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Sunday, January 13, 2013
Snow in Joshua Tree??
OK, let me get straight to the point. I drove into Joshua Tree National Park late in the day yesterday looking for snow, but it was a bust. I went all the way up to Keys View, at over 5000' in elevation, but no snow. Not even patches on the ground. My blogger friend Cheryl Ann over at Deserts and Beyond posted some great photos on the 9th showing snow in the park, but it had melted by yesterday. But if you know Joshua Tree, you know it's almost impossible not to get some good photos! By the time I was driving out of the Park, it was dark and the moon was just rising over the hills and the Joshua Trees... perfect for some night photography!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Death Valley Sunset
Linking to Skywatch Friday. Click on the link to check out great skies from around the world! Have a great weekend.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Rice, CA
Wow, talk about posting about nothing... if you type "Rice, CA" into Google maps, you will see Rice is truly in the middle of nowhere... roughly the halfway point between Joshua Tree and the Colorado River, it used to be a town, or more accurately, a gas station. Now it's nothing... just a couple cement slabs, a railroad track, and a skeleton of the old gas station. Some entrepreneur has taken the opportunity to climb up and post a sign that says "Fresh Jerky 36 Miles". I never did see any fresh jerky. There are also a few pair of hanging shoes, which for some reason is popular in the desert.
Here's an iPhone shot of the same thing... I really like the Instamatic feel, like a photo you might find that a family member took 40 years ago.
But wait, there's more to Rice than meets the eye. Heading due south there's a sandy road that looks like it goes for miles and is well traveled. When I explored it on Google maps, it leads to a ghost town!! Perfect for a Jeep trip. The name of the town is Midland, and it was a company town owned by the U.S. Gypsum Company, manufacturer of gypsum sheetrock. The town existed from the 1920's to the 1960's and had about 1000 people living there! Isn't that amazing??! Here's a great website developed by a lady who grew up in Midland: http://www.designbycandy.com/stories/midland_ca.htm. Check out the section on Midland Through My Father's Camera Lens. Really interesting. Below is a shot from the internet of what it used to look like, including the school and baseball field!
Not much left of Midland today, mostly slabs and some old mines, but I also learned that Midland is a boondocking location. What's boondocking? Also called dry camping or coyote camping, it's isolated BLM land where people park their trailers or RVs to spend extended periods of time for free (or a small BLM permit fee). Isn't that amazing?? If you're interested, check out this web site... it lists boondocking locations in S CA and AZ (also referred to as Long Term Visitor Areas, LTVAs): http://telusplanet.net/public/waters/index.htm. So keep your eye out for a future post from Midland, CA. Hoping to make the trip with my sister and her husband over at Lap Dog Knits and their very cool little trailer and red Jeep!
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| F/14, 1/60sec, ISO 200, 16mm wide angle |
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| Rice, CA... not much here except huge open vistas and roads that go on forever! |
But wait, there's more to Rice than meets the eye. Heading due south there's a sandy road that looks like it goes for miles and is well traveled. When I explored it on Google maps, it leads to a ghost town!! Perfect for a Jeep trip. The name of the town is Midland, and it was a company town owned by the U.S. Gypsum Company, manufacturer of gypsum sheetrock. The town existed from the 1920's to the 1960's and had about 1000 people living there! Isn't that amazing??! Here's a great website developed by a lady who grew up in Midland: http://www.designbycandy.com/stories/midland_ca.htm. Check out the section on Midland Through My Father's Camera Lens. Really interesting. Below is a shot from the internet of what it used to look like, including the school and baseball field!
Not much left of Midland today, mostly slabs and some old mines, but I also learned that Midland is a boondocking location. What's boondocking? Also called dry camping or coyote camping, it's isolated BLM land where people park their trailers or RVs to spend extended periods of time for free (or a small BLM permit fee). Isn't that amazing?? If you're interested, check out this web site... it lists boondocking locations in S CA and AZ (also referred to as Long Term Visitor Areas, LTVAs): http://telusplanet.net/public/waters/index.htm. So keep your eye out for a future post from Midland, CA. Hoping to make the trip with my sister and her husband over at Lap Dog Knits and their very cool little trailer and red Jeep!
Dedicated to Huell Howser, who loved the offbeat and unusual corners of California!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The Neon Boneyard
Traveling to Las Vegas? Carve out a couple hours to check out the "Neon Boneyard" Museum, where cool old neon signs go to die (or more correctly, be viewed by the public). It's interesting to me that there is so much interest in "vintage" Las Vegas, with its rough edges, smokey casinos, and Rat Pack images. Present day Las Vegas seems downright tame by comparison!
I remember thinking when I took this photo (about 5 weeks ago) that it might be suitable for Skywatch Friday... under bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds! Click on the link to check out beautiful skies from all over the world! Keep reading to see some of the signs contained in the Boneyard.
The lobby of the Neon Museum is the old La Concha Motel, which was cut into pieces and moved to this location. I like the wild architecture, which looks like a throwback to the '50s or early '60s. Cool, eh?
Walking through the Boneyard is pretty amazing. This is a one-hour outdoor tour with a guide, which was great in December, but probably a little on the toasty side in the summer months! It's a great photo opportunity, so make sure you bring your camera!
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