YOU CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE

 

A locally notorious signpost downtown near the nexus of several highways. Imagine being a visitor trying to find your way, approaching this at 30 mph / 50 kph. Good luck.                  

WARP SPEED

Night on one of The Lou's main arterial roads. Interstate 64 runs east-west and bisects St. Louis City and County. This was taken from a bridge over the highway connecting the Planetarium on the north and the main building of the Science Center to the south.  There was a ledge where I could set down my camera for stability. What particularly interests me is the different colors of headlights with the various technologies of recent years.         

CITY DAILY PHOTO JUNE THEME DAY - THE ROAD

It's quo vadis day at City Daily Photo. This is the interchange in downtown St. Louis between a couple of major highways and a bridge from Missouri to Illinois. It was taken from a nearby office building overlooking the scene.      

Entering Monument Valley.

Driving into Monument late Thursday afternoon in less than ideal light. In and out clouds, a bit of a sprinkle but, most important of all, fire haze. There are wildfires throughout the region and, although not right around here, the ash stung our eyes.

As you can see, this is pretty empty country. Civilization awaited us at the end of today's road. Up early Friday. We've booked a full day private photography tour in the back country with a Navajo guide.

The Open Road

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It's hard to appreciate how huge a swath an eight lane highway cuts through the countryside until you stand in it without tractor-trailers bent on converting you into road kill. That's what I saw when a big section of Interstate 64, shut down a whole year for complete reconstruction, opened to the non-motoring public for a day. It's such an alien feeling, like you are floating in an unnatural space with a concrete floor. A recumbent bike might blow by you in a fast blur of color. If you careen into a barrier while missing an exit, a new-technology crumple zone will cushion the blow. Still, better wear a helmet.

WHAT I SHOT LAST NIGHT THAT YOU WILL SEE SOON: the grounds of the St. Louis Zoo have been filled with colored lights for the holidays, on display after dark. I went over last night with my tripod and froze my patootie off, but I got some good images.

TOMORROW: the sad eyes of the Highway Patrol and a new Arch photo on Gateway.

I Don't Think They're French. What Do You Think?

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We have a main east-west highway through St. Louis City and County, Interstate 64 - US 40. It's pretty old. The Missouri Highway Department, in its wisdom, decided to entirely shut down and rebuild the stretch through the heart of the area. They are doing it in two segments, taking about a year each. You can imagine the traffic chaos.

The western section reopened last weekend. I met this couple in an ordinary place under unusual circumstances. MoDOT invited the public to walk, bike and rollerblade the new highway last weekend. These two showed up for the festivities. Her vehicle was welcome then, but not now. It was very strange to wander a brand-new eight lane highway with no car traffic.

WHAT ADVICE I GOT TODAY: friend of the blog D.C. Confidential of Washington DC Daily Photo told me it's okay to goof off at work for the rest of the year and everyone else is doing it anyway. But I'm self-employed (but so is she). There's a blunt but accurate saying in small law firms that you eat what you kill. Plus, we have to fund the newly-established Send Bob To Tibet In September 2009 Foundation! Such conflicting motives.

TOMORROW: Modern highway technology!