Happy Memorial Weekend

Hope you are all enjoying a very Happy Memorial Weekend.

This photo was taken last night -- I was driving home from Pt. Loma, and kept seeing the gorgeous color in the sky.  I found a place to park and enjoyed the sunset.  This is the last bit of color in the sky.    Enjoy!

Shane is 6

Shane is 6 years old today.  A photo with the birthday bear and another on his new bike.  

He was a very  excited boy today! 

  

Bellagio Hotel gardens

Before driving to Las Vegas, Terry had read that the Bellagio gardens would be closed to change the exhibit.  We were very pleasantly surprised to see that they did not close -- the landscapers just worked around all the visitors to make the changes:  new flowers, paint, new props,  general sprucing up for the new exhibit.  These are a few of my favorite photos.

Las Vegas architecture

Convergence. 

Three photos to post tonight from Las Vegas.  It was fun walking around, sightseeing, and photographing the buildings and reflections.

Red Rock Canyon  area, approximately 20 miles west of Las Vegas -- a great place to tour by car with areas where one can park and hike.   So close to the neon signs of Las Vegas, it's a bit unreal to experience this quiet valley.    An incredibly beautiful area.

 I loved the  signs we saw regarding the tortoise crossing.  I looked hard, but never saw one.  Maybe next trip!   Check out the beautiful clouds in the sky.  

Las Vegas Neon Sign Museum

New sign to mark their location

Ugly Duckling

A group of very dedicated volunteers are working to save Las Vegas neon signs.  .  The museum boneyard is open by appointment only for now,  so if you are going to be in the area, plan ahead & order your tickets on line.    The signs have been saved from destruction as older buildings have been torn down.   The volunteers who lead the tours are passionate and knowledgeable about the history of many of the signs.  

This neon duck sign was rescued from The Ugly Duckling Car Sales, and is just one of many we learned about.  More photos to come ...

I've also posted a few more on my flickr account so head on over there if you want to see more before I post here.  

Las Vegas

Terry Myers and I made a trip to Las Vegas and had a great time -- and of course we had our cameras with us at all times.    As I work on them, I'll be posting some of my favorites.   I rarely use my tripod, but I did take it along and used it for the Bellagio Hotel fountains photo.  

Another favorite was the ceiling in the Bellagio -- Dale Chihuly glass flowers, with the larger flowers maybe  5 feet in diameter.  

The last photograph was taken of a closeup of his work outside his gallery in the Bellagio lobby.   These are glass rods that are about 5' high.   I liked this view because of the contrast with the shiny glass rods and the soft look of the flowers.  Loved the colors too!

Epiphyllum Greenhouse

I went to the Safari Park a few days ago to check out the Baja Gardens and discovered that the Epiphyllum Greenhouse is now open.  They only open in the spring when the epiphyllum's are in bloom. I used my iPhone 4s for a few shots.

The flowers are spectacular and well worth a visit to the Safari Park.  You'll be amazed at the variety of colors and sizes on display.  Thanks go out to the wonderful volunteers who maintain the plants and greenhouse all year so we can view these beautiful flowers.

May flowers

 My favorite time of year!