Backside Of Bleachers

A portion of the outer wall of new bleachers at Monrovia High School.

New Ranger Station Sign

The new sign installed Monday at the Monrovia Canyon Park Entrance Ranger Station.

Young Bobcat

Photo: Steve German

As promised, this is one of the 3 young bobcats that was out with what I would guess was its mother. (Featured in yesterday's photo)  The youngster looks a little more wary.

Visiting Bobcat

Photo: Steve German.

Thanks to my friend Steve German for sending along this photo he took of a bobcat that visited his home.  I love photos of the local wild animals, and this one is particularly good.  Bobcats really are beautiful animals.

Tomorrow, one of the bobcat youngsters that was also along for the visit.

Monrovia High School Football Field

Facing north from one end zone to the other.

Prints and licensing available from my online store at: www.CameraAndEye.com.

Monrovia Public Library - A Leed Silver Certified Building

The plaque hanging in the library signifying that the library received LEED Silver certification.

From the City Managers report 1/29/2010:

"Monrovia Library - Receives LEED Silver CertificationThe new Library officially received LEED Silver Certification on January 25, 2010. The certification process typically takes up to a year to complete. Silver Certification is quite an achievement and was awarded based on the recycling of materials, energy efficient design, water conservation, and other conservation efforts. Once the certification plaque is received, it will be proudly displayed in the library. We extend our thanks to Gonzalez/Goodale Architects for their stellar design and efforts in the certification process."

Route 66 Icon To Be Demolished For Jack In The Box

A Jack In The Box!  I drove from this spot to the other Monrovia Jack In The Box and it took 1 minute, at most.  If it had to be a fast food drive thru, why couldn't it be In-N-Out?  That's what a hamburger's all about.
Maybe a less popular chain was necessary so traffic didn't back up onto Huntington Drive.

Seriously, the Pottery Ranch is such an icon its image is on postcards that have become collectibles.  When you send that next postcard showing off local pride to friends and family around the world, will it have a photo of Jack In The Box on it?  I doubt it.

From the Staff Report:

"The improvement to this corner eliminates mixed uses and different styled buildings resulting in a visually appealing development." 

Priceless.  It's a drive thru fast food joint.  A 24 hour one at that.

I have no problem with the owner being able to sell the property or that change is inevitable.  But Jack In The Box?  Put this one in the loss column.

h/t: MonroviaNow.com
Story: Monrovia Patch

FTC (First Tech Challenge) Kickoff Event At Monrovia High

Went to check out the 2011 FTC kickoff (Robotics) event earlier this month at Monrovia High School.  Several teams brought last year's robots to demonstrate out on the course.  It was quite interesting to watch these robots, controlled wirelessly, try to pick up handballs or push a bowling ball up a ramp.

The next robotics event will be the 1st Annual Halloween Robotics Scrimmage on October 29, 2011 at the Monrovia High School Event Center.  It will be held from 8am to 1pm and is open to the public.  These are some very intelligent and talented kids.  Come on out and support the Monrovia High School Robotics Team.

FTC website.

Update 12/8/2011:


Robotics Event - Saturday, December 10th - Monrovia High School.  845 W. Colorado Blvd.

First Tech Challenge.  LA Championship Tournament.

10am - Opening Ceremonies
10:30am - Matches Begin
2:00pm - Semi Finals Begin
4:30pm - Awards Ceremony

Website: http://www.losangelesftc.org/

Sunday Road Trip - Disneyland

The Sunday Road Trip posts are a chance to throw the photo a day from Monrovia rule out the window and head out of town.  Not too far though, the road trips are all things that can be done in a single day when the starting point is Monrovia..

Today, the destination is more well known than any of the previous road trips.  We're going to the original Disney Park, we're going to Disneyland!

It just happens to be HalloweenTime at the park, as you can see from this view along Main Street.  That giant Mickey pumpkin head is a big clue.  The fall is my favorite time of year, and not just at Disneyland.

Main Street facing back towards the entrance with the Main Street Station (Railroad) in the distance. 

I wasn't sure how to approach this without the number of photos getting out of control.  I think the best thing to do is just make a stop in each "land".  So, let's move on to Adventureland and one of the original attractions:

Jungle Cruise.


An ever popular ride.  Who knew that one of the Jungle Cruise skippers named John Lasseter would go on the become Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and come full circle back to Disney as Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Next up, Frontierland...

Where you can visit an island with pirates or ride a runaway train.  You can also, day or night, take a nice 14 minute cruise along the Rivers of America.

When you get back, take a walk along the water's edge to New Orleans Square...

Along the Rivers of America in New Orleans Square.

That's the River Belle Terrace restaurant in Frontierland in the distance under a full moon.   While in New Orleans Square, you can visit more pirates or...

Holiday Haunted Mansion - based on The Nightmare Before Christmas movie.  I have to slip at least one black and white into each road trip.


A Haunted Mansion.  Now through Halloween, the ride has the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay both inside and out.  Very well done and a little different each year.

Next to the Haunted Mansion, we'll make a quick trip to Splash Mountain in Critter Country...

Splash Mountain.

Then, we'll jump on the train...

Disneyland railroad pulling into New Orleans Square station.

and head over to Tomorrowland.

Star Tours.


While here, we can take a ride through space on the newly updated Star Tours attraction or...

Finding Nemo Submarines and the Monorail.

Take a ride under water on a submarine, now with a Finding Nemo theme.  Of course, there's always above ground transportation on the classic Monorail.  Tomorrowland also has the other ride with a Halloween overlay: Space Mountain becomes Ghost Galaxy.

Our final "land" today is Fantasyland...

Fantasyland Skyline.

I've always liked this skyline view with the Matterhorn in the distance.

Okay, that concludes today's road trip.  I know I left out a lot of rides, attractions, shows, live music, even an entire land (Toontown).  That just leaves open the possibility for a return trip.  Thanks for coming along!

The details:

Distance from Monrovia:  about 35 miles.
Travel time:  Anywhere from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on traffic.
Ticket prices:  Many options.  Click here for current options and prices.

Latino Heritage Exhibit and Art Show

Tomorrow: Sunday September 18 from 1pm to 5pm at the Monrovia Historical Museum.
742 E. Lemon Avenue.

Monrovia Latino Heritage Society Facebook page.

Santa Anita Wash

The City of Monrovia looks about to take another step in the process to get a portion of this wash covered.  Covering the wash means greater possibilities for the utility of the land.

This photo is facing north to Huntington Drive (corner of Huntington and Fifth).  That's the self storage building (obviously) on the left (west), with the Red Lobster just out of frame to the right (east).

-The details:

-City of Monrovia (.pdf file)  Thanks to www.MonroviaNow.com for the heads up.
-Cordoba Corporation web page.

I took this photo a couple of months ago and just held on to it.  I knew this story would come around again sooner or later.

Smoke From Southwest Grinding Building Fire

The sun filtered through smoke from the fire that destroyed the Southwest Grinding building on Shamrock Avenue last evening.

Story on Monrovia Patch.

Green

Photo tip:  Shooting lots of leaves on a breezy day is not the best idea.

Monrovia High School Clock Tower

Water Strider

The shadow is much easier to spot than the bug itself.

9/11 Memorial Ceremony

Monrovia Fire Station 101.

Saturday Soccer

Oak Tree - Monrovia High School

In black and white.

"M" Replaced With DoubleTree Logo

So, when did this happen?  When did the large "M" on the top of the building get replaced with the DoubleTree logo at the hotel on Huntington Drive?

Evening At Monrovia High School

Sunset Tracks

This is the last of this particular series of "Sunset at the Depot" shots.  ( The first two are here and here). This one doesn't show the depot building at all.  Just the tracks extending into the glow to the west.

Super A Foods Shopping Center Rehab Begins

Work has begun on the shopping center on Duarte Road that was the former home of a Super A Foods supermarket.