Category: Places Visited

Places I have visited across America

Artsy, Places Visited1 Comment

#112 – Skyline?

RJ Walters

I titled this mosaic “Manhattan Skyline” but there is really no skyline in the picture, except maybe as a reflection. I have been going to Manhattan for 70+ years now. In the early days is was to go to corporate headquarters or other business type trips. In the last 25 years is has been part of a vacation experience. Being a country boy to my core, I never got that comfortable with all the people always around 24/7. Every time I saw all the multistory apartment buildings, I always said to myself, I could never live that. Going days at … Continue reading #112 – Skyline?

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#48 – Oh, The Kid In Me… Disney World, Lion King

RJ Walters

My wife wasn’t too excited about it, but for our 30th wedding anniversary we went to Disney World. When I told her about the idea, she blurted out, “Disney World is for kids”! I replied, “you ought to know by now that I am a forever kid.” Anyway, we spent five beautiful days in a very fantasy place. Looking back, I think the highlight of it was the performance of Lion King. Even though I couldn’t hear the music, the constant drum beats across my chest were enough to keep me in the mood. Instead of trying to describe all … Continue reading #48 – Oh, The Kid In Me… Disney World, Lion King

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#109 – Ottawa Reflections

RJ Walters

Ottawa, which is the national capital of Canada, is one of my most favorite cities I have ever visited. One of the primary reasons is “reflections”. That is, the old and the new building coexisting and actually complimenting each other. The picture above is replicated there dozens of times. In this particular case, it is a reflection of the Parliament building. Continue reading #109 – Ottawa Reflections

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#98 About Jimmy Madison…

RJ Walters

This picture was taken on our “President’s Row” trip in 2011. We visited 6 president’s homes. Jimmy was a quiet guy. He didn’t stand out like so many of his playmates who were much taller and more vocal than him. He was intelligent but didn’t go around bragging about that. But, He was what was needed at the time to make this democracy project a success. I think some of you probably know who I am talking about? I don’t suspect you call him Jimmy, but instead use his God-given name of James. I am talking about James Madison, otherwise … Continue reading #98 About Jimmy Madison…

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#97 – The Adventures Of Youth… Colorado Mountain Top

RJ Walters

I was a 30-year-old single guy when I took this adventure. It was on a mountain top in southwestern Colorado, although I don’t remember exactly where now. I spent the year before outfitting my recently purchased Chevy van as a camper. My freshly minted roommate and I left Indiana one morning and were at the 10,000 ft elevation twenty-four hours later. That same day, we hiked to the 12,000 level where this picture was taken. Even in my youth I discovered that doing that so quickly was not a smart thing to do. We camped out that night and were … Continue reading #97 – The Adventures Of Youth… Colorado Mountain Top

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#33 – Mississinewa 1812

RJ Walters

The Battle of 1812 is not high on a level of importance as wars go. It was primarily about Great Britain riling up the Indians who were losing their homeland to the invaders. Except for the annihilation of many tribes in the Northeast, the war didn’t change much, but the reenactment at Mississinewa, Indiana is the biggest one of that war. This particular battle was mainly about ineptitude. Most of the men who signed up for this battle were kids 18 – 20 years old, who were poorly trained and led by the “Indian Hater” William Henry Harrison. (these are … Continue reading #33 – Mississinewa 1812

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#95 – Red, Yellow, Green

RJ Walters

I spent the last weekend organizing my iPhoto Library so that it’s easier to find what I want here at RJsMosaic. Putting 18,000 photos into about 20 different boxes is no small challenge, but due to my Aspie traits, I am up to it. During all this work I came to the realization that I have an affinity towards stoplights. The art and structure, especially this one, fascinates me. This picture was taken while I was visiting one of the Wright Brother’s sites in Dayton Ohio. There is so much to see in Dayton, I will have to get back … Continue reading #95 – Red, Yellow, Green

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#20 Shaker Seeds

RJ Walters

During my travels, I have visited many historic sites. I think Shaker sites are my overall favorite, especially the one closest to me near Lexington, KY, called Pleasant Hill Shaker Village. There are no longer any active villages, but many have been preserved as national historic sites. My initial introduction to Shakers was their furniture, but garden seeds were probably what they were actually more famous for. Continue reading #20 Shaker Seeds

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#28 – Surreal Landscape

RJ Walters

The last time I was at the Grand Canyon was when this picture was taken in 2005. I have been there on two other occasions. What was special this time was that we stayed in the lodge on the south end of the canyon. We could lie in our bed at the national park lodge as see the canyon about 50 feet away. It was like the other two times I had visited there in that it just didn’t seem real. The grandeur of it was just beyond imagination. One of the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” things I regret not doing … Continue reading #28 – Surreal Landscape

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#27 – Heinz Museum – Pittsburgh

RJ Walters

When I planned on visiting the Heinz Museum in Pittsburgh, I imagined it would be all about ketchup and other condiments. Yeah, that was included, but a big majority of the contents were about documenting history. During my visit I discovered that the museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute. If you want to see a video of the museum, click HERE The museum in itself made the two days in Pittsburgh well worth the visit. But there are other sites you must see if you visit that city. The Primanti Brothers Bar & Pub, which is only a … Continue reading #27 – Heinz Museum – Pittsburgh

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#8 – High Plains Barn & Silo

RJ Walters

I mentioned a few posts ago that I am hankering to do another purely analog mosaic, but before I do that I need to close out my early attempts in that mode. I have been across the high plains States numerous times, but like Indiana, many traveling through the High Plains just breeze through it without stopping. The most prominent thing about this area of the country is that it is WINDY. Maybe I should stop here and give you my definition of “High Plains”, that is Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming, and South Dakota, and central Kansas. In hindsight, it was … Continue reading #8 – High Plains Barn & Silo

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#60 – Ft Wayne Museum of Art

RJ Walters

For those of you who don’t know Indiana, that is probably most of you, Ft Wayne is in the northeast corner of the state. It is the second-largest city in the state with a population of about 260,000, although it seems much smaller than that. I had been in Ft Wayne several times but had never visited it Museum of Art. I’m glad I finally got there in 2019. I don’t remember if it had the usual Renaissance paintings that most of the larger cities have, but I definitely remember the abstract wing as shown above and below. One thing … Continue reading #60 – Ft Wayne Museum of Art

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#21 – The St. Lawrence Fisherman

RJ Walters

It’s been thirteen years since the Canada trip.How could time have flown by so fast?It was a month-long adventure that I won’t forget.Especially that sunrise along the St. Lawrence Seaway. We were traveling in the hinterland between cities.We were determined to follow the Seaway to its source.It was getting dark, so our attention was for a place to sleep.We feared we might have to sleep in the car. Then suddenly a small sign appeared on the side of the road.We were desperate so we took a chance.The person in the small shack labeled “Office” only spoke French.But his wife knew … Continue reading #21 – The St. Lawrence Fisherman

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#52 – The World’s Most Beautiful Junkyard

RJ Walters

As soon as I saw this place, I immediately stomped on the brake petal. I knew I HAD to have a picture of it. It has remained on my wall since that April day in 2015. When I read my first book about the “Mountain Men” as a teenager, I have always dreamed that in a previous life I was a mountain man. When I say the movie “Jeremiah Johnson” in 1972, that thought was permanently welded into my mind. As the picture says, it was taken near LaFruto in southern Colorado. Like so many other times, the only regret … Continue reading #52 – The World’s Most Beautiful Junkyard

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#51 – Old Quebec, Canada

RJ Walters

A major stopping point during our 2011-month-long trip across eastern Canada was Old Quebec. It was the part of Quebec that has been completely restored back to its 1600s roots. That is except for the 21st century add-ons. Above is a picture of the main square in that area. Old Quebec was a very festive place as shown in the picture gallery below. The painted murals on the walls were of the magnitude and beauty I have ever encountered. I ended up spending quite some time just trying to take in the details. Even though I could not hear them, … Continue reading #51 – Old Quebec, Canada

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#29 – I Know Artsy When I See It

RJ Walters

And this is definitely artsy. These Artsy Ladies were in the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens which is located in Rockford, Illinois. When I visited in 2017, the Bruce Monro Light Exhibit was the current attraction. This was in the beginning phase of my search for artsy. I don’t know if these ladies were part of that exhibit or a permanent part of the conservatory, but they did fit very well into landscape of the dome. They were about 5 feet tall and made of glass, but I can’t imagine exactly how they were actually constructed. The conservatory itself is certainly in the top three I have … Continue reading #29 – I Know Artsy When I See It

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#23 – Digital Artsy – The Tools – Part 2

RJ Walters

/im A few posts ago, I told you about how I spent 3 months doing analog artsy and then 3 months doing the digital version. This is the second post defining the digital version. (Click HERE if you want to see the first post). When I seriously started studying digital artsy, I had high hopes that I would find something that I totally enjoyed doing, and indeed I have. Of course, being a techie, I had some previous experience with digital tools, but this time I looked far and wide for just the right tools. I think I came close to … Continue reading #23 – Digital Artsy – The Tools – Part 2

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#25 – My First Out-Of-State Adventure – 1953

RJ Walters

I can still remember in 1953, when I was very young, taking a family vacation out west. It would be a couple of years later that Mom decided to abandon the family for greener pastures. Greener, meaning more money. Anyway, back to the story. I remember our first major stop was the Mitchell Corn Palace in South Dakota. This was the first time I had ever been out of Indiana, so everything seemed strange and exciting. I couldn’t imagine a building made from corn. One of the things that surprised me were the sides of many of the barns was the image as shown … Continue reading #25 – My First Out-Of-State Adventure – 1953

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#17 – Ft Bridger Rendezvous

RJ Walters

Since an early age, I have been fascinated with American history. The fur trapper rendezvous, especially the original one started in 1825 at Ft. Bridger, Wyoming, was put on my dream list of destinations. I was fortunate enough to visit it in 2018. 60,000+ people attended the 2023 version. Getting there was one of those “If Not Now, When?”. My µRV fabrication was complete, and my wife was having a period of a degree of wellness, so I believed I could leave her by herself, with emergency help nearby, for the week it would take for the 2800-mile round trip.  The above picture … Continue reading #17 – Ft Bridger Rendezvous

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#35 – Ouray… My Way

RJ Walters

I came across Ouray, Colorado on a month-long Western U.S. trip in 2009. It is on the tip of the Rocky Mountains between Grand Junction and Durango, Colorado. I didn’t know anything about this town of 1000 or so beforehand, so the beauty of its setting totally surprised me. Afterward, I learned that Ouray is called “The Switzerland of America”. We spent a few hours there having lunch, doing our laundry and browsing a few stores. When I took this picture above as we were leaving town, I thought to myself, that maybe we should go back and discover more about the town. … Continue reading #35 – Ouray… My Way