Souvenirs, Post-Vacation, part 3

I gave up on collecting post cards, when I started taking pictures. I have more than five thousand slides, taken over the years, since 1973. That does not include the black and white and the prints. I stopped taking slides when I got my first digital around 1999. I kept them sorted, but some slides might fit into several categories. About a half dozen years ago, I scanned all of my slides and saved them to the computer in jpg format. These slides had been enhances, but I was not so good at enhancing them, so now I'm going back scanning the ones that are not that well enhanced, and organizing once again the slides in my collection. In addition there is the black and white negatives which I scanned made them positive and have them in JPEG format on the computer. In the original process of scanning, I decided against scanning my freight car slides.

Some are properly, or adequately enhanced so these will not be scanned again. In addition, I will correct naming and numbering protocol, of each slide. I noticed that some problems are not in enhancement but in the slide themselves. I may have underexposed some, not noticing this until development. Some may Have deteriorated in color, over time. I am doing what I can do to correct these for the computer.

Souvenirs, Post-Vacation, part 2

Patches and mugs, have not been my only form of collected souvenirs. My first set a souvenir collections were postcards. I believe it was started in 1964 when I was 13. In that first year, I would collect two postcards from each destination and one postcard from each hotel. Postcards are relatively inexpensive. At that time, they were a nickel each or six for a quarter. In fact, almost every motel would give away a postcard picturing the motel itself. Some restaurants gave out free postcards as well. The following year, I did not limit the number of postcards per destination, that I would would get. My last year in high school was my last year, going on vacation with parents. When I no longer was able to collect cards, my brother took over the collection.

About a year, maybe two, ago, we were cleaning out my parents house, who had moved into a retirement home. My brother owned that house and was preparing to sell. It was during that time, that we found the old postcard collection. I went through all the cards, scan them into the computer, and organize them the best I could. In addition to the cards that I got from destinations, there were additions made by those who have received cards posted to them, and those given to us, collected as they travel. So when organize the collection, I set aside the souvenir cards, and divided the remainder by category. This was done after I got the patches and the mugs straightened out. There's still more to be done with in that area of course. 

Since l was working with souvenirs, I set too the task of selecting souvenirs from the others. Of the original dividers, I did make some adjustments. I found that a 5 x 7 note card box, was the ideal storage box, complete with dividers, was perfect. I did have to rescan a couple and there were a few Tha I Had overlooked him the original scanning operation. This meant getting my old scanner set up for the new computer. (to be continued).

Souvenirs, Post-Vacation, part 1

I have been back from vacation for a month. Reflections aside, more had been done. Souvenirs have been worked on. I brought back almost a dozen mugs. Some were expected, some additional, some reflecting what I did not get my first trip. I had more than I could display, and now that is even more. I designed new space, including a addition to what I have, several new variations. When I went to get the materials, I chickened out and thought more. I still is a work in progress.

The patches were something else. They started out as a souvenir of  tourist railroads and excursions. In a trip to Mississippi, I began to collect them for destinations. That was refined to parks, railroads, and certain restored areas. I was displaying them on a stretcher, a canvass stretcher to hold oil color canvasses. Back when I started using my railroad shirt, I use an embroidery hoop to hold the shirt, as I sewed the patch. I soon went to a canvass stretcher with a coat hanger (wooden) glued to one end, to make a stretcher for sewing. The shirt is, now, too small. I transferred this idea to be a display for patches. I had two stretchers made.

I uses all patches including railroad, on one display and part of another. To make it look better, I took the old shirt and framed it and made it into railroad patch display. That meant one destination and one railroad display. After vacation, I had too many for the one display so, once again, I included all patches on two display, and put aside the shirt until or should I need it (to be continued).

Day 9 & 10, The Drive Home

Day nine and ten is the great trip home. Unlike my 1978 New England tour, this would not have the side trip to Strasburg. Instead, the side trip would be to Lynchburg, VA, our family home town and the place of my mothers grave. I had not been the since the funeral, two years ago, Mothers Day week.

As I was driving along, the mind focuses on too much. I think of the landscape as I pass, comparing it to other. I try to think about what I saw and asking, was it worth the trip? I even began to think of future vacations, what they would be. I did think of some places that I would not mind visiting, one of a kind, such as Luray caverns, which we came near to.  I saw these as a kid but not since. I have been past them, a number of times, in my business trips. Than there is that set of caverns near where I went to college, Dixie Caverns. I can't count the number of times that I past that site. Before the Interstate was completed, it was on the main road. Harpers Ferry was a direction sign and that sounded good.

I began thinking of my next vacation being a clean-up trip, seeing all those sites that were too individual or too isolated to be apart of a regular vacation. One that I had thought about, was a train trip to Memphis TN. According to schedule, would need to go via Chicago. Both directions, would require 12 hours in Chicago, so I could get a nice visit there. Of course, if I went to Chicago via of Horseshoe Curve (which would have to be via Philadelphia) that would take care of another item on my clean up list (although the curve would be a direct visit). If I returned, via the Cardinal, that would be nice and scenic.

I could make this into a real excursion and return via New Orleans and Atlanta. Or run to Miami and back. OK, I get out of hand, all something to think about, maybe taking two tours, rather than one. It has now been almost two weeks and I will call this the last entry on this trip. It was nice, long, and informative. I added at places and subtracted at places. I have maybe another side thought that will come later.

Day 8, Staten Island Railroad, Staten Island Ferry, and Lower Manhatten

Day 8 begins with watching the Staten Island RR. I was staying in New Jersey and drove to Huguenot Station. I had looked a videos of the SIRR and determined that this would be the best location to watch.

After watching for an hour or so, I took the train to the catch Ferry, into Manhatten. From the ferry, I took some pictures of the Skyline, which are from iconic views.


I do love a good skyline, as my readers note. To see and photograph such views from inside and out, to see the city pushing up its grasp of the sky, from inside and out.


Aboard the Ferry, I took pictures of the classic view of Governors Island, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.


One note is the classic structure for the slip of the Governors Island Ferry.


The ferry and on the water


I tried to find a good location, to photograph the Staten Island Ferry building, but the best I could do was a past of the sign.


And what tour of the city is without view of the waterfront, classic bridges, and ships and boats.


Many recall my love and fascination with public spaces and public art.

The blend of older building, hugging the street, framed by the newer high rises

older subway station

Strutures that echo a long history, like Castle Clintin, gauring the island against an enemy, long past.

The number of pocket parks, set aside high space away from the crowd, memorials, heritage sights, and the simple small park.

Not only am I a tourist, I am a tourist watcher. On a tour, some years, one lady had her picture in front of everything we saw. One day, I simply took a picture of her have her picture taken in from of something.

To myself, say "smile."

Could he be any more a touris

What better way to remember a vacation than a classic gift from a trendy street vendor.