Cellpic Sunday – 23 July 2017

Dillon, Colorado.

About an hour’s drive out of Denver, west on Interstate 70, a short trip through the Eisenhower Tunnel, and a climb to around 9,000 feet (2770 m), brought us to the little down of Dillon, Colorado. Though the populated area looks larger than it is, in 2016, the population was listed as under 1,000. Of course, the Rocky Mountains are a big draw for outdoor enthusiasts, especially in the winter.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Unusual

Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This week, Lignum Draco suggests that for our weekly photo challenge, we share something unusual. We were given the flexibility to share what we determine is unusual to us. You can read the entire challenge post here. Having just recently visited Albuquerque for our family reunion and getting the opportunity to take a ride in a hot air balloon, I recalled a couple of years back we were in Albuquerque for the annual Balloon Fiesta.

Sturgis South Dakota – It’s Not All About Motorcycles… Just Mostly

Sturgis, South Dakota.

Synonymous with motorcycles and the great Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for 77 years, Sturgis, South Dakota welcomes bikers by the thousands every summer. Unless you call yourself Ironclad or Stiletto and ride one of those two- or three-wheel bikes, however, you probably want to avoid driving through town during the rally. Indeed, in 2000, over 600,000 were in attendance at the rally, and on its 75th anniversary, over 3/4 of a million people participated during  the 10-day experience.

Cellpic Sunday – 16 July 2017

Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The week of our family reunion brought us to Albuquerque and the main purpose for our 3200 mile (5150 km) road trip. This was our second reunion trip to New Mexico. In 2002, our first family reunion in Albuquerque featured a balloon ride, so it was fitting that another balloon ride should be on the agenda. And so it came to pass on Thursday morning. We arose well before sunrise and a subset of our family carpooled the 20 or so minute drive to our appointment with a large hot air balloon.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Collage

Fargo, North Dakota.

We are home in Fargo this week, getting rested up from our 3200 mile road trip. For the photo challenge this week, Michelle Weber suggested that our focus could be a group of objects, captured either in real life or a collection of photos, a photo of photos as it were. You can read the entire challenge post here.

Baldhill Dam – Our Sheyenne River Valley Scenic Byway Road Trip Continues

Valley City, North Dakota.

Our third stop on the Sheyenne Valley Scenic Byway is just west of the Mel Rieman Recreational Area featured here a couple of weeks ago. There are placards placed on both the east and west side of the Baldhill Dam, an earthen and concrete structure built in 1951.

Cellpic Sunday – 9 July 2017

McAlester, Oklahoma.

At the junction of highways U.S. 69 and U.S. 270, there are a handful of cattle, two cowhands and a blue heeler on the hillside. How do I know they are still there? They are parts of an elaborate dyed concrete sculpture on the property of the McAlester campus of Eastern Oklahoma State College.