After Chicago, we were heading for a long time friend in Wisconsin, and decided to stop at the observatory. I just had to see it one more time. The area, the building, and the refractor itself. The largest in the world. With a lens more than one meter in diameter. A beauty. The last time, I was more or less alone, save for some family that showed up at the same time. This time, there was a whole group. And I didn't get to get up close and personal with the scope. But just the sheer size of the instrument makes it worth it. I cannot remember the first time I saw pictures of the telescope, but I do remember that I wanted to see it one day. When I grew up. When I had my own money. When.... And so on. This was my second time. I know that they arrange observation-nights so people can have a look through the telescope, not just at it. But we didn't have the time to do that for our short stay. We were heading west. And fast. But more on that later.
Here are a few of the photos I took of the scope and the observatory. I took a load of images of the telescope. To try to frame it properly. But I am never able to quite capture its size and sheer magnificence. So I guess you just have to visit yourself.
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| The dome of the 40 inch Yerkes refractor |
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| The entrance to the observatory |
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| Our guide talking about the reliefs on the buildings |
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| Library |
Old friends
One of the things I like best about travelling, in addition to seeing new places, experiencing new cultures and foods, is getting to know new people. And on my first real trip abroad, a trip through the US with a friend in 1993, I met a girl on a bus trip from Chicago to Tulsa, Oklahoma. She sat behind me and my friend on the bus. And at one point, she asked us if we had the time. Later, she revealed that she had removed her watch so she would have an excuse to talk to us...
For the rest of the trip to Tulsa, we sat talking. And when we parted, we exchanged addresses. We have been friends ever since. It would take 18 years before we saw eachother again. And this year was my third visit. And this time, I brought my sister and one of my nieces. She was excited that she would meet some people in my family. She was 16 when we met, and now she is all grown up with a family of her own. She still lives in Wisconsin. Or Wiscansin as they pronounce it...
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| Friends for soon to be a quarter of a century |
The first evening, we went out with her family to a mexican restaurant in a nearby town. The food and the company was great.
And the day after, we spent the whole day together, walking around the small town she lives in, and had some exercising in a park full of large rocks and cliffs. Lots of climbs and rock formations. Great fun for the kids... :-) I am no longer in my twenties, so I stayed with the old folks...
One of the things I also loved about this meet, is that more friendships were created out of this. Strangers becoming friends. It is a beautiful thing.
(I do not want to display pictures of the kids, so none of that here.)
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| Walking the field near a natural reserve (which turned out to be closed...) |
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| Weird old tree in the park |
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| Climbing rocks and going through tunnels to get our sweat going. |
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| Cool car. Wonder what model it is. |
Traveller
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