New Mexico became the 47th state to join the United States on January 6, 1912. The capital city is Santa Fe. The highest point is Wheeler Peak at 13,161 feet.

Road Trip 2013 - Day 15 - June 25 - Route 66 Part II, Santa Rosa, NM (Previous 2013 Road Trip posts: Indiana Dunes, De Immigrant, Amana Colonies, Des Moines, Madison County Roads, Bridges of Madison County, White Pole Road, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Golden Spike Tower & Union Pacific's Bailey Rail Yard, Loveland Pass, The Resting Day at Powderhorn, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Cimarron, Colorado National Monument, Fruita Rodeo, Grand Mesa, Arches National Park, Grand Junction, Grand Mesa Creek, Arches National Park Add-On, Canyonlands National Park, The Little Big Moments of Road Tripping, Mesa Verde National Park, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Train Depot, Pecos National Historical Park, Route 66 Part I, Santa Rosa, NM, Route 66 Part II, Santa Rosa, NM)

Route 66: Rio Pecos Ranch, Santa Rosa, NMRoad Trip USA Today, we're staying in town. Santa Rosa, NM had quite a bit to enjoy and photograph and as such we're moving just a little bit down the road and exploring a few more roadside treasures. A wonderful hot summer day with clear blue skies making the whole experience even better and more intense. With nature landscape photography I usually prefer white puffy clouds in the sky adding interest but with these bold colorful structures I liked the simple blue backdrop to keep the focus on the relics.

The first photo stop today is at the abandoned Rio Pecos Ranch Truck Terminal. The prevalent rust and prominent sign deserved attention. Can you see the tractor trailers filling up the lot? Can you hear the engines vrooming by behind you?

Just a mile east is another place that's a must stop - The Route 66 Auto Museum. Its elevated eye-catcher in bold yellow clearly stands out, especially against the blue sky of this summer day.

Route 66 Auto Museum, Santa Rosa, NMRoad Trip USA

Road Trip USA - Route 66 Auto Museum, Santa Rosa, NM

Route 66: Dodge, Santa Rosa, NMRoad Trip USA

Road Trip USA - Route 66: Dodge, Santa Rosa, NM

"Route 66 was created in 1926 and it followed the preexisting 'Ozark Trails'. The traffic increased local business as cafes, diners, hotels, garages and service stations opened to cater to the visitors. The boom period lasted until I-40 bypassed the town in 1972 relegating many classic vintage shops as traffic flowed along the Interstate." - Route 66, Santa Rosa

The bypass effects are still very obvious but as small sections of Route 66 celebrate a renaissance, who knows, the future may be brighter than the past 45 years.

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you (#etbtsy)!

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References:  New Mexico on 50states - Route 66 in Santa Rosa, NM - Santa Rosa by Road Wanderer - National Historic Route 66 Federation

The Empire Service train number 288 leaving the Buffalo Exchange Street (BFX) station heading to Niagara Falls. It's usually the locomotive that attracts my attention and that is how it started this evening in downtown Buffalo, NY too. Returning from scouting a few locations in Lockport, I took a detour through downtown Buffalo to complete an unfinished business. During my last visit there was no scheduled train for hours. This time, consulting the online schedules, it looked like a short wait. That gradually changed as the delay worked its way past the 30 minute mark but still, well worth it in my opinion.

As the arrival time approached I headed to the vantage point picked on my previous visit and spent a few minutes fine tuning my composition and exposure being careful with the strong background light making sure it would be the train that would be exposed properly, maybe just a hint darker. I also switched to manual focus and pre-focused where I wanted the locomotive in my shot. And then it happened and engine 712 pulled the train into the station and I fired off three shots. One before the locomotive reached my target spot, one right on, and one later. And it seemed over. Time to pack up and go, right? Especially since the locomotive was way past the station and I could not get anywhere in front of it for another frontal shot.

Something told me not to. I hung around and waited for the train to leave. I moved further up front, almost to the front of the train, to be closer to the underpasses where the train would ultimately disappear. As the train rolled past me I noticed the clouds of dust it raised in the distance. The strong backlight was illuminating the dust beautifully! I got excited knowing this was better than what I had so far. As the moment approached I re-enabled auto-focus, raised the ISO, and fired a single shot.

Amtrak leaving StationBuffalo Exchange Street Station

Amtrak Leaving Buffalo Exchange Station Street (BFX)

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)

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Haunting Asylum for the InsaneBlack & White Buffalo, NY Ever since I finished reading Lauren Belfer's City of Light set in the 1900s Buffalo I wanted to photograph the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, or the Richardson Olmsted Complex, a name it goes by these days, or Hotel Henry, a name that may become a reality in Spring 2017.

Starring at the cages for quite a while I could feel the chill in my bones imagining people standing on the balconies with their hands against the screens only fingers getting through as if reaching out to be free. How many were truly insane? How many ended up here because it was more convenient for the society? Human cages!

Later, I found another striking view of the complex. One that was possibly more uplifting than the first since I did not feel haunted while looking through the magnificent old tree towards the building towers, however, still mysterious. There is something about the interaction of trees, especially bare ones, and architecture. Have you been following my blog for a while? Then you might remember the South Grand Island Bridge behind trees, as well as the International Railroad Bridge.

Towers of Richardson Olmsted ComplexBlack & White Buffalo, NY