Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

The frogs are rarely mistaken.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

The gop couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

It’s a doggy dog world.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Glad to see john eastman going through some things.

If you’re looking for someone who’s young and athletic, go watch a fucking movie.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

I was promised a recession.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

ha ha ha! Nice try weird people.

You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On The Road

On The Road

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

Good Morning All,

This weekday feature is for Balloon Juicers who are on the road, travelling, etc. and wish to share notes, links, pictures, stories, etc. from their escapades. As the US mainland begins the end of the Earth day as we measure it, many of us rise to read about our friends and their transient locales.

So, please, speak up and share some of your adventures, observations, and sights as you explore, no matter where you are. By concentrating travel updates here, it’s easier for all to keep up-to-date on the adventures of our fellow Commentariat. And it makes finding some travel tips or ideas from 6 months ago so much easier to find…

Have at ’em, and have a safe day of travels!

 

Should you have any pictures (tasteful, relevant, etc….) you can email them to [email protected] or just use this nifty link to start an email: Start an Email to send a Picture to Post on Balloon Juice

 

First up, from BillinGlendaleCA:

Where it was taken: Stagecoach Inn, Thousand Oaks, CA
When: May 3, 2017
Other notes or info about the picture: This is a reconstruction of the Stagecoach Inn, the original built in 1876, in Thousand Oaks(my hometown) which is about 50 miles northwest of Downtown LA.  It was built as an overnight stop for the stagecoach that ran between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara that roughly follows the current route of US101.  In the 1960’s they decided to widen the 101 and put a new exit where the Inn was, so they moved the inn in 1969.  In 1970 the inn burned down at this new location(I was fortunate enough to tour the original building).  They rebuilt it in time for it’s centennial.  They have a few additional buildings related to the area’s history here: an old school house, an adobe, a barn, and Chumash(local Native American tribe) village.  As a bonus, you can see my new ride(front and just off center).

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Where it was taken: Stagecoach Inn, Thousand Oaks, CA
When: May 3, 2017
Other notes or info about the picture: An infrared pic of the inn, cause that’s the way I roll.

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Wow. Just amazing, thank you Bill! I do love IR photos, though my foray was B&W and so mostly landscapes – bushes and trees.

Where it was taken: Stagecoach Inn, Thousand Oaks, CA
When: May 3, 2017
Other notes or info about the picture: An interior shot of the parlor.

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Where it was taken: Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA
When: May 3, 2017
Other notes or info about the picture: The Reagan Library is in Simi Valley which is a few miles northeast of Thousand Oaks.   This is a reproduction of St. Ronnie’s Oval Office.  Unlike the Nixon Library where you can walk though the reproduction of the Oval Office(sit in the chair, make a phone call…) they keep you to the side of the office.

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Where it was taken: Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA
When: May 3, 2017
Other notes or info about the picture: Pretty much the star of the show at St. Ronnie’s place, Air Force One(not really since the President isn’t on board).  This plane was used as Air Force One by Presidents Nixon though Bush Junior, though the newer 747 was brought into service during the HW Bush administration.

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Where it was taken: Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA
When: May 3, 2017
Other notes or info about the picture: St. Ronnie’s(and Nancy’s) final resting place.

 

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Where it was taken: Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA
When: May 3, 2017
Other notes or info about the picture: View from the gravesite, notice the sign which warns that this is a natural rattlesnake habitat.

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I have a similar shot of the view from my father’s grave in a small mountainside cemetery in Switzerland. I find the view from places often as interesting as the view of the place; one of my favorites is a shot of looking out from a dwelling at Mesa Verde. I sat for perhaps ten minutes, contemplating what a local 400 years ago thought while looking out as the day drew to a close and hints of the cool of night began.

 

As always, thank you!

 

Have a wonderful day everyone – and do keep sending in pictures. We’ve got lots in store for you the rest of the week, but we. need. more.

 

 

 

Reader Interactions

21Comments

  1. 1.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    I want to note one additional thing about that airplane; it was the plane that had to change it’s call id from Air Force One to SAM27000 midway over Missouri on August 9, 1974.

    As far as the IR pics, when I shoot with a 590-650nm filter(I use a fader so I can vary the filtering), I use color because you still get quite a bit of the visual spectrum. If I shoot at 720nm, there’s not a whole lot of color there anyway so you might as well go with Black and White. In general I just really like color.

  5. 5.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Not enough to just put Saint Ronnie on a pedestal, they have to put his plane on one too. You know what else is a natural rattlesnake habitat…. Congress.

    ETA nice pics, Bill

  6. 6.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @satby: Most of the older IR that was shot with film(and that was a real pain because it was really sensitive) only capture IR so it was just IR and there was no visible light. With digital, you can bring in more of the visible spectrum by changing filters, though even using a filter that eliminates visible light, you can still do color and get white trees, dark blue sky and black water.

  7. 7.

    Elizabelle

    Love the photos, and particularly the infrared. Good pics, Bill. As usual.

    Happy Monday, Juicers.

  8. 8.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @OzarkHillbilly: Well it was also Nixon’s, Ford’s, Carter’s, HW Bush’s, Clinton’s and W’s; but when they retired the plane, the Reagan Library made and was granted a request to house the plane. IIRC it’s twin SAM26000 is at the Air Force Museum in Ohio.

    @Elizabelle:
    @MomSense: Thanks, I sent in some more pics a few hours ago.

    @raven: Isn’t that just I-5? Is there more there?

  9. 9.

    JPL

    Thanks so much for sharing your pictures. I’ve always enjoyed looking at your collections.

  12. 12.

    raven

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Most travelers think the portion of I-5 called the Grapevine begins at the north end of Castaic in the Santa Clarita Valley where the freeway begins a northerly climb at Parker Road — and where the California Highway Patrol closes the freeway when snow or icy conditions northward prohibit safe travel. But this is not where the actual Grapevine is located. What they would be traveling on, instead, is what is most commonly known as the beginning of the five-mile grade where I-5 sharply rises to the north at a grade of 5% — and the beginning of a 40 mile journey over the Tehachapi Mountains from northern Los Angeles County to the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County.

    After the five mile grade, comes Templin Highway at about the 3,000-feet level. Proceeding north one encounters 22.5 more miles north on a rolling, meandering drive by Frazier Mountain through the Gorman area and the highest point of the drive at an altitude of 4,183 feet, and the summit of this famous drive.

    Continuing northerly from the summit is a slight drop in altitude and in six more miles one reaches Fort Tejon, a state historic monument. Fort Tejon was established in 1854 to suppress stock rustling, which was rampant at that time, and to protect the Native Americans in the San Joaquin Valley. It is here where the actual portion of freeway known as the Grapevine actually begins.

    Driving north from Fort Tejon where the Grapevine starts — and for the next fives miles — the driver experiences a dramatic 6% downhill grade terminating at the community of Grapevine at the entrance to the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County. This is the steepest grade and the most twisting, winding, rambling portion of the 40-mile drive over a seriously rugged mountain terrain. These 40 miles of concrete were carved out of both sides of the mountainous canyon by Caltans construction crews and their contractors at the beginning of the freeway-building era. One of Caltrans� pinnacles of achievement is this eight-lane freeway, which was responsible for the complete transformation of the canyon.

  13. 13.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @raven: Yes, I’ve traveled that route many times, I’m just trying to figure out what would be interesting about it. The kid and I were planing on “climbing” Mt. Pinos up there, but haven’t been able to schedule time to do so.

  20. 20.

    Mnemosyne

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    What’s kind of cool is that you get to actually go onto the plane and tour that as well. However, there are NO pictures allowed. I have a photo of me and some of my coworkers posing in front of the plane before going on the tour.

    @Aleta:

    The puppies are cute, and the guy is pretty easy on the eyes, too. ? I have a soft spot for guys whose beards grow in red since G’s does as well. And he’s such a typical California type that he makes me laugh.

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