I never know what we’ll stumble upon on our Saturday excursions. This weekend it was an unexpected, faded Coca-Cola sign painted on the side of an abandoned building. This building was located in the small community of Kenwood, which is located in Fayetteville, GA. I wish I could make out the name of the establishment, but I’ll settle for the “Drink Coca-Cola” advertisement. Afterall, being a Coca-Cola retiree after 35 years, the nostalgia of the brand still runs deep in my veins. 😉
The image was taken with my Samsung 20 Galaxy Note phone. I brought it into Affinity Photo 2 for some minor adjustments and an added vignette.
Day 5 – May Flower. Full transparency, this image was shot with my cell phone. We made a day trip to Columbus, Georgia today. And while, yes, I had my camera in tow, we had just walked out of a restaurant, and it was still tucked away in my backpack. I didn’t have enough time to pull it out, so I opted for the cell phone camera.
My first thought with this statue was “I wish it was raining so I could really capture the true essence of playing in the rain.” The statue was part of the 2007 Sculpture Walk in Columbus and the artist is Susan Geissler.
I couldn’t decide which I liked best, the color or the black and white. So, I’ll leave the choice up to you. The only other edits I made to the image was cropping and haze removal.
Field Notes: Samsung Galaxy; Focal Length 26mm; Exposure F1.8, 1/2365s; ISO 40
Saturdays are for getting out of the house. Some days we run errands, other days we get in the truck and pick a direction, North, South, East or West. And then there are days we do both. It’s all about getting out and away from the house and finding a fun place to have lunch.
One recent Saturday we ran errands first and ended up in Cartersville, GA at the Savoy Automobile Museum. We have been there before, unfortunately this time I was without my camera. Big mistake, but oh well at least I had my Samsung Galaxy cell phone!
Today’s photo(s) is of a 1954 Plymouth Savoy. As the developers were clearing out the 35-acre lot for an unnamed museum, they uncovered this rusted-out shell of a car. Taking it as an omen, the Savoy Automobile Museum was born and the namesake, Savoy was preserved as part of the museum landscape.
If you’re into cars, I highly recommend you check out the Savoy Automobile Museum. They change their collections frequently and have some very interesting automobiles making the trip well worth it.
“Life is a journey, not a destination….You are the artist, paint what you will.”
For our challenge this week, John fromJourneys with Johnbo encourages us to share images that focus on our journeys, possibly the modes of transportation which took us there. Or to even share images of places we discovered while on our journey.
I think my love for travel started when I was a child. I couldn’t tell you when exactly it started. But if I had to guess it was the trip, we took out west when I was about six (6) years old. It was so exciting because this was my first plane ride. And from what I remember we saw a LOT of the country – everything from The Hoover Dam to The Grand Canyon; San Diego to Disney Land, and lastly to San Franciso. I remember it being so much fun I cried (literally) when we had to come home.
“A photograph is a return ticket to moments already gone.”
Trip out west – Stop at the Grand Canyon Dad’s missing because he was the one taking all the photos (I’m the one in red pants).
Yes, I’ve been very fortunate throughout my life to travel to many places here in the U.S. and to other parts of the world. And I’ve pretty much been on all forms of transportation, too: planes, trains, automobiles, sailboats, cruise ships, helicopters and yes, even The Goodyear Blimp!
But one of my most memorable adventures was another trip out west which Michael and I took Christmas of 2011. We couldn’t decide where we wanted to go, so we narrowed it down to three (3) places. We wrote the names on pieces of paper, folded them up and dropped them into a bowl. I don’t remember which one of us drew the winner, but we landed on a road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway.
Our motto for the trip was “No map, no plans, no place to be.” It’s a line from Toby Keith’s song “South of You.” The only parts of the trip planned were our airline and rental car reservations. And so, on Christmas Day we headed to the airport and boarded a plane to San Diego, CA
Once we landed and picked up our sporty Mustang convertible for the trip, we headed to our first stop just outside of San Diego (Carlsbad, CA) for a quick visit with our nephew and his family.
Our activities for the day included lunch, a walk on the pier, and a visit to Mission San Louis Rey de Francia – Oceanside, CA. You can tell the boys were quite warn out from our day’s outing and scooting around in the convertible!
Mission San Louis Rey de Francia – Oceanside, CA
The real adventure of “no map, no plans, no place to be” started when we left San Diego. Our first stop that day was lunch in Laguna Beach. It’s definitely the artist colony it’s known for.
We didn’t stop much that day because we were too busy enjoying the coastline scenery. But, by the time we reached Los Angeles and navigated our way through the traffic, we decided to call it quits for the day.
We pulled into Malibu, just in time to grab a place for the night. And, since we didn’t have any reservations, we had no idea what we were in for when it came to hotels. We were lucky enough though, to find a wonderful little inn on the ocean and were greeted the next morning by a cute seagull at our balcony door (which was at the foot of our bed).
Good Morning!Malibu Beach
Day 3 – More driving, but we didn’t care, the scenery was amazing. We stopped for the night at Moonstone Beach in Cambria. THIS was the downfall of “no reservations.” We ended up in a dive of a motel. It was one of those places where you wouldn’t dare take your shoes off, let alone get under the covers! But it was a small price to pay for a beautiful sunset.
After that fateful night when we were ready to stop for the day, we would go to the nearest restaurant/bar and ask the locals for their recommendations……they never failed us.
Sunset at Moonstone Beach in Cambria
“Due to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across country from coast to coast without seeing anything.”
~Charles Kuralt
This is one of Michael’s favorite quotes and it’s so true. We may not have been driving coast to coast, but the quote is still appropriate for our south to north journey on the PCH. Afterall, if we had chosen to take the interstate look at all we would have missed.
Sea Lions bathing in the sunBig SurBirds taking flightPigeons Point LighthouseRoad trip views drivingRoad trip views drivingCool Roadside Art GalleryCool Roadside Art GalleryCool Roadside Art GalleryLucky Motorcycle
Our last stop just in time for New Year’s Eve was San Francisco. We decided to return the rental car and walk or take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) instead. We wrapped up our trip with a nice dinner catching up with some longtime friends.
Fisherman’s WharfChina TownAlcatrazRosie the Riveter Built ThisFamous Cable Car
Thanks, John for this wonderful challenge. It was fun re-living this road-trip and all the wonderful memories Michael and I enjoyed together.
Next week it’s Sofia’s turn. Be sure to follow her at Photographias so you don’t miss out on her theme.
We have a wonderful new challenge this week by Ann Christine, “Favorite Finds.” In her post she encourages us to dig deep into our archives and find something hidden that once surprised us or filled us with awe.
In our many travels over the years, Michael and I have stumbled upon some wonderful treasures. Whether it be hidden courtyard tucked away down an alley in Charleston, South Carolina;
Or a road less traveled away from the hustle and bustle of a busy highway;
Or an abandoned boat in front of a lighthouse in Cancun, Mexico.
Along the way, however, there have been some unique discoveries which have found their way home with us.
Like this “Ice Boy and Dog” statue. We found it one Fall Day while traveling in Boone, North Carolina. The shop had all kinds of yard art, plant stands and such. But this little guy and his friend caught our eye. If you know Michael, you know he is truly a dog lover, and they love him too! That’s what made this such an amazing find.
Sadly, the bees and hornets eventually found a way to make a home in the statue and it met an untimely death. But not before I could grab this shot of him one icy, winter day.
There have been other unique discoveries along the years all finding their way home in our garden. But none hold a candle to our bicycle plant stand. This was one of those finds that almost didn’t happen.
One Saturday we were wandering around an antique mall and stumbled upon it. It immediately caught both our attention, but at the time we were living in the condo. With no place to put it we walked away.
Fast forward six months later and we found ourselves with a summer home on St. Simonds Island and a garden that needed some attention. Our thoughts went back to the bicycle, and we kicked ourselves for not picking it up when we first ran across it. But lucky for us, it was still there, and we found the perfect spot under a tall pecan tree.
Eventually, we sold the property, and the bicycle found its way to our new garden (although we did have to persuade the new owners to let us keep it).
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall it continues to be a focal point of color, character and joy all year round.
Thank you, Ann-Christine for this fun challenge. Next week, John will host us in a theme of plane, trains and automobiles. If you’d like to join in on the fun, be sure to follow him by clicking on this link: PhotobyJohnbo
Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time,
~donna
P.S. I’m scaling back on my Etsy shop to spend more time on my true passion Photography and not running an on-line shop. So, I have an inventory clearance (available in the U.S. only and while supplies last) on all notecards and matted photography. If you, or anyone you know may be interested in purchasing unique notecards, photography or digital artwork please visit my Etsy shop by clicking on the link below: Shop Donna Robinson Photography
Donna Robinson Photography 