Arizona Photo of the day

[richyb83]

Arizona is a beautiful state! Nothing like the scenery out west.

Tempe looks like they are getting a nice skyline too.

3rd Avenue Lofts look cool.

[MJLO]

couple more shots first is Tempe from a cool angle,

second is a shot of Phoenix from the Mill Ave Bridge. If you look close enough you can see the new Air traffic control tower at PHX. It's about 350ft. tall. It has to be one of the largest in the country. Does anyone know the stats on those towers?

[convulso]

nice shots as always. i guess i didn't realize the volume of water under the bridge before. the salt looks bigger than another southern AZ river like, say, the gila. perhaps the damming has something to do with that.

[colin]

Well, that's Tempe Town Lake, which is dammed. The Salt River west of it is normally more of a creek.

The Salt River Project dams further up river, and especially the diversion channels going into the Fort Mc Dowell and Salt River Pima Reservations, are the cause of it being so puny though.

Speaking of the Gila, I noticed on my trip to Flag that it's actually flowing under the I-10 bridge south of Phoenix. I don't know that I've ever seen that.

Edited October 13, 2006 by colin

[Jaykar]

Sorry I don't have any urban pics of AZ. But I thought maybe I'd actually post a few I've taken in northern AZ. This was taken the other week on Hwy 160 between Kayenta and Teec Nos Pos. In the Navajo Reservation if you can't tell that from the names already.

Wow nice pic. It could be a wallpaper

[convulso]

Wow nice pic. It could be a wallpaper

second dat. those formations around kayenta are really beautiful; driving past those after seeing shiprock for the first time, i wondered why everyone makes such a big deal over shiprock...aside from its navaho religious significance.

[colin]

Thanksgiving I headed north (I always leave town):

Sedona (Schnelby Hill specifically):

View of Verde Valley from the Great Western Trail northwest of Jerome:

Verde River at Perkinsville:

Pronghorn in the Chino Valley (north of Prescott):

[dtown]

nice pics!

[kaneui]

From the weatherunderground.com site, here's a photo of winter's first dusting of snow on the picturesque

San Francisco Peaks above Flagstaff, taken a few days after Thanksgiving:

[MJLO]

that's friggen gorgeous!

[MJLO]

homage to USAirways, who could possibly up and leave us.

[MJLO]

What's the story on this building, the gothic brick one. I love the details on it.

some rarely found urbanesque views of Downtown Phoenix.

[colin]

As winter quickly approaches in the Santa Catalina Mountains, this (yesterday) was probably the last time I'll be able to get up this road before it closes for the season, especially since a large, ominous cloud hangs over them this morning. But man, it was beautiful up there.

[MJLO]

That's beautiful. One thing I really miss from back home is the freshly fallen snow. Except you all can't even imagine how much they get there. Thanks for sharing Colin.

[Mith242]

Nice pics guys. It's about time I come check out things over here again.

[dgreco]

colin i love this picture. Thanks for posting.

[MJLO]

Hey Colin, anybody. Do any of you have Downtown Tucson pics to post here? I think we needa few not to many Tucson Skyline photos on here.

[colin]

I thought you didn't like the Tucson skyline because it doesn't have enough tall buildings?

Tucson's much more photogenic at ground level, I feel. But nothing's really happening so there's really nothing to photograph. I'll get out on the bike sometime this week when the crazy wind dies down and snap some more.

[convulso]

someone can just climb up on a mountain with a telephoto lens and pretty much get the one money shot of tucson's skyline. that should pretty much do it for that. i don't adore skylines as integral signatures of great towns (by that crazy, apparently america- & asia-centric standard, the cities of europe positvely suck), but tucson needs some density, and i guess that would be reflected in the overall appearance of the skyline.

incidentally, i've never heard anyone say they moved to tucson for the city itself - it's always the rapid access to the back country or the weather. that's the problem i have with tucson as well - great location, but no love for the urban entity at the center of it.

Edited January 18, 2007 by convulso

[colin]

You said it. Windy Point affords some excellent views and I've seen some awesome pictures (both day and night) of the basin taken from there. However, that's not really a skyline shot because the Downtown buildings are just dots. I agree with you though that Tucson is just not a skyline town.

incindentally, i've never heard anyone say they moved to tucson for the city itself - it's always the rapid access to the back country or the weather. that's the problem i have with tucson as well - great location, but no love for the urban entity at the center of it.

Well, I moved here for several reasons, both of which you stated above: the city (cool vibe, not too big, small town atmosphere), the outdoor opportunities (easy to leave the development, hiking trails 15 minutes from Downtown), the entertainment (I still think we have collectively the coolest bars in the country, or at least the Southwest), but also some weird things like the cool, independent radio station (KXCI), the Asian supermarket where I can get my frozen dumplings and other crazy products (17th Street), and just the general laid-back nature of people here. I love being able to go everywhere in flip flops and not get a second look from anyone. If only could go to work in flip flops...

[convulso]

I still think we have collectively the coolest bars in the country, or at least the Southwest... ...and just the general laid-back nature of people here. I love being able to go everywhere in flip flops and not get a second look from anyone.

yeah, it is relatively casual. i'm such a slob that i haven't noticed the casual aspect as much as some other newcomers might.

maybe we need to start a tucson bar thread (though i suspect it would have maybe two contributors)...i've been meaning to ask you about the bars, colin, since you are probably uniquely qualified to hold forth on the subject. i can't wait to get back and go to a few places. i've only been to the bashful bandit; some snob jock money bar hellhole across campbell from UA (i was dragged there by a then-new acquaintance whose taste i should've mistrusted); and a couple of places on 4th.

in my absence, my girlfriend has been raving about the surly wench and club congress - she can't wait to take me when i get back, blah, blah, etc....but she hasn't been to many more places than those. i'm sure every new bar she visits will be her new favorite until she gets used to what's there. she was even giddy about some downtown all-mexican spanish-speaking dance club a latina coworker dragged her to - and she's no dancer (but she was six inches taller than everyone else there, including the guys. power trip, i guess...that, plus - she quickly found - she and the clientele shared a mutual adoration for morrissey.)

Edited January 19, 2007 by convulso

[convulso]

since i got off topic above, here's a pic of some random place north of ajo:

. . . . .

and a blurry pic of the queen creek mine tunnel:

Edited January 19, 2007 by convulso

[colin]

Nice. The Barry Goldwater Range north of Ajo is pretty stark and foreboding. I've always seen abandoned cars out there. I've been looking to camp soon at Sonoran Desert NM near there, but no one seems to have a decent map of that area showing all the little in-roads.

I'm actually working on a Tucson web site that will include stuff like restaurants, bars, museums, historical sites, cultural sites and even architecture.

The Mexican bar though is Shark's, I'm almost certain. They used to do live bands but have gone much more Hispanic-oriented since I've lived here. But the Morrissey thing makes me think of Asylum, which does a Brit-Pop/Indie Thursday night and plays quite a bit of Morrissey/Smiths stuff. Of course, I've only been in Shark's once when it was totally dead, and it was a long time ago.

[colin]

I tried to hike the ridgeline of the Tucson Mountains today even though there is no official trail. When I hit the end of a discernable path, it started to sprinkle, which I took as a sign that I should turn around. Got this picture of the Altar Valley looking WSW. The whited-out mountain near the center is Kitt Peak, the larger one on the left before the mountains end is Baboquivari.

Also, did someone say snow??

Large Video

I'll post more pictures tomorrow when the TV stations get some, but it was indeed snowing in the Tucson Basin this evening.

[convulso]

did you take the link down? i'm getting an error msg. i've been told it's truly icy weather, though - at least this morning, in the foothills.