Ghost Motel

Abandoned places, roadside attractions, cabin, motel, Yosemite, California

Two summers ago, my husband Michael and I visited Yosemite National Park in northern California. It was one of our best trips ever, and Yosemite proved to be one of our favorite national parks. On the drive between our cabin and the park, we passed this deserted and forsaken roadside motel. Since we share a love of abandoned places, we had to stop and poke around.

Vintage road sign for the Silver Tip Lodge beckons: Vacancy

Ghost Motel - abandoned roadside motel near Yosemite National Park, California

View from the porch of the abandoned roadside motel

The Silver Tip's rusted screens and desolate porch

Your room is ready.

Light filters through the crumbling ceilings and paints patterns on the walls and floor.

If walls could talk

Ghosts

Awesome Austin Part 2 -

A month and a half later, here is the follow-up post on Austin, Texas. While we were there, we did a lot of shopping on South Congress. Of the many fine retail establishments we visited, my favorite was Uncommon Objects. I had run across this amazing shop when Secret Leaves was still selling wholesale and fell in love with it immediately, so I was excited to visit in person. The unusual antiques and curios they stock are right up my alley:

 

  

Vintage clothing, cowboy boots, antiques, gifts and curios from Mexico and around the world, handmade jewelry, home goods — there were many, many other great shops along South Congress, none of which I can remember the names of now. But no matter, just step out onto the sidewalk and start walking — they’re everywhere!

Next up, County Line Barbecue. After all, you can’t go to Texas and not eat some barbecue, right?

The food at County Line was good, no doubt, but the best thing about it was the Texas Hill Country location with its stunning views:

They have a beautiful patio to enjoy it from:

I loved all the Texas memorabilia on display:

Finally, in one of the highlights of the trip, I met Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips in the airport:

He couldn’t have been a lovelier guy.

There is so much more to do and see than we had time for. I loved Austin and can’t wait to go back again.

If you’re so inclined, leave a comment about some of your favorite places in Austin.

Sharon

Awesome Austin Part 1 – Hotel San Jose

Austin, Hotel San Jose, Jo’s Coffee, Home Slice, Woodland, South Congress

Earlier this month, my husband Michael and I spent the weekend in Austin with three other couples, celebrating his sister Vicki's birthday. It was the first time I'd been to Austin and I liked it a lot. Because we didn't have a car, we weren't the masters of our own destiny, so there were some things we might have done otherwise that we didn't – visit our friend Marcia, or go hear some live music, for example. Still, it's a cool city with lots to see, do and eat. We stayed at the San Jose, a fabulous boutique hotel on South Congress, smack dab in the middle of all the action:


 

The rooms were super-cool and funky -- modern and retro at the same time. Rock posters served as the artwork throughout the hotel.





The patio was filled every night with people drinking and socializing. 

The outdoor spaces were beautiful too: 
Jo’s Coffee is right next door to the hotel:
While we were there, we had some tasty pizza at Home Slice, awesome shrimp & grits at The Snack Bar and a transcendent chocolate bread pudding at Woodland.
More later…
Sharon

Missouri Botanical Garden - one of my favorite places

Last weekend, we had company visiting from out of town. As I always do when I have out-of-town visitors, I took them to the Missouri Botanical Garden. And why wouldn't I? Within walking distance of our house, it is one of my favorite places not only in St. Louis, but one of my favorite places, period. I didn't take many photos this trip, but I did get kind of fixated on dragonflies in the lily pond facing the Climatron. Here are a few of the shots. As always, click for larger view:

Black lily pond, which faces the Climatron at one end and a beautiful little glassed-in pavilion at the other.


Dragonfly perched on a tropical water lily




Dragonfly with what I think is the ecto-skeleton of one of his comrades.



Elsewhere in the Garden:

The peaceful and meditative Chinese Garden. One of my favorite spots.


Green bud festooned with a spider web


Scarlet-red coneflower

If you are ever in St. Louis...
Sharon

Ode to the Lake

Last weekend, our extraordinary friends and neighbors, Jan and Connor, lent us their newly purchased lake house for the weekend. It is at Lake of the Ozarks, a sprawling resort area in central Missouri. Lake of the Ozarks was created when the Osage River was dammed, resulting in a large reservoir. Over the years, it has been heavily developed, with many high-end hotels, upscale homes and condominium complexes springing up. But that is not the Lake of the Ozarks we experienced.
Jan and Connor's lake house is a charming little cottage with red sideboards, butter-colored shutters and window boxes full of flowers. It sits on a sleepy cove with neighbors who are mostly year-round residents. From the deck, the sun glinting off the lake's surface looks like a million paparazzi's flash bulbs. The water is warm, the sun is hot and the occupants of the occasional boat wandering into our little corner of the Lake wave hello. Birds rustle busily in the trees overhead, and at night insects play their buzzing song.



 




BAGNELL DAM STRIP
Within walking distance is the Bagnell Dam strip. Full of arcades, tourist shops and ice cream stands, it is a throwback to an earlier era. My husband Michael, who spent his summers on the Lake many years ago, was astounded by how little it had changed. At night, it is a spectacle of neon lights, garish signs and strange, giant statues of Indian chiefs and lumberjacks. I couldn't wait to snap some photos. Click for a larger view:
Bumper cars and Skee ball


Glowing man

50 cent baseball

Dogpatch Arcade

Zamperla



Your weight and horoscope

Rebel Arcade

Thanks, Jan and Connor. We can't wait to go back.
Sharon