Farewell to Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach - This was one of those days where I was doing one of my favorite things - taking photographs from an airplane, while flying across the country.  We had a different departure route from JFK today, and it took us out over the ocean, and I got to see the Rockaway peninsula, and in particular the town of Rockaway beach

Fellow Travelers - it is pretty unusual to see evidence of another aircraft when flying at the flight levels - up above 30,000 feet.  There might be other airplanes nearby, but unless the atmospheric conditions are just right, you won't see the contrails.  Today I was able to see the contrail and the actual aircraft.  I am guessing that the other aircraft was perhaps 2,000 feet higher.

 

One Year Later - This is astounding, but we followed the same airways on this trip today, that we followed a year ago.  Lo and behold - this is a photograph of the same mountain ranges that I photographed last year, and used on this year's Christmas card, except that the snow cover is less.  And now I know exactly where these mountains are located!  I was unable to find them on maps, even though I had a rough idea of where they were.  But now I know.

An Amazing Landscape - This is the red rock country of northwest New Mexico.  I wish I knew more about geology, because then I would understand how these magnificent shapes were formed in the landscape.

Lines of Mesas - At least I think that these are mesas.  Maybe because they are not standing alone they are called something else.  In any case, it is yet another astounding landscape.

The Cloud Deck - It is unusual for us to arrive in the Los Angeles area and begin our approach to LAX when it is not sunny.  It has always been sunny here, as we let down over the mountains and begin our long approach from San Bernadino,  nearly all the way to the Pacific Ocean where we land at Los Angeles International airport.  There was a deck of clouds overhead, and it made for an unusual view of the mountains, and the sky.