Downtown Chattanooga: A Picasa Web Album

Downtown Chattanooga -- A Picasa Web Album

Downtown Chattanooga

Round Robin Challenge: Landmarks

The Round Robin Photo Challenge this time around comes from Carly...

Again, let's take an opportunity to show off our hometowns. I live in the Bay Area, so I have no real shortage of recognizable landmarks, so what I would do is try to show those landmarks in an interesting lighting circumstance, such as a sunset, or under special lighting conditions. But I want to see other places, and the landmarks that make those places so special. A beautifully designed building, an incredible bridge, or a monument of some sort, or maybe even an unusual road sign. It's all good!

Here in Chattanooga, one of the most recognizable landmarks is Lookout Mountain. It is visible almost anywhere in the Chattanooga Valley, and with one look at it you can pretty much figure out where you are. Here's what it looks like from across the valley on Missionary Ridge.



Here's another view from Missionary Ridge. In this one, you can see I-24 as it passes through the ridge on it's way toward downtown Chattanooga.



Here's a view of Lookout Mountain from downtown. This picture was taken on the Walnut Street Bridge over the Tennessee River. Another newer landmark is visible to the right. It's the Tennessee Aquarium, the anchor to Chattanooga's riverfront development.



Here's a view of the Tennessee Aquarium from street level -- Broad Street, to be exact.

Round Robin Challenge: Railroads

I haven't participated in a Round Robin Photo Challenge in quite a while. I'm hoping to do it more often as soon as I can come up with some new equipment (hopefully soon), but I couldn't pass up the topic of "Railroads."

Chattanooga, of course, is home to the Chattanooga Choo Choo, made popular through the old Glenn Miller song. This building, the Terminal Station, is otherwise known as the Chattanooga Choo Choo. It's now part of the Holiday Inn chain and you can sleep in railroad sleeper cars that have been converted into hotel rooms.



Then again, this may be the Chattanooga Choo Choo. On March 5, 1880, the first major public transportation linkage of the north and south was opened. The Cincinnati Southern Railroad, America's first municipal railroad system, began operations to Chattanooga. After a while, the trains on this run began to be called the "Chattanooga Choo-Choo."



There are several brick "sculptures" spread throughout downtown Chattanooga. There's even one at the airport. Here's a brick building. It's a model of the old Railway Boarding House.



Here's an old railroad marker that's seen better days.

I'd hoped to have more. I wish I'd had time to visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum...or the Incline...or just get some random pictures of trains, but these will have to do for now.

Lookout Mountain and I-24

A photo of Lookout Mountain taken from Missionary Ridge. I-24 runs to the left.
Chattanooga, TN

Lookout Mountain in B&W

The Round Robin photographers just recently completed an assignment to photograph a landscape in black and white. I was so inspired by their results, I decided to post this photo of Lookout Mountain taken in Flintstone, Georgia. I've posted the color photo before. I used a filtered B&W tune with a dark red setting to get the striking change.

Fungi

Derelict

An abandoned piece of railroad equipment being reclaimed by Mother Nature.
Flintstone, Georgia

Fishies

Lookout Mountain

A view of Lookout Mountain taken in the Chattanooga Valley. It's the middle of October and almost all of the trees are still green. Weird!

Public Art

It's been a while since I took this photo, so I'm not sure who designed this mod sculpture or what it's supposed to represent. But you can find it on the side of the road in downtown Chattanooga.

Monday Photo Shoot: Red Eye

John Scalzi at By the Way has the assignment:

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off a recent picture that is chock full of red eye. Because there's nothing more amusing than light reflecting off of retinas (Should that be retinae, John? Just wondering.), making folks and animals look like demon spawn.

Okay, I blew the Photo Shoot. Technically, it's not Monday anymore. The photo is not that recent. And it's not chock full of red eye -- just a little glow. The effect is better if you click on the photo and get the full size.
This is my grandson at his third birthday party, over two years ago. The excitement got to be a bit much and he crashed out in the floor. This is not a trick of light reflecting off retinas (retinae?), his eyes are really turning that color. The transformation is almost complete. In mere seconds Birthday Boy will become Cranky Kid, a true demon spawn.

Reflecting

The Sheraton Read House Hotel in Chattanooga as it appears reflected in a building across the street. Room 311 of the Read House is said to be haunted.

From the Shores of the Tennessee River

Another view of the Walnut Street Bridge, this one with the Southern Belle riverboat passing underneath.
Chattanooga, Tn.

The Walnut Street Bridge

The Walnut Street Bridge is Chattanooga's oldest surviving bridge across the Tennessee River. It was closed to motor traffic in 1978 and sat in disrepair for over a decade. It became the heart of an urban renewal project and was renovated and reopened as a pedestrian walkway in 1993.

Dark Towers

A closed factory. Rossville, Georgia.