Phelps Hall

Phelps dance studio is the Winona State Universities Dance Program's primary space, teaching dance technique and theory classes, class projects, student, faculty and guest artist rehearsals, monthly Arts Improvisation Jams and informal showings. I liked the approach to the building plus all the fall colored ivy growing on the walls. The smaller extra photos are a few more captures of the building and around the WSU campus.
  

My Daily Photo Favorites:
Haninge, Sweden | New York, New York | American Fork, Utah

Interesting Links Of the Day:
Earth Album | Microwaved Christmas Lights | History Of NHL Uniforms

10 Mile View

If you read yesterday's post, I mentioned the view to the right was a 10 mile view from Garvin Heights. Here is that amazing view I mentioned. It show really how the city of Winona is built around a lot of water and just barely above it from this vantage point. The first smaller photo is the view to the left and a 20 mile view. The second small photo is a closer view of the main photo. The third smaller photo is a capture of the panoramic shot that is on display of Garvin Heights and points out a lot of the highlights of Winona and it's surroundings. One note on the third photo, I kept the photo size very large so you could read the text in the photo. It's at 2816 x 2112 pixels.

  

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
Nottingham, UK | Sofia, Bulgaria | Albuquerque, New Mexico

My 3 Interesting Links Of the Day:
World Sunlight Map | Digital Tampering In Politics | Rocky Is Back

Minnesota? Yes. Twin Cities? No.

Being as it's a long holiday weekend, I'm going to venture away from the Twin Cities to one of my favorite scenic places outside of the Twin Cities. Well, at least within a two hour drive. I showed you yesterday's spectacular drive by view along the Mississippi River on Highway 61. Today I've made it to Winona, which was our destination for the day. Our first stop was to Garvin Heights on the bluff overlooking the city of Winona. Across to the other side is Wisconsin. Oddly enough, the height of the bluffs on the other side is exactly the same as the side I am standing on taking this photo. The road at the bottom of the photo is Highway 61, the body of water on the left is called, West Lake Winona, the body of water on the right is East Lake Winona. The road splitting the two lakes is called Main Street. One street over to the right of Main Street has a bridge that crosses over the Mississippi River to Wisconsin. On the far right of the photo and just above the lake there is a football stadium where the fans had just ran onto the field. It's probably very hard to make out exactly what I'm talking about. The band was playing and the people where cheering loudly enough to be heard from where I was. The buildings around the stadium with the orange/reddish roofs is the Winona State Campus.

The view from here is incredible any time of the year. On clear days, one can see for 30 miles along the Mississippi Valley. 20 miles to the left and 10 miles to the right. From where I am standing, the direction I am facing is North, with the river flowing from the West to the East.

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites: St Louis, Missouri
Kyoto, Japan
Miami, Florida

Have I Left The Country?

Nope, this photo was taken along one of my favorite areas in Minnesota. I'm just south of the Twin Cities on Highway 61 traveling to Winona. The body of water you're looking at is Lake Pepin, which is in Lake City. Lake Pepin claims to have invented water skiing. What's strange about Lake Pepin is, this is really the Mississippi River. There is just a very large area of water that Lake City decided to call a lake.

The bluffs you see on the right is Minnesota, the land you see on the left is Wisconsin side. Highway 61 snakes around the bluffs and is quite the drive during the fall time of the year. When I took this trip down to Winona, we missed the peak fall colors by about a week. It was still a very enjoyable trip and I'll be posting a few photos of the area over the upcoming holiday weekend.

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
Sharon, Connecticut
Cleveland, Ohio
Portland, Oregon

Family Violence Awareness

Each shirt represents a woman, child or man killed due to domestic violence since January 1, 2007 in the state of Minnesota. Domestic violence victims account for over 25% of violent crimes in Minnesota. According to the 2002 Minnesota Crime survey, 80% of victims of domestic violence in Minnesota did not report the incident to law enforcement.

Donate: EndAbuse.org NCADV.org

 

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
Saigon, Vietnam
San Diego, California
St Kilda, Australia

Smoke Stack Lightning

As you drive down Highway 61, just south of downtown Red Wing, you'll get a quick glimps of this power plant. It used to be run by NSP, Northern States Power company, but it has been bought out by Xcel Energy. While this plant has changed ownership, the original name is still in place. Compared to the other power plants in the Twin Cities, this one is unique in looks. It's the only one that I know of that has two steel smoke stacks instead of the very tall cement stacks that I'm used to seeing. I'm not sure what makes this one different from the others though.

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
Portland, Oregon
San Diego, California
Hong Kong, China

Raspberry Picking

If you cross this inviting bridge, you would be on Raspberry Island. In the background is downtown St Paul and the island sits on the Mississippi River. The bridge you see on the right that cross Raspberry Island and the river is called the Freedom Bridge, though I've always known it as the Wabasha Avenue Bridge. It was renamed when they rebuilt the bridge. Raspberry Island has not always been call what it is today. I've always known it as Navy Island. I grew up in this area and I'm always taken back at how much changes when you've been away from the area for so long.

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
Singapore, China
Ioannina, Greece
Tuzla, Bosnia

Casual Saturday Up The River

Made a quick trip along the bank of the Mississippi River to catch this empty barge cruising up the river to it's destination. It's easy to tell that the barge is empty because if you look closely at the paint above the surface, you can see rust lines of where it usually sits in the water. I would estimate there is about 8 to 10 feet above the water line that is now visible in comparison to the open doors on the tugboat.

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cleveland, Ohio
Truxillo, Peru

On Top Of The IDS Tower

This is the top half of the IDS Tower in downtown Minneapolis. One thing I've always personally liked about the building is the two small antenna that sit atop the roof. I call the small, because they look small from the ground. I'm curious how tall they really are.

You're thinking to yourself, this guy likes antennas? I have taken a course or two in electronics, my most enjoyable quarter was the course on television, radio, shortwave and anything to do with that subject matter. To sum it up, the course talked about how radio waves travel through the air, antennas pick up the signals and then how they are converted into items that we use on a daily basis. Ever since I finished that course in electronics, I've had a fondness for antennas because of their importance in our lives.

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
New York, New York
Portland, Oregon
Sofia, Bulgaria

It's Up In The Air For Next Season

One of two remaining drive in theaters is soon to close. For the past several years, there has been talk of the land owner of the Cottage Grove Drive-In was going to sell his land to a business. Last I've read in the local newspaper was he's having second thoughts. There has been a lot of positive talk about the drive in and he may keep it open an additional year. He said in the newspaper article that he was surprised by the good natured talk about the drive in. I know it's inevitable that it will close, I've brought my kids to the drive in as many times as I've could this summer. I hope they cherish the experience. Perhaps there will be yet another year for Cottage View. I can only hope.

My 3 Daily Photo Favorites:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Rabual, Papua New Guienea
Terrell, Texas