The Florida Panhandle

Max and I left Savannah to head south towards the gulf.  We took a few South Georgia backroads to see the sights to end up in our final destination for the day of Tallahassee. The back roads can be an experience.  I always hope to find people who match the surroundings but sometimes, the people aren't out and about as much as their "treasures" are.  I found a row of old cars on the side of the road so I had to stop to take some photographs.  As I was doing so, I started feeling pain in my feet and ankles.  As it turned out, I was standing on an ant pile and they decided to feast on my feet while I was admiring the rusty cars.  I did the slap your ankles and feet dance and continued to take pictures.

From there, Max and I headed in a direct route to the water and coasted along that trail until we reached Destin.  We met up with Rich, Eleanor and their daughter, Emma at Henderson State Park in Destin for some camping. This photograph is of them at the Alumapalooza event last June.

I never really know where I will end up each day so it was nice to receive a suggestion from Rich to join them camping at the state park.  It was beautiful.  The beach water was a clear blue green, the sand was so white and fine that it squeaked under your feet and everywhere you looked, you were surrounded by beauty.  I didn't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised.

Lucky me, Rich and Eleanor invited me over to their Airstream for dinner and I happily accepted.  The meal was delicious.  It was nice to be inside of their trailer during the night as the sun was down.  After chatting for a few hours, I returned to my tent home for the night.

And for the record, I know this area is called the "pan handle" of Florida but what kind of pan is that anyway?  I see how Oklahoma is shaped like a pan, but Florida?  Humm....more like an insect net handle or a ladle handle?  Maybe I am missing something.  No matter what the name, the beaches are a beautiful sight.

Day Trip: The Salton Sea

Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times…I just shoot at what interests me at that moment. – Elliott Erwit

I decided it was time to leave the nest and go on a day trip with Max and my camera in tow to take pictures of things I thought were interesting.  
I have always wanted to visit the Salton Sea so I took the opportunity to go out and take a tour. Since it's on my goal list, I also get to check another activity off.

The Salton Sea, located in the southeastern corner of California, is actually a lake which occupies a desert basin known as the Salton Sink. This body of water covers a surface area of 376 square miles, making it larger than Lake Tahoe and Mono Lake.  In fact, the Salton Sea is the largest lake in California.  The Sea’s current elevation is about 227 feet below mean sea level, its maximum depth reaches 51 feet and its total volume is about 7.5 million acre-feet.

Besides the actual body of water, it is a pretty interesting place.  I drove around the the entire "sea" and took side tours of the neighborhoods surrounding this body of water, including the State park area and campsites along the shore.  


My favorite part of the surrounding areas were all of the old, broken down cars, trailers and homes in each neighborhood.  There are people living here so I didn't want to be obvious when taking pictures of their broken down things and at times, I wasn't sure if there were people still living in the trailers or homes I came across.  Maybe it was the excitement of the unknown that drew me in.  I found one house that was destroyed but had all the evidence of the "comfort" of home including a television, sofa, skylights, fireplace, and a random bowling pin and many other "treasures" to be found. Max and I took our picture in that fantastic dream home of the moment.


Since the salt content of the sea is rising, you will find a lot of dead fish on the shore along with a distinctive smell.  I enjoyed watching all of the birds as you can imagine.


At one point, I was taking pictures of what seemed to be a shallow mud pit until I got closer and my leg sank about 2 feet in the mud with my flip flops on.  Good thing my car is still packed with camping gear and clothes!  I found another pair of sandals to slip on and the rest of the day I had a mud mask on my feet.  


I was surprised to find that not many people living in Southern California know about the Salton Sea.  I am glad that I took the opportunity to tour it.  It's worth a trip for a day.  On to the next adventure...

For more images of this interesting place, click HERE

To learn more about the Salton Sea, he's a video of Anthony Bourdain touring the area in the exact same spot as I did.  I didn't know it at the time until a friend shared this link.  It's quite informative as well.  Click HERE to see the clip.

An Afternoon At The Getty

It's hard to believe that until last Saturday, I have yet to visit the new J. Paul Getty museum. I've been to the villas back in the 90's but never to the new location on the hill.

A beautiful sunny, crisp day on a Saturday would be a wonderful time to go, I thought. Who could be there on a weekend right after the new year? I am sure people are still home recovering from the New Year...right? Well, no...that wasn't the case. The good news was that the freeways were clear. It was unbelievable, really.

I have to say, I was not prepared for what was next.

I've been to local city museums on my travels. Most of the time, they are empty which makes for a pleasant art viewing experience. The Getty was a different story. It took about an hour to park, waiting in line. After that, you wait in another line to get on the tram. Once you are off of the tram at the top, you are FREE!

The property is beautiful, I must say. There are gorgeous views from all sides and you can get lost looking at all of the exhibits, which I did. I particularly liked the Irving Penn: Small Trades gallery.

A little bit about Irving Penn: "Working in Paris, London, and New York in the early 1950s, photographer Irving Penn (American, 1917–2009) created masterful representations of skilled tradespeople dressed in work clothes and carrying the tools of their occupations. A neutral backdrop and natural light provided the stage on which his subjects could present themselves with dignity and pride. Penn revisited his Small Trades series over many decades, producing evermore-exacting prints, including platinum/palladium enlargements. In 2008 the J. Paul Getty Museum acquired the most comprehensive group of these images, carefully selected by the photographer—155 gelatin silver prints and 97 platinum/palladium prints—that are being exhibited in their entirety for the first time."

Although they do allow you to photograph inside of the museum, I enjoyed taking pictures of the cactus and flowers outside of the property the most. I think that was the highlight for me on this day trip. It's the simple things I suppose. I heard a hummingbird so I froze, standing in the same spot motionless (as others walked by me), waiting for it to return. For me, that was an exciting moment.

I would recommend a visit to the Getty if you are in the area. If you can, It's a good idea to arrive early on a weekday so you can take your time strolling the property and soaking up the exhibits. Don't forget your camera!