Virtual Travelog: Show us sights from around your town.

[sunvalleylaw]

I posted a link to a bunch of pics showing my hometown from above on a coupla trails. I thought it might be fun to have a thread where fretters could post links to pics showing the sights from around where you live. For instance, I would love to see some of those FLA sights, or some scenes from Sweden or the UK, or Canadia where those Canadians live. ;)

In deference to the fret servers, if you are going to post more than a couple pics, (like I did), please post a link to an off site album. So I'll go first, here is my town:

Hailey from Quigley Hill, if you size the photos with the slider on the lower right so they show 3 across, you get the panorama in the first three.
http://gallery.me.com/sunvalleylaw#100069

Hailey from Carbonate, if you size so they are 4 across, you get the panorama this way. You can see from the airport in the south, looking then across town east, and around up toward the north and SV/Ketchum area.
http://gallery.me.com/sunvalleylaw#100094&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=1

[Algonquin]

Here's me working at the summer cottage this past weekend...

http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwonders/images/pic_wonder_igloo_lg.jpg
:D :canada:

[Algonquin]

Nothing overly stands out in my town like the pics you've posted Steve, but I tried to dig something up. This little covered bridge is close to my house in a park the town recently created after buying the property from a family that operated it as a very popular tourist attraction. Other than people walking dogs, it doesn't get much use in the winter. I like to go x-country skiing here, and use the trails that link it to a conservation area just a bit north. I took my son here for his first night hike this past winter which he thought was cool. He's got his own little headlamp, and hiking pole :AOK:
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/60b3076c-2d3d-459b-b0e6-40e9365f5264.jpg

[sunvalleylaw]

Did you get that flashing well secured on the summer cottage David? ;)

Re: the bridge, well, I think that is very noteworthy! I love trees, leaves and wooden structures like covered bridges. Looks like a great place to XCski. Also, I have enjoyed your canoeing pics that are not right in your town, but still somewhere in your area?

For anyone else, pics of some local clubs, the beach, a cityscape, whatever. That is what I find interesting, just visuals of where people live and play.

[Brian Krashpad]

Well, Gainesville is fairly flat with the occasional small hill here and there. No scenic mountains or beaches.

We do have lakes, like Lake Alice on the UF campus, which is full of gators. And I don't mean UF students.

http://www.insideflorida.com/images/cities/lake_alice_ufcampus_thumb.jpg

Across the street from Lake Alice is the UF Bat House. Every dusk, thousands of bats come out and fly in a huge concentric swirl into the evening sky.

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/wildlife_uf/images/bathouse.jpg

Up in the northwest part of town is Devil's Millhopper, a large natural sink. Back before it was protected and had a walkway built to get to the bottom, Tom Petty used to ditch high school and smoke pot there:

http://www.insideflorida.com/images/cities/devils_millhopper_sinkhole_thumb.jpg

[Robert]

Here in Camrose, we have a nice little lake/pond that I often run around. This is what it looks like.

See also a Photo Gallery of Camrose (http://www.tourismcamrose.com/photogallery/).

http://www.camrosechamber.ca/uploads/MIRROR%20LAKE%20FLOWERS.JPG

http://www.tourismcamrose.com/photogallery/galleries/02---Fountains.jpg

http://www.camrosechamber.ca/files/Mirror_lake_1_-_HS_scan0010_edited-1_1080.jpg

[R_of_G]

Downtown Tampa

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2528238-Downtown_Tampa_Florida-Tampa.jpg

http://yborcitybusinessdirectory.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/bigstockphoto_Tampa_Skyline_2816027.12252709_std.j pg

http://www.floridalisting.com/images/aerial13.jpg

Historic Ybor City (The hub of the cigar world)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/3010890546_a82f780ab6.jpg

http://www.tampabay.com/multimedia/archive/00053/ybor_street_650_53630c.jpg

I wanted to find a better picture of this door at this restaurant. The handles are two halves of a large metal sculpture of a bee that was made by a friend of mine.

http://www.polishedpalate.com/images/bernini.jpg

The University of Tampa's Plant Hall

http://gct13.com/i/200708-fla/tampa-florida-7905-a.jpg

http://www.ut.edu/gallery/facilities/planthall/images/ph1.jpg

And of course, a Tampa sunset...

http://tamparealestateinsider.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/sunset.jpg

[sunvalleylaw]

Nice guys! That is what I was looking for! Looks like a wonderful place to run Robert! Brian, some of your pics did not work, but I am interested in them. R_of_G, thanks! I have never had any mental picture of Tampa at all. Now I do! :AOK: :AOK:

[R_of_G]

I have never had any mental picture of Tampa at all. Now I do! :AOK: :AOK:

That's the highlight reel without all the boring stuff in between. :D

Seriously though, it is a city with its photogenic parts and it's slowly becoming more cosmopolitan, though it still has major strides to make as far as developing a local arts and culture scene.

[Brian Krashpad]

Brian, some of your pics did not work, but I am interested in them.

Oops, looks like those sites blocked hotlinks.

Here's a couple pictures of the Devil's Millhopper, which is probably 3 or 4 miles from my office:

http://www.visitgainesville.com/images/attractions/devils_millhopper.jpg

http://www.razor-gator.com/UniversityOfFlorida/devils_millhopper_geological_state_park.jpg

Iirc it's about 120 feet deep.

[Brian Krashpad]

That's the highlight reel without all the boring stuff in between. :D

Seriously though, it is a city with its photogenic parts and it's slowly becoming more cosmopolitan, though it still has major strides to make as far as developing a local arts and culture scene.

Hey the Brass Mug meets all my cultural needs!

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4254/mugbkair.jpg

:D

[R_of_G]

Hey the Brass Mug meets all my cultural needs!

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4254/mugbkair.jpg

:D

Nice. I've been there many times. If you play in Tampa again let me know. I'd love to see Crash Pad in action.

[sumitomo]

Sorry no pics but crazy weather,5 min ago sunny,now 2in of hail,thunder,lighting,rain.Sumi:D

[street music]

I will just link you to this site of my hometown and let you check it out-music sites and sound.http://www.visitpaintsvilleky.com/
The Country Highway museum is where we have the FRont Porch pickin on Thursday nights, and I live near Paintsville Lake. Lots of nice stuff in the area if you haven't been in these neck of the mountains.

[sunvalleylaw]

Sorry no pics but crazy weather,5 min ago sunny,now 2in of hail,thunder,lighting,rain.Sumi:D

Well, that is ok with me, cause I have regularly been there. ;) :D sometime you should show the others though. The central oregon volcanos and area in which you live is gorgeous! :AOK:

Thanks Street. I will check that out. :AOK: I know nothing of that area.

[Algonquin]

Also, I have enjoyed your canoeing pics that are not right in your town, but still somewhere in your area?
Most of the canoeing I do is within a three hour drive from me. This is a nice interior park near Parry Sound Ontario, on Georgian Bay. I'm hoping to head up Sunday for a couple of days.... Daughter is in exams right now, and taking the the little guy with the early bug fest might prove too much for him so I'm going to head in solo for a couple of nights. I need some time to just get into the ourdoors and relax.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_YSmwgBOaGS8/Rv_sQuZUYOI/AAAAAAAAACg/Z0OBTZqu33s/DSCN4692.JPG

[sunvalleylaw]

I hear ya! Have fun and bring back some pics, if you can clear the bat sized canadian mosquitoes from in front of the lens.

[Tynee]

Beautiful Lexington, KY:

The park seen below is full of life-size statues of horses, including a scene depicting a horse race coming down the homestretch.

http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles35158.jpg

I pass this castle on my way to work every morning. Its on the county line, tehnically in the next county over.


http://www.thecastlepost.com/photogallery.asp (http://www.thecastlepost.com/photogallery.asp)


This is Calumet Thouroughbred Farm. For my money, one of the prettiest of the horse farms, although it sits almost IN town:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/images/photos/photo_lg_kentucky.jpg

[sunvalleylaw]

Nice Tynee! I would love to head down there sometime, hopefully with a dreadnought in the car. I would be inspired to be working on my bluegrass I would think.

[street music]

Sun, you could come on up for our FRont Porch Pickin and maybe see some of our mountains and lakes.

[Spudman]

Pocatello Idaho is down in the valley.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/Bday009.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/May162009056.jpg

[sunvalleylaw]

Hey, I recognize those people in that shot, and remember that hike, the weekend I got my Vik! :AOK :AOK

[kidsmoke]

That's beautiful country. You guys are blessed to be able to earn a good living and live in a place like that. Hats off to you. :applause

[deeaa]

Awsum!

Here's another view of our small town; you need to scroll/tilt the pic and click on the tower top to see the view over the town from the top...

http://www.virtualfinland.fi/Kaupungit/Kuopio/Turistikohteet/Puijon_torni/

[ibanezjunkie]

this thread is depressing for me - to see in perspective how $h!t my country is in comparison with some of these pics.

Robert's imparticular, that lake looks extremely nice, very few places anything like that in the UK.

[sunvalleylaw]

On the contrary, IJ! The UK has a lot of cool stuff, just different. The historical sights are interesting of course, and the English countryside has its own beauty. When I first moved to Idaho, I did not like at all the sage covered hills in the southern part of the state (like where spud's pics were taken) and liked only the central mountains and north. My town of Hailey was about as far south as I could stand in Idaho. But after living here, the sage hills have their own beauty.

But I would like to see more of the other Fretters' towns! Let's see, the UK. Let's see Kiwi land, let's see where the Aussies live. Let's see NY, and the mid-western US, etc! Post some pics of your own, a local web cam, whatever. :AOK


P.S. deeaa, that is another cool one!

[Spudman]

Here is the local newspaper's web cam about 6 blocks from my house.
http://www.journalnet.com/webcam/

This is on the hospital on the east side of town
http://www.kpvi.com/global/Category.asp?c=177567

[markb]

Here's the dominant feature around these parts, Kapiti Island.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2696/4116797354_255bc06a4d_o.jpg

Of course, the traffic's terrible

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3516/3872856205_a940cccdd5_o.jpg

But then with quality shopping like this, what can you expect?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2518/4159436700_4c3f277760_o.jpg

All these were shot within 1/2km of my house.

[sunvalleylaw]

Awesome! I so want to visit New Zealand. Thanks for the pics!

[markb]

One from today's bike ride

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2576/4314352125_2747d19348_o.jpg

IJ, just near you at Ivinghoe Beacon is the start of the Ridgeway, an 80-something mile Iron Age off road path which carries you way above the valleys past a ton of ancient sites before ending at Avebury stone circle. Similarly the South downs can be amazing if you venture more than 50 metres from the car park. Up north it gets even better :AOK

[thekiwidisciple]

One from today's bike ride

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2576/4314352125_2747d19348_o.jpg

IJ, just near you at Ivinghoe Beacon is the start of the Ridgeway, an 80-something mile Iron Age off road path which carries you way above the valleys past a ton of ancient sites before ending at Avebury stone circle. Similarly the South downs can be amazing if you venture more than 50 metres from the car park. Up north it gets even better :AOK

Awesome dude! I'm off back to Gisborne in 3 weeks!

[mainestratman]

Great pictures, all! Spud.. a buddy of mine from the Navy is from your neck o' the woods... small world. :-)

Some from around here...

Night-time from last summer:
http://jonnyblues.com/houlton/DSC_0091.JPG

http://jonnyblues.com/houlton/DSC_0093.JPG

Wildlife from early last spring:
http://jonnyblues.com/houlton/DSC_0681.JPG

http://jonnyblues.com/houlton/DSC_0507.jpg

http://jonnyblues.com/houlton/DSC_1014.jpg


We're avid photographers and have ZILLIONS of photos... I'll leave it here for now. :-)

[Brian Krashpad]

We have beaches a couple hours due east (Atlantic Ocean) and due west (Gulf of Mexico).

To the east is Crescent Beach, nine miles south of St. Augustine, the oldest town in North America:

http://www.st-augustine-condo.com/Coquina-Condos/coq07-oceanfront.jpg

Not much in Crescent except the beach itself. Lotsa small condos. You can drive on the beach there. Sometimes we do go north to Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine, where no driving is allowed. Close by they also have this cool lighthouse, which I've seen from a distance many times but not yet been inside:

http://www.memorable-beach-vacations.com/image-files/florida-st-augustine-beaches-historic-st-augustine-lighthouse-500h-9709et.jpg

A buddy and former bandmate of mine lives in St. Aug, does a lot of boating, and runs an open mic. I need to go visit him sometime.

To the west of us, and a little south, is Cedar Key. This far north the Gulf beaches are much smaller than on the Atlantic, but it's a fun small fishing/artsy town:

http://www.8doldfenimoremill.com/images/big/CedarKeySunset.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_j1cdMMQnYns/SISO041t6WI/AAAAAAAACbw/BUw64uF6Qxw/s400/cedar+key.jpg

[mainestratman]

Krash.. I love that last picture. Cool building.

So.. is the St. Augustine lighthouse as haunted as it's reported to be? lol

[Ch0jin]

I'm digging this thread, more so for the fact that it's made me realise that even though I've lived in Sydney for like 10 years, most of the photo's I've taken in that time have been of other places! I'll dig some stuff up..stay tuned.....

[mainestratman]

P. Sherman! 42 Wallaby Lane, Sydney! lol

(Yeah... imma dork.)

[Brian Krashpad]

Krash.. I love that last picture. Cool building.

So.. is the St. Augustine lighthouse as haunted as it's reported to be? lol

Thanks-- it looks old but it's not.

Btw-- I didn't take any of those.

I reckon the St. Aug lighthouse is haunted alright, though I don't know from personal experience.

Seems like a lot of lighthouses are.

[mainestratman]

Even if you did take the pix, I'd still like them. ;-)

St. Augustine lighthouse is one of the places I would love to go... I love lighthouses anyway, but add in some spooky stuff, and yeah.. tres cool.

[ibanezjunkie]

these are some old pics of the now-disused market square, when it used to be a market.

http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery_images/0709/0000/0512/market_place_1893_mid.jpg

the big white building in the very center of this photo is now a starbucks...

http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery_images/0709/0000/0517/market_place_6_mid.jpg


aaaaand modern...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/images/2007/10/22/211007_hitchin_470_470x353.jpg
http://wikitravel.org/upload/en/thumb/7/70/Hitchin_StMarys.jpg/300px-Hitchin_StMarys.jpg
http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Hertfordshire/images/HitchinWM.jpg
http://www.hitchin.net/leisure/market/images/market1.jpg

and where i actually live, just outside hitchin, in ickleford, we have this old church...
http://www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/churches/images/herts/ickleford.jpg

the upper level has been blocked off for 50 odd years, rumour says its haunted. And the old village hall, a bit older than the church, but refurb'd...
http://www.north-herts.gov.uk/ickleford_village_hall.jpg.jpg

and the green...
http://www.yourlocalweb.co.uk/images/pictures/08/90/ickleford-green-87206.jpg

you will notice the sun is out in all the images, which means they were most likely taken in the week of sunshine we actually get per year.

now, in january, i dont think ive seen the sun out for longer than 10 minutes since about september/october. :cool:

[sunvalleylaw]

Nice! Thanks for these additions everyone. This is what I was hoping for. I had envisioned traveling more, but family life gets in the way. This is a nice way to get a look around the fretter world!

[Brian Krashpad]

http://wikitravel.org/upload/en/thumb/7/70/Hitchin_StMarys.jpg/300px-Hitchin_StMarys.jpg
http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Hertfordshire/images/HitchinWM.jpg
http://www.hitchin.net/leisure/market/images/market1.jpg

and where i actually live, just outside hitchin, in ickleford, we have this old church...
http://www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/churches/images/herts/ickleford.jpg

the upper level has been blocked off for 50 odd years, rumour says its haunted. And the old village hall, a bit older than the church, but refurb'd...
http://www.north-herts.gov.uk/ickleford_village_hall.jpg.jpg

and the green...
http://www.yourlocalweb.co.uk/images/pictures/08/90/ickleford-green-87206.jpg

you will notice the sun is out in all the images, which means they were most likely taken in the week of sunshine we actually get per year.

now, in january, i dont think ive seen the sun out for longer than 10 minutes since about september/october. :cool:

I say! Jolly good. Could you live anywhere more English? Methinks not. Do the elders play at bowling or whatever they call it on the village green?

I've always wondered about cricket-- do people just set up anywhere there's room and play, or are there actually measured out cricket fields in parks and such? Many American parks, and most schools, have a baseball field all measured out with base paths, a pitcher's mound, and such. For some reason I get the impression that such is not the case with cricket.

I won't comment on local sunshine as I live in Florida, which calls itself the Sunshine State, and it might depress you. ;)

But thanks for the views of Herts!

[Brian Krashpad]

Even if you did take the pix, I'd still like them. ;-)

St. Augustine lighthouse is one of the places I would love to go... I love lighthouses anyway, but add in some spooky stuff, and yeah.. tres cool.

Haha, touche'!

It's kinda stupid I haven't made time to go to the lighthouse itself. I've been to both the downtown historic area of St. Aug, with the Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos (also haunted, according to the show Ghost Hunters), and to the beach at Anastasia, a half dozen times each. The lighthouse is between the two.

On my to-do list.

[mainestratman]

That's sweet. If I ever make it to the Redneck Riviera, I'm gonna look you up. :-)

[kidsmoke]

Like a couple of others have said, this thread makes me realize how few photos I take of my immediate surroundings.

I live IN the Chicago urban area, although just outside the city limits itself, I'm talking feet, not miles.

Theses are shots I've taken in the last year or two, so they're readily available. Would have to dig for more, but they do exist.

Every year they close Lake Shore Drive for a 15 mile stretch and open it for bicycle traffic only. Makes for a very cool ride.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/tiokimo/P1020667.jpg

Taken on Montrose Ave Beach on the north side of town. Undoctored, actually came out of the camera like this.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/tiokimo/photo-2.jpg

My personal urban retreat

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/tiokimo/P1040124.jpg

And an April shot in the Morton Arboretum, 25 miles west of the lakeshore

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/tiokimo/CIMG2676.jpg

Hope that gives you a taste of Chicago......

[ibanezjunkie]

I say! Jolly good. Could you live anywhere more English? Methinks not. Do the elders play at bowling or whatever they call it on the village green?

I've always wondered about cricket-- do people just set up anywhere there's room and play, or are there actually measured out cricket fields in parks and such? Many American parks, and most schools, have a baseball field all measured out with base paths, a pitcher's mound, and such. For some reason I get the impression that such is not the case with cricket.

I won't comment on local sunshine as I live in Florida, which calls itself the Sunshine State, and it might depress you. ;)

But thanks for the views of Herts!


we do have some measured cricket greens around, but usually they get scrapped in winter to make way for soccer/football/whatever.

and as for the green, its now owned and maintained by the village hall and the school thats right next to it, but i think at one point it was an execution ground :poke

[mainestratman]

and as for the green, its now owned and maintained by the village hall and the school thats right next to it, but i think at one point it was an execution ground :poke

Ahh.. the good ol' days. :-)