Street Life in San Francisco, USA

San Francisco is my favorite American city. Street life is diverse, entertaining, and poignant. You can play and relax, as well as, grow and expand. And you can see just about anything; including a carriage full of pug dogs, a man with a smile bright enough to light an entire stadium, and a baby bundled in a colorful scarf. For me it is a photographer's delight. I hope it also delights you.

Smiling Man
A homeless man in San Francisco graciously allowed me to shoot his photo after explaining to me that he had no teeth and couldn't smile. I disagree.




Pugnacious
I was watching the street life from a curb side cafe when this carriage full of pug dogs came into my view. I was so surprised I almost missed the shot!




Street Musician
A man in Chinatown plays music on his traditional bowed instrument.




Baby Bundle
I was watching a group of women push a cart of food down an alley in Chinatown. Once they were past me I was surprised to see the baby bundled in a colorful scarf that I hadn't noticed before.

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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As always, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about editorial, photography, and anything in between in my comments here or on my Facebook Page and Twitter Feed.

Shifting Gears in San Francisco

The bustling international city of San Francisco is a big contrast to my daily life of quiet living off-grid in the northern Colorado Rockies and I love it! It has always been our favorite city destination and still is. It is fun to look at the haute couture on Union Square, shop for souvenirs in Chinatown, and have a martini in the famous Redwood Room at the Clift.

San Francisco is full of contrasts too. Seeing the red Ferrari in Chinatown was not that unusual but still a major contrast to the primarily walking crowd. Our room at the Monaco was very cosmopolitan but kitschy as well. And if you want to see street vendors next to shops of famous designer couture then Union Square is where you will be.

Next visit will definitely have to be longer!

Chinatown Ferrari
A red hot Ferrari tours through Chinatown in San Francisco.

Monaco Suite
A room at the Monaco Hotel in San Francisco has the rich kitschy colors of Moulin Rouge.

Chartreuse Diva
Near Union Square in San Francisco a store front mannequin displays the latest haute couture in chartreuse for a night in the Theatre District.

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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As always, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about editorial, photography, and anything in between in my comments here or on my Facebook Page and Twitter Feed.

Colette's Garden

Our destination on the Olympic Peninsula was Colette's Bed and Breakfast. We found this charming retreat online and were not disappointed. In fact, it is not often one can say this, but it was even better than expected. Every detail was seen to for our comfort and enjoyment. The gourmet breakfast sustained us until dinner and the afternoon wine and cheese was delightful. But my favorite moments were the ones spent leisurely wandering the gardens with wine glass in one hand and my sweetheart's hand in my other. Come along and let Colette's Garden rest your mind and delight your senses.

The gardens at Colette's Bed and Breakfast.

An ocean view is hidden by fog behind Colette's.

Two stately trees anchor one of the flower beds.

A stone path is lined by large colorful begonias just outside our door.

Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen

Sunday Gallery - Pike Place Market in Seattle

Seagulls, fresh fish, flowers, fruit and crafts all crowd together at the Pike Place Market in Seattle. The day we visited a cruise ship had just released a couple football stadiums full of passengers and it was raining. Undaunted, we bumped and jostled our way through the vast collection of stalls.

We saw the fish throw, ate fresh roasted cashews, and bought a few souvenirs. Ric, the kind hearted gent that he is, paid a street hawker for an illegible poem. Mostly I was just amazed at the rows and rows of fresh flowers and the produce that melts in your mouth with juiciness.

The market overlooks Elliott Bay in Seattle and opened August 17, 1907. It is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States and remains one of Seattle's most popular tourist destinations. Built on the edge of a steep hill, it consists of several levels and features a variety of unique shops and attractions.

Pike Place Market is definitely a destination not to be missed in any visit to Seattle. I highly recommend visiting and partaking of this unique cornucopia!

Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen

Sunday Morning Gallery - Lake City to Marmot Crossing

Ric and I took this camping trip in June 1997 but it is one that really sticks with me. We packed up our camping gear, and our dogs Keota and Champ. Champ was just a young pup at the time. We loaded up our brand new Toyota 4Runner to test out its grit, and headed to Lake City, Colorado.

Lake City is an 1870’s mining town, located in a valley formed by the convergence of Henson Creek, and the headwaters of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. The picturesque community is surrounded by majestic, 14,000 foot peaks, and tall, old growth Cottonwood trees line the highway through town. Lake City has an elevation of 8,671 feet.



On the way to our camp site we traveled through some beautiful country. I had to stop to take a picture of the "marmot crossing" sign. I had never seen such a sign and to this day I have never seen another one. You know you are remote when you have to stop for marmots!





We finally found our designated camp in a hard to find state forest campground and set up camp. When we stay in one spot for a week we like to set up the "circus tent" which is really just a huge LL Bean tarp that is plenty roomy for outside living when the unpredictable mountain weather gets rough. We learned long ago that it is not too fun to spend all day in a tiny tent with two dogs. It is our outside room with a view.

I will be continuing the story of our Lake City trip with more pictures in a future post. Stay tuned to hear about our 4wheeling adventure to Cinnamon Pass.

Sunday Morning Gallery - Forgotten Roads

There is nothing like the open road. During the early 1970s my husband and I took to the open road many times traveling the length and breadth of the country. One summer, when our daughter was small enough to fit in a plastic dish tub for her daily bath, we lived in a van letting the road call to us which way we would go from day to day. We look back on those days with fond memories and are so glad we took to the road when we were young and unfettered. Now it seems that it is so complicated to arrange.

My love for roads will pop up many times in this blog. I have literally hundreds of road shots. Some are old and yellowed and will need to be scanned. Some are not so long ago. These next three are fairly recent. I like each of them for their lonely remoteness. Some of the best roads are yet to be discovered. Come with me and discover for yourself the beauty of a forgotten road.

The top of Redstone Mesa near Masonville, Colorado.

Red Canyon Ranch Road on the way home.

A loney forgotten track southeast of Zion National Park in northern Arizona.