Nature, travel, pets, home renovation, and geekery
During the short amount of time I was able to enjoy my cruise in the Sea of Cortez, I was able to do a little hiking as well as view some beautiful scenery from the boat. The geology reminds me of Arizona. There are some beautiful red rocks and layered sedimentary rocks. There is also scary but interesting plants including cactuses.
Baja California
Red rocks
Desert landscape
Desert landscape
Desert landscape
Cactus
Red rocks
Red rocks
One of the things I was able to do while on my short cruise in the Sea of Cortez was to go snorkeling with sea lions. There is a small island, which is more of a large rock outcropping, were birds and sea lions live. The water beneath is filled with fish, otherwise why would the birds and sea lions be there. People are allowed to snorkel in the area, but they are not allowed to dive there. We were even required to wear a slightly inflated flotation vest to prevent us from diving. We were also warned that the sea lions are quite playful. They are known to like to gnaw on people, like a puppy might when playing. I got gnawed on at my wrist. Then either the same sea lion of another gnawed on my ankle and kept going right up to my thigh.
The sea lions are amazing to watch. They are so swift and fast. They are extremely hydrodynamic. They are cute and playful. Although the gnawing didn’t break the surface of my skin and didn’t hurt too much, I could have done without the gnawing.
These are not the best photos I have ever taken, but GoPros are only point and shoot. Still I though I would present some of the better ones.
Sea lion gnawing on someone’s elbow
Sea lion
Sea lion swims right in front of my face
Sea lion
Sea lions
Sea lion
Sea lion cuddling (?) with someone
Sea lion gnawing on someone’s fin
Sea lions
Sea lion
Sea lion
Sea lions
Sea lion
Sea lion
Sea lion
For Christmas this year, my family and I went to Cabo. The main part of the trip is a cruise, but we started the trip in San Jose del Cabo. We decided to stay in the old part of the city, and it was a great decision. The town is adorable. There are narrow streets that I would never want to drive down, but along with the sidewalks, allow you to walk everywhere. The town is small, so you can walk everywhere. There is a huge town square that is currently filled with Christmas decorations and seems to have nightly entertainment. It is a true gathering place for the town. Then there shops selling everything from fine arts to tacky tourist items. I really like this town.
Town square
Cute shops everywhere
I loved the manholes
Narrow streets
Narrow streets
Greenery near the church
Amazingly I lived in Colorado for four years while in college and never once went inside the state capitol. I finally changed that today. Although while taking the tour, I learned that the capitol has been renovated and restored since I was in college, so I was able to see a much nicer looking building than I would have seen back then. The capitol is lovely, and if you are able to visit, take the tour because you can go up into the dome and onto an observation balcony but only on the tour. Similar to capitols, the House of Representatives is decorated in green like the UK House of Commons, while the Senate is decorated in red like the House of Lords. Much of the stone in the building is from quarries in the state, including a gorgeous red onyx. There is a lot of brass that appears to need constant polishing. My favorite feature of the building is Mr. Brown’s Attic, where there are windows to allow you to see much of the superstructure, including vaulted ceiling of the two chambers.
Colorado State Capitol
Interior space
Ground floor
The rotunda
Inside the rotunda looking up to the dome
Representatives chamber
Senate chamber
Brass elevator
Red onyx and brass decorate much of the building
Stairwell with brass decorations
Inside the dome
Window in Mr. Brown’s Attic of the exterior of one of the chamber’s vaulted ceiling
View from the dome’s balcony
While exploring Sacramento, I decided a river cruise would be a great way to see the city, considering the city is on the banks of two rivers. A river cruise was definitely a lovely way to get a different perspective of the city. The cruise only went on the Sacramento River, as my guess is the American River is even more shallow than the Sacramento, which is only about 12 feet deep. The engineering highlights of the cruise were going under two different bridges, the I Street Bridge, which is a swing bridge, and the Tower Bridge, which is a vertical lift bridge. The cruise also went under a boring stationary bridge, the I-80 bridge. The cruise also passed by both the old and new water intake pumping stations, where river water is pumped to the water treatment plant.
I Street Bridge
Bridge over the American River
Docks and condominiums line parts of the river
Drainage outlets from nearby canal
Downtown Sacramento
Old water intake tower and pumping station
New water intake pumping station
Downtown Sacramento
Tower Bridge
I am continuing in my quest to visit all the state capitols, and I am in Sacramento this weekend, so I got to add California to my list. The history of the building is rather interesting in that they started building it in 1860, but mainly due to lack of funds, it was not finished for 14 years. In 1906, much modernization was done to the building including electricity and central heat and air. [I was unclear when the indoor plumbing came.] Additions and other renovations were done after that. Some of those renovations sounded like they were more “renovations” that probably sounded good to some at the time, but now most of us at least, and cringe at what was done. Then in 1975, they pretty much completely rebuilt the capitol. The shell of the building stayed, but the interior was completely torn down and built back up again. They did a lovely job of rebuilding. The building is gorgeous with wonderful wooden staircases, gilded and painted ceilings and walls, tile floors, and plenty of little touches you just have to explore to find. The state seal can be found in all sorts of places, and many other symbols are subtly placed around the building. There are bears everywhere, including coming out of staircase railing columns. They also restored several rooms on the first floor to their 1906 appearance, so parts of the capitol are a historical museum.
California State Capitol
Rotunda
Rotunda
Rotunda
The senate chamber is decorated with a lot of pink, which is supposed to reflect the color of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords.
Senate chamber
Senate chamber
The assembly chamber is decorated with a lot of green, which is supposed to reflect the color of the United Kingdom’s House of Commons.
Assembly chamber
Assembly chamber ceiling
In one of the panels of the assembly’s ceiling, is a grotesque of man’s head and his two hands. It is difficult to see unless you are looking for it, preferably with the help of a tour guide with a laser pointer. It is in a panel with a ring of (what I assume are) prickly pears with yellow flowers. Based on what my tour guide said and my internet searches, it doesn’t seem like the origins and true meaning of the grotesque are clear, but a chubby cheeked man with his hands up in a room where politicians work kind of gives me easy ideas.
Assembly chamber ceiling grotesque
Elevator
Wooden staircases with intricate metal lamps
Wooden staircase
Stained glass ceiling light
1906 Governor’s office
Bear guarding the governor’s office
Today was my first visit to the Cape Canaveral area and to the Kennedy Space Center. The big exhibit here is the space shuttle Atlantis. They have it set up really nice, so you can see inside the payload and the damaged external heat shield tiles and blankets. There are plenty of other exhibits to see. Also, you can also take a bus ride to another site to see a Saturn V rocket. The rocket is impressive, and the bus ride is a very short tour of the center and worth the ride.
Space shuttle Atlantis front
Space shuttle Atlantis payload
Space shuttle Atlantis back
Space shuttle Atlantis engine area with damaged heat shield tiles
Saturn V rocket
Saturn V rocket engine
Saturn V rocket main engines
Saturn V rocket main engines, view of inside
Bus tour passes the rock path, with imprints of vehicle still visible, that the shuttle on its platform moved to the launch site
Vehicle Assembly Building
Rocket Garden at sunset
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery is currently showing only one exhibit, which is No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man. The exhibit is amazing. The art is fun and beautiful and huge and completely unique and so many other positive modifiers that would fill a page. The pieces are like nothing I have ever seen before. They are also set in the space in a perfect manner because so many of the pieces are about light, and they are placed to allow that interaction with light.
One of my favorites was Shrumen Lumen, which changes colors and also changes the shapes of the mushroom like figures. It is one of those things you have to see in person. The shadows of HYBYCOZO are relaxing and mesmerizing. I could have taken photos from different angles all day.
“Truth is Beauty” by Marco Cochrane
“Truth is Beauty” by Marco Cochrane
“Temple” by David Best
“Shrumen Lumen” by FoldHaus Art Collective
“Shrumen Lumen” by FoldHaus Art Collective
“Shrumen Lumen” by FoldHaus Art Collective
“Shrumen Lumen” by FoldHaus Art Collective
“HYBYCOZO” by Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu
“HYBYCOZO” by Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu
“HYBYCOZO” by Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu
I’m continuing my quest to see all the state capitol buildings. I am in Maine, so I detoured through Augusta to add Maine to the list. Maine’s state house is one of the least opulent I have seen. The tour guide even mentioned that it was not gilded, as that is not Maine’s way, and they were also not given the budget for it. Thus, there is lovely architecture and some marble tile floors, but no gold leaf, marble columns, or bronze this or that everywhere. There is a complete lack of painted murals. The building has clearly been renovated, but in a respectful manner to the original architecture. My favorite feature of the building is the second floor balcony which looks out to a large park and has rocking chairs on it.
Exterior view of front of capitol
Stairwell from center of building
Fireplace
Capitol dome
House chamber
House chamber
Senate chamber
Senate chamber ceiling
View from front balcony
Rocking chairs on balcony
Elevator
