Dining Hall - Alcatraz, San Francisco
Maximum Security - Alcatraz, San Francisco
Solitary Confinement - Alcatraz, San Francisco
I couldn't resist studying the way the bars on the windows cast light and shadows on the walls of the prison. Oddly, the maximum security cells were more spacious and nicer. They faced the windows and instead of the tiny 5' x '9 regular cells, if you were bad enough to end up in maxmium security, you moved up to a spacious 8' x 10' cell.
Solitary was just below, and had solid doors with tiny screen holes. One prisoner recounts that he would pull a button from his jacket and pitch it up in the air. He'd then get on his hands and knees and search for it in the dark. Once he found it, he would repeat the activity. This gave him something to do until he was released.
The dining hall was lined with windows. The long light and shadows shown across the numerous layers of flooring that had been piled on top of each other of the years. I counted as many as five different types of tile and concrete.
Library Shelves - Alcatraz, San Francisco
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
From the inside looking out
Welcome to the Rock
Dance Hall - Alcatraz Island, San Francisco
Rooftop - Alcatraz Island, San Francisco
Lighthouse - Alcatraz Island (Flag at half mast in honor of Sen. Edward Kennedy)
The Warden's house - Alcatraz, San Francisco
A surprising part of my trip was my visit to Alcatraz Island. Everyone said I should go, so I went. I barely made the last tour of the afternoon of my first day. The sun was setting and the wind just about blew you over there. I began to get pretty chilly as the sun was going down.
But the best thing about that time of day, was the way the light cast itself on the ruins of old structures and through the barred windows. It is easy to see nature is reclaiming many of the structures. You can imagine the ghosts who still stay.
I highly recommend you take the audio tour while you are there. It is narrated my many of the inmates and guards, and even family member of staff who grew up on the island. It is eery, yet beautiful.
And in case you are wondering, yes Alcatraz had a dance hall, where socials were held for staff and family who lived on the island.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Seeing the forest for the trees
Archway - San Francisco, Ca
Recently I made my first visit to San Francisco. I really enjoyed the beauty that surrounds this city. The Victorian architecture is everywhere and survives next to modern skyscrapers. The contrast is what makes the city so beautiful.
First Presbyterian Church 1874/1911 - Van Ness Dr. San Francisco
This church was just about a block from my hotel. I had just arrived in San Francisco and had a few hours to kill before I could check into the Holiday Inn. Now, you have to realize, I am pretty inexperienced at traveling by myself, and especially trying to get around using public transit. I decided that the first thing I would do is see the Golden Gate Bridge. It would kill a few hours. So the concierge told me to walk down to Sacramento St. and hop on the #1 bus to Park Presidio, transfer to #28 and it would take me to the bridge.
I took a deep breath, and decided to make my first step of my big adventure. As I walked to the first bus stop, there was another photographer walking in front of me. I was taking in the sights and kind of got a kick out of watching him spot the same things I did. I got close to bus stop, and we both saw this church. He was busy snapping away, so I passed him. I watched him focus in on the elaborate carvings of grapes around the windows on the side of the building. I looked up and saw this huge stained glass window on the front, with colorful tiles and the similar carvings repeated on the front. He was busy on the side of the building where there were smaller windows.
I stood waiting to cross the street, trying not to be too obvious of being a newbie tourist. I noticed he had yet to see the biggest element on the building. I watched him, and he backed up to get another angle, I said "Have you seen the huge window on the front, it is beautiful." He looked up and the surprise on his face was kind of funny. He had been so busy focusing in on the details, he was missing the big picture. He politely said thanks, and started shooting the window.
After my visit to the bridge, I had to pass the church again. I stopped and took a few photos. What amazed me about the church were the colors. The colorful tiles looked quite modern, but you could see it was all original design.
I love the details of things. To focus in tight and see those tiny things that make up the whole. But sometimes I have to remind even myself to watch for the forest AND not just the trees.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Phoning it in
El Capitan (right), Half Dome (Center), Bridal Veil Falls (Left) - Yosemite National Park (iPhone 3g).jpg)
Merced River, Half Dome - Yosemite National Park (iPhone 3g).jpg)
Merced River - Yosemite National Park (iPhone 3g)
A GIANT SENTINEL
Tunnel Tree - Tuolomne Grove Yosemite National Park.
The tunnel was carved through this dead Sequoia tree around 1870. It stands like a giant castle door at the base of the Tuolomne Grove. The tunnel is large enough to drive a stage coach through.
Visitors have been carving their names inside the tunnel for nearly 150 years. This signature dates back to 1905.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
FALLEN GIANT
Fallen Giant Sequoia Tree - Tuolumne Grove Yosemite
The gnarled roots of a fallen giant sequoia tree in the Tuolomne Grove in Yosemite National Park. The mighty Giant Sequoias which tower over 250 feet tall, have surprisingly shallow roots. This fallen tree, is large enough that it has a tunnel that can walk through from bottom to top. The roots photographed here are as tall as many regular trees.
The photo below may help you with the scale of the base of the fallen tree.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Texas Shadows
Shadow Riders, Too - Archer City, Texas (iPhone photo)
I love riding in the early morning and late evening. It makes from some interesting photos. When you ride, you only get one perspective...the back of Chris' helmet is mine. But when the sun is low, you get to see your shadow stretch out across the road and onto the fields. This was taken early in the morning, near Archer City, Texas, where they filmed the movie "The Last Picture Show".
I am amazed when I ride across Texas at the vast terrain you will see. You can be in the sandy plains of the panhandle, with crops and flat land as far as the eye can see. In a few minutes, it can change into rolling green hills and limestone, where you seem to be able to see forever. It changes from sand to black dirt, and back again. The colors change in the matter of minutes from the golden browns, to the green of grass and trees. The geography is amazing. Although there is not much to do from Wichita Falls to Dallas, you can find beauty in the changing landscape.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
A Hidden Gem
1895 Opera House - Hico, Texas (iPhone photo)
Don't Scratch - Hico, Texas (iPhone photo)
Hico is a really neat place in the northern part of the Texas Hill Country. It is a town of only about 1500-2,000 people, but it it's small historic downtown is rich in unique shops and galleries. Some of the businesses have moved north from Fredericksburg and renovated some of the buildings. It is still renovating, so many of the buildings are just shells. But others like the Opera House are beautifully restored limestone buildings.
If you go, make sure to stop at the Koffee Kup for Texas' best pie. They have several different pies made daily and never dissappoint. Lunch is good there too.
Hico hit the map when Brushy Bill Roberts proclaimed himself to be the real Billy the Kid. He claimed to have staged his own death and lived out the remainder of his days as a law biding citizen of Hico. Many historians have debunked his story, I even believe there has been DNA evidence to disprove his claim. But still an interesting place.
If you go, make sure to not skip some of the pictorial history in the upper rooms of some of the stores. They show the town as its cowtown beginnings, through natural disasters and fires, to what is today. It is definitely a place to stop when you are around the Granbury/Stephenville area.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Name that car
Belaires and Burgers - Princeton, Texas (iPhone 3G)
I play this little game with my dad and brother-in-law. When I see old cars and trucks, I stop and take a photo and see if they can name the make and model of the car. I don't think either one of them have missed one. It is amazing by just looking a tail light, fender, or grill they can name that car.
My dad is so funny. You can be showing him some old family photo of us kids, and he starts talking about the car in the background. One day we were driving to lunch and he was in mid sentence, when he let out a huge gasp and a "WOW!" I thought we were about to collide with something. He nearly broke his neck rubber necking to see a 50 something car going the other way.
Movies are the same. We watched "Worlds Fastest Indian" starring Anthony Hopkins. Ray and my dad played "Name that Car" the whole movie. And they won.
Oh, and the answer: 56 Ford Customline
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
A kick in the butt
Everyone needs one every once in a while.
Thanks Cindy for the kick in the butt to post some new photos. I am glad to know you were waiting for my next post. Or were you? Even so, I dedicate the last three posts to you!
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
A Keller Sunday Morning Coming Down
Keller's Drive-in - Dallas, Texas (iPhone 3G)
Located on Northwest Highway in Dallas, it is a great place for a hamburger and a chocolate shake. The place hasn't had much upkeep in 40 years it seems, but it all just adds to the ambience.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Coffee with a View
Adriatica Bell Tower - McKinney, Texas (iPhone 3G)
The view from the Starbucks Drive-Thru, I just couldn't resist playing again with the iPhone camera.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
URBAN DECAY
What is old is new again at the Cotton Mill in McKinney. It is an intoxicated place to take photos. For the lucky few who get to office there, it is a creative haven.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
It's My Culture and Heritage
Harley Heritage
We just got back from our annual motorcycle vacation in which we rode to Durango, Colorado with 3 other couples. Most of us were on touring bikes--three Electraglides and one Heritage Softail. As far as I am concerned, it's not what you ride, but rather that you ride.
I recently saw a t-shirt that says "Bikers know why dogs hang their heads out car windows". That pretty much sums it up for me. Riding on a bike and seeing beautiful countryside is so different than traveling in a car. You get to experience the ride with each of your senses. The smell of the mountain laurel was sweet. The wind in your face was refreshing. The sound of the pipes was deafening at times. The ever-changing landscape was breathtaking. the taste of the bugs...uh, I guess that could be described as breathtaking as well.
We rode over 2700 miles in 8 days and rode in temperatures ranging from 32° to 100°. We rode over mountains reaching elevations nearing 12,000 ft. and crossed the continental divide several times. We saw the beginning of the Rio Grande River. As we explored the back roads of Colorado, we saw wildlife such as marmots, elk and a close encounter with a deer who choose an inopportune time to cross a mountain highway. That can get your heart pounding.
Our last night was spent on Historic Route 66 in the Blue Swallow Motel, built in 1939. That was a cool experience I won't forget.
Seeing a part of America on the back of a motorcycle is a thrill we share with our friends. It's hard to beat good rides, good food and good friends.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
AN OMINOUS LOOK
Summer Storm: McKinney Performing Arts Center - McKinney, Texas (iPhone 3G)
Another iPhone photo, I took this today when a Summer storm came through McKinney. Right after I got back to my office, the bottom fell out of those clouds and dumped a bunch of rain on downtown. It is kind of a spooky photo of the Historic Collin County Courthouse, which comes complete with its own ghostly entitites.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Apple Rocks
These photos were all taken and edited on the Apple iPhone on the back of the Harley. At 70 mph, I managed to snap the photo, edit it with web apps and upload them. This was my little experiment while traveling through Colorado during my 9 day vacation. I didn't start out to use the phone so much, but after playing with a few photos I liked the looks and thought it made and interesting collection.
Exiting the Storm - Clarendon, Texas (iPhone 3G)
Tee Pee Curios, Route 66 - Tucumcari, NM (iPhone 3G)
Somewhere in Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Aspens in Spring - Pagosa Springs, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Courthouse - Telluride, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad - Silverton, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
On the Road to Mesa Verde - Mancos, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Roadside Tepees - Mancos, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Chimney Rock Colorado (iPhone 3G)
