Posts in Category: Trips
Morning on Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock State Park near Asheville, NC features a 315 foot granite monolith. The rock is accessible via elevator and provides stunning views of the nearby countryside. The park was privately owned until 2007, when the State of North Carolina purchased it from a family for $24 million. The park offers hiking trails for all skill levels, spectacular views, and a 404-foot waterfall, Hickory Nut Falls.
One year
Celebrating our first year together as husband and wife, we went camping at East Fork State Park near Cincinnati over Labor Day weekend.
Here we are at the lake enjoying the sunset together and contemplating the rest of our lives, which will become even more special. Baby number one is on the way, due in April.
Mute Swan Family
From 2006, this Mute Swan family is enjoying a swim together. From East Harbor State Park in Ohio.
Belvedere Gardens
One of Emilia’s photos from our trip to Vienna in 2007. The statues that surrounded the garden between the Upper and Lower Belvederes are very intricate and well kept.
Three Generations
Three generations visiting the Statue of Liberty in 2006. No matter how you came to be in America, whether immigrated or born here, being a part of this country is one of the greatest privileges in the world. Happy Birthday, America!
Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain
It was June 8, 1912, a day the New York Times called “second only to the inauguration of a President” because of the parade that included 15,000 troops, 2,000 motor cars, 50,000 Knights of Columbus, around 150,000 spectators, a 21 gun salute, and elaborate horse-drawn floats depicting noteworthy incidents in Columbus’ life.
At the unveiling ceremony, President Taft said, “It is most difficult for us by any effort of the imagination to take in the problem which Columbus solved.” Yet today Columbus is hardly thought of as a national hero to anyone beyond the third grade. Maybe the Columbus statue has simply been gradually overlooked as Washington, D.C. has continued to add more and more monuments.
The rear of the monument features a medallion in honor of Spanish financiers King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and three flagpoles representing the three ships of Columbus’ envoy. Along with the inscription reading: “To the memory of Christopher Columbus, whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind a new world.”
As you emerge from Union Station, the first thing you see is the rear of the Columbus fountain. Its marbled plaza is an alluring first sight, fitting as it is with the classicism of Union Station itself, and it’s open enough to provide a breath of fresh air and space after a cramped train ride.
Happy 4th of July, and thanks Christopher for discovering America, or re-discovering it!
Identify this duck
While at the Lincoln Park Zoo, these ducks (ok, may not be ducks) were with the flamingos. Can you identify the name and species? First correct commenter gets all the glory that goes with being first, and correct.
Chicago Harbor Lighthouse
The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is the only surviving lighthouse in Chicago and one of only two remaining examples in Illinois. Built in 1893, the Lighthouse symbolically marks the Chicago Harbor. During the 1917 renovation of the breakwater, the lighthouse was moved to its present location, and its attached fog-signal room and boathouse were constructed. It is a familiar sight along Chicago’s shoreline just east of Navy Pier, where the Lighthouse continues to mark the harbor entrance.
Draw Bridge Tower
One of the Draw Bridge Towers along the Chicago River. The color from the street lights adds a nice ambiance to the scene.
Chicago Panorama
Looking North from the Shedd Aquarium at the Chicago skyline and marina. This photo was stitched together from 24 separate shots. Still trying to figure out the best way to show the panoramas here, maybe a separate page so that they are larger and easier to view.