Category Archives: Travel

I Went to Woodstock – Well, Not That Woodstock!

We may have lived in Chicago for quite a while now but there are still plenty of places to explore that we haven’t visited. One of those places is Woodstock IL. Nancy found out about it from a website on great small towns in the US. We decided to pay it a visit. The day was supposed to start out overcast and clear up into a sunny day. That bit didn’t quite happen to plan but everything else about the town proved to be a success.

It was about an hour from home to get to Woodstock. The GPS had a location with a parking lot close to the town square programmed in and that worked out to be perfect. We were a short stroll from the square and a small farmers’ market was underway. We are always suckers for good food at these markets and so were soon carrying a few bits around. We wandered around the square looking for somewhere for lunch. This is always worth doing when there is food for sale because you otherwise end up buying way more food than is a good idea!

The town square is a great spot. The buildings are a mix of styles but all look pretty impressive and in good condition. The old style of the place is obviously appealing to movie makers. Have a viewing of Groundhog Day and you will recognize the town as Woodstock – a long way from Pennsylvania. It had some other treats but more will come about that in due course.

In one of these shots you will see a crepe restaurant. We stopped there for lunch and the food was really good. There were other places around the square that had more traditional fare but this one seemed to have a different approach and we were not disappointed. This blog has never really been a dining review place but here is one recommendation for you!

America’s Cup Yacht Racing

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Racing of sailing boats is a sport that doesn’t get much in the way of mass media coverage. I grew up in a sailing town so, while I wasn’t a sailor, a lot of my friends were and so I saw a lot more of it than would be the norm. During my teenage years we also witnessed the first defeat of the US team in the America’s Cup, a story that did get international press coverage.

America’s Cup racing has always been the preserve of the richer members of society. It is a far cry from the sailing that is available to the average sailor with high tech boats and hand picked crews. (As an aside, one of the friends from school, Julian Salter, is a professional sailor and has been in crews competing for the America’s Cup.)

For a few years, I had been pretty oblivious to America’s Cup racing. The thing that changed it for me was the acquisition of TiVo. One of the channels covered the Louis Vuitton challenger series followed by the cup itself from Valencia a few years ago and we could record the races in full and then watch them at a more convenient time – adding our own editing courtesy of the fast forward button.

Nancy got into the racing as much as I did and we watched most of the series. It came as a big disappointment when the next round of the competition became hijacked by the stupid games of rich guys and ended up as a simple head to head competition that got virtually no coverage. We saw nothing of it.

Fortunately, some semblance of reason has returned and this time around, not only is the full format of the competition going to be back, they are having a series of events in the year running up to the event that are taking place around the world. This not only provides more opportunities for people to see the racing but it also allows the crews to get proficient with the new boats. This time the competition is not with monohulls. The boats are catamarans with wing sails.

The main competition is going to be held in 2012 in San Francisco. Whether I will be able to go and see any of it, I have no idea. However, one of the preliminary events was held in San Diego. I was already in the area for the El Centro photo shoot so I added a day to my travels to try and see the sailing. The plan didn’t quite work as hoped unfortunately.

I drove from El Centro to San Diego in the morning. Racing was scheduled for 1pm-4pm that afternoon. I did a quick reconnaissance to see where I wanted to be and got myself set up. Since it was early in the week, there were supposed to be about five head to head races. No massed racing but that would take place over the weekend when more people would be there to see it. Sadly, I couldn’t wait around for that.

More disappointingly, the great weather that San Diego had been experiencing vanished when I arrived. They was cloud rolling in as the racing started and soon it was more like a misty day. It was cold too! The best location to shoot from was the Navy Base at North Island. Since that wasn’t going to be an option, I made the best of what was possible without shooting right into the sun. Of course, there was not much sun but the mist did a great job of making what light there was turn into glare!

The boats that weren’t racing were also practicing so there were a number of boats out at various times. The races did come up towards us since one of the marks was very near where I was. Unfortunately, when a race came close, a boat towing advertising boards would also come into shot just as the boats did. This was great for TV coverage but not so good for those of us on the same level as the boats. I’m sure the helicopter shots looked great – when the helicopters managed to fly given the crappy conditions!

I got some shots but none are great. The ones here are to show you what was there. There is nothing there that I am too proud of. Some heavy editing was necessary to even get most of these. Was it worth it? Probably not. I could have stayed longer at El Centro or gone helicopter hunting in the passes on the drive back since electricity pylons were being assembled. I did end up chatting to some nice people so it wasn’t a total loss. Them’s the breaks!

Santa Monica

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After spending a bunch of time around LAX, it was time for something different. Paul asked whether I had ever been to Santa Monica airport. I hadn’t so we took a look online to see what others might have seen there. It seemed pretty promising and there also appeared to be a viewing deck!

The trip to Santa Monica from LAX is a short one and we got there in no time. The field is on top of a hill and you come under the approach end of the runway as you drive up the hill. Sure enough, there was a viewing deck and a very nice one. It had a long balcony along the side of the apron, there were plenty of picnic benches, some good vending machines and there was a restaurant as well.

This makes the spot a popular one for visitors. A number of families were there at various times during our visit. They brought the kids and some food to show them the planes. They got visits from the airport police a few times – not to hassle them but to give them stickers of planes and to encourage their interest. Now that is a pleasant change!

There was a good mix of operations. They are plenty of corporate jets in and out. Netjets and FlexJets had a few movements and a very nice gold Gulfstream showed up. Some rotary wing action was also on display with a three ship of aircraft heading out at one point together, possibly for a photo shoot. There are also plenty of lighter aircraft operating including a nice Stearman and a SIAI Marchetti SF-260.

The traffic was very intensive but it was steady and the weather was steadily improving so with access to refreshments and places to sit, it proved to be a great spot to visit.

Easterlies – Good for Me, Bad for Them!

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One of the surprising benefits of the bad weather system that passed through Los Angeles while I was there was that it made for some different operations at LAX. LAX has four runways in two pairs, one north of the terminal complex and one south. The prevailing wind is from the ocean so everything tends to operate with arrivals and departures in a westerly direction.

The airport is pretty much designed to operate this was – more so since the construction of the extension to the international terminal has resulted in the cross taxiway between the north and south areas being closed off. Moving aircraft from the north to the south and vice versa seems to be a bit of a hassle and, for some reason, if the traffic is operating in the opposite direction, it seems to be just that bit harder.

When the weather turned bad, operations started out in the morning with some westerly movements and some easterlies. Some of these were simultaneous with arrivals heading towards departures coming out from the other side of the field – not unsafe but certainly a little disconcerting I imagine. As the wind strengthened, the incoming flights were redirected and the airfield went to a full easterly operation.

While this may have made the ground handling a little more tricky, it was certainly good from my point of view. Relocating to Imperial Hill, I now had a lot of arrivals coming in on the runway closest to me and touching down pretty much directly in front of me. (If it weren’t for the number of power cables around this area blocking the touchdown zones, this would have been perfect.)

This also meant a lot of departing traffic came our way as well so it was a chance to see things in a slightly different way to that which is normally the case at LAX. This combined with a few pleasant surprises. One was the arrival of a Qantas A380 on our runway. From what I understand, they normally operate from the north side only so this was quite a bonus and there is a shot of it in the post here.

Also, we had a DHL DC-8 show up. Not only did it land in front of us but it turned around pretty quickly and soon taxied past us and lined up to depart. Not a bad piece of luck. The light was a little erratic – it was bad weather that caused all of this – but it was still an interesting opportunity.

What Else Does LAX Offer?

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Aside from chasing a few A380s, LAX has the advantage of a mix of aircraft from all over the place. It also has a good selection of spots from which to take pictures. While I was there (at various times over a few days) I managed to get a few different shots. It is a lot easier to do this today than it was in the past.

Websites that list flight movements combined with a smart phone allow you to be a lot more aware of what is coming and what is due out. No longer do you wonder whether you can move on only to see something amazing arrive just as you drive down the street. The data isn’t always accurate but it does make things a lot easier.

At this time of year, one of the favored spots by the In’n’Out burger joint is not ideal for the sun. However, walking a short distance down the street can overcome this. It also gives you a vantage point from almost directly underneath the aircraft (or right under them if you prefer) from which you can get something a little different. I tried a bunch of these out while I was there.

Nothing much else to say about the location so here are some of the shots to enjoy.

Planes of Fame

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With a day to spare during my trip to Los Angeles, I wasn’t short of places to go that would satisfy the aviation fan within. One museum an hours drive from my hotel was on my list of places I really ought to have been to already. That was Chino’s Planes of Fame museum. With a better forecast than for the previous day in store, I made an early start.

The museum opened at 10am on Sunday’s and the drive was supposed to be an hour so I planned to arrive just as it opened. Traffic was playing ball and I did indeed get there just after the doors had opened. There were three cars in the parking lot. Mine, the person running the shop and one of the volunteers, Stephen Andridge, who arrived at the same time that I did. For the time-being, the museum was going to be mine.

Stephen said hello when I came into the shop and, since he didn’t have a tour booked until later in the day, he offered to wander around with me and show me the collection. This worked out very well for me. I could effectively do two tours of the facility. The first with Stephen would show me the sum of everything that was on site. The second would allow me to go back around with the camera and take the shots of the things that had caught my attention the first time.

Stephen and I ended up taking a long time as we went around the museum. There is plenty to see and we had a lot to talk about as we went around. We had nearly finished everything when he realized that the time was up for him to go and take his tour around. I have no idea where the time went to but I am certainly grateful to him for being such a great host.

The collection is certainly very varied. There are a range of vintage aircraft from the US with a lot of second world war aircraft as well as jets. However, other countries are well represented. There are a few old British aircraft that caught my eye as well as some rare Japanese aircraft. They also have a FW-190 built using components from a supplier in Germany. A Buchon is also undergoing restoration. I prefer 109s to have the original BMW engine but Buchons are still great to see.

There are other interesting bits in the collection. An original Bell P-59 Airacomet is undergoing restoration, possibly to fly. While it is historic as America’s first jet fighter, everything I have read about it says it was a pretty useless fighter. However, its place in history is important. Also in the hangar is the fake propeller that was mounted to its nose to disguise its, then secret, technology.

Most of the aircraft in the hangars are in great condition. However, one airframe is a wreck that was brought back from the jungle. I was impressed that, in this case, they chose to display it as it crashed. The layout with scenery around it and the airframe on the ground is pretty impressive and a great reminder of how so many aircraft actually ended up in those days.

There are some very significant aircraft also on display. One that caught my interest was the Douglas Skyrocket. One of the three airframes built is on display. A major part of the race to expand the speed envelope, the Skyrocket is often overlooked against the Bell X-1 series but it was the first aircraft to exceed Mach 2. I didn’t find out exactly what this particular airframe had done in the program but that hardly really matters compared to it being there at all.

Aside from the display aircraft in the hangars, there is also a boneyard in the museum. This includes a variety of aircraft including some more modern jet fighters. An F-104 from Belgium, an A-7 and F-8 facing each other, a Sabre, a Super Sabre (once a target tug at China Lake and missing some pieces as a result of a close call!), a Fury plus a bunch of disassembled airframes in racks. There were some Russian jets as well although the airworthy examples were off in Las Vegas for the Nellis show.

I have not even started to cover the collection here and there are plenty of other fascinating and noteworthy aircraft in the collection. I am not trying to provide a comprehensive overview. Instead, I hope I am providing enough temptation for you to consider a visit if ever you are nearby. If the ones I have mentioned are of interest, the rest of the collection will keep you happy for a day at least.

By the time I was done, a good chunk of the day had gone. I grabbed some late lunch at Flo’s across the field before heading back to the hotel. This had originally been part of my plan for the day but it was so enjoyable, it ended up being the whole day. I will be back, I am sure. I will definitely try and get to their annual show as well since that must be quite an event.

If you want to see more, go to the website at www.planesoffame.org.

Griffith Park Observatory

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After I paid a visit to the exhibition of Gerry Holtz’s images (which you can read about here), I had some time to spare in the vicinity of Hollywood. It wasn’t the greatest day from a weather perspective – that was one of the reasons I had chosen that day to go to the gallery – but it was still a reasonable day to be out and about. I asked Gerry whether he had any recommendations.

He suggested that I visit Griffith Park Observatory. Interestingly, this was one of the things that I had been contemplating so, when Gerry brought it up, it seemed like it had to be the place to go. I had seen the location in movies and TV shows at various times over the years and the view over the city seemed to be quite appealing.

Gerry gave me some directions as to the best way to get into the park and I followed these without difficulty. The route it took into the park went past some very nice houses. Given the size of the places, the way in which they had been maintained and the location near Hollywood but on a hill, I suspect those places were not for those short of cash!

Since it was a Saturday, I wasn’t the only one thinking that this might be a good place to visit. The parking lot at the observatory was closed off since it was full at the time. I ended up descending the other road to the summit which was lined with parked cars in both directions. Rather than join this idea, I turned around and went back over to the side I had ascended, found a parking bay and walked back to the top. It wasn’t a long walk and it was nice to get the heart pumping a bit after a lot of time in the car.

The observatory itself was well worth the visit. The location is impressive and the view across the city below was great although it would have been better if it weren’t such a grotty day. Of course, LA does have a reputation for smog so perhaps I was actually getting a better view than normal.

I not only had a great view of the city below but also a good angle on the Hollywood sign on the hills not far away. I had seen the sign a number of times in the distance but had never really been this close. I obviously took a few shots. Another cultural icon was commemorated here. James Dean’s film Rebel Without a Cause had some scenes filmed here and a bust of Dean is mounted on a plinth on the foreground of the observatory.

I made the most of the outside views first since I was a bit concerned that the rain might show up. Once I had satisfied my initial interest, I headed inside to see the observatory’s exhibits. It seemed to be a well laid out place and have a number of interesting presentations. It certainly seemed to be popular with a lot of people visiting. I scooted around looking at some of these but I was slightly more interested in the historical elements. There were a number of older technology items to look at including the old projector for the planetarium and the telescope.

After wandering the insides, I headed up to the roof for one final look around before heading back to the hotel. The view from up top was a nice extra addition to the visit and seemed to be less popular than the rest of the place. Maybe the trip up the stairs is more than some what to make. The rain hadn’t come but I still decided to walk back down to the car. It did have a little drop of rain as I went but nothing that caused any problems. The view back as I descended was quite appealing and I was glad to have ticked off another one of those famous places I had always intended to see.

Pearl Harbor

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We didn’t spend a lot of time on Oahu but there were a couple of things we wanted to do while we were there. One of those was making a visit to the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. Since Pearl Harbor is such a pivotal moment in US history, it just seemed impossible to go to Honolulu and not visit the site. Obviously I am not alone in thinking this since the place is very busy and they advise that it can be quite a long wait to get there.

As it turned out, the timing was pretty good. Entry to the memorial is free (there are other exhibits nearby that do have an entrance fee but we didn’t have time to fit them all in). When you arrive, you get a timed entry card that has the time at which the visit will start. Ours was only forty minutes away when we arrived. While we were waiting, there were a number of exhibits to look at that discussed aspects of the attack and also memorials to other aspects of naval operations.

A visit to a war memorial of any sort is usually a harsh reminder of just how much loss occurs. The separation of time and experience makes it easy to lose track of just how much a global conflict does to people. There was a memorial to all of the submarines lost by the United States during WWII. It was a lot of submarines. On each stone was a brief history of the submarine and a list of the crew that were lost with the sub. Reading through the list was a sobering experience. That was going to be the theme for the whole day.

When our time slot came, we headed over the theater on the site. This was the beginning of the visit and included an introductory film that lasted approximately half an hour. This was a very well produced film that provided context for the lead up to war in the Pacific. It included the run up to the attack,the preparations that were in place at Pearl Harbor and the details of the attack itself.

The descriptions of the day and the footage that accompanied it (including film of the Arizona exploding) were so vivid, I doubt anyone in the room was not moved. It was certainly very quiet when the lights went up and everyone started filing to the boat.

The group was sized to fit on one boat to cross to the memorial and to have enough people to be on the memorial without making it too crowded. When we arrived, the previous tour boarded our boat to return. Having seen the memorial on TV many times, it was quite strange to finally see it in person. I guess I often experience this with famous landmarks.

The memorial is a very interesting place. Only one gun turret mount is visible above the surface so this is the first thing most people focus on. Then, as you move around, you start to make out more of the detail just below the surface. there are sections of the deck that are just below the surface that you can make out. (Polarized sunglasses are a benefit on this trip.) There is also still oil floating to the surface from the wreck, even after all of these years. The ship burned for three days after the attack so the fact that there is still anything coming out is amazing.

There was a park ranger on the memorial available to answer questions. While he seemed to enjoy presenting things in a dramatic style, he was a great source of additional information. The introductory presentations suggest that the reason that the crew were left in the boat was because it was a memorial. When he discussed exactly what happened during the explosion, you realize that there really wasn’t anything left to try and find. It was a horrifying end.

This brings me to something I was rather perplexed about. I took a lot of pictures while there (as is apparent from those attached to this post). I wanted to have something to remember the whole thing by. Obviously, everyone was taking a lot of pictures. However, what I couldn’t understand was people taking pictures of themselves on the memorial. I don’t normally ask people to comment but in this case, if you do have any thoughts, I would be interested to hear them.

I am happy to take our picture in front of scenic landscapes and famous cityscapes. However, when visiting a memorial to the death of over 1,100 people, it seems to me that having me grinning in front of it is an inappropriate thing to do. It is like people have forgotten exactly where they are for a moment. The mood on the memorial was generally what you would expect but this just seemed odd to me. Maybe I am out of touch on this.

This was a very interesting visit to make. I am very glad to have been there and would certainly recommend you go if you are in the area. It won’t be something that you necessarily “enjoy” but you will probably find it a very moving and thought-provoking experience.

Diamond Head Hike

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Just beyond Waikiki in Honolulu rises the remains of an extinct volcano. Diamond Head is the most obvious geological feature in the vicinity of the city and is a famous landmark. The crater (not such to be honest whether it counts as a crater or caldera but who is keeping score?) is home to a park. You can drive in to the park through a tunnel and then park up to climb to the top.

We took the advice of the guide books and went early in the day. Given how hot we got, I hate to think what those who went later in the day and had the midday sun to deal with felt like. It is quite an exertion. I don’t consider myself an athlete but I am not too out of shape either. This was quite a climb. There is a trail that is well maintained and the final stages include several flights of stairs – some quite steep.

When we reached the top, we were both pretty relieved to be there. It was worth it since the view across the city was very good. We enjoyed it a lot and anyone who suggests that our extended viewing was an excuse to take a rest can’t prove anything. The trip down was a lot better than the climb up!

Aerial Waterfall Adventure

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One thing you won’t be short of if taking a tour of Kauai is waterfalls. You have an island that has a lot of high terrain and a regularity of rainfall (including the wettest place on the planet) so that means there is lots of water making its way from the high ground to the sea. Sometimes that means taking the quickest route – off the edge.

Some of these falls can be seen from ground level and that is certainly worth doing. However, taking to the air gives you two advantages. First, you are above the terrain and can get a better view of the falls themselves. Second, since you are no longer constrained by the location of roads or trails, you have access to the more remote locations which also tend to be the sites of the more interesting falls.

We saw a lot of falls while we were up in the helicopter. Some of them we had seen on the ground but plenty of others we hadn’t. In truth, we saw so many we lost track of them. In some locations the water was running down in multiple locations so you couldn’t even say which bit was “The” fall. Others were a bit more obvious.

In the end, who cares. They all looked amazing. The scale of the scenery is such that a photograph can never truly convey what it was like to be there but hopefully they provide a taste.