Kinzua Bridge

This weekend, MJ, Blair and I traveled to the Kinzua Bridge State Park in North Central Pennsylvania near the Allegheny National Forest.  The bridge was originally built in 1882 and was labeled the Eighth Wonder of the World.  It held the record as the tallest railroad bridge in the world (301 feet tall) for a short period of time.  In 1900, they took it down and rebuilt it with steel to allow it to accommodate heavier trains.  It was used for trains until 1959 and then sold to Pennsylvania to become a state park.  They started to restore the bridge in 2002, but a tornado struck the bridge in 2003 before they finished the restoration project.  The result of the tornado ended with a large portion of the bridge collapsing down into the valley and Kinzua Creek. 

Fortunately for all of us, Pennsylvania still converted it into a State Park.  They took one end of bridge (a portion still standing) and converted it into a large observation deck.  There are also lots of hiking trails throughout the 316 acres.  We hiked down one of the trails to the bottom of the valley, crossed over Kinzua Creek and walk around the debris field.  Beyond the long drive, I love it.  The State has done a great job converting this into a park and based on the number of people visiting it, it’s a success.

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Elation

I’m posting this photo for my friend David.  He asked me to keeping posting drone photos….  I don’t know why….  Or maybe I do.  Regardless, this is the Carnival Elation from above while it was anchored in the Bahamas. 

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ELP

I’ve visited this cathedral a few times in the past.  And I’ve posted a number of photos from this location on my blog over the years.  Here is another pic from the East Liberty Presbyterian church in the Pittsburgh area.  Pretty spot right??

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RedFrog Pub

I’ve posted photos from this ship (Carnival Vista) in the past.  It’s a great ship with amazing features.  I loved the colors and design of this pub on the Promenade deck and spent a little time here.  We were on board during the very first cruise that sailed around Europe.

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Ajayi

Here is something a little different for your viewing pleasure.  Normally the football photos I share with you are the full story.  Meaning, I normally share the photos where you can tell what exactly is going on, who is making the play, where they are on the field, etc…   basically the photo can tell the story by itself.  But I also capture lots of photos like this one…. close up shots.  You can’t really tell what’s going on, but the detail can be great as well.  So here is a close up of the Miami Dolphins’ running back Jay Ajayi (#23) as he tries to get away from a Steelers defender.

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GW Statue

Blair and I got out yesterday for some adventure.  I’ve been wanting to get this photo for a long time.  Based on where this sits on top of the dome above the Washington County Court House.  My new toy, helped me capture it. 

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Assembly Line Abandoned

Ok, I’ll avoid an aerial photograph today.  Here is a close up HDR photo of the assembly line at the abandoned china factory outside of Pittsburgh.  I got all kinds of great photos at this location, some of which I’ve already posted in the past.  Have a great Sunday.

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Elation's Top Decks

You’ll have to forgive me.  You might get a heavy dose of aerial photography since I have a new (my first) drone.  I got my drone (DJI Mavic Pro) about 2 days before our trip.  So, I probably had a grand total of 10 flights with it before we got on the cruise ship.  I almost didn’t take it with me since it was so new and I didn’t have any experience with drones.  It is extremely easy to fly, operate and get some great video and photos. 

Tonight’s photo was from our 2nd day on the cruise when the ship was anchored off the shore of Princess Cay Bahamas.  I flew the drone over the ship and took 5 shots straight down (I couldn’t get the entire ship in one photo) and then merged them together in Photoshop later to get this final photo.  Frankly, I think this photo is pretty darn good when I think about how little drone experience I had at the time. 

By the way, this might be one of the last photos of this ship in its current shape/design.  It is going into dry dock very soon and the top decks are getting completely redone (new pools, water slides, etc…).  I’m curious to see how different it will look after.  Anyway, tell me what you think for this aerial photo.    

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Carnival Elation

We just got back from our latest adventure.  We spent a few days visiting family in northern Florida and then hopped on aboard the Carnival Elation for a relaxing cruising.  A few days before we left, I got a new toy… I mean a new professional tool.  I got myself a DJI Mavic Pro…. And I have to tell you it is great.  Within a few flights I was very comfortable with it.  So while on our cruise, I captured this photo of the Carnival Elation off the coast of Princess Cay (Bahamas). 

I launched the drone from the island and flew it out past the ship to get this angle back towards the shore.  Amazing toy… I mean tool.  More aeriel photos to come in the future.

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Pool Side

I love Mexico.  We’ve been numerous times and I always have a great time.  This photo is from our last trip.  Typical of all our trips, I get up early for sunrise before all the other tourists get out of bed, which is when I captured this photo.  Plus I capture sunset photos as well. 

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Sunday Church Service

We went on a little Urbex photo walk today to a couple of great Pittsburgh spots.  We explored a big abandoned church and attached school, plus another spot that I’ll share later.  Today’s photo is from this morning’s exploration of the abandoned church.  I don’t think it’s been abandoned for very long…maybe since 2010.   Regardless, it’s a wonderful architectural treasure and I enjoyed capturing.  I’m sure it will change over time due to weather and human destruction.  Its too bad it won’t be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

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Capital Reflecting Pool

When I was in Washington DC, I tried to capture photos from unusual perspectives in order to get something different vs. the millions of photos taken the exact same way.  What do you think?

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St. Peter's Basilica

What an amazing facility!!  An Italian Renaissance church (the world’s largest church) inside Vatican City is worth a visit regardless of your religious preference.  The architecture, design, and detail is world class.  In short, I was wowed!! 

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Gator

During a recent trip to Florida, MJ and I went to the Everglades National Park for our first time.  I have no idea how many times we’ve been to Florida in the past…. But the number of visits is way up there.  Maybe 50 plus times…..  I’m not sure… let’s just call it a bunch.  So why it took so long for us to visit the Everglades is beyond me.  We enjoyed the visit and I took this photo of this gator that climbed out of the water about 15 feet from us.  It decided to sun itself and left us alone…and we left it alone.

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Le'Veon Bell

It won’t be long until the football season starts.  I don't know how the Steelers or my Lions will do, but one thing is sure thing.  If Le’Veon is healthy, he’ll frustrate the opposite team.  What else would you expect from a former Spartan.

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Manhattan Nights

This is one of my favorite spots in NYC.  I’ve been told that this spot was dangerous in the past.  At some point in the last 10 years, the city redeveloped this spot into a great park.  I’ve been to it a few times at night and it’s amazing.  Safe, clean, and beautiful…..plus you can’t beat the view.

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