Steel Blue ...

  “The man who has done his best has done everything. The man who has done less than his best has done nothing.”

            ~ Charles M. Schwab

           ~ 1862 ~ 1939

    ~ American steel magnate, President & Chairman of Bethlehem Steel ~ under his leadership, Bethlehem Steel became the second-largest steel maker in the United States, and one of the most important heavy manufacturers in the world.

The iconic rusted blast furnaces of the former Bethlehem Steel in Southside Bethlehem, Pennsylvania stand tall along the Lehigh River, framed by the green leaves of spring against a steel blue sky, on a gorgeous early May afternoon along the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail).

I captured this scene after setting out from the D&L Trailhead at Sand Island, Bethlehem.

Bethlehem Steel was an American steel and shipbuilding company that began operations in 1904 and was America’s second-largest steel producer and largest shipbuilder. The company’s roots trace to 1857 with the establishment of the Bethlehem Iron Company. Bethlehem Steel stopped producing steel in November 1995, and the company was dissolved in 2003. It was one of the world’s leading steel manufacturers for most of the 20^th century.

Much of the former home plant of Bethlehem Steel, the second largest steel manufacturer in the nation, has been transformed into SteelStacks, a ten-acre campus dedicated to arts, culture, family events, community celebrations, education and fun. SteelStacks has indoor and outdoor venues, hosting festivals, concerts and community events.

Running from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, the D&L Trail passes through the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers and their canals in Pennsylvania.

Steel blue is a shade of blue color that resembles blue steel, i.e. steel which has been subjected to bluing for protection from rust. The first recorded use of steel blue as a color name in English was in 1817.

Retro Rail ...

“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”

                ~ Walt Disney

                  ~ 1901 ~ 1966

The Brass Rail sign beckons people to stop in for a cocktail at the Lehigh Street location of the iconic restaurant that has been a longtime staple of the culinary landscape in Allentown, Pennsylvania on a June evening in 2013.

Sadly, The Brass Rail, which opened on Lehigh Street in 1961, shut its doors in June 2022. An Allentown tradition for 91 years, the eatery’s original location on Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown opened in 1931 and closed in 2001.

Founded by Phil Sorrentino, The Brass Rail, known especially for its cheesesteaks, was run by generations of the Sorrentino family and will be missed.

 

Taste Of An American Summer ...

“Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I’m not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be.”

 ~ John Wayne

 ~ 1907-1979

 

I created “Taste Of An American Summer” by blending two of my images in an Americana tribute to our great nation & summer, my most favorite of seasons.

 

I captured Old Glory billowing in the breeze on a beautiful mid-July afternoon in 2019 along the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail) that hugs the Kittatinny Ridge at Lehigh Gap, Slatington, Pennsylvania. Many flags such as this patriotically dot the trail, but this is the only time I’ve seen a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer can there ~ drinking along the trail is not encouraged, but I thought it made a cool photo. Pabst Blue Ribbon was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1844 & selected as America’s Best in 1893. And the can’s red, white & blue theme meshes perfectly with the American Flag.

I spotted this cool Buick Skylark, which sported an Antiques Car license plate, on an early June evening in 2022 at Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Buick Skylark is a passenger car formerly produced by Buick. The model was made in six production runs, during 46 years, over which the car’s design varied dramatically due to changing technology, tastes, and new standards implemented over the years. It was named for the species of bird called skylark. Model years were 1953-1954, 1961-1972 and 1975-1998.

Together, these images paint an image of an American summer.

In the shadow of the Kittatinny Ridge, also called Blue Mountain, The Lehigh Gap in Slatington, Pennsylvania, is a crossroads where the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s trails connect two historic trails – the Appalachian Trail and the D&L Trail.

The Appalachian Trail, a foot path, follows the ridge on both sides of the Lehigh Gap, running 1,245 miles south to Georgia and 930 miles north to Maine. Running from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, the D&L Trail passes through the Lehigh and Delaware rivers and their canals in Pennsylvania.

I just love this quote from John Wayne ~ the great, iconic American actor known as “The Duke” ~ and thought it matched perfectly with the image, especially in these times.

God Bless America!

 

Picture Perfect Memory At Crater Lake ...

 

“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.”

  ~ Eudora Welty

             ~ 1909 ~ 2001

~Native of Jackson, Mississippi, Pulitzer Prize winning author & photographer who wrote about the American South

 

The recent passing of my Dad, who I loved very much, has been extremely difficult. I recently came across a photo of him at age 16 taking a picture of Crater Lake, Oregon during a 1953 trip from his hometown of Phillipsburg, New Jersey to visit relatives in California.

 

I just love the photo and did very little editing to it to preserve its natural beauty and nostalgic mood.

 

According to the National Park Service, Crater Lake inspires awe. Native Americans witnessed its formation 7,700 years ago, when a violent eruption triggered the collapse of a tall peak. Scientists marvel at its purity – fed by rain and snow, it’s the deepest lake in the USA and one of the most pristine on Earth. Artists, photographers, and sightseers gaze in wonder at its blue water and stunning setting atop the Cascade Mountain Range.

 

The volcanic crater lake is located in Klamath County.