Sunset from Monterey Hills...

by Laurie Allee

...up by the water tower.

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South Pasadena: City with a View

A little city with big views...

If you looked in the skies above South Pasadena in the fall of 1913, you might have seen aerialist Roy Knabenshue's amazing dirigible.  Sailing over 800 feet in the air, the flying machine thrilled locals.  For a whopping cost of $25 a ride, a brave traveler could experience what the press reported as "a daring adventure with spectacular views!"

Knabeshue, the first person to fly a dirigible in the United States, certainly knew he had picked a crowd-pleasing location.  The majestic San Gabriel Mountains were nestled in a lush, green valley.  It was an ideal setting to conduct pleasure flights for "brave gentlemen."

But ladies insisted that they be included, too...

City with a View

I love grand, sweeping panoramas. For a city of only a few square miles, South Pasadena has an amazing number of beautiful views. (I actually wrote about it for Patch a few years ago.) Sure, a postcard view is an easy shot for a photographer when all you have to do is point your camera at a beautiful setting.

But what a payoff!

Former South Pas residents who have moved away often write me asking to post photos of specific views. A reader living in China asked if I had any stormy views from Monterey Hills looking toward the San Gabriels. Will you settle for snow?  Here you go...

For some truly remarkable view shots, check out The Library of Congress Panoramic Photograph Collection, 1851-1991. The images feature cityscapes, landscapes, bridges, waterways, natural disaster overviews and some pretty amazing old group portraits and beauty contests. I often go down the internet rabbit hole of vintage images.  Check out this great old shot of South Pasadena's historic Raymond Hotel. And for those of you who once read my Castle Green post, here's a great vintage image of Pasadena's famous Hotel Green. These photographs give us a long view of world history and offer a fantastic window into our shared past.

A version of this post was originally published in 2012

El Centro After the Rain

A simple street corner, a little rain, a setting sun. Nice how something so ordinary can seem so ... extraordinary.

Look Up!

August skies are trying to get your attention.

(For the mother load of ethereal Arroyo Seco sky images, check out Shanna Galloway's blog View.)

Glimpses of Tranquility

The other day I looked down at Southern California from 30,000 feet, flying back home to Los Angeles after my mother's death. I was closer, perhaps, to her beautiful wandering spirit.

Life is turbulent, but the flight was smooth.

(Today is Theme Day for participating City Daily Photo bloggers. This month's theme is Tranquility.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants )

Your Welcome

Experts say that creativity is boosted by several factors: a relaxing environment, the ability to rest your gaze on a long view, and the colors blue and green.

Okay, gang. Now I expect to see some masterpieces from all of you!

Cloud Painting

Have you noticed the skies around here lately? Wow! Mother Nature has been getting her creative freak on with beautiful, ever changing results. For anyone who thinks Southern California skies only offer images of smog and chem trails, here's a little evidence to the contrary.

Nightfall over the Arroyo

I was listening to this when I captured this moment. (It was a good moment.)

Dust of Snow

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

--Robert Frost

mistaken for a dawn

A beautiful sunset that was mistaken for a dawn.

--Claude Debussy

Hangar On...

At first, I thought this was the Goodyear blimp, making one last flight over the San Gabriel Valley after the Rose Bowl. Then I saw the words "Hangar Vodka" on the side of it...

Hey! That's just another way to have a good year!

For more on blimps in South Pasadena's history, check out my post here.

Looking Toward a New Year

It's January 1st, and that means it's Theme Day for participating City Daily Photo bloggers. Today's theme is Photo of the Year.

I don't know if this is my best shot of 2011, but it's certainly a favorite. I grabbed it on Arroyo Drive last summer right after the San Gabriel Valley had been drenched by a storm. The receding clouds created all sorts of bright, happy colors in the sky, and made the view from my favorite look out seem all the more expansive and hopeful.

A nice mood for a great new year, right?

To see a panorama of incredible images, please take a few moments to check out photographers from all over the world adding their best shots to today's theme gallery. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Happy New Year, everybody!

Reprieve

I figured we could all use a break from power outage updates and pictures of destruction. How's this for a beautiful bird's eye view from Pasadena looking toward South Pas? (And just look at those hundreds upon hundreds of beautiful trees still standing tall and strong!)

All together now: ahhhhhhhhhh...

Big Sky

Your faithful blogger just returned from a week in Austin where the vistas are big and the sunsets are dramatic. Not to be outdone, this Arroyo sunset welcomed me back to South Pas...

Love on Arroyo

These two started making out about a second after I took this picture. (And no, I won't show that shot. What kind of blog do you think this is, anyway?)

Heatwave

Little Bit isn't the only one still running a fever. South Pasadena sweltered yesterday with yet another day of unrelenting heat. (My garden thermometer was 101 at 3:00PM.) What happened to autumn?

Look Up

I'm stepping into Shanna's territory with this one, but I can't resist sharing. The humidity of late has cooked up some interesting sunset skies.

and the days dwindle down...

We might not have cool weather yet, but the afternoons glow with long, autumnal light.

It's definitely September.

Connected

"We never grow tired of each other, the mountain and I."

--Li Bai (701-762)