Plzeň, Czech Republic (August 2021)

This wagon may have traveled between Czech and Germany, as the left side is in Czech and the right side is in German.

Posted on July 30th, 2026 under czech republic. Tags: beer, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50, plzen, signs. Comments Off on Pilsner Urquell railroad car

Renaissance castle of Saarbrücken digital reconstruction

The current Saarbrücken Castle (Schloss Saarbrücken) doesn’t look much like this, even though it occupies the same site. I’ll get a photo of it up one of these days. I think the place I was staying in Saarbrücken, two years ago, had a painting of the old castle on the wall in the breakfast room. Hopefully I have a photo of that too somewhere.

Renaissance castle of Saarbrücken sign

Renaissance castle of Saarbrücken model

Posted on July 3rd, 2026 under Germany. Tags: museums, NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 6II FX-Format Mirrorless Camera, Saarbrücken, signs. Comments Off on Renaissance castle of Saarbrücken

June 18, 2025

Sometime between when I took the above photo and August of 2025, the management of the Western Motel decided to refresh the above sign so that it says “Motel” instead of “M∅T-L”. Adding the “ERN” back after “WEST” was not in the budget.

Google street view capture (August 2025)

Apparently the (partial) sign improvement didn’t help the business as it no longer exists. I’m not sure if the building has been torn down yet.

These places always intrigue me, as we stayed in such motels back in the 1970s when I was a kid. I couldn’t find out much about the history of the Western Motel online, other than the fact that they have finally gone under, and the mayor of Wendover once owned the place. I did find these “blasts from the past” below though.

Western Motel pennant

Western Motel postcard front

Notice that the 2025 sign is a replacement sign for the one in the above postcard. The (now crumbling) raised planter box is the same. I’m guessing the postcard is from the early 1960s (or 1950s). They must have added the “COLOR TV by RCA” around 1970.

Are the 116 and 428 still on the mountain in the background? Barely.

Western Motel postcard back

A phone number of just four numbers? That’s before my time.

Posted on June 18th, 2026 under Other. Tags: buildings, nevada, NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 6II FX-Format Mirrorless Camera, signs, utah. Comments Off on One year ago today…

Haleakala National Park

Not labeled on the sign below, the mountains in the distance are Hawaii’s highest volcanoes, Mauna Kea (13,803 ft) and Mauna Loa (13,679 ft), on the Big Island.

Volcanic Panorama from Kalahaku sign (December 2022)

Posted on April 30th, 2026 under Hawaii. Tags: landscape, maui, NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50, panorama, photomerge, signs. Comments Off on Mars

Ever-changing boarder of the Saar region

Today’s image is from the Saar Historical Museum. I found the history of this area–sometimes part of France, currently part of Germany–to be fascinating.

I think this image is for a French foot-care product that the Germany soldier could use.

Posted on April 12th, 2026 under Germany. Tags: Historisches Museum Saar, NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 6II FX-Format Mirrorless Camera, Saarbrücken, signs. Comments Off on Le Spécifique Victorieux