Some cool vacations to to images:
Giuseppe's Depot Restaurant, the train depot in downtown Colorado Springs, CO
Image by Beverly & Pack
Giuseppe's Depot Restaurant, the train depot in downtown Colorado Springs, CO
Tennessee State Capitol
Image by w4nd3rl0st (InspiredinDesMoines)
The beautiful grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol as seen during the night.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this building was the history around the surrounding grounds. Two of the three US Presidents from Tennessee lived in this building (Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson). The third one (James Polk) is buried here with his family. What makes this capitol somewhat unique is that it is only one of eleven capitols without a dome.
The large statue in the foreground is Andrew Jackson - it's even cooler up close. I like the Greek Revival architecture that many of the government buildings and monuments showcase. Nashville is the "Athens of the South" - hence the name of their football team (Titans) and the reason why they have a near exact replica of the Parthenon in a nearby city park.
If you go, be sure to check out the monument to Sgt York. He is a real American hero of WWI and a great story about courage, humility and humanity during wartime.
This was shot with a Canon 7d and 15-85
More information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_State_Capitol
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_York
www.bonps.org/tour/capitol.htm
Nashville War Memorial
Image by w4nd3rl0st (InspiredinDesMoines)
Downtown Nashville has several very cool government buildings. One of the most interesting is the Tennessee War Memorial. The massive stone columns make for some fun compositions. I enjoyed walking around and talking to the "Occupy Nashville" people as they played frisbee and worked on their tents nearby.
The war memorial is a very famous and important landmark because it was the site where Woodrow Wilson declared the US involvement in WWI on April 2, 1917. 3,400 Tennessee residents died in this war. "Youth" is the name of the statue whose hand you can barely see in the foreground. He is holding a Nike in his palm and is meant to signify the glory of winning a war.
The large skyscraper in the background is the "William R Snodgrass Building". I've also heard it called "Tennessee Tower". It as a very large and very 1960's architecture building at the northwest end of downtown. I believe the building was once an insurance company but was recently acquired by the State of Tennessee for use as a government office complex.
The War Memorial is probably best known for it's 2,200 auditorium with near perfect acoustics. It's a popular venue for all types of artists. You may have seen the high sweeping ceiling of the auditorium and its art deco inlays during Carrie Underwood’s 2006 single "Don't Forget to Remember Me" or Jewel's 2010 single, "Satisfied."
This is a beautiful area with lots to see and photograph day or night. More information can be found here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_R._Snodgrass_Tennessee_Tower
www.tpac.org/facilities/warmemorial.asp
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Memorial_Auditorium
Canon 7d and 15-85
