Where Am I -- Volume II

[Rick Quinn]

I believe you are somewhere in the desert maybe Arizona or California because of the palm trees. I've identified a white goose, egret and brown crested duck...but I have no idea where you're at...even with the pun clue.

Utahtea

Well, you've made a great beginning, but that's still a little vague. Can anybody else be more specific? The place in question starts with a "G," as in George (that's another sort of a clue right there). The mountain used to be in the middle of nowhere, and it had a name that some people found offensive. Now it's smack in the middle of--somewhere, and they've given it a different name.



Where am I, anyway?
Name the somewhere,
Name the peak (new name, old name, or both); and if you're really good,
Name the place that starts with a "G."

Rick

[Mark Sedenquist]

Squaw Peak was officially renamed Piestewa Peak to honor the first American Indian woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military. It is on the edge of Phoenix as the city grows.

And I think the park must be the water recycling plant?

Granada Park is the local community.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Or maybe it is the golf course?

Ah, looked at the satellite image. That is more likely the city park known as Granada Park!

Mark

[Rick Quinn]

Squaw Peak was officially renamed Piestewa Peak to honor the first American Indian woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military. It is on the edge of Phoenix as the city grows.

And I think the park must be the water recycling plant?

Granada Park is the local community.

Mark, you totally nailed it--Granada is, in fact, the name of the park. And the local community is my own neighborhood!

That was totally unfair of me, but I was trying to illustrate a point: you don't always have to travel to an exotic destination in order to see cool stuff and take great photos. Most of us have easy access to something like my neighborhood park, places that we tend to take for granted, but when we take the time to open our eyes and really see what's around us, we discover beauty. During these difficult times, when our travel plans are mostly on hold, and we're all going a little stir crazy, we need to take that lesson to heart, and maximize our enjoyment of the wonders within our reach.

Granada Park is a short walk from the house that I've owned for almost 40 years. It's the place where we take our kids, and our grand kids:



and our dogs:



It's a safe place to learn how to ride a bike, fly a kite, have a picnic, and all the other fun stuff that families do in a park.



Two little lakes are there, courtesy of the water plant, and they attract lots and lots of birds! The ducks are year-around residents



While the coots are more seasonal



They all get along very well, despite their differences.



Arizona has always been a good place for spotting the occasional migrant coming up from the south (or down from the north):







Either way, we don't discriminate; all are welcome, and everyone gets a fair share!



Now--if only people were more like birds....

Rick

[Rick Quinn]

Here's a slightly different take on our little game we've been playing. Here's a picture of a church:



It's actually a quite famous church, and you would think, based on the name, that most people would recognize it right away. I'm betting that's not the case. (If I'm wrong, this will be a very short round!)

Here are your clues: two pictures of the surrounding neighborhood, taken from the bell tower:





as well as two pictures of some unique stained glass:





That should be enough. Can anyone tell me, please, Where am I? (Including the name of the church?)

[Rick Quinn]

Two more clues: The design of this building is modeled on the neo-gothic cathedrals of Europe, but it's not all that old; the final stone was not laid until 1990. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not a Catholic church.

[glc]

Washington National Cathedral?

[Rick Quinn]

Washington National Cathedral?

You got it, George! Formally known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, it's an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church.

Even though Washington D.C. is one of the most tourist-ridden places in the United States, most visitors don't make it to the National Cathedral. It's not located all that near the bulk of the monuments and museums, so it requires a special trip, and even when I was living and working in Washington, I only made that trek a couple of times. I mentioned that the building wasn't completed until 1990, but it was in use long before that. It is our National Cathedral, after all; state funerals for four American Presidents and Memorial Services for five others have been held there. It's the place where they hold the prayer services after Presidential Inaugurations, along with other Memorials of historical importance, far too numerous to list.

All of which is why I said it was a place everyone SHOULD recognize, but probably would not! I was prepared with one more clue, just in case:



With the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Potomac River visible, I think most everybody would have nailed it! My photos from the bell tower were taken on the one day each year that they open that part of the church to the public. You're ushered in single file up a spiral stairway so tight and narrow that a claustrophobe would probably die of fright. Once you reach the top, the bell ringers perform a few tunes, pulling up and down on ropes, creating a din loud enough to quite literally rattle your skull. Since buildings above a certain height are disallowed in Washington D.C., the bell tower is one of the few locations in the area that offer such an expansive view of the city, which--once you get away from the National Mall and all those iconic buildings--isn't so very different from every other city in the east.

Rick

[DonnaR57]

Dang. GLC took my guess, Washington National Cathedral. Surrounded by several neighborhoods.


Donna

[Rick Quinn]

Dang. GLC took my guess, Washington National Cathedral. Surrounded by several neighborhoods.

Donna

We'll spot you some points for good intentions, Donna. You have to be pretty quick to beat George to the click, especially when you figure he has a two hour head start with his time zone advantage. Since that was over with so quickly, I'll give everyone another chance: Different church, different city, different surrounding neighborhood, but this time I'll start you out with several EXTRA CLUES! (Woo hoo!)

Start with the church:



The church is unique, so if anyone out there has seen it before (and remembers where it was), game over. Otherwise, I'll layer in two random pictures from the surrounding neighborhood:





If you're not already familiar with this particular city, I haven't given you much to work with, so here are four views of a bridge near the downtown area (note that the bridge is not particularly close to the church, but it should help you identify the city):









...and one last picture taken from the bridge, looking back toward the downtown:



That should help narrow down the possibilities. Can anyone answer that burning question that's on everyone's mind, and tell us all, if you please: Where am I?

Name the city!

For bonus points: Name the church!

For double bonus points: Name the bridge!

Rick