My Iowa Commute

[monster]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Ah ha, clever way to add a drive through without remodeling the whole joint. Thanks.

Actually, they moved in and completely rebuilt an old restaurant, and added the trailer in the same year. I think it was always the intention. It's incredibly popular (and a very cool trailer).

I tried to take a pic of the purple castle today, but I suspect I failed. I'll get the camera from the car in a mo.

[monster]

I'd like to see some Aussie commutes in here

*cue smartarses posting upside-down commute pics*

[HungLikeJesus]

I drive about 20 miles one way to work, with an elevation change of about 2000 feet.

The first 10th of a mile is dirt; the rest is paved.

I had this great idea that I would ride my motorcycle, with my camera hanging around my neck, and would be able to shoot without stopping. Apparently, I was lacking in either riding or photographing skills, and found this to be impossible. Instead, I put the camera in my tank bag, and had to pull off the road to take every picture, sometimes risking death just to bring you these photos.

19.9 miles to go.

[HungLikeJesus]

The road, for the first 5 miles, includes about 54 curves, but must of the pictures I took on the connecting straight parts.

Most of the trees are Ponderosa Pine. The deciduous trees are either Aspen or Cottonwood.

I'll try to post more throughout the next few days.

[queequeger]

Dang, everyone lives in such nice places... I'll have to try and compete!

LabRat, do you live in Iowa City or Cedar Rapids? I've lived in both!

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by queequeger

Dang, everyone lives in such nice places... I'll have to try and compete!

LabRat, do you live in Iowa City or Cedar Rapids? I've lived in both!

I thought that Georgia was nice. At least you're not too far from the ocean.

But it's not really a competition (or is it?).

[BigV]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

I drive about 20 miles one way to work, with an elevation change of about 2000 feet.

The first 10th of a mile is dirt; the rest is paved.

I had this great idea that I would ride my motorcycle, with my camera hanging around my neck, and would be able to shoot without stopping. Apparently, I was lacking in either riding or photographing skills, and found this to be impossible. Instead, I put the camera in my tank bag, and had to pull off the road to take every picture, sometimes risking death just to bring you these photos.

19.9 miles to go.

Buy one of these: Gorilla Tripod, affix to your handlebars or helmet and try again.

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by BigV

Buy one of these: Gorilla Tripod, affix to your handlebars or helmet and try again.

BigV, that's really neat, but we're going to need a bigger Gorilla, or a smaller camera. It says that the maximum weight capacity is 9.7 ounces. The D70 weighs 21 oz, plus battery and lens.

I have been considering getting a smaller camera.

Edit: I just went to the Joby site and saw this. That might be the way to go.

[BigV]

uh, yeah, that's the one I meant!

While you're at it, you can secure your gorillapod with some Gorilla Tape. This stuff is the real thing. You better mean it when you apply it. You *can* take it off, but it *will* leave a mark.

[HungLikeJesus]

The horses in the first picture are spoiled - they have lots of room, and they get blankets in the winter. The horses across the road are in a little lot that turns to mud after the first snow.

The water in the foreground is the creek that the road follows.

The second picture is a better view of the creek - which was a roaring rapid this summer. You can see I'm risking death to get this picture, as the shoulder is only about 8 inches wide. If I lost my balance and fell to the left I'd get my head run over. If I fell to the right I'd be smashed upon the rocks.

The road has no line in this section because drivers don't know how to keep their BUTs (big ugly trucks) within their lanes, which eventually erases the line. The line has since been replaced, and a rumple strip placed along the center of most of the road.

[queequeger]

This is my drive to the gym (because it's nicer, and I actually do the drive more often than work)

[zippyt]

Cool pics !!

[HungLikeJesus]

Q - you have a much greater variety of trees than we do. We don't have nearly as many hardwoods in Colorado.

You also seem to have a better ratio of cars to trucks/SUVs.

It's really hard to appreciate the things and places that you see everyday, which is why this thread is nice.

[queequeger]

Oh, don't be fooled, we've got a lot more trucks than cars... this was driving through the rich white neighborhood

But, I had never noticed the variety of trees. It's always just green and green. It reminds me, I went to Colorado when I was younger with a family reunion, and as we were driving about the Rockies in a hotel-airport shuttle I asked our driver/impromptu tour guide, "This area is so beautiful, do you ever get used to it?"

He just said, "Yup, I hardly even notice anymore." It made me a little sad, and I think that one moment made me a little more willing to notice some of the beautiful things around me that I might otherwise overlook as commonplace... Except for tree variety, that is.

[LabRat]

queequeger

Welcome. Please phonetically pronounce your name so I stop calling you kweerkweiger in my head. What is the origin of this interesting handle?

I live in Marion and work in Iowa City. For how long and when were you a local? Did you remember any of the pics I posted? What brought you to Georgia?