Lime Kiln Lighthouse

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Lime Kiln Lighthouse on the west side of San Juan Island, Washington

Sunday, March 31, 2013

No. 173 2013 Spring has Sprung

Mount Vernon, Wa
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Distance from Seattle: 62miles 1hr 10min
Rating: 4 out 5
Reason to go: Short drive from Seattle to see hundreds of acres of wildflowers, daffodils and tulips in all sizes and colors. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is one of the most fantastic events in the state of Washington.  It runs from April 1 to April 30 every single year. Its worth it to start your day really early or go during the week. The word is out and weekends the tulip route will be packed with young kids and families. If your into Landscape or Flower photography this festival will give you great subjects to photograph.

TIPS: Although the Tulip Festival runs from April 1st through April 30th the actual blooming of the tulips varies with weather conditions. Short or long winter weather can cause tulips to bloom earlr or be delayed a few weeks. Check http://www.tulipfestival.orgTulip Festival / for current field conditions.

 If you do plan on going to the Tulip Festival. LEAVE EARLY in the morning to avoid the traffic mess, easier to find parking, setup your camera in a field looking east for a nice sunrise shot. Shoot by yourself and not have many people will be walking through your shot. The best light is in the morning and towards the evening.
It can be cloudy in Seattle but bright and sunny in Mount Vernon. Once the sun gets up over the cascade mountains the sky becomes a huge baby blue light box and it will be harder to find the right exposure for the flowers.
Tulips grow on raised mounds of dirt. Depending on previous days weather you could be walking on soft dirt or trekking through mud puddles, so bring shoes and pants that you don't mind getting dirty.

Every year the layout of fields change, to find out where things are  you can download a field map from Tulip Festival. Some of the growers charge a parking fee of $3-$5 to visit their grounds. Most of the streets that run between Mount Vernon and La Conner are 2 lane rural roads with NO SHOULDER PARKING.  There are ropes and signs all over the place telling people not to park on the side of the road, but as the day goes on and the mass of weekenders start to roll in you will see backups building up because people will stop in the middle of the road to admire the fields.



Postcards, Art Prints and Canvas Prints are available for sale here
Daffodil and Barn
Morning Rows Yellows
Etherial Sunbreaks
Bring Fire to the Rain
Setting Fire to the Rain
Flooded Field Sunrise Reflection
Flooded Field at first light
Behind the scenes in Skagit Valley, WA
Behind the scenes at the farm

Postcards, Art Prints and Canvas Prints are available for sale here

 

Gear Used:
 
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Saturday, March 23, 2013

No. 172 Charles Simonyi Space Gallery

Charles Simonyi Space Gallery
Museum of Flight
Seattle, WA
http://www.museumofflight.org/

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In 2011 the 15,500-square-foot Charles Simonyi Space Gallery was built across the street from the Museum of Flight and connected to the main campus via a pedestrian sky bridge. The Gallery features space artifacts from the US and Russian Human Space Flight Programs.
In 2012 NASA awarded the Space Shuttle Trainer to the Museum of Flight. The Space Shuttle Trainer is a full size mockup of the Space Shuttle. It stands 4 stories tall and over 100 feet long. This piece of space exploration history was used by all 355 astronauts during the 30 year shuttle program in prepartion for their flight into space. You can our the open payload bat section of the trainer with your regular museum admission, or reserve a one-hour tour of the crew compartment.





Charles Simonyi Space Gallery
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Charles Simonyi Space Gallery
Charles Simonyi Space Gallery




Charles Simonyi Space Gallery
Charles Simonyi Space Gallery
Charles Simonyi Space Gallery



Gear Used:
 
lens rental

Monday, March 18, 2013

No. 171 Museum of Flight

Museum of Flight
9404 East Marginal Way S
 Seattle, WA 98108
 http://www.museumofflight.org/

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Museum Hours
Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
First Thursday of each month:
10 a.m. - 9 p.m. (free after 5 p.m.)
Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

Free First Thursday Evenings

Thanks to sponsor Wells Fargo Bank, Museum admission is free of charge on the first Thursday evening of every month from 5-9 p.m.

The Museum of Flight is located at the south west corner of Runway 13R/31L at Boeing Field-King County International Airport and is open daily and stays open late on First Thursday evenings, free of charge. The museum collection boasts over 85 different aircraft displayed in 9 different galleries  starting with the early manned flying machines to more modern jet aircraft. There are museum complex features nine indoor and outdoor galleries and air park and in 2012 The Museum of Flight was awarded NASA's retired Space Shuttle Crew Trainer. Admission to the Museum of Flight is included when you purchase a Seattle CityPASS. For more information, check out the Museum of Flight website.




\ Goodyear F2G-1 Super Corsair Museum of Flight Seattle
Goodyear F2G-1 Super Corsair Museum of Flight Seattle
Lockheed M-21 Blackbird Museum of Flight Seattle
Lockheed M-21 Blackbird Museum of Flight Seattle
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Friday, March 8, 2013

No. 170 The Fin Project

THE FIN PROJECT: FROM SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES
by Artist John T. Young 1998

Magnuson Park
Seattle, WA

This work is an environmentally scaled sculpture created using the actual diving-plane fins from decommissioned United States Navy attack submarines built in the 1960s. The fins are arranged to simulate the dorsal fins of a large Orca whale pod or a school of salmon. This artwork represents the ultimate in recycling...."From Swords into Plowshares".
The fins are composed of high tensile steel and are used intact. Since they are virtually indestructible (they were designed to withstand depth charge attacks!), they are maintenance free. They are completely safe and inert; in other words, they are completely devoid of radioactivity or toxic substances. All the fins are structurally supported by hidden, reinforced concrete footings buried below grade. These footings were designed by the late John Skilling, Seattle's most renowned structural engineer, to ensure the safety of the work and the public.  


  The Fin Project - Sand Point Park The Fin Project - Sand Point Park
The Fin Project - Sand Point Park

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Saturday, March 2, 2013

No. 169 Clise Windmill

6046 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE
 Redmond, WA 98052

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Marymoor Park in Redmond, is one of the most popular parks on the Eastside. With 640 acres of grass fields, gardens, trails, playgrounds, and more, it is a destination for families, sports enthusiasts, weekend bikers, and more. The park has become such an important part of community life in the area that it is easy to forget that it wasn't always a public area. The history of Marymoor Park is as fascinating as the park itself.
The Clise Windmill is located on the western edge of Marymoor Park near the Clise Mansion  along the Sammamish Slough. James Clise had this windmill constructed to resemble the many windmill he and his wide had enjoyed on their european vacations to Holland. 


Clise Marymoor Windmill Clise Marymoor Windmill Clise Marymoor Windmill

 

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