Winter view of the Navy Pier

Even a March walk on Chicgo’s Navy Pier can be interesting. Yes, Navy Pier is widely considered worth visiting for its diverse attractions, stunning lakefront views, entertainment, dining, and cultural spots, offering a quintessential Chicago experience for families, couples, and tourists, though in March there are fewer crowds. However, it is a year-round destination with seasonal highlightsContinue reading “Winter view of the Navy Pier”

Winter hangs on in St. Louis

The snow is going away in St. Louis but it is still winter here. Buds are stating to show up on the trees with cold and rainy days ahead. Photographed here is the St. Louis Arch (The Gateway Arch) on one of those cold rainy days. Instead of the St. Louis skyline in the backgroundContinue reading “Winter hangs on in St. Louis”

Big Red

“Big Red” in Holland Michigan was the harbor’s first beacon, a 34-foot white wooden structure, began shining in 1870 and eventually gave way to a taller steel beacon (in the background). In 1907, the present structure took shape as a manila-colored fog signal building, becoming an official lighthouse in 1936 with the addition of aContinue reading “Big Red”

Winter Wonderland: Lighthouses of Southwestern Michigan

This is the latest photo I have processed from a recent trip to Southwestern Michigan to photograph lighthouses in snow and ice. This is in the town of Grand Haven which has an inland port that uses lighthouses to guide ships into safety. It has been a particularly cold winter causing storms to blow iceContinue reading “Winter Wonderland: Lighthouses of Southwestern Michigan”

Wainwright Tomb

Early in the New Year, means a trip to the family plot in Bellefontaine Cemetery in the northern section of the City of St. Louis. Founded in 1849 as St. Louis’s first rural cemetery, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum (the first west of the Mississippi) became a unique garden landscape for prominent figures like William Clark andContinue reading “Wainwright Tomb”

Father Christmas

St. Charles, Missouri, is an old 18th Century river town and trading post. Main Street, which runs along the Missouri River has been nicely restored, and is the sight of many Christmas activities. Diane and I drove over there from St. Louis for dinner in one of their many unique restaurants. While walking down theContinue reading “Father Christmas”

Empty Bandstand

The Nathan Frank Bandstand on a cold winter day. We had a brief snow but not enough cold weather to freeze Pagoda Lake. A snowy day is a great time to visit Forest Park with the geese and ducks still swimming around and sledders on Art Hill. The park is only a few miles fromContinue reading “Empty Bandstand”

During special events at the Missouri Botanical Garden, they like to project images like this, set to music. This is called Architectural Projection Mapping which projects images on a building aligned with the building’s features. This is from this year’s Garden Glow. Built in 1849, Tower Grove House is Garden founder Henry Shaw’s restored countryContinue reading

Getting ready for Christmas at the Botanical Garden

A nice way to start the season is to visit Missouri Botanical Garden’s Garden Glow. A walk through the park gives you scene after scene of the upcoming holiday. See the Climatron with its reflecting pools, walk through Henry Shaws home, see the beautifully decorated gatehouse and endless holiday lights. The grandkids love the trainContinue reading “Getting ready for Christmas at the Botanical Garden”

St. Louis Art Hill: A Fall Marvel

A favorite fall scene. This is an area known as Art Hill in St. Louis’s Forest park. In the background is the Art Museum looking over Art Hill which is lined by these trees. Like clockwork, every fall these trees turn a bright red. In the distance is the statue of St. Louis on hisContinue reading “St. Louis Art Hill: A Fall Marvel”