Calamus, IA 52729
I’ve decided to break out a bit from being so Central Illinois-centric with the Post Office project. To get back in the swing of things, here is the rural post office in Calamus, IA, Zip Code 52729. Calamus is a town of about 450 people west of Clinton right along historic US 30. Be sure [...]
Mississippi River Sunset
The sun sets through a few late evening clouds over the calm waters of the Mississippi River. This view, from high on the observation deck at Lookout Point in the Mississippi Palisades State Park near Savanna, is one of the finest views in Illinois. As always, join me on Facebook : Twitter : Flickr
Crew Change, Clinton, IA
While a loaded coal train departs on an adjacent track, a new crew member climbs aboard an empty coal train at Clinton, IA.
Sabula After Dark
After I waited for a while here getting eaten alive by mosquitos, the DM&E’s Nahant-Savanna local finally finished their work at Sabula and headed across the Mississippi River on their massive swing bridge. As always, join me on Facebook : Twitter : Flickr
From the Overlook at Bellevue
High above Bellevue, IA is the overlook at the conveniently named Bellevue State Park. From this perch above the Mississippi River, you can see a long ways north, across the entire town of Bellevue, up the valley almost to Dubuque, IA, some 25 miles upriver. The view of the town is quite nice, railfans may [...]
Winter Sports
One of the things I’m constantly thinking about when making my railroad photos is the relationship between the trains and the places through which they’re passing. From a small town to a giant city, the railroad was usually there first, and is most likely the primary reason for the town (or whatever it may be) [...]
On (Frozen) Wisconsin
Starting 430 miles to the north, near Lake Superior, the Wisconsin River flows into the Mississippi River just south of Prairie Du Chien, WI. The delta formed by the junction of the rivers is vast and there are many small inlets and bays filled with backwater. This time of year, they are all frozen over, [...]
Barrel O’ Fun
I’d actually noticed this little factory on a previous visit to Dubuque, IA, and I regretted not taking this shot. But, I think it looks better in the winter anyway. Note that there is nothing fun about this photo, bleak winter snow and cloud cover, vacant industrial park, standard brick warehouse building, overhead power lines [...]
Lock and Dam No. 12
Holding back the now frozen waters of the mighty Mississippi at Bellevue, IA, the arches of Lock and Dam Number 12 rise from the icy depths of the blue river after sunset on a brutally cold day along the Upper Mississippi Valley.
Photography Fun
I figured I’d take a break from my regular spouting about my own photos to show some neat stuff from others that I’ve recently run across. Hopefully this will become a more regular feature, I’ll try to share more of the neat links I run across on here. First up…. Driftless: Stories From Iowa Such [...]
Flashback to Fall
Today let’s so back into the archives, to a photo from a warm fall afternoon from far western Iowa, near Woodbine. The Boyer River valley is quite scenic, especially when the fall colors are popping out amongst the hills and dales. As the sun sank lower, and lit up those bright colors, this scene presented [...]
Canadian Pacific Holiday Train
I followed the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train last Friday from Sabula to Davenport, IA, with a stop in Clinton. It was a great time, they have a concert aboard the train, and accept donations for local food pantries. I’m sure they raised a lot of money as the crowds in these small Iowa towns were [...]
Model Railroad
These ‘forced-perspective, fake tilt/shift’ images may be a bit gimmicky, and you could be getting sick of them, but I thought this image from around Woodbine, IA last week was as fitting as any to get that treatment. See for yourself. You know the drill, click on the thumbnail above to get the big version.
Pike’s Peak (The One In Iowa)
On my way back from Minneapolis last week, I decided to take the scenic route along the Mississippi River. It was hazy and cloudy for most of the way through Minnesota, but as I got closer to Iowa, the sun began to break though the cloud layer. I wanted to look for some scenic vantage [...]
