Thursday, January 26, 2023

Calumet Mine: The Drive Home

 Calumet Mine was a fun place to explore, but it's time to start the long Jeep trip back to civilization. Looking back on this trip, at least half the fun was in getting to (and from) the destination. And if you enjoy desert skies and lots of photo opportunities, it doesn't get much better than this!
Who doesn't love desert trains? With seemingly unlimited visibility, beautiful light, and wonderful skies, you can't go wrong. This train was so long that it didn't fit in a single photo!
 
It was a looooooooooong time waiting for this train to pass!
 
Now that's off-grid/remote living!
 
The Road Runner's Retreat on old Route 66 has been abandoned for many years. I would love to see photos of what it looked like during prosperous times. That's Roger taking the close-up photo.
 


 




I've shared the photo of the full moon over Roy's before, but sharing it again because this was taken on the drive home from the Calumet Mine.
 
Hope you enjoyed these desert skies, and thanks for stopping by!
Linking with Skywatch Friday.

38 comments:

  1. ...I've always wanted to drive a Vette along Route 66!

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  2. That desert scene is very good. The road sign and abandoned building are so reminiscent of the times

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  3. That train was long, noting like that here in the UK. The photos from that trip were really enjoyable

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  4. Wow! Awesome sky shots ~ especially the moon and trains are always intriguing ~ Xo

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  5. I always wonder about people who live out way yonder in the desert. Some of those spots are pretty remote. Well, not to the highway... It's really nice to drive through in a comfortable car with the a/c or heat going (depending on season) and watch the scenery without having to deal with the extreme temps.

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  6. Strange I started on this post and ended up commenting on the park. LOL oh my brain short circuited I think. That first photo is outstanding - love the vintage feel of sepia. Beautiful views on your trek home.

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  7. Dearest Peter,
    Such endless trains are a marvel in itself.
    We both enjoyed them during our trip to the west of Wyoming.
    Dramatic skies, mountains and rugged terrain all made for great photos.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  8. I love train rides and we have taken rides on quite few historic ones in Colorado and still have a few on our "to do" list! There were amazing clouds along your ride. Did you ever watch the movie Nomadland? I highly recommend it and was interesting to learn why some people live off the grid in the desert.

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  9. Very nice set of pics. As per usual. The second one is my fav. Love how that setting (?) sun reflects from that loooong train. Nice skies too.

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  10. I love the rain shafts a bit more. Yes the real joy is the journey which leads to destination. On many occasions, I take more time to reach the destination while enjoying the paths along the journey. Great pictures as always

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  11. Love the abandoned restaurant sign. Time has passed...

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  12. I may have to drag out my Bagdad Cafe movie to watch--- Not the same locale, but that's what the abandoned place reminded me of. Great pictures!!

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  13. Great photo's again. Thanks for showing us this piece of lost Americana.

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  14. LOL, I still have "movie" Ingo took with his JVC in Outback Australia.
    We had to stop for an iron ore train. It was so long at first Ingo lost focus and then turned it off!!
    Isn´t this amazing? Now that I´m in railway, kinda, I sure all the bad stuff that can happen!

    Sad the restaurant is gone! Meep-meep!
    Great sky-pics, too. And that moon! Thank you.

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  15. Love these photos.. especially the train and the last one.

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  16. Your blog banner photo sure is fun! Makes me smile! Love the train photos. I watch the Cajon Pass trail cam quite often and love seeing the snow covered mountains and LONG trains. The skies are gorgeous there! Enjoy the weekend ahead!

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  17. Great pics as usual. Love that train shot, it's a beauty. Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos.

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  18. Those are all so beautiful I don't have a favorite. I do love that first in sepia tones, it's like an antique photograph. I'm glad the freight trains near me (actually at the end of my street, we have mills and a grain elevator in town) aren't that long! I'd be forever waiting!

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  19. You sure take some great desert photos. The rain, mountains, old abandoned places. I love them all.

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  20. I've lived in the country and close to railroad tracks at different houses for more than 40 years. I love hearing them during the night. I've never seen any so long. I love all these photos!

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  21. I like the train and the old restaurant, I'm betting it was once a popular place, sad it just sits there now.

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  22. Hi S P & P, I love trains and I love your photography. You publish an excellent blog. By the way, your header is awesome! A happy weekend ahead to you. John

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  23. Breathtaking photos, never seen such a long train...
    Seems, you haven`t meet Laura Jane in the "restaurant"? ;)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qJFov4m6lU

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  24. So many beautiful pictures
    Impressive long train set you have, I usually watch it on TV here at home

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  25. Me gusta la luz que has captado y las asombrosas nubes de tus fotografías.
    Feliz fin de semana.

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  26. wow...beautiful sky and clouds formation

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  27. You find such beauty in these wide open spaces! I like how these photos are touched with a bit of majesty that IS life right here on Earth.

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  28. These photos are so beautiful. Great capture of the mountains.

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  29. Both the mountains and the sky are beautiful. What intrigued me the most was the Road Runner Retreat restaurant sign - I had to look it up. A Rt 66 site said that some restoration work had started on the sign (the neon still worked, apparently)but had to be paused. The article wasn't dated that I saw. I wonder if restoration ever started up again.

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    1. Thanks for the research, Alana. Doesn't appear that restoration ever restarted, which is too bad.

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  30. A great ride with wonderful skies. Thanks for sharing this beauty.

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  31. Fantastic desert photos. Love the train, the sky and the abandoned restaurant and its sign pics. The night pic is even better.

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  32. Stunning desert scenes.

    I hear about the water crisis and wonder how many other businesses will close and communities suffer.

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  33. Big helping of stunning beauty with a side of poignant. Thank you for all of it.

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  34. Oh wow! You used the photo opportunities so well.

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  35. Bit of a "sad" banner, hope there is no reason for that? Or is it there longer and I was too busy to notice?
    Great sky-pcs and the clouds are really drifting in line!
    LOL, yes, I waited for that water tank,...

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