Leucadia

[Image #6 from our vacation.] Pat and I spent an afternoon in Leucadia, which is pretty much paradise if you ask me. Just north of Encinitas, it's a favorite spot for surfers. This shot was captured from the steps above Grandview Beach. Imagine having this view every day!

The beach

[Image #5 from our vacation.] Ahhhh, the beach. This image sums it all up for me! This is the fabulous beach on the north end of Leucadia. Perfect.

Mission bells

[Image #4 from our vacation.] A shot of the famous bells at the mission in San Juan Capistrano.

The mission at San Juan Capistrano

[Image #3 from our vacation.] I suppose the only "touristy" thing I did was visit the mission at San Juan Capistrano. I was more interested in photographing it than learning about its history, so I'm afraid I can't give you any information about the mission here! I did learn that it's a hotspot for photographers -- while I was there I came across two different couples getting their wedding portraits done, three couples getting their engagement portraits done, and one model posing for portfolio pictures. Crazy! As for me, I was happy to be a tourist and get pictures like this one.

Surfin' USA

[Image #2 from our vacation.] I grabbed this shot from the San Clemente pier. According to Pat, surfers like to surf around piers because the waves are bigger. There were lots of surfers taking advantage of the great waves that day, but this guy was the best of the bunch.

At long last... vacation!

Pat and I just enjoyed a week in southern California visiting friends and family. Most of our time was spent in Orange County, enjoying the beaches and sunshine. Since we make this trip every year or two, I didn't have a burning desire to do anything particularly touristy. I just wanted to sit on a beach and watch the waves. I took an awful lot of pictures. It was tough, but I narrowed it down to seven that represent our vacation and southern California through my eyes. Here's the first one, taken on our first full day in San Clemente.

...And on a side note: if you're feeling generous today I'd like to bring your attention to this raffle being held for the benefit of a cute little guy named Liam. Proceeds go towards creating an accessible bathroom for him (you'll note he's in a wheelchair because he is afflicted with Spinal Muscular Atrophy). The prizes are being donated by over 50 talented artists, and your donation automatically enters your name into the raffle. Again, here's the link: http://weloveliam.blogspot.com/2010/04/raffle-for-liam_21.html

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One last image from my Cañon City series: a side entrance to a local elementary school.

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I'm back! Sorry faithful readers, I have not been blogging the last few days but I do have a good excuse: I was on vacation! I'll post a few more pics of my Cañon City series, and after that I'll share some of my favorite images from California, where I visited friends and family. Here's an image of Cañon City's Main Street at twilight.

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One last look at the St. Cloud. I couldn't help myself! It was like eye candy for photographers. Cañon City's entire downtown is like that.

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Another view of the vacant St. Cloud Hotel in downtown Cañon City. Can you imagine it back in its heyday?

The St. Cloud Hotel

Part of the facade of the St. Cloud Hotel in downtown Cañon City. The hotel is currently unoccupied, but since it's on the National Register of Historic Places it's not in danger of being razed. It's a beautiful building. I hope someday soon the right person or business finds a home there.

Holy Cross Abbey Winery

Did you know that Cañon City is Colorado wine country? The former Holy Cross Abbey transitioned into a full time winery a few years ago. I've yet to enjoy the fruits of their vines, but one of these days I'm planning on venturing back there for a tasting.

Here's a photo of the beautiful Abbey monastery, built around 1886. As far as I know, it no longer functions as a full-time abbey and school. I think it's a truly gorgeous building and property, and am grateful that it's found a second life as a thriving vineyard.

Jurassic Parking Lot

Pat and I came across this dinosaur in Cañon City the other day while in search of a bathroom. I had to stop and grab a picture! It turns out that the Cañon Park Fossil Area, just north of Cañon City, is a hotbed of fossil goodness, thus there are quite a few dinosaur statues like this one scattered around town. This particular Stegosaur was built by the inmates and staff of the Fremont Correctional Facility.

Cañon City, Colorado

Pat and I drove to Cañon City on Sunday because I wanted to take a few pictures of their photogenic downtown. Cañon is what you'd call a prison town -- it's home to about fifteen correctional facilities, including Colorado's notorious Supermax. Actually technically the Supermax is in nearby Florence, but I tend to lump the two towns together in my head since they're such close neighbors. Richard "The Shoe Bomber" Reid, John "American Taliban" Walker Lindh, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Theodore Kaczynski (a.k.a. the Unabomber), Terry Nichols, and many, many more criminals and terrorists call Supermax home. The medium and low security prisons in Cañon City and Florence also house a few well known felons, including Andrew Fastow, former CFO of Enron.

Here is the first prison we came across when entering Cañon City. I think this one's a medium security facility. But I'm sure the residents of Cañon City don't want to be 100% associated with the prisons there. Did you know that Cañon City is also the home of the world's highest suspension bridge, the Royal Gorge? I have been there several times and it will take your breath away! For those who are terrified of heights, probably not in a good way ;o) But I urge you to visit the Royal Gorge if you're ever in southern Colorado. It is simply amazing!

"Biker Town"

Pat noticed this oddity when we stopped briefly in Penrose the other day. "Biker Town" is evidently a bar. I'm just bemused by the sight of a large fake palm tree in the middle of a field in Penrose, Colorado.

ETA 04/07/10: See comments -- according to the link provided by regular reader Ansel, Biker Town is a store that caters to motorcycle enthusiasts. Thanks for the link and the clarification, Ansel!

Penrose, Colorado

Yesterday Pat and I took a drive to Cañon City, and on the way there we stopped in Penrose to take a few pictures of this and that. Penrose is a little town with about 4,000 residents. It's pretty rural. There are a few oddities that I find picture-worthy in Penrose (including a giant rocking chair), but there is also a lot of small town prettiness to be found. This little road, for instance, leading westward into the sunset.

Katharine Lee Bates

On the west side of the Pioneers Museum sits Katharine Lee Bates, facing toward Pikes Peak. In fact, from where she sits she has a perfect view of the mountain. Why does this statue of Ms. Bates rate such a prime piece of real estate? It's because, in 1893 while on a day trip to the summit of our famous mountain, she was inspired to pen the poem Pikes Peak. Her words were later put to music written by Samuel Ward, and thus one of our most beloved patriotic songs came to be: America the Beautiful. Of course we Americans all know and love that song, but I bet you didn't know that the lyrics were written right here in Colorado Springs and inspired by the breathtaking view from the summit of Pikes Peak!

I do believe Ms. Bates deserves this spot, don't you?

Our beautiful Pioneers Museum

I captured the Pioneers Museum a few days ago in late afternoon light. What a gorgeous building! The current exhibition is rock and roll photography -- I'm making a mental note to go and check that out for certain! At the moment, the future of the Pioneers Museum is in limbo. I looks like privatizing it is going to be the only answer, because there just isn't enough public money to maintain it these days. Sad. I hope there's a solution, because it would be a huge loss to our city if it closed.