27 December 2014

The site of the Mill Valley Air Force Station, located on the summit of Mount Tamalpais: 27 December 2014

I explored the abandoned Mill Valley Air Force Station. The majority of the buildings have been demolished and removed.


A view of the Mill Valley Air Force Station as seen from a plane in 1956. It was an active base at that time. The view is looking east; Mount Diablo is in the distance. Also seen is the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge which opened in 1956.




The route of the hike. The approximate distance traveled as tracked by GPS was 8.3 miles. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 1,603 feet.

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the ramble.

The summit of West Peak. It is now used as a FAA aircraft radar site. This location was the tallest point on Mount Tamalpais until it was bulldozed and flattened to accommodate the Air Force Station.
The remains of the Officer's Quarters.
The remains of the mess hall.
The remains of the vehicle repair facility.
The remains of officer family housing.

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com.


20 December 2014

Alameda, an island city with many homes dating from the Nineteenth Century: 20 December 2014

On Saturday 20 December I joined a  group of people for a hike in the City of Alameda. We viewed some of the homes in the city, most of which were constructed in the late nineteenth century. We also saw the beautifully decorated homes on "Christmas Tree Lane," aka Thompson Avenue. 
The city of Alameda was founded in 1853; it is sited on an island, and it has a population of approximately 75,000. The city is located in the eastern portion of San Francisco Bay and is adjacent to Oakland. 
In 1938 Congress approved the construction of a naval air station in the Northwest part of Alameda Island. In April 1942 the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-08) sailed from Alameda Naval Air Station carrying 16 B-25 aircraft that would take part in the Doolittle Raid on Japan. Alameda Naval Air Station closed in April 1997.


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Two charming sisters, and their rabbit, at Franklin Park. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.
The walking group is receiving information about the Christmas decoration on "Christmas Tree Lane." Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.
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The map of the route. The approximate distance traveled as tracked by GPS was 7.3 miles. Mile markers are displayed on the track. Click on the image to see the full-size map.



“A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.”-Dorothea Lange

You are welcome to visit my primary website  www.mishalov.com