The Island of Burano

I was really struck by the beauty of Burano.  The colorful buildings are spectacular and it's so pleasant to walk around the city.

If you love color as much as I do, you need to visit here.

More Tranquility

Many of you have asked where I went in Italy and what I did, so here is a quick synopsis.  I went with a very good friend whose nephew is on a two year work assignment in Italy working in the city of Treviso in northern Italy, very near Venice.  We decided to make the most of a visit to see him so we flew into Rome and stayed for two days, then on to Florence for two days and then to Siena where her nephew met  us.  We spent that weekend touring Tuscany and then on to his place in Treviso.  He took the following week off from work and acted as a superb tour guide driving us all around northern Italy and of course taking us to Venice.  It was a fabulous trip and I know that I've seen places in Italy rarely visited by tourists as well as the most popular places.

The above photo was taken from the water bus as we returned from the island of Burano back to the city of Venice.  I'd feel mighty alone out there in that tiny boat!

I'll post some other shots as I make my way through the 2500 pictures I managed to download.  I'm afraid no one in Italy would ever recognize me with out a camera in front of my face.

Theme Day: Tranquility

There is something supremely tranquil about watching a beautiful butterfly gracefully make its way from flower to flower.
In Phoenix, I have two places I go when I want to get away from everyday stresses and you probably won't be surprised by either.  The Desert Botanical Garden is my first choice and when the heat of the summer makes that choice difficult, I choose the Phoenix Art Museum and just wander the galleries.  Today's butterfly was spotted at the Desert Botanical Garden.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Arizona Road Trip: San Xavair

This is my last stop on this road trip before making my way to Phoenix.  This is Mission San Xavier del Bac, just south of Tucson.  It is nicknamed “The White Dove of the Desert”.  This beautiful church is still very active and serving the Tohono O’odham Reservation.  It is a dramatic site sitting in this desert location and those equally dramatic monsoon clouds make it stand out even more.

I am back in Phoenix from my vacation in Italy and I'll start posting regular posts on June 1st for theme day.  Thank you to all of you who followed my Arizona Road Trip while I was away.  Once I get the photos from the Italy trip downloaded and edited, I'm sure I'll find a few to show you.  I had a wonderful time visiting a beautiful and historic country.

Arizona Road Trip: Tumacacori

My trip would not be complete without a stop at one of my favorite National Historic sites.  This is the Tumacacori Mission.  It is one of the chain of missions founded by Father Kino that run from inside Mexico all the way to northern California.  Many of these missions are still actively operating as churches but, the condition of this one keeps it more of a historic site than an active church.  However, services are still performed here on special occasions.

The photo above was taken in an area behind the mission and is one of my all-time favorite photos.  In fact, I’ve sold several copies of this one and have one hanging in my home.

Arizona Road Trip: Tubac

After checking in to my beautiful room, I explored the gorgeous grounds of the Tubac Golf Resort and found the above chapel.  The resort uses the chapel for weddings and other celebrations.  This was truly a magical place and I’d stay here again if the occasion arose.

Arizona Road Trip: Tubac

I’m getting ready to wrap up this little road trip but I have a few more stops to make before I return to Phoenix.  I’ll spend the night at the Tubac Golf Resort located only a few miles north of the border with Mexico.  The resort is located on the historic 500 acre site of the Otero Ranch.  Their site describes it this way:  In 1789, 28-year old Don Toribio de Otero received the first land grant in the Spanish territory of Primeria Alta. According to the terms of the grant, Otero set about establishing a school and hacienda surrounded by large orchards of fruit trees. Despite the perils of Apache attacks, the Civil War and the struggle of life on the frontier, the family persevered over the next several generations. In 1959, the property was bought by a group of prominent local businessmen, including legendary entertainer Bing Crosby. For more than two centuries, the resort has been a central force in the life of the community and the region.

Since this was a working farm at one time, you can still find picturesque spots on the grounds like this old silo above.

Arizona Road Trip: Patagonia

Patagonia is another small town in this southern Arizona area known as the Mountain Empire.  Patagonia is the home to many artists and writers who live and work in this quiet part of the state.

I'm betting there is an artist or two behind the colorful gate and door that I have pictured here.

Arizona Road Trip: Sonoita

Here I have a photo looking toward the Sonoita Winery, one of the biggest in the area.  That winding road up to the winery stopped me in my tracks.  I had to stop the car and get a photo. 

Behind the winery, some people were enjoying a stormy wagon ride.

Arizona Road Trip: Sonoita

When you enter the town of Sonoita in the southernmost region of Arizona, you are greeted by this wonderful rusty cowboy and calf.  Sonoita and the surrounding towns are home to several wineries.  The area is certainly not as well known or visited as California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys but, it can be just as picturesque and you can find some good wines too. 

Arizona Road Trip: On the Road

Driving in between the small towns of Southern Arizona during the monsoon season can reward the driver with some awesome cloud displays.  I pulled to the side of the road and stopped several times to catch the ever changing look of a turbulent sky.

This one looks especially ominous but, a short lived siege of wind and rain was all that followed. 

Arizona Road Trip: Lowell

This is one of my favorite photos from my short visit to Lowell Arizona.  The classic Texaco station combined with the aging walls and doors make a perfect spot to photograph.

The Broken Spoke Taxi is a nice addition.

Arizona Road Trip: Lowell

Adjacent to Bisbee Arizona is town called Lowell that is withering away on the edge of the copper pit I featured yesterday.  It is sometimes referred to as a ghost town and it’s true that most of the stores are empty with a variety of out of date items on display as evidenced by these photos.  I’ve heard that a few low budget movies were filmed here and I must admit it is prime location for that type of activity.  I’ll have a couple more photos from Lowell to show you tomorrow.

To the left is my favorite out of date item sitting in a window.   Does anyone out there know what it is?

Arizona Road Trip: Bisbee

I mentioned before that there is active mining going on in Bisbee so, today I feature of view of the enormous pit that sits like a giant scar on the side of this mountain.  The mine called the Lavender Pit is currently owned by Freeport MacMoRan Copper & Gold whose headquarters are in downtown Phoenix.  The company is the world’s largest publicly traded copper company.

Arizona Road Trip: Bisbee

The Copper Queen Hotel was opened in 1907 and is still operating as a hotel today.  When you look down at the town from the top of a hill, the Copper Queen dominates the skyline with its commanding presence in the heart of town.

The inside still has the old west feel with some authentic décor.


Legend has it that this hotel is haunted.

Arizona Road Trip: Bisbee

Bisbee is another town that has a mining history only this time, the mine is still in operation and producing copper.  The streets of Bisbee snake up and down the hills of the city.  These photos were taken in the central business area after all the shops had closed up for the day.

Arizona Road Trip: Tombstone

One last shot from Tombstone before we head out of town.  It was not a good day to have laundry hanging out but, since these garments seem to be here permanently I guess a little rain every now and then won’t hurt.

Arizona Road Trip: Tombstone

Stagecoaches still roam the streets of Tombstone, giving present day tourists a taste of the old west. If you can catch a photo with modern conveniences hidden, you can make it look like a classic post card.

Which do you like better, the color or the sepia?

Arizona Road Trip: Tombstone

My second stop on this trip is Tombstone Arizona, “the town too tough to die”.  The population of Tombstone swelled to 14,000 during the profitable mining years between 1877 and 1890 when it produced somewhere between $45 and $85 million in silver bullion.  It’s best known to some people as the site of the Gunfight at the OK Corral.  Today’s photo features a peek inside one of the many saloons in town and a street scene along the main street.    I took this trip during the monsoon season here in Arizona so scattered rain was a common site as were fabulous clouds as you will see in future photos.

Arizona Road Trip: Tucson

Arizonans tend to love Sonoran style Mexican Food and El Charro in Tucson has to be one of the very best.  The restaurant was established in 1922 and boasts that it is the nation’s oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation.  Even though they have several locations in the Tucson area, it’s the downtown historic location that I like the best.  The photo above is entrance to the patio bar called “Toma”.   When I took this week long trip to southern Arizona, I stopped here for lunch on the way down and once again on the way back at the end of the week.

 The smaller photo shows the sign to the restaurant.

Arizona Road Trip: Tucson

Here is another look at the historic neighborhood in Tucson that I featured yesterday.  There really is quite a lot to see in this area.  I love to park the car and walk around for an hour or two.

More vibrant colors!

Sometimes you run into some really colorful characters in this part of town.

Arizona Road Trip: Tucson

I’m going to be away on vacation for a while so I’ve decided to give you all a little vacation from Phoenix while I’m away.  I’m going to take you on a little road trip into southern Arizona.  Heading south on interstate 10 from Phoenix, my first stop is Tucson Arizona.  Tucson is an interesting city with many historic landmarks and colorful areas.  Today I’m featuring photos from one of my favorite areas of town, a historic neighborhood full of adobe homes and buildings painted in bright colors.

Up, up and away...

I'm off on a new adventure starting tomorrow and I've planned a little entertainment for you while I'm gone.  Tune in tomorrow!

Quail

Don't you just love that perfectly placed plume on top of her head?

Copper Construction

Last year I had several photos of the new courts building in downtown Phoenix that used a lot of copper in it's construction.  This year we have another building going up and using copper also.  This is going to be part of the Arizona State University campus in downtown Phoenix and given it's location, I'm guessing it will be another sciences building.  It is located very near a cluster of other science and technology buildings.

I sure like the look of it so far!