Blog

Sunrise on Lake Hartwell

2010-08-31T15:35:40Z

I’ve been taking a little swim every morning here on Lake Hartwell, and occasionally take out my daugther’s Canon D10 camera [amazon.com] [my review on ThisWeekInPhoto]. If I time it just right, I’m floating in the lake surrounded by mists and watching the sun come up.

Not a shabby way to start the day.

Sunrise over Lake Hartwell, Anderson, South Carolina

This is the end. Beautiful Friend.

2010-08-28T14:38:40Z

What an amazing journey it was. A little recap…

I left Caprinteria, California the evening of Saturday, Aug 07, 2010 to drive across the country. Final destination: Anderson, South Carolina. I wanted to get across Los Angeles, spend the night in Joshua Tree, and begin the journey fresh from there on Sunday morning.

California to Arizona to New Mexico to Texas to Oklahoma to Arkansas to Tennessee to North Carolina to Georgia to South Carolina. Ten nights on the road, staying in Joshua Tree, Phoenix, White Sands, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, and Nashville. With all the detours, 3,000 miles driven.

Tail of the Dragon

2010-08-28T14:09:37Z

My final day of driving…

From Nasvhille, TN, through North Carolina, Georgia for a touch, and finally ending in Anderson, South Carolina. And the road down… is the Tail of the Dragon.

more photos and words after the jump…

Nashville, TN — Loveless Cafe, Neon and… the Parthenon?!

2010-08-28T01:41:47Z

I stayed the night with a high school buddy in Nashville, and after a burger at Rotier’s we did a little night sight seeing. Imagine my surprise when we pulled up in front of the Parthenon.

more photos and words after the jump…

Memphis, Elvis, and Dr. King

2010-08-26T22:14:27Z

I’ve never been to Memphis before, and I can already tell that I need to come back. I even tried to convince my buddy in Nashville to get his ass down to Memphis instead of me heading up there, but it wasn’t an option. So I had a couple of hours at high noon to wander the town in the blazing heat, snap some photos and find a good local BBQ.

more photos and words after the jump…

Sunrise Over Little Rock, Arkansas

2010-08-25T16:00:42Z

Little Rock has a very nice downtown. The renamed President Clinton Ave, and the beautiful Clinton Library make for a great stop on the trip. I probably should have spent more time there, but I had a long drive ahead of me and really wanted to get to Memphis for lunch. I probably should have stayed in Memphis for the night and added another day to my journey, but anyway…

I shot the sunrise here, and that’s about it. Unfortuantely the rises on the “wrong side” of the city; I’m sure sunset is pretty spectactular there. But alas, I was pushing 10 days on this journey and for all my talking of “I’ll spend as much time on the road as I damn well please”, I was getting anxious to get to my destination.

another photo after the jump…

Truck Fire on I-40 in Arkansas

2010-08-24T22:21:33Z

I’m no ambulance chaser, but this was too good to pass up. A beat-up old Ford truck on the side of the road, it’s engine on fire, and not one, not two, but three separate attempts to put it out.

Photos like this must be accompanied by captions :-)

more photos after the jump…

Pops on Route 66

2010-08-24T18:27:16Z

This is a fairly new construction on historical Route 66, and it’s already a “must-see” on many lists. It’s a fantastic throw-back to a time long gone, and an absolute pleasure to see. It’s always heartwarming to see something constructed with care, with love, and with humor. This gas station, restaurant and obviously soda shop on Route 66 is all of those things, selling hundreds of types of soda from all around the world.

The big neon soda bottle out front begged a sunrise shot, and finding the exact moment when the light balanced between the sky, the giant bottle and the lights inside the store and under the awning took some patience, but it all came together in the end.

And for the record, I had a peach soda with breakfast. Hey, at least it’s a fruit!!

more photos after the jump…

Sunset on Lake Hefner, Oklahoma City

2010-08-20T22:47:17Z

Who knew Oklahoma City had a lake. Or two. Or three… heck I dunno, look it up! Lake Hefner is quite beautiful, and quite large, and even has a light house. And the sun set ever-so-nicely over it for us.

more photos after the jump…

The “Oklahoma Standard”

2010-08-16T16:02:07Z

There’s a slogan I learned that gives an insight to the attitude of the people of Oklahoma City—the “Oklahoma Standard”. This slogan was born in the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, when rescuers came to help, and the local citizens went out of their way to help the rescuers. The way I heard the story told, the rescue teams that arrived were many of the same rescuers that were in New York following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Those rescuers in New York had to buy all of their supplies; in Oklahoma, they weren’t “permited” to spend a dollar. People were so grateful, and so friendly, and so helpful, that a new standard was set—the “Oklahoma Standard”.

more photos and text after the jump…