New Condos Everywhere....

View from Miami Radisson Hotel
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

While in Miami to do a presentation last November, I stayed at the Radisson Hotel which is located on the north side of downtown.

This shot was taken from my 9th floor window looking toward the north looking at 5 new condominium projects that were under construction at the time.

I only had my little Kodak C743 camera with me but I was pretty impressed with the pictures it took.

Wig Wam Motel Rialto California

Wig Wam Motel Rialto California
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This shot taken from Foothill Blvd (old Route 66) is of the Rialto, California Wig Wam Motel. There was originally several of these motels most of them along Route 66 with this one having been recently restored.

If you stay at this motel, your room is one of the individual tee pees.

We have not stayed there yet but plan to on our next trip to Southern California to visit family.

Frater Lake in NE Washington State

Frater Lake in NE Washington State
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

One day I had some business up in Colville, Washington and decided to take a side trip on the way home. I came upon this lake on Washington Highway 20 about halfway between Colville and the end of the highway near Tiger, Washington.

The lake was so peaceful and serene with a nice reflection. I originally took this picture with my first SLR camera that I ever owned which was a Nikon EM that lasted me 18 years. I then scanned it in with a HP scanner that only worked when it felt like it.

I love traveling the 2 lane highways of America because you just never know what you are going to find or who you will meet.

Ricks Burgers Tacos in Pasadena California

Ricks Burgers Tacos Pasadena California
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This little unassuming Burger stand sits at the corner of El Molino and Foothill Blvd in Pasadena, California. It opened a year before I was born and has survived the onslaught of mediocre fast food chains and other competition over the years. What it may not be able to overcome is a developer that can make more money from Condos after buying the land the Rick's sits under. Fortunately the present real estate market has put the development on hold so we get to enjoy Rick's a few more times.

Rick's has been part of my life for many years. Just after I was born we lived in a place just three blocks away from Rick's (which was later bulldozed to build Interstate 210). My mother would put me in my stroller and push me down there so she could have lunch.

I cannot tell you how many meals I have had at Rick's over the years. I have never found a place that makes a combo bean/beef burrito that could compare to Rick's.

After leaving Southern California for green pastures, I still would stop at Rick's ever time I would return for whatever reason. Then on my trip in November of 2006 I saw the announcement that Rick's was being forced to either move or close.

I took this picture on the way to my brothers house in Victorville, California thinking it my be the last time I see this place that has been a part of my life for so many years.

Well I have been able to enjoy Rick's a few more times since that trip and hopefully we can enjoy it again in April when we make another trip to Southern California.

Seal Beach Marina in Southern California

Seal Beach Marina
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

Took this picture on the last day of vacation in November, 2006. Southern California was experience record highs with most of the days being in the 100's. Our final day turned out to be one of the nicest of the whole trip.

My wife and I had passed the marina on the first day of our trip after we had flown into the Long Beach Airport and decided to return on our last day for a few more pictures.

Just as I was finishing up the picture some guy comes up and asks "Are you a terrorist?".

There was so many comebacks that I thought about giving him but since my wife and I had a flight to catch, I just said no and walked away.

Sycamore Inn

Sycamore Inn
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This is the front of the Sycamore Restaurant that is located just east of Upland, California on Foothill Blvd which is part of old US Route 66.

My family had dinner hear on several occasions as my Uncle, my brother, and a friend of the family all lived in close proximity.

This restaurant has been here for years. In fact there is actually gun shot holes near the bar from old west shoot outs that occurred in the building back in the day.

The restaurant was closed when I drove through here in 1994 and was slated to be bulldozed for new development but fortunately it was saved and reopened.

Delta 757 painted for Song Airlines

Delta 757 painted for Song
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

Last November I flew down to Miami to make a presentation and on the way back I had a 3 hour layover in Atlanta. While I was sitting there waiting for my plane to arrive I decided to get the camera out and start taking pictures.

Song was the short lived "low cost" carrier that Delta created but abandoned when they filed for bankruptcy a couple of years ago. However, there is still many of the planes painted in Song colors running around.

The final plane I took pictures of was this Song Airlines Boeing 757 that happened to be my transportation from Atlanta back to Salt Lake City. The plane arrived on time and we started to board but after we sat down boarded they stopped allowing people on the plane and we would have the most unusual delays I have ever encountered. Apparently a drain got clogged and back up causing the carpet in the front of the plane to get flooded.

It took them about 45 minutes to replace the carpet in the front of the plane. There was several whiners on the plane acting as though it was the end of the world because of this delay. In the end after they finished fixing the carpet they board the plane, we took off and ended up arriving in Salt Lake City only 20-minutes late.

Sometimes you just need to sit back relax and not worry about it.

Grand Luxe Tour Train

Grand Luxe Tours Train at Denver Union Station
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

Back in September of 2008 I had a meeting in Denver and was taking Amtrak back to Salt Lake City. I took the Denver light rail system to Union Station and noticed that the Grand Luxe Luxury train was sitting at the station.

Grand Luxe used to be the American Orient Express but after some troubles was taking over by the Radar who owns Colorado Railcar.

However, on August 28th the train arrived in Tacoma and the service was shut down due to financial problems. The luxury rail cars are now up for sale.

UTA Gillig Advantage BRT on Route 603

UTA Gillig Advantage BRT on Route 603
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This Saturday Photowalking Utah will be down in Orem with the opportunity to check out an outstanding photo studio plus get some lessons. They will also be walking around Downtown Provo later in the evening but my wife and I are going to the Toby Keith concert so we will miss out on that part.

This photo is of a Utah Transit Authority bus taken during the August Photowalking Utah event. It is a 2007 Gillig Advantage BRT bus on route 603 waiting at a red light at 25th and Lincoln in Ogden.

This paint scheme for UTA is only a few years old but a big improvement from the previous colors which was all white with small blue and red strips dating from the "white bus" phase of the 70's and 80's.

TRAX train in Sandy during a snow storm

TRAX train in Sandy during a snow storm
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This was the first picture I ever posted on Flickr and one of the early pictures I took with a HP 735 camera I bought while working at Officemax during Christmas 2003.

When I first bought the camera (thanks to HP supply problems and their employee partner program they paid me to buy the camera and a photo printer), I mostly used it for taking photos of stuff I was putting on Ebay.

However, soon enough I was trying different types of shots while still using my film cameras.

This camera bit the dust about 18 months ago when something in the SD card slot broke and wouldn't recognize any card. I then replaced that camera with a Kodak P&S before finally getting my new Nikon D60 a few months ago.