Ideas for interesting urban landscape

Hi,

I am driving from Baltimore to Los Angeles. I have been taking pictures on my road trips of interesting man-made landscape and artifacts in the middle of nowhere, empty spaces

... Things that could look like leftovers from an ancient civilization that has since disappeared...

 

I have not left yet. Hoping to get suggestions if anyone has?

 

I am going through the following states most likely:

 

Missouri, oklahoma, north texas (amarillo), new mexico, arizona, california

 

in the middle of nowhere, empty spaces

... Things that could look like leftovers from an ancient civilization that has since disappeared...

 

I am not kidding when I suggest that in some of those states you will have plenty of "nowhere, empty spaces". Urban spaces is another thing altogether.

 

Of course there are plenty of "leftovers from an ancient civilization" in the form of Pueblo ruins in New Mexico and Arizona, but you have to off Route 66 to get to most of them.

Also, if you haven't already, look up Route 66

Edited April 3, 2019 by JDMvW

+1 to Route 66 for interesting subjects. Stay off the Interstate when possible, if pursuing photos over miles. Also, check for historical sites, national parks, and national monuments along your specific route. Your precise route will really dictate opportunities, so sharing it will help in making recommendations. Some multi-hour side trips will make a huge difference.

You just cant go wrong. Pick a road and you will find something. And take a different route home.

 

There is a town near the Grand Canyon call Saligman (see below) Touristy due to the Disney movie CARS but loads of photos opportunities

 

Point your camera at something and it will probably be great.

 

Dont forget to go inside of places. People are friendly for the most part

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I watched a slide show presentation of RT 66 some years ago and got the impression it has been turned into one very long photo op setup.

I watched a slide show presentation of RT 66 some years ago and got the impression it has been turned into one very long photo op setup.

Whats left of it is indeed. Most has been cut of by 40. But get off and look around . 66 is the two lane road that you see sometimes beside the highway. Little towns that thrived while the mother road was the bees knees are in ruin now and are mega photo ops . Looking forward to seeing your pics j_d 30

I just used Google Earth Street View to take a virtual drive down parts of Rt 66. Mostly a long road through not much.

Great suggestion for visiting route 66. There are also plenty of ghost towns all around CA, NV and AZ from the gold rush era. Some are famous, others not so much. They may be difficult to find, unless you know where they are. Several books are available showing the locations of these ghost towns. I suggest getting one. However, some of them may be really remote, roads not well maintained. If you are going off-road, I strongly suggest a sturdy vehicle, 4WD that can take some beating. Also in case of any emergency, be well prepared, since help may not be immediately available. Also, be careful not to trespass on someone else's property.

 

The payback would be worth it, if you can visit at the appropriate time for optimal lighting, may be early morning, or late afternoon if you are willing to camp out. I would suggest visiting late to cover the last light, and then stay for the night for some amazing astrophotography with ruins in the foreground.

 

Here are some photos from Bodie State Park, but they are nowhere as good as what you can achieve with proper planning.

 

 

 

 

I don't think you can plan ahead, other than plan to bring a camera (and maybe film).

 

There are so many man-made and natural subjects along the way.

 

In any small town, you will find interesting stores and restaurants, not to mention tourist

attractions.

 

Just be sure to take pictures first, ask questions later.

 

We were last weekend at Universal Studios Hollywood, and I keep remembering

things that I didn't take pictures of. For one, Moe's (as in Homer Simpson's favorite

bar), which I could have posted to the Beer article in No Words.

 

Most important, don't be in a hurry.

 

Even better, post along the way, and get more suggestions.

(Even small towns have plenty of places with free WiFi.)

Canyon de Chelly, northern Arizona.

An acquaintance of mine traveled widely to photograph grain elevators in various states of repair. Others concentrate on barns. Things of that sort aren't highlighted on maps. You need to be prepared to stop when you see something of interest. That means traveling primary and secondary roads rather than interstates. I've seen a lot of interesting countryside from interstates, but you can't often stop. It also means you can't adhere to a schedule. You have a destination (which may change) rather than an ETA. I took two full days to travel between Denver and Telluride (To Hell You Ride), a distance of about 200 miles. My wife patiently knitted and read.

 

It's good to travel with someone with similar interests, better even, than when alone. It's too easy to think of getting somewhere, than the "getting" itself. Travel guides usually concentrate on cities, mainly on food, lodging and entertainment. For scenery and a sense of place, there's no substitute for roaming the countryside with your eyes and mind open.

California gold country with its historic mining towns is rich with both things and atmosphere. Check the Grass Valley / Nevada City area in the Sacramento Valley. Don’t miss the Yuba River if you do it, especially this time of year toward the end of the rainy season when the river will be full. A waterfall or two at Yosemite, a couple of hours away, isn’t a bad idea either and there are plenty of cool towns near the park as well.

 

A recommendation ... don’t limit yourself to what’s commonly called “ruin porn.” (I don’t necessarily love this term, just using it because it’s become part of the vernacular and conveys the genre.) And don’t just be on the lookout for “stuff” to photograph. Soak in the atmosphere of these places, think about ideas, lifestyles, history and consider portraying these less tangible aspects of life and how you would do that photographically by using atmosphere, lighting, perspective, terrain, and style on even supposedly “uninteresting” things. There’s always the possibility not just to search for “interesting” places and things but to find the interest in almost anything or make things look interesting in a photo that otherwise might get passed by.

I just used Google Earth Street View to take a virtual drive down parts of Rt 66. Mostly a long road through not much.

Most places, I find, viewed from the road are not near as compelling as when I drive off the main road and more so when I get out of the car and walk. There’s a reason Google Earth view is called “virtual.” It’s discovering the out of the way places, all over the world, that generally provides a more rich and intimate feel of a place.

"... Things that could look like leftovers from an ancient civilization that has since disappeared... "

It is interesting to see different definitions of ancient.

I noticed that your trip says from Baltimore to Los Angeles. It looks like you'll be traveling the same areas that are covered by I-44 and I-40. Be aware when people tell you about the California gold country (and Bodie) that those areas are about 300-400 miles to the north of Los Angeles. Coming into Los Angeles on I-15, there are a number of small, abandoned houses and businesses that are accessible from the service roads between the Nevada state line and Barstow (where I-40 connects to I-15). There's even an abandoned water park at Newberry Springs, but not much left of it except the hills where the slides used to be and a whole bunch of graffiti.

 

If you do come down I-40, Get off at Seligman and go on the old US-66 through Peach Springs which will connect to Kingman where you can pick up I-40 again.

There's a fair section of old Route 66 east and west of Barstow that's fairly convenient to I-15 & I-40. This is the venue for KR's annual Route 66 photo trip, centered on Barstow. I did it a few years ago and enjoyed it immensely. For example, don't miss the Bottle Tree Farm, west of Barstow:

Or Roy's, east of Barstow:

And many, many others along the way. There's also a lot to see in and around Barstow, as it was a major stop along the old Route 66. You can see a small sampling of other photo subjects in that area in this gallery: www.photo.net/gallery/1088270#//Sort-Newest/All-Categories/All-Time/Page-1

I broke down in Barstow. Great Antique shop and a crazy Chinese diner was how I past the time while they fixed my jeep

I broke down in Barstow

Sounds like a Country Western song.

"I broke down in Barstow."

 

I spent a weekend in Mojave, west of Barstow, in about 1985 waiting for my friend's car to be repaired. The Mojave Air and Space Port is located in Mojave. I have never been there, but intend to check it out the next time that I drive through Mojave, hopefully without breaking down.

 

If you are driving I-40, you could head North from Kingman, through Las Vegas, to Death Valley. After touring Death Valley (see David Triplett's recent post), proceed west to US 395 and drive south along the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where you will find the Owen's Valley (reference; the movie Chinatown), plus many interesting small towns, parks, and other attractions, such as Fossil Falls. Continue south along highway 14, through Mojave, and eventually, Los Angeles.

Edited April 6, 2019 by Glenn McCreery