Wednesday, April 22, 2026
A Searcy Sunset
We had spent the day in Searcy visiting family, and it was time to head back home. But we didn't make it very far, I had to pull the car over just south of town as the sky erupted in the golden colors of sunset. Of course I didn't have my big camera with me, but the cell phone camera did a fairly good job at capturing it all.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Tindall Dryer
It's easy to spot the Tindall Dryer as you drive south from Stuttgart, as it prominently stands tall against the flat lands of the Delta.
I was there with Deepak Kumar, a photographer who excels at astrophotography. While we were waiting for it to get dark, I had some time to take a quick peek inside the old rice dryer. The interior was filled with the random flotsam that seems to accumulate in places like this - haphazardly stacked pieces of wood, plastic buckets and broken glass. Next to a window sat this old cash register, completely covered with a layer of rust.
The rice dryer was probably built sometime around the 1950s. And it worked by somehow drying....the rice? OK I admit I'm not an expert on it. But it must have been a really busy spot at harvest time for several decades. And it probably stopped being used as more modern rice facilities were built in Stuttgart.
A bunch of wildflowers were already growing in the grass surrounding the dryer:
On the way home we stopped to get pictures at another old rice dryer, which was lit only by the light of the full moon. We weren't the only ones out there, we were quickly surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes (it seemed too early in the year to have to be dealing with mosquitoes!).
I was there with Deepak Kumar, a photographer who excels at astrophotography. While we were waiting for it to get dark, I had some time to take a quick peek inside the old rice dryer. The interior was filled with the random flotsam that seems to accumulate in places like this - haphazardly stacked pieces of wood, plastic buckets and broken glass. Next to a window sat this old cash register, completely covered with a layer of rust.
The rice dryer was probably built sometime around the 1950s. And it worked by somehow drying....the rice? OK I admit I'm not an expert on it. But it must have been a really busy spot at harvest time for several decades. And it probably stopped being used as more modern rice facilities were built in Stuttgart.
A bunch of wildflowers were already growing in the grass surrounding the dryer:
On the way home we stopped to get pictures at another old rice dryer, which was lit only by the light of the full moon. We weren't the only ones out there, we were quickly surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes (it seemed too early in the year to have to be dealing with mosquitoes!).
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Old North St. Louis
If you travel north from downtown St. Louis it fees like you're heading into a different city. The fancy stadiums and ballparks are far in the rearview mirror. Gone are the manicured grounds of the Gateway Arch. Instead you see blocks of abandoned homes and lots that are home to nothing but piles or rubble or grass.
I was passing through and had to pull over and stop at the remains of this old church - The St. Augustine Catholic Church. It was built in 1896, but closed in 1982 as the congregation dwindled. The church was sold and used by a different congregations for a few years. But then the church would be permanently closed, and left abandoned. The building would suffer several fires and was almost entirely torn down in 2024, except for the steeple. It still stands as a reminder of the historic church that once stood here for over a century.
At one point, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the country and had a population of over 800,000 people. But now the city has a population of around 300,000. The drop in population seems to have hit the neighborhoods of north St. Louis the hardest.
I'm not an expert on St. Louis by any means, and I've been trying to do some research on this area. According to the website "Built St. Louis," this area declined for several reasons - like unemployment, middle-class flight, racism, population loss, housing age, highway construction, redlining and negative perceptions.
It's surprising to see so many abandoned homes, especially in an area so close to downtown. It seems like it would be an ideal place for redevelopment.
It was sad and eerie, but it makes you wonder what these neighborhoods were like in the past. Back when the streets weren't quiet and empty. Back when the abandoned homes weren't empty and crumbling. When this area was filled with people and life.
I was passing through and had to pull over and stop at the remains of this old church - The St. Augustine Catholic Church. It was built in 1896, but closed in 1982 as the congregation dwindled. The church was sold and used by a different congregations for a few years. But then the church would be permanently closed, and left abandoned. The building would suffer several fires and was almost entirely torn down in 2024, except for the steeple. It still stands as a reminder of the historic church that once stood here for over a century.
At one point, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the country and had a population of over 800,000 people. But now the city has a population of around 300,000. The drop in population seems to have hit the neighborhoods of north St. Louis the hardest.
I'm not an expert on St. Louis by any means, and I've been trying to do some research on this area. According to the website "Built St. Louis," this area declined for several reasons - like unemployment, middle-class flight, racism, population loss, housing age, highway construction, redlining and negative perceptions.
It's surprising to see so many abandoned homes, especially in an area so close to downtown. It seems like it would be an ideal place for redevelopment.
It was sad and eerie, but it makes you wonder what these neighborhoods were like in the past. Back when the streets weren't quiet and empty. Back when the abandoned homes weren't empty and crumbling. When this area was filled with people and life.
Friday, April 3, 2026
Saint Louis
One of the things that you are contractually obligated to do when you’re in St. Louis is go to the top of the Arch, so we of course took the kids over to the massive monument along the Mississippi River. I was eager to take a few pictures from the top, trying out a few different lenses (primarily the fisheye). I carried my big camera bag with me through downtown, through the park, through security, and into the tiny little elevator that goes to the top. When we finally arrived at the observation area, I got my camera out and turned it on. Or tried to turn it on. Turns out that I forgot something – the battery. It was sitting on the charger, back in our hotel room. Whoops.
The amount of time you have at the top is short – only about ten minutes. I managed to get a few pictures with my cell phone before we were herded back into the elevators and sent back down to the ground.
Later on the trip we got a bit of a different view of downtown, this time from the St. Louis Wheel. The Ferris wheel sits by Union Station, and stands 200 feet tall.
Our hotel was right by Union Station, the massive old train station that sits on the edge of downtown St. Louis. The station was built in 1894, and was the largest and busiest train station in the world when it opened.
Ridership at the station peaked in the 1940s, when it saw over 100,000 passengers per day. But by the 1970s, rail travel had declined significantly. The last Amtrak train left the station in 1978, and the once-grand station fell into disrepair. A few scenes for Escape From New York were filmed inside the empty station, like this scene filmed in the Great Hall:
A few years later, the station underwent a massive renovation and was converted into a fancy hotel and an indoor mall.
In the decades since, the attractions at Union Station have changed and evolved. The Hooters and Hard Rock Café are gone, replaced with an aquarium, ropes course and the Ferris wheel.
And here you can see the lights on the wheel, reflected in the windows of a hotel across the street.
From there I headed closer to the river, and ended up at the top of a parking deck that provided a pretty nice view of the Old Court House and the Gateway Arch.
I had to pay $4 to drive around the parking deck and get these shots...
From the Old Courthouse I headed a few blocks over to the Old Cathedral (formally called the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France). And the Old Cathedral is indeed old, dating back to 1834.
And then I headed back over to the Arch for a few pictures (and this time I remembered to bring the camera battery).
It was a cold night, and the park grounds were quiet and devoid of other tourists and people. Except for a park ranger who drove by, I was the only person out there.
It was starting to get late and I needed to get back to the hotel, but I stopped by one of the ponds in the park for one last shot of the Arch. There wasn't much wind, and the Arch was perfectly reflected in the still waters.
The amount of time you have at the top is short – only about ten minutes. I managed to get a few pictures with my cell phone before we were herded back into the elevators and sent back down to the ground.
Later on the trip we got a bit of a different view of downtown, this time from the St. Louis Wheel. The Ferris wheel sits by Union Station, and stands 200 feet tall.
Our hotel was right by Union Station, the massive old train station that sits on the edge of downtown St. Louis. The station was built in 1894, and was the largest and busiest train station in the world when it opened.
Ridership at the station peaked in the 1940s, when it saw over 100,000 passengers per day. But by the 1970s, rail travel had declined significantly. The last Amtrak train left the station in 1978, and the once-grand station fell into disrepair. A few scenes for Escape From New York were filmed inside the empty station, like this scene filmed in the Great Hall:
A few years later, the station underwent a massive renovation and was converted into a fancy hotel and an indoor mall.
In the decades since, the attractions at Union Station have changed and evolved. The Hooters and Hard Rock Café are gone, replaced with an aquarium, ropes course and the Ferris wheel.
And here you can see the lights on the wheel, reflected in the windows of a hotel across the street.
From there I headed closer to the river, and ended up at the top of a parking deck that provided a pretty nice view of the Old Court House and the Gateway Arch.
I had to pay $4 to drive around the parking deck and get these shots...
From the Old Courthouse I headed a few blocks over to the Old Cathedral (formally called the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France). And the Old Cathedral is indeed old, dating back to 1834.
And then I headed back over to the Arch for a few pictures (and this time I remembered to bring the camera battery).
It was a cold night, and the park grounds were quiet and devoid of other tourists and people. Except for a park ranger who drove by, I was the only person out there.
It was starting to get late and I needed to get back to the hotel, but I stopped by one of the ponds in the park for one last shot of the Arch. There wasn't much wind, and the Arch was perfectly reflected in the still waters.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Chain Of Rocks Bridge
For Spring Break this year we headed up to Missouri and did a little visit to Saint Louis. It's a great city to visit, especially for kids. Our boys got to run around the Science Museum and feed the goats at Grant's Farm. Our five year-old Elliott, who is still obsessed with cars, was amazed by all the antique vehicles at the National Transportation Museum. And I even found some time to take pictures, including a trip to the historic Chain Of Rocks Bridge.
The bridge over the Mississippi River was built in 1929, and it cost a grand total of five cents to cross when it opened. By 1936, it became the river crossing used by Route 66 as it made its way through St. Louis. The Route 66 history is commemorated on the bridge by a vintage motel sign, originally belonging to the 66 Auto Court in St. Louis. The motel was advertised as "St. Louis’s Finest Modern Auto Court." The motel closed in 1978 and no longer stands, the only lasting memory being this sign that still greets travelers retracing the path of the Mother Road.
The bridge is 5,323 feet long, and has a rather distinctive 30 degree bend in the middle. The sharp bend was added to make it easier for boats to navigate the river around the bridge supports, two water intake towers, and a series of shoals and rapids called the Chain of Rocks. From the bridge you get a good view of the rapids, and the two water towers. The first tower here was built in 1894, and was used to divert water from the river to a filtration plant. In the background, about 20 miles away, you can see the skyline of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch.
As the city grew, along with the demand for more fresh drinking water, a second intake tower was built in 1915. It was large enough that it also contained living quarters for workers who maintained the towers and the pipes.
The Chain Of Rocks Bride closed in 1968, after a new bridge was built just upriver. And for awhile, the bridge sat abandoned. It was nearly torn down a few times, at one point the army wanted to demolish it for practice. The bridge did get used one time as a filming location for the classic movie Escape From New York:
In 1998 the bridge reopened as a pedestrian and bicycle crossing, and is now part of a massive trail system that runs for 300 miles along both sides of the river. It was peaceful and quiet on my visit (no cars with chandeliers or disco balls crashed through), with a nice breeze over the river and several groups of people either walking or biking across.
The bridge over the Mississippi River was built in 1929, and it cost a grand total of five cents to cross when it opened. By 1936, it became the river crossing used by Route 66 as it made its way through St. Louis. The Route 66 history is commemorated on the bridge by a vintage motel sign, originally belonging to the 66 Auto Court in St. Louis. The motel was advertised as "St. Louis’s Finest Modern Auto Court." The motel closed in 1978 and no longer stands, the only lasting memory being this sign that still greets travelers retracing the path of the Mother Road.
The bridge is 5,323 feet long, and has a rather distinctive 30 degree bend in the middle. The sharp bend was added to make it easier for boats to navigate the river around the bridge supports, two water intake towers, and a series of shoals and rapids called the Chain of Rocks. From the bridge you get a good view of the rapids, and the two water towers. The first tower here was built in 1894, and was used to divert water from the river to a filtration plant. In the background, about 20 miles away, you can see the skyline of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch.
As the city grew, along with the demand for more fresh drinking water, a second intake tower was built in 1915. It was large enough that it also contained living quarters for workers who maintained the towers and the pipes.
The Chain Of Rocks Bride closed in 1968, after a new bridge was built just upriver. And for awhile, the bridge sat abandoned. It was nearly torn down a few times, at one point the army wanted to demolish it for practice. The bridge did get used one time as a filming location for the classic movie Escape From New York:
In 1998 the bridge reopened as a pedestrian and bicycle crossing, and is now part of a massive trail system that runs for 300 miles along both sides of the river. It was peaceful and quiet on my visit (no cars with chandeliers or disco balls crashed through), with a nice breeze over the river and several groups of people either walking or biking across.
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