Laurie

View From the Top

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Photography

First, I want to apologize for not being able to find the time to visit your posts these past few weeks. Too much travel, even for good things, has had me desperately wishing for down time. I know you all get that. The good news is that we got to visit the Obama Presidental Center and Museum last week. This image was taken from the Nelson Mandela Sky Room.

The Nelson Mandela Sky Room sits at the top of the 225-foot museum tower, which is on the 8th floor of the Museum Building. The Sky Room offers panoramic 360-degree views of Jackson Park, Lake Michigan, and Chicago’s South and West Sides, as well as the gorgeous Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (shown here). The building is one of two left standing from the 1983 World’s Columbian Exposition.

Flower Piano

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

While in San Francisco, we attended the 11th Annual Flower Piano at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. This interactive outdoor music festival features 12 tuned grand pianos placed outdoors among plants, redwoods, and succulents. The pianos are played by over 130 scheduled professional and community-partner performances, plus public open play. Fabulous!

Sutherlin

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

The William T. Sutherlin Mansion in Danville, Virginia is an example of Italianate architecture, built between 1857-1859, and is a Virginia Historic Landmark. Like many mansions built during that time, enslaved people were forced to work the property. This history is being brought to light, although slowly due to funding, as per the tour guide. During the last week of the Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was a guest in the mansion, earning it the title of “Last Capitol of the Confederacy” on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Three Sisters

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

It was an overcast day but the Three Sisters stood tall against the sky, visible from all over Danville.

The Three Sisters, as affectionately called by local residents, are the iconic brick smokestacks circa 1882 from the historic Dan River Mills, a major textile manufacturing operation that shaped the region’s economy for decades. City leaders and developers preserved the hisoric stacks as a visual centerpiece during the modern redevelopment of the property.

Cycling the Dan

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

Greg and I spent a weekend in Danville, Virginia, and I enjoyed riding on the Riverwalk Trail which is situated along the Dan River. The city of Danville got its name because it developed near a major crossing and falls on the Dan River which powered the massive historic Dan River Mills textile operation, shaping the local economy for generations. In the decades since the textile industry died, Danville has transformed its old tobacco warehouse district into a bustling River District featuring local restaurants, breweries, loft apartments, and a gorgeous riverfront park.