A Pennsylvania Whirlwind

Next I decided to take the way that would take me by Falling Water.  This way definitely adds time to the trip but I think it is worth it even though I've seen the house several times now.

 It's been warm enough down there that some of the flowers were in bloom.  I was hoping to see the trillium that I saw last time but I don't think they were in bloom yet.  Not sure what kind of flower this is.

 Another flower.

 One of these days, I need to do the guided tour of the house but I think that would require a bit of planning on my part and probably an overnight stay in the area.  The grounds are still pretty nice though.

 A statue.

 I love the way that the house basically blends into the surroundings.  It seems like the group in charge of caring for it do a pretty good job.  The trail is pretty well kept up.

 I love the design elements at play.

 The angle from the back.

 One of the side angles.

 And of course, the pretty much classic picture of it.

 Of course, the reason why it's called Falling Water is because of the waterfall coming out of the house.  That makes it more difficult to maintain though.

 I decided for a black and white shot.

 And one with a slightly slower shutter speed.

 An attempt at framing.

 The country side as you leave Falling Water is pretty cool too.  If you look closely at this picture, you can see train tracks.

 I remember seeing this church the last time I passed through.

 One of the stained glass windows.

 It's pretty cool when you catch the right light.

 A passing stream.

 I caught this old beat up General Store.  The light was hitting it just about right.

One more angle.

I made a stop in Cumberland but I didn't run across any trains, so I moved along.  Maybe next time.

I will start posting pictures from Norfolk tomorrow.

Michigan Exposures Hits the Road

I was going to go up to the Soo Locks for the Opening of the Locks but there was a pretty nasty winter storm that covered Michigan from Bay City up to Mackinaw City (if not further north).  Discretion being the better part of valor, I decided to go another direction.

As I was thinking of places to go, I decided to head down to Norfolk, VA.  I love ships and I figured Norfolk would be the perfect place to catch some.  I decided to take the way that would take me past Falling Water again.  It was a long trip and I can't wait for tomorrow.

Wandering Trough Pennsylvania

Next up was Pennsylvania.  As you can see from the other pictures, it was a pretty nice day for a drive.  That seems unusual for me because it seems like it is always raining when I pass through Pennsylvania (at least on the first day).

 It seems like this is the first time I've visited Falling Water where it was sunny.  Usually I catch it on overcast days.  I'll have to say that this made it shine.

 The grounds leading up to the house are about as impressive as the house itself.

The house itself was built over a river (or creek) called Bear Run.  It has a couple of waterfalls.

 A shot of the water rushing by.

 Kind of a shot of a little waterfall.

 A shot from a little closer to the house.

 The house itself was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built for a family called the Kaufmanns.  The Kaufmanns owned a major department store in Pittsburgh which later found itself become part of the Macy's empire.  It was built as a vacation home.

 Many of the elements of the house blend together.  Even the furniture was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  One of these days, I'm going to spring for the tour of the house itself.

 Frank Lloyd Wright believed that architecture should blend into nature.  This is a pretty good example of that.  You can pretty much lose the house through the trees.

 Construction on the house was started in 1936 and was completed in 1939.  At the time it cost $155,000 to build, this would translate to over two million dollars today.

 In 1963, the house was transferred to it's current owners, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.  Because of the fact it was built over a waterfall, extensive work was needed.  Since that time over 4.5 million people have visited the house.

 I really do like how the house blends in with its surroundings.

 I think it is really cool that it is built over a waterfall.

 I wanted to get a fuller shot.

 There were quite a few people visiting on that.  It made it difficult to get the shot I really wanted.

 And one in black and white.

 As I was heading out, I saw a flower that I needed a picture of.

 As I was heading from Falling Water, I got stopped by a train.  I guess I was fine with that.

 There was a scenic turnout along the way, I love the look of the mountains.

 This church was somewhere near the Maryland border.  I kind of like the looks of this style of church.

 And I had to try it in black and white.

A shot of the front.