Disneyworld, 1973

My family took a trip to Disney World during Christmas break in 1973; I was 7-1/2 years old, and my sister was 5. We stayed at the Polynesian Village, one of two hotels on site (the other being the Contemporary). We did the luau one night, but it was so cold that we had to wear winter jackets, hats, and gloves while eating our spare ribs (as can be seen in one picture here). Judging by the position of the night-time photos, we spent two full days at Disney World.

I know that at least two of the rides aren't there anymore - the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride (closed 1994, demolished 2005) and the Skyway (closed 1999).

Lots more photos at my flickr page; if you're knowledgeable Disney fans, please comment on what ride it was taken on, and even if it's still there in that condition.

Vancouver, summer 1985

My dad took these on a business trip around June 1985. I've never been anywhere near Vancouver (in fact, in Canada I've never been west of Windsor, Ontario) so I have no idea what the area looks like today. Maybe you'll see something you recognize during the Olympics.

Space Shuttle Columbia, October 1994

With the Space Shuttle program winding down, I can add some photos of the shuttle and its infrastructure here as something that will all too soon become a thing of the past.

These are photos I took of the Space Shuttle Columbia in October 1994. Columbia was on her way from Florida to California where it would undergo several months of modifications and upgrades. As you can see, the shuttle sitting on the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is huge, and it can't fly cross-country without refueling several times. On this trip, she stopped in Huntsville AL before landing at Ellington Field southeast of Houston on October 10, 1994, where she stayed for the night. Ellington is just a couple miles from NASA's Johnson Space Center, so a lot of NASA folks went out to look at the big bird.

Columbia was lost on Feb. 1, 2003, as she was coming in to Florida to complete mission STS-107. The orbiter came apart and the crew was killed.

Chicago, Fall 1972

Some slides taken from the top of the John Hancock Building in downtown Chicago, sometime in late 1972. I photo-stitched some of them together to make panoramas.