Spokane Skyline
In which Dan remembers to look up and see the less-seen.
I used to live in Spokane. Cool town.
The town made its money in mining and logging, and that money shows in many of its buildings from that era. A gew are newer but they still do a good job of filling the skyline.
I’ll double-check but most of these buildings are on the Spokane Register of Historic Places. I’m a sucker for places on that list.
Silver Knights
My first duty station, Muenster Kaserne. A post from the past inspired by a writing project in the future.
Here’s a post from the past, from my old blog.
In 2012, I traveled throughout Germany for several months to explore parts of the country that I hadn’t yet seen. During that extended visit, I made a point to visit Muenster Kaserne, my first duty station in my time as a US soldier in the Army.
I was reminded of this post as I was doing some writing earlier today. Even though I haven’t even finished and released The Stone Harvest, I’m already working on the next book and a short story, both with Karl Warren. The third book is a continuation of Warren’s adventures and takes place in his past … at Muenster Kaserne.
22 July, 2012
I didn’t join the Army out of patriotism. Nor did I sign up for the pay or benefits. My primary reasons for joining was my desire for adventure and travel. While I did get to travel quite a bit while over in Germany and I did have a few adventures but I’m not going to lie. The duty station was quite a disappointment.
Yes, I had fun at times. Yes, I made some life-long friends. Yes, I did meet the woman that would provide me with sons that are better than I could have ever hoped for. Let’s not ignore a few plain truths, though.
During my time there (1988-1991) we were using the same rounds that had been in the armory for years. As far as I knew, we never swapped them out other than when one of the heads fell off during our daily loading or unloading. We never test fired them and, thank goodness, we never actually had to fire them on-site.
When I was issued my anti-ballistic vest, it should already have been a museum piece. Thin, flexible and threadbare, it couldn’t have stopped harsh words let alone an AK round. When they started to stink from wear, more than one squad leader told me to machine wash it and I did that countless times before an inspection.
The unused, unwanted, soon-to-be decommissioned weapons we guarded weren’t in anyone’s load plan if the balloon went up. The one true “security incident” that we had ended up being two drunk German hunters popping off a couple of rounds in the 4-J. Had there ever been a true threat, we all know what 41st Field Artillery would have done to the poor schmucks on-site. They had our coordinates locked in and would have leveled the place regardless of who was on site.
So, the duty sucked. Period! But, like most other soldiers stationed there, I have a list of folks that, if they showed up in the middle of the night needing $1000 bucks and asking for my help to dig a hole no-questions-asked, I would. Living through such times does that.
click any image to embiggen
Though we had more than our share of duds, I had some spectacular leaders there, not the least of which were Capt Stramara (it was he that got us the label of Silver Knights) and 1SG Ahlensberg. They set the bar high early in my career and all others had to meet it. I also had many great non-commissioned officers above me. A few years later, when I finally started to mature, pulled my head out of my ass and got some stripes of my own, I had several great role models from my time in Münster.
Here is one bright spot. Someone bought the Motor Pool complex and did a fantastic job of restoring and improving it. The whole compound looks like a well-kept villa.
Though it would have been smart for me to save up more of my pay during my stay there, I came back to the states with not much at all. It’s not that I was a bad planner (OK, I am), it’s that I spent so much on train tickets and hotels and trips to so many towns in the area. Paris and Amsterdam and countless cities and small towns around Germany. I did my best to support the local economy. There was so much to see and do (and drink) in that land. The few, sad souls that stayed on the kaserne their whole time wasted a great opportunity. Their loss.
I do regret missing the final load out of all the weapons. I’ve heard a few stories of the craziness of that time and it seems like a fine piece of history to have been a part of. Mainly, though, I was just glad to be gone.
Today, the kaserne has a new name. It’s its own dorf. Not much of one, though. All of the old barracks and HQ buildings for 6th MP and 545th Ordnance have completely been let go. It looks like, at one point, some effort had been made to begin renovations on Bldg 4703 but those efforts were abandoned and the supplies are still rotting in place today.
6th MP HQ has not been touched since the last boot left it. It’s a true relic. It has not been used for anything since we left it. This is the view of the place form the road. You can only see part of the roof.
HQ of the 6th Military Police Company
My very first night in the kaserne, the unit had returned from the field, HQ was in chaos and my fellow newbie and I were put on hold in the foyer and told to wait for someone from our platoon to collect us. A hundred dirty faces streamed past us, going in and out of the offices or up and down the stairs. Coming back from the field is always a crazy time as all the gear needs to be accounted for and put back in its hole before anything else us attended to. Keeping track of spare PRC-77 batteries was far more important than finding racks for two new privates.
After three hours of watching this circus parade back and forth, the other newbie who got sent to a different platoon walks past us. Kindra Arthur is showered, dressed in civvies and is headed out the door (laughing at us, mind you) to Ludwig’s (our local Gasthaus) while Sneddon and I are sitting with our thumbs up our asses. WTF?!
Except for the first few days, I spent my whole time in the same room in the new barracks. Today, that building looks to be a place where new immigrants are housed or where one might go to hide out after a killing spree.
That was my home for two and a half years. Right there in the center. I had three roommates in my time: Gilmartin, Sneddon and Williamson. Good guys and we got along well ….. most of the time.
Are you ready to see what out HQ building looked like?
click any image to embiggen
I didn’t get the chance to go visit the dog kennels or out into the old site because everything was fenced off and secured. I’m assuming that there would be more of the same. Google satellite pictures show a lot of overgrowth out there so I don’t think that I missed anything.
Just like my original visit here, I’m glad that I got a chance to go, but I was happy to leave.
Silver Knights!
Commerce Tower - Kansas City
Just before my departure from Kansas City, I was granted permission to shoot from high atop the roof of the historic Commerce Tower. What a treat!
The Commerce Tower has a fantastic history and because of its uniqueness as an example of architecture, it has managed to get itself protected status. For the few months that I lived in Kansas City recently, I was able to work at this gem and was lucky enough to be granted access to the (very scary) roof of this gem.
Located in the heart of KC's old financial district, the tower now exists as modestly-priced apartments and condos. You can walk to all the coolest spots in the area and the streetcar will take you to even more fun neighborhoods. That's cool and all ... but that view!
My friend, Shella, and I (go check out her awesome Instagram page) went up there in there in the early evening so we could make certain to get plenty of light for the views but also to ensure we would get great sunset imagery. I think we succeeded.
From the top, we could see far into Kansas, miles and miles of Big Muddy, the super cool River Market neighborhood, and we got an eyeful of the many, swell art deco elements on the nearby buildings.
I've lived in and moved away from Kansas City enough times to know that it's not the kind of town for me to live in long-term, but I also know that the place is chock full of American history and in its present form is a fantastic destination for visitors. For residents, the art and entertainment scene is top notch and I'm grateful that KC is making huge steps to create a pedestrian/bicycle friendly downtown.
... but that view!
Let's Go To The Movies! - Twin Drive-In
It's funny what you can find when you're making no effort to find it.
It may not look like it, but this awesome gem is STILL operating as a drive-in theater during the better-weathered seasons. The Twin Theater has been going strong for more than 60 years and the new owners have invested enough time, effort, and $$$ in the place to make certain that it keeps going for another 60!
I can't recall the last time I went to a drive-in but I'm pretty certain that I'm gonna make a visit to this place this Spring.
The Doors and Portals of San Jose, Costa Rica
Whether it's San Antonio, Texas or San Jose, Costa Rica, the best way to see a place is by getting out and walking. On this trip, I've been amazed at the diversity of entryways. Cool stuff!
As I walked the streets in and around downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, I was amazed at both the diversity and similarities of the various entryways and portals in the town. What is a common theme is that almost all of the homes feature an outer wall or gate almost directly along the sidewalk. That's often followed by a small courtyard, parking space or patio and then you get to the home. I love it.
It seems to be a fine way of making peace with living in a crowded city. As I've already mentioned, this set-up seems very European as I've seen similar structures in the big cities of Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. All densely populated places but examples of where design makes that impact less.
Some of the doors that caught my eye were inside ones, portals that led to a patio or kitchen. The simplicity of their purpose didn't make them less striking. Others were the main door or gateway facing the street. What a way to announce your home to the world.
OK. It's not all doors and windows. Many of the outer walls are decorated with intricate masonry, detailed textures or, in the case of my favorite wall, these painted tiles. I'll do my best to find out more about this place and update this but for now, just look at the beauty and try to imagine the tale they're trying to tell.
Before my visit to Costa Rica, I looked at some of the guidebooks and websites to get an idea of the highlights. Yes, of course, the beaches and jungles are always winners but in my life, I've never had a traditional vacation where I sit and sip cocktails or tour museums. Nothing wrong with those pastimes but it's a truism that for me, there is no better way to see and feel a pace than by walking. Get away from the well-traveled paths, keep the guidebook in your pack, and get your feet on the street.
As is often the case, I see the differences in how things are done here versus back home but I see the similarities, too. Folks all around the world just want to work, support their families, live in a nice home, play the way they want to play, and live the way they want to live. Here, they just happen to live with awesome doorways, windows, textures and living spaces.
A safety disclaimer - As for following the paths less traveled, I'm also a tall and stout fella that still walks like a soldier. That certainly helps me make the choice to walk off the beaten path. Don't be dumb. Make good and safe chices.
MiraFlores, hidden in plain sight
Hidden in plain sight, this historic gem harkens us back to the best moments of our cultural history!
THIS is why I love walking! More times than I can count, I've stumbled across artistic, architectural, or historic gems like this; MiraFlores.
I've walked and run around Brackenridge Park enough times that you'd think I'd have seen this by now. Nope! Never. It was only when I decided to extend my run a bit by trying a new path that I found this. It's not exactly hidden and the gates to the place are rich, ornate, and smack dab along the side of a busy street.
I literally stopped in my tracks as I passed the main gate and finally noticed this gem. Where had it been hiding these past months? There were no signs in front so I didn't yet know what I was looking at.
Most importantly, as there seemed to be no unlocked portal to the street, how do I get in?
It didn't take me too long to figure out that its only open entrance was from inside Brackenridge Park.
The amount of coolness near that entrance is another story altogether. Once inside, I didn't see the placard explaining things until I had already explored most of the place.
I wandered around ignorant of the true beginnings of this place and its artifacts and my mind reeled at the potential origins of these incredible artifacts.
Statues and towers and benches and tiles and fountains. A treasure trove!
After finally finding the sign explaining things a bit more, I was determined to go home and do more research into the place and make an in-depth blog post about it. Not surprisingly, a bit of surfing led me to an incredibly well-written article in The Rivard Report about Mira Flores.
On a small piece of land near the headwaters of the San Antonio River sits a sizeable stone marker, upon which are inscribed the words: “1716 Aqui se celebró la primera misa” – the first mass was celebrated here. This proclamation sits quietly in Miraflores, a former property of Dr. Aureliano Urrutia, an accomplished physician who came to San Antonio from Mexico in 1914.
I encourage you all to click over HERE to read the complete article. As it's written by descendants of the good Doctor, they have a love for the place that shines through in the writing.
Go for a walk. Then, walk some more and never stop exploring. See things, travel, read! The world is a massive place filled with thousands of colors and flavors, countless languages and dialects, and enough artifacts like these to remind us that we're all specks of dust!
Don't forget to look up!
I've told you enough times ..... Look up!
I read something years ago about how we've lost our instinct to look up as we walk. Our evolutionary ancestors would need to scour all angles to be on the lookout for predators. We haven't always been the top of the food chain, ya know. Many of our primate cousins still need to be wary of raptors from the skies coming to swoop them up but the odds of a pterodactyl or harpy swooping from the skies yo swoop up a Texan in the streets of San Antonio is negligible ... so we seem to have stopped looking up.
I've always felt that this was a shame for there's so much to see in the third dimension above us.
I've never known how much planning or design goes into making a building or skyline visually appealing from this angle. Maybe it's simply a positive byproduct of good design.
There's a part of my German, analytical brain that appreciates the symmetry found in these angle yet the artist in me likes the asymmetry, too. How boring if all the angle were the same, the shapes alike.
The foggy weather was a rare blessing. It took some of the crispness out of the uppermost edges of the building and softened the sounds of the city. The mist wasn't thick enough to hide any lurking pumas or saber-toothed cats but still, I walked around looking up most of the time.
No pterodactyl gonna catch me!
A Walk Along St Mary's Ave
You may have noticed that I like to walk a lot.
Perhaps my new friends in San Antonio have noticed that I like to walk and run a lot; to be in motion most of the time. I do so because I have a desire to see the world and experience its flavours and sights. My family emigrated here and I've been back to their homeland on many occasions to see what they saw. I've travelled when and where I could but whether I go to a faraway place like Malta or merely take walk through back alleys of Spokane, I do what I can to "see things".
There is so much colour and history all around us. Countless numbers of folks have walked through the same doorways that we have and have trod the same stairways and sidewalks. As a species, it's in our nature to alter our environment, to add goodness or remove blight, to improve efficiency or size. That's all fine and well but let's not forget that those who came before us did a pretty darn good job of crafting the world in which we live.
My new home is settled in the middle of several cool areas, all historic districts in central San Antonio. Tobin Hill, Olmos Park, Alta Vista and Monte Vista surround me and all have their splendid historical, architectural pieces interspersed with the newer ones and the hints of gentrification. All in all, it's a very pleasing mix and I haven't yet decided which areas I like best yet ... so I'll continue exploring.
For this trip, I decided to pick the low-hanging fruit. I needed to stop at a shop at the far end of N St Mary's St so it was an easy choice. If you click on the names of the shops under the images, you'll see on a Google Map exactly where they sit.
The styles of buildings are so very different than those in Spokane ... really from anywhere I've lived. California has its Spanish-styled buildings but this area seems to have a much deeper well of styles to choose from. This simple service station is an art deco marvel but I'd guess that it was considered quite pedestrian and utilitarian in its prime.
Perhaps the most striking building along the way is this 5-sided marvel. It's a cool pub and live music venue that seems sleepy most of the day then gets insanely busy on weekends. Also, WAY too loud for my taste. I give it a wide berth but do enjoy looking at the way it catches the sun and throws out oddly shaped shadows.
Another service station, this one seems to be much younger and has a more atomic-age feel to it. Superb angles and lines to it, no?
I've saved the best for last! Another 5-sided gem, this shop sits right next to Hi-Tones. If you look at them on the map you'll see that their shapes are a product of the crossing and divergent streets near them. The wonderful "Art Island" sits in the middle of the intersection where Dewey, Josephine and St Mary's meet and this place is just across from that. It was after their normal hours when I captured these images but one of the barbers, Jesse, was still there and we had a nice, quick chat. When I came back the next day, I got the best haircut that I've had in a while. Dude was awesome from start to finish.
Where should I go next? Which part of San Antonio deserves some time and attention. Leave a comment below and tell me your thought.
A Visit to Northern Quest - Revisited
Located in Airway Heights, WA, Northern Quest has so much going on! They're done a wonderful job of filling the space with beauty!
By request, I've gone back and re-edited some of the photos from my visits to Northern Quest Casino and Hotel. The main reason for my visits there was to capture imagery from the cool concerts they had going on during their Summer series and, me being me, I strolled into other areas to find pretty things. Yes, as I have time, I'll get those cool concert images, re-edited and reposted, too.
Yes, I had permission to go into the closed areas, but you know me. Wherever I go, I'll something pretty to shoot ... even a lonely vase in a corner.
This was my first real foray into interior photography. I think I did well!
Art and Nature Under I-90
From Division street over to Latah Creek, exists a special part of Spokane. Under I-90!
I have a long gestating project, my Under I-90 project, to which I keep returning. There's a stretch of Spokane that runs from Division St west to Latah Creek and under/along a stretch of Federal highway. In this stretch, I've found a unique ecosystem. Not all good and beautiful, mind you, but a unique space unlike anything else in Spokane.
Yes, there are homeless folks and a bit of squalor but I can't help but see the beauty in all the angles and texture and slivers of light. I took a walk earlier today and I found bits of green that were absent only a few days back. Plus, the crisp skies seemed to make the urban art and their colors POP a bit more.
I won't pretend that a few bits of green will turn the place is a Shangri La. It's still quite the opposite but I do take it as a sign that if man disappeared from the Earth, nature would affix itself in all of the abandoned corners ... and would do quite well for itself. How would we do if nature disappeared from the Earth? I don't think we'd do nearly as well.
I intend to spend more time here in the next few weeks and I'll do my best to highlight the hidden (in plain sight) architectural beauty that is part of this concrete behemoth!
Bing by iPhone
Spokane is lucky to have such a spectacular gem in the heart of its Entertainment District! Every corner of it is stunning!
The Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane, Wa has a spectacular history. Though it’s previous owner allowed it to get run down a bit, the current owner, Jery Dicker, has spared no expense to bring the place back to its full glory. In addition to just upgrading infrastructure, the new team has added so many flourishes of art and color and style. I dare say that The Bing is more glorious now than it has ever been. I’m lucky to have been allowed the chance to visit the place during off hours in order to capture these images.
It seems that you can’t go anywhere in the building without finding a beautiful angle or color or shape. A walk around the exterior of the building will show you plenty of texture and detail of the bygone days. Lamps, stairways and even walls seem to capture light and shed color in return. Oh, and they have concerts, too.
Do yourself a favor. Go to their event page, find a show you’d like to see and arrive early. Take a walking tour of the place and look for more hidden gems.
The Trade Winds Motel
What was once an ultra-cool travel lodge is now, well ..... a sh#thole!
From the Spokesman-Review:
Once a fashionable motel, built when the country loved Tiki-style architecture, the Trade Winds in recent years became a rent-by-the-month apartment complex for Spokane’s hard-luck crowd.
Well, yes. It has become, how should I say this ...... a shithole ..... but it's a shithole with amazing textures and colors to it. In a different world, it should be brought back to its motor-lodge glory and made a hub of hipster coolness. I suspect that's not going to happen, though. Too many strikes against it. Shame. It's cool to look at so I'll enjoy it while I can.
The Storm over the 'Storm over Garland' - updated
Here's the iPhone pic that started it all.
I'm doing some Event Photography and Social Media work for the good folks in the Garland Business District and their upcoming street fair. It's always a popular event and our goal was to get it a bit more attention and to have a number of great images captured so folks can remember the experience. In preparation for it and to build up a bit of buzz, I've driven and walked through the area a couple times recently to capture a few images for our Twitter feed.
On Tuesday evening, after a full day at work, I visited again hoping to get a few sunset images of the area. Just as I parked, I got a weather notification regarding a potential storm. Almost as soon as I got out of my car, I saw the skies to the south looking crazy dark. I also noticed that the town smelled of earthen dust, a very unique smell. It was the haboob being pushed by the storm. I took a few pics with both my phone and my DSLR and captured a few winners that I Tweeted out. They got a bit of buzz from a few friends and news sites but nothing too big. There were a lot of folks tweeting some really cool pics and weather updates.
I continued to walk around and captured a few more images including this winner of the Quinn Marketing building. As the storm got worse, I packed up my gear and was about to head home when I saw, to the west, the best ever cloud formation. I parked and grabbed my iPhone. It was raining too much for me to risk my good camera and there were too many cars for me to get to where I wanted (the middle of the street) so I just got the best vantage point that I could and took 3 pictures, including the one above.
Almost immediately, I knew that it was a great one, even for an iPhone pic. I quickly posted it on my Twitter feed, @danscaper, and the Facebook page of the Garland Business District. I'm familiar with how to monitor Facebook stats and I could see that the image got very popular, very quickly. It was going very well in Spokane but once KXLY Radio shared it on their page, it went crazy from there.
It almost died down when another popular local station, 92.9 ZZU, shared it, too. More sharing and liking ensued, the likes of which I haven't been involved with before. Really cool stuff and a great way to highlight both me and the Garland Street Fair.
What threw a wrench in the works is that KHQ posted the pic on their Facebook page as a submission from one of their followers. They admitted that they didn't know who took the pic but admired it enough to post it anyways. Not the way I would have liked but I'm pleased that they enjoyed it. It quickly got tons of play (571 Likes and 69 shares as of this writing). Again, I'm pleased but those are stats that I can't track because the images wasn't shared properly.
After a quick note to KHQ, they were happy to tag me and danscape photography and I'm grateful for it. Any attention is good attention and they certainly meant no harm. Plus, they threw in a plug for the street fair. Where it got screwy is how a few folks claimed credit for it in the comments section and another few folks doubted who actually took it. One guy went so far as to copy the image and then share it on his page. He said that he did it to make certain that proper credit was given so I guess he meant well. There, it went on to get more attention (268 likes and 25 shares as of this writing) that I couldn't track because it was now a copy of a copy. After a friend of mine reached out to him and let him know whose it was, he sent me a friend request and tagged the image. Again, I couldn't track it but it was still nice of him to share it and give credit.
So were are we at now? Many lessons learned about the etiquette and power of sharing, LOTS of positive attention, several new followers and friends and a fantastically popular image.
Oh ..... that image! I took it home, spent some time with it in Snapseed, Lightroom and Photoshop and came up with this ......
I'm working on a few different ways to make it available in print or poster form and I'm planning on using it to raise funds for a local charitable group, a civic organization that helps out those that have troubles helping themselves.
Spokane, thanks for the positive experience and the opportunity to take and share such a fabulous image of our town.
A screen cap from the fella that shared the image. Basically, my suspicion was correct, that he totally meant well and just liked the image and wanted the proper artist tagged.
Just further proof that if you're looking for cool folks and good stories, you'll find them. Thank you, Shauk.