Catching Up: August 2011 Florida Trip: Part 1

Catching Up: August 2011 Florida Trip: Part 1 - Tampa

(Editor's Note: While there's some slow time in the few week's before we have a new addition to the family, I'm trying to catch up on blog entries that I wanted to post or started but never completed. This is another one of those entries.)

In August 2011, Joe Babyak, Brian LeBlanc, and I took a road trip to Key West, Florida by way of Tampa.

Route: US 64/264, I-40, I-95, FL A1A, US 301, I-10, FL 121, FL 238, I-75, US 98, FL 589 Toll.

From our hotel on Old Tampa Bay, I was able to see a distant thunderstorm form. For me, it was something pretty neat since we don't have the flat and open space to watch these develop.

For the entire sunset set on flickr, head here.

From there we headed to Ybor City for dinner to the Tampa Bay Brewing Company. The beer and the food is excellent! However, I was actually very surprised to see how empty Ybor City was for a Thursday evening.

From there, Brian suggested we head down I-275 to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to take in the bridge with some night shots at the fishing pier. Skyway Fishing Pier State Park is open 24 hours - and the piers are the approaches to the original Skyway Bridge. This was really my first attempt at long exposure night photography. It takes a lot of patience but this was a great spot to practice.

For more night shots from the bridge, head here.

Coming Soon: The ride to Key West.

Comments

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California. Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass. Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct. Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley. Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass. Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley. The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona. Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939. West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County. Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass. Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard. Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations. The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces. Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e

Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia

The Oldtown Toll Bridge linking Oldtown, Maryland over the Potomac River with neighboring Green Spring, West Virginia is only one of a few truly privately owned toll bridges located in the United States. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is a low water bridge. Low water bridges are designed to allow water to safely and efficiently flow over the bridge deck. Additionally, a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. This was a blessing for residents, especially on the West Virginia side of the Potomac River, as it saved motorists commuting to Cumberland an hour in travel time. Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the

Gribblenation

Search This Blog