Travel: Statue of Liberty to reopen for July 4th holiday

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Down, but not out. Photo courtesy National Park Service.

Damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to be repaired in time for the busy summer season

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Along with inundating residential areas in the Northeast, Hurricane Sandy also caused extensive damage to the Statue of Liberty, destroying  docks, crippling the energy infrastructure on Ellis Island and wiping out the security screening system.

But Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today said this week that the National Park Service expects to reopen the Statue of Liberty to visitors in time for Independence Day.

 

“[W]e are fully committed to reopening this crown jewel as soon as it’s safe for visitors and not a second later,”  Salazar said. “Based on the tremendous progress we have made, Lady Liberty will be open to the public in time for the July 4th celebration.” (more…)

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Morning photo: Far-flung

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Travel dreams …

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The Burren, an extensive karst formation in northwest Ireland.

FRISCO — A quick spin to some far-flung corners of the globe for some armchair travel in today’s photo essay … from Europe to the Caribbean, back to the Balkans and finally Patagonia, which really is as close to the ends of the Earth that you can get. Hey, a vicarious trip is better than no trip at all, right? Check our online gallery at FineArt America for more landscape images. (more…)

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Morning photo: Winter warmup

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Beachin’ it …

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Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.

FRISCO —It’s always nice to dream about the beach about now, when the snow in the Colorado high country is probably piled about as deep as it’s going to get for the winter. That doesn’t mean I’m about to abandon the slopes to head for warmer climes, but a little day dreaming never hurt anything. Plus, shooting beach scenes is the most fun thing to do with a camera after shooting mountains and snow. These are a few of my favorite ocean side scenes along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Visit our FineArt America online gallery for more photography.

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Port St. Joe, Florida.

(more…)

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Morning photo: Fountain festival in Munich

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Serendipity in the Viktualienmarkt

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Playing with the big boys!

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — Finding a bustling market packed with fresh fruit and veggies is always a treat, and when it’s located in the heart of a major urban area, it’s a real score. Such is the case with the Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Germany, where city residents mingle with tourists for shopping and even sit-down meals amidst the many vendor stalls.

Offerings at the market include mushrooms from near and far, wild forest strawberries from the Balkans, Greek cheeses and locally made sausages. Some locals bring their own white and blue-checked table cloths to decorate the tables under the shade of old chestnut trees. Sausages and pretzels are close at hand and big-handled liter steins of beer are ubiquitous.

Our visit this summer coincided with a festival held to celebrate the heritage of the many fountains in the market, erected to honor some of Munich’s cultural heros — poets, musicians and storytellers. At the peak of the summer harvest season, each fountain is lovingly decorated with bright flowers, and local singers and bands perform traditional songs nearby. It’s not really marketed as s big-time tourist event. We found out about the festival by reading the local newspaper, and for many market visitors, the event simply added a nice backdrop to their daily shopping or lunch routine. (more…)

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Morning photo: Flyover

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

West Coast-Denver flight a great geology lesson

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Salty Mono Lake is a unique inland sea in eastern California, and an enduring symbol of success for environmental advocacy, activism and education.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — I’m one of those annoying airplane passengers who always wants a window seat. If I don’t have one, I may be the guy next to you who leans across your lap to catch a glimpse of a familiar or exotic landscape from 35,000 feet up. I’m pretty sure I’ve always been that way, even as a kid, when on family trips, I stared out of the plane window for hours.

Even on trips across the ocean, the ever-changing patterns of sunlight reflecting on the sea and shifting cloud bands hypnotizes me. And if I’m flying over territory that I’ve explored on the ground, so much the better. It’s always fun to spot a familiar landmark from a new perspective.

So on a recent flight from the Bay Area back to Denver, it was a gift to fly over Mono Lake, where I spent some formative years learning about western water issues and environmental advocacy from the incredible grassroots Mono Lake Committee. Later in the flight, the widespread landscape alteration from oil and gas drilling in the intermountain West became apparent, along with slices of untouched Utah wilderness and national park lands.

In this series, the stark light of mid-day and the muted colors of winter paint a subdued picture of the interior West, especially through the filters of my iPhone app. All these images were shot with an iPhone 4S. (more…)

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Global tourism continues steady growth

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Tourists take photos at the Golden Gate Bridge overlook in Marin County, California.

Tourists take photos at the Golden Gate Bridge overlook in Marin County, California. Bob Berwyn photo.

UN officials see tourism as an economic pillar

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Now that the World Tourism Organization has counted every last airline traveler, cruise passenger and backpacker, it’s official — international tourist arrivals grew by 4 percent in 2012 to surpass 1 billion for the first time ever, according to the latest update of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

Emerging economies led the way, showing growth of 4.1 percent, compared to 3.6 percent growth among advanced economies, with Asia and the Pacific showing the strongest results. By region, Asia and the Pacific showed 7.1 percent growth. By sub-region, South-East Asia, North Africa (both at  plus 9 percent) and Central and Eastern Europe (plus 8 percent) topped the rankings.

Tourism officials say they expect growth to continue in 2013 at a slightly slower pace between 3 and 4 percent, continuing the trend from the last quarter of 2012, when demand was stronger than expected. (more…)

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Morning photo: Redwoods

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

In the land of giants …

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Muir Woods.

FRISCO — Almost within shouting distance of the Bay Area metropolis, an ancient grove of trees stands homage to John Muir, one of the fathers of the American conservation movement. Some of the trees are more than 1,000 years old, which means they were already giants when Sir Francis Drake explored the nearby Pacific coastline. The Muir Woods are a classic story of conservation activism, backed by philanthropy, as a local family bought the land when the forests were threatened by loggers, later conveying it to the National Park Service. On our weekend visit, the grove was bustling with visitors, even on Super Bowl Sunday.

The redwoods aren’t exactly easy to photograph. They are tall, to say the least, and even with a wide-angle lens, it’s nearly impossible to capture them from top to bottom. And since they grow in cool, dark places, the light is tricky — deep shadows interspersed with bright patches of sunlight. I’m not totally satisfied with images I came back with, but that’s OK; it gives me a good reason to go back. (more…)

Filed under: California, Environment, forests, Morning photo, photography, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Morning photo: By the Bay

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

West Coast …

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The Pt. Montara Lighthouse and Fog Signal Station, 20 miles south of San Francisco, is now an international youth hostel operated by Hostelling International.

FRISCO —A short weekend trip to the Bay Area yielded a handful of classic West Coast images, with ocean mists softening the light, and a blanket of atmospheric haze and pollution adding color to the sunsets. There’s a reason the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most-photographed scenes in the country. The magnificent span is one of those rare human structures that arguably enhances the surrounding landscape (or seascape). It’s almost hard to imagine what the entrance to San Francisco Bay looked like before the bridge was built 75 years ago, and looking at historical pictures, the inlet looks almost naked without it. (more…)

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Morning photo: Streetscapes

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Urban scenes around the world

Shoppers stop to chat in downtown Corfu on a rainy evening in the Ionian Sea.

Shoppers stop to chat in downtown Corfu on a rainy evening in the Ionian Sea.

FRISCO — Being a mountain-dweller, I often “forget” to take pictures when I’m in a city. Sometimes it’s because I’m just too busy gawking at the — for me — unusual sights. That mode changes when I’m traveling for pleasure, however. Instead of thinking about the next interview with a source, or trying to cook up an interesting story leead, I shift gears and look for those moments or street corners that say something about a city. So choosing pics for this week’s popular #FriFotos Twitter chat was a bit more of a challenge than sometimes. When I first saw the theme, I scratched my head for a minute, unsure of exactly where to look in the archives. But since I often think of cities as transit points or portals to other destinations beyond, I was able to retrace my steps and find a few urban shots. Join the fun — grab your urban shots, upload and tag them with #FriFotos to share with the world. (more…)

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Morning photo: Views

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

From St. Louis to Antarctica …

Gateway Arch

View from the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

FRISCO —This week’s edition of the popular Twitter chat #FriFotos is all about views, so I combed the archives for some my favorites, both near and far. As a photographer, I’m always looking for views, or for an opportunity to make a view. Sometimes, all it takes is a few steps in one direction or another; other times, it requires a total reset, unless you don’t mind a bunch of powerlines interfering with the vista. As always, I’m looking forward to seeing views from around the world. Join in the fun by picking your own favorite views, tagging them with the #FriFotos hashtag and uploading to Twitter via your favorite channel.

Grand Mesa Colorado.

A grand view of the Grand Mesa from the Grand Valley, near Grand Junction, Colorado.

(more…)

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