shots and very interesting post - happy weekend :-)

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  12. KarenOctober 15, 2015 at 10:03 PM

    Love these in B&W!

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  13. John "By Stargoose And Hanglands"October 15, 2015 at 10:30 PM

    They are certainly dramatic skies that benefit from the B/W treatment. We also have wind-turbines in abundance, though many of ours are offshore in the North Sea - rather a different setting to the desert!

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  14. Gemma WisemanOctober 15, 2015 at 11:10 PM

    The black and white certainly enhances the drama and tones of those cloud shapes. Stunning scenes.

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  15. IndraniOctober 15, 2015 at 11:25 PM

    Yes the B&W does add drama to the scenes captured.
    Happy SWF!

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  16. Margaret Birding For PleasureOctober 15, 2015 at 11:35 PM

    Works well in B & W

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  17. Billy Blue EyesOctober 15, 2015 at 11:54 PM

    Land of the wind Turbines we have land of the solar farms, they are every where round here. Dam unsightly things, Rather have Turbines. Your photos do look dramatic in B&W

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  18. TomokoOctober 16, 2015 at 12:18 AM

    Just gorgeous and powerful landscapes! I like your header too.Great photo!

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  19. TomokoOctober 16, 2015 at 12:18 AM

    Just gorgeous and powerful landscapes! I like your header too.Great photo!

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  20. AnonymousOctober 16, 2015 at 12:49 AM

    Wow - so dramatic and gorgeous!

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  21. KlaraOctober 16, 2015 at 12:53 AM

    gorgeous shots. clouds look so dramatic in B&W, even apocalyptic (specially with a sign - road ends)

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  22. ChristineOctober 16, 2015 at 12:53 AM

    Awesome photos! The skies are so leery! Your photos are brilliant!
    Christineandhercamera.blogspot.com

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  23. Seraphinas PhantasieOctober 16, 2015 at 1:18 AM

    Marvelous photos of the dramatic sky and fabulous lines in all your pictures. Amazing !
    Best regards, Synnöve

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  24. s.cOctober 16, 2015 at 2:15 AM

    Indeed very dramatic skies but oh boy what are these photo's good looking.

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  25. Author R. Mac WheelerOctober 16, 2015 at 4:43 AM

    who knew clouds could be so dramatic in B&W

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  26. Share my GardenOctober 16, 2015 at 4:50 AM

    This is such a dramatic travelogue, textural awareness heightened and everything held together in the absence of colour - wonderful. It's fascinating to see a place that I'm never likely to visit through your eyes and to read your commentary. Thank you.

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  27. RajlakshmiOctober 16, 2015 at 4:56 AM

    woww the dramatic clouds make the pictures looks so gorgeous. Beautiful compilation.

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  28. eileeninmdOctober 16, 2015 at 5:30 AM

    Wow, these are awesome B&W images. The sky with the turbines does look dramatic, wonderfully captured. Have a happy weekend!

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  29. Linda KayOctober 16, 2015 at 6:25 AM

    Wind turbines are now in the fields of my home in Illinois, and I don't like them. These look like they are where they should be, not in someone's back yard. Love your Black and Whites for this post!

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  30. carol l mckennaOctober 16, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    Fantastic BW shots ~ all of them ~

    Happy Weekend to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  31. RajeshOctober 16, 2015 at 10:34 AM

    Amazing shots.

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  32. JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes)October 16, 2015 at 10:54 AM

    Fabulous photos - wonderful project. There is almost constant wind in the part of Kansas where we lived years ago - and also now in the Pacific Northwest - but for the worst reasons (greed) we don't see wind generator farms - free fuel and save the environment. This has to change.

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  33. BarbOctober 16, 2015 at 11:39 AM

    Fabulous pics! And, yes, the desert skies have been dramatic of late, haven't they? I'm thinking that there used to be a stage stop at Whitewater. Also Cabot Yerxa, from the Cabot's Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs, mentions traveling to Whitewater to get concrete for his building. Perhaps that was were he got his concrete?

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  34. NatureFootstepOctober 16, 2015 at 3:07 PM

    that was really a lot of wind turbines. Interesting finds here and there. I like the old, unknown stuff. :)

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  35. RantenOctober 16, 2015 at 3:40 PM

    Lovely pictures!

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  36. Shrinidhi HandeOctober 16, 2015 at 3:44 PM

    Nice. I have a few posts on wind turbines...

    Windmill town, Netherlands

    Wind is the answer

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  37. A Colorful WorldOctober 17, 2015 at 7:25 AM

    Your B&W shots are incredible! Boy I enjoyed this post! When we drove through there last month I didn't take a single wind turbine photo, because I hate that they are supposed to represent the GREEN alternative, but they are expensive to maintain and kill a lot of birds. To me it's a waste to have them. But, your photos give them an air of modern poetry, and I loved that! Also, the mention of the book and the PO in Whitewater. I added the book to my To Read list!

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  38. Jutta.K.October 17, 2015 at 9:36 AM

    Great reception, fantastic photos !
    This is my sky please look
    Friendly greetings from Germany

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  39. uberrhundOctober 17, 2015 at 11:47 AM

    Love these in Black and White. My mind uses those wind towers as a landmark too, East bound they shout "Adventure! We ride!" and returning from points once unknown they whisper "home,home is just ahead, you're almost there".

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    Replies
    1. uberrhundOctober 17, 2015 at 11:52 AM

      The blogger sites are not letting Wordpress blogs post comments with their own URL like http//luaubeesvintage.wordpress.com. No idea why but that is why I have been just letting it go through Google. I really like the Wordpress interface but this is annoying enough I might look into trying blogger again.

      Delete
  40. AimzOctober 17, 2015 at 1:30 PM

    very very cool landscapes you have going on there, and the black and white imagery makes it more dramatic and stand out. We have wind turbines here but only in certain places, there's a bit of an outcry when they go up, people think they are a bit of a blot on the horizon.

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  41. AnonymousOctober 18, 2015 at 8:33 AM

    I know what you mean. When I get out to that area, I just love it. I remember back in the 80s when there was practically nothing between riverside and Palm springs.

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  42. AnonymousOctober 18, 2015 at 8:33 AM

    I know what you mean. When I get out to that area, I just love it. I remember back in the 80s when there was practically nothing between riverside and Palm springs.

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  43. Sallie (FullTime-Life)October 21, 2015 at 1:10 PM

    Really wonderful in B&W....we see wind turbines in several places nowadays, but the very first ever time was aroun where you are .... And we were in awe!

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