Impression Evergreen

"Days of Glory" Colored Pencil Drawing It’s the early 1900s and Bridgeport, Nebraska is a fledgling community basking in the sunshine of its glory days. The town is known as “Trail City, USA” because it sits on or near many trails of the Old West including the Oregon, California, Mormon, Pony Express and Sidney-Black Hills trails. Back in 1876, Henry T. Clarke built a bridge across the North Platte River just three miles upstream from the current site of Bridgeport. This overpass improved the link between Sidney and the booming, gold-mining settlements in the Black Hills. The exchange of goods and precious metals between the two regions flourished for about a decade. During that time a loose-knit medley of early settlers established Camp Clarke, a small village located near the river. The actual town of Bridgeport was officially founded as a railway station by the Burlington Railroad in 1900. After the coming of the trains, the population increased dramatically and in 1

The French Quarter The French Quarter in New Orleans is chaotic, dirty, dark, decadent, debased, lurid, raucous, salacious, shocking, unrestrained and wild, and I love it. The old market is a potent potpourri of people, sights, sounds and smells that overload your senses in a way you’ve never experienced before. A modest family man, I resist the temptation to partake in the public depravity proceeding all around me. Instead, I melt into the dank alleyway and take photographs of the eclectic architecture and outrageous activities. The rowdy neighborhood is overcrowded with excited revelers who have apparently overcome their natural inhibitions. Visitors hang over the wrought iron railings while impromptu parades march through the streets, impeding the progress of any automobiles crazy enough to enter the fray. The din of this extravagant absurdity is drowned out by the live music that explodes from every orifice in the locale. The exuberant mixture of melodies is a simmering

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Established in 1763, the town was a vital hub situated at the epicenter of American History concerning transportation, industry, slavery and the Civil War. Thomas Jefferson visited the area in 1783 and upon seeing the dramatic gap in the mountains, he declared “the passage of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature.” George Washington traveled there in 1794 and was impressed by the rugged beauty of the isolated outpost. Washington eventually chose Harpers Ferry as the site for a new national armory and by 1796 the U.S. military arsenal was established. Merchants, mechanics and immigrants flocked to the western Virginia township because of the commerce generated by the machine shops and rifle works factories. Probably the most famous event in the town’s rich history was aboli

Mount Vernon townsite Just south of where Interstate 70 curves west and begins its climb up into the Rockies, Matthews/Winters Park preserves a splendid plateau and a fascinating past. It’s a unique location because it’s the exact point where the high plains meets the mountains. The place was first settled in 1859 by an entrepreneurial clergyman named Joseph Casto who hoped to make a profit from the burgeoning gold rush. Second to arrive was a lawyer from Nebraska named Robert Williamson Steele who called the area Mount Vernon after George Washington’s estate in Virginia. Casto platted the hillside and encouraged development of the small village that became known as Mount Vernon Towne. Casto also started the Denver, Auraria, and Colorado Wagon Road Company, which built a toll road from Denver through Mount Vernon and up the canyon to the gold fields at what is now Central City and Blackhawk. Almost overnight Mount Vernon was transformed into a thriving transportation hub as

A midwestern oasis Upon arriving at Mount Vernon, Iowa, numerous banners proclaim it as being America’s Coolest Small Town and after spending a few days there, I’m inclined to believe it. Artist Grant Wood immortalized the region through his landscape paintings and American Gothic , his most famous work, has been reproduced on a barn just outside of town. One of my favorite places is a small nature park that is just bursting with wildflowers and outstretched trees that are a shady refuge from the sweltering heat. The most striking element is the profusion of sunlit tiger lillies that contrast so sharply with the dark-green forest. Along the edge of Mount Vernon, the Cedar River sloughs patiently through ripe cornfields and the billowy, green hills. Despite its peaceful personality, the Cedar has a swift current so beware as it could definitely sweep an unsuspecting swimmer a long ways downstream. The centerpiece of this midwestern oasis is a small pond where the reflections

Xenia, Colorado Xenia was established in 1883 as a construction campsite on the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad about seven miles west of Akron, Colorado. It never had a post office or a school. You can use GPS to find the location but when you get here, everything’s gone. All I found was a broken-down fence and its futile attempt to contain a vast expanse of idyllic prairie. Lit by a low sun, spring clouds drift overhead as a western meadowlark sings his heartfelt song. I can only imagine what it was like 100 years ago but if I were passing through back then, I believe I’d like to stay for a while.

Ouray, Colorado Ouray is a small, mountain town wedged into a steep canyon below the San Juan Mountains. The magnificent setting is reminiscent of the European Alps so the high altitude community is often referred to as the “Switzerland of America”. The vacation resort is famous for it’s Box Canyon Falls which offers superb ice climbing during the winter and a relaxing hot springs that’s open all year round. It’s also the gateway to Yankee Boy Basin, a beautiful valley chock full of mining history and summer wildflowers. Connecting Ouray to the lofty city of Silverton, the Milion Dollar Highway is considered one of the most dangerous roads in America, but if you can handle the sharp turns, steep ledges and lack of guard rails, I believe its the most scenic passageway in Colorado.

Kittredge, Colorado Straddling Bear Creek, Kittredge is a small village tucked into the foothills between Morrison and Evergreen. Terraced into the mountainside, the picturesque community resembles something you’d see on a Christmas card. Integrated into the town’s edge, Lair O’ the Bear Park is an alluring canyon gouged by a winding, black waterway. Bordered by a forest of gnarled cottonwoods, the riparian landscape reveals color during all seasons. Blessed with beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife and a rural demeanor, the humble township is more than appealing. If you’re ever looking for someplace new to live, Kittredge would be the perfect place to put down roots.

"Silverton Colorado" Colored Pencil Silverton, Colorado sits in a deep valley enclosed by enormous mountains. Presiding over the highest district in the United States, the San Juan County Courthouse is seated just above cement creek. Clear and cold, the spring runoff rushes over a rocky creek bed and out of the foreground. Stretching ever skyward, the stately structure bears a striking resemblance to the silvery peaks that surround it. With an air of unnatural perfection, a grouping of cylindrical pine trees stands at attention. A rickety bridge is a surprisingly sturdy link between architecture and the alpine tundra. The rustic buildings are as colorful as the town's storied past. Silverton is a former mining camp that was characterized by a rough and rowdy bunch. This melting-pot of personalities partook in a variety of unseemly activities, such as drinking, gambling, prostitution and robbery to name a few. Distinguished by turbulent weather and long, severe

Christ of the Mines Shrine in Silverton High above the clouds in the lofty San Juan Mountains, the Great Redeemer has forgiven the town of Silverton for its wicked ways. Silverton was a major player during the gold and silver rush that steamrolled through Colorado during the late 1880s. The frontier outpost was a "Sin City" where gambling, boozing and prostitution, ran rampant. Later, when the price of silver collapsed, Silverton seemed destined to suffer the same fate as the other played-out mining camps in the area. Out west, frontier justice prevails so the community would probably vanish, becoming just another ghostly reminder of the glory days. By the 1950s, the town was struggling to survive. Father Joseph Halloran spearheaded a proposal to erect a shrine honoring Christ that would be dedicated to the miners. A last, desperate attempt to revitalize the dispirited community, it would be located on the barren Anvil Mountain just north of the equally lifeless town.