Ideas for places to visit in the Midwest
https://greatrivers.smugmug.com/Galleries/Missouri-Botanical-Garden/i-M9cGm8s/A
Built in 1960, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Climatron is an a very remarkable architectural structure. Used as a tropical greenhouse, it is a geodesic dome with no structural support inside.
Floating in the reflecting pool are Chihuly glass objects. Chihuly had a display of his artwork in the Gardens and after the show, these were left for permanent display.
After walking around Forest Park’s Jewel Box greenhouse, I found these lilies interesting. The were an number of floral displays around the area but these water lilies are worth stopping by to take a look if you live in the area.
Forest Park’s Jewel Box green house has three reflection pools which are filled with various types of lilies like these. The whole area was buzzing with Dragonflies so capturing on in a photo like this was not very difficult. I have been visiting this landmark for 65 years and in never ceases to be interesting.
By the way, I used a 55 to 300mm Nikkor lens to get closeup to the flowers.
There are a lot of cool things in Forest Park and this is one. The Jewel Box was dedicated Nov. 14, 1936 and cost about $117,000, with about 45 percent coming from Public Works Administration (WPA) funds. It was designed by city engineer William C. E. Becker and Robert Paulus Construction Co. was the contractor.
With its unconventional, cantilevered, vertical glass walls rising majestically 50 feet high, the Jewel Box opened in 1936 to national acclaim. The Post-Dispatch called the Art Deco-style structure, “the latest word in display greenhouses.”
This is a three shot HDR photo. See more Forest Park photos: https://greatrivers.smugmug.com/Galleries/Forest-Park/
A helicopter view of St. Louis as it sits on the Mississippi River. In this view are landmarks such as the Gateway Arch and historic Eads Bridge.
The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by French fur traders Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and named after Louis IX of France. In 1764, following France’s defeat in the Seven Years’ War, the area was ceded to Spain and retroceded back to France in 1800. In 1803, the United States acquired the territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase. During the 19th century, St. Louis became a major port on the Mississippi River; at the time of the 1870, Census it was the fourth-largest city in the country. It separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an independent city and limiting its own political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the Summer Olympics.
The original village sat where the Arch grounds are now.
This is an interesting intersection in St. Louis’ Forest Part where walking paths, a foot bridge and stream intersect. This time of year the flowers start to bloom making it a popular place to be.
Our dogs love to come here to explore and walk in the stream. However, crossing the swaying suspension bridge is out of the question.
7,000 flags flying over Art Hill in St. Louis; Forest Park. This is one of several flag memorials in front of the the Art Museum displayed over the past few years. These displays have memorialized those that have fallen during terror attacks or fighting terrorists.
St. Louis has a beautiful downtown area. This is our Old Courthouse which was site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case in 1847 and 1850. This photo was taken from the Arch grounds looking west.
The new Kiener Plaza used the same statue as the old plaza and everything else is new. This is a gathering place for sports rallies in St. Louis, particularly the Cardinals and Blues. I think the Stanley Cup passed through here more than once.
This is a three shot HDR Photo taken about 20 minutes after sunset. It was getting pretty dark!
We are fortunate in the Midwest, particularly our Great Rivers area where the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers merge to have these beautiful birds living here. Unfortunately the best time to see them is during the very cold months of January and February. Another good place to spot these eagles is in the Wisconsin Northwoods. In fact, there are so many there, if you take a walk around one of the thousand’s of lakes there you will surely spot one or two.
The little town of Minocqua, Wisconsin is agreat place to see them since the town is actually an island on Lake Minocqua. Minocqua is on the border of Oneida County and Vilas County. Onenida has 152 Eagle nests and Vilas county has 172 nests. By comparison, surrounding counties have 32, 16, 24, 27 and 29 nests each.
I visit the Minocqua almost annually so I know where to look. To get a photo like this, I get a reservation at The Pointe Resort on the lake. Just about any time I can walk out to the back of the facility and sure enough, you will find one in the trees looking out over the lake. The best time to visit here is summer and fall!
Great Rivers Imaging 