Update: Via a link provided by Glenn over at the Flickr page for this photo, it turns out the cool “Stonehenge” shots (as I thought of them) are of the Donnellan Grave Vault — a burial crypt for one of Houston’s early families:
The Donnellan crypt is a large vault made of red brick with a small wooden door in the lower right corner. A fine degree of workmanship is seen in the arched header to doorway which is boarded up with timbers. Located in the bank of Buffalo Bayou under the Franklin Avenue bridge at Louisiana Street, the vault has survived a number of phases of construction along the bayou, including the rechannelization of the bayou in the mid-1920’s. Remnants of former bridge pilings stand under the modern bridge and a concrete ramp extends from the water line to the base of the vault to prevent erosion from undermining the vault’s integrity.
I never, ever, spend any time in Houston. It’s just so big… so crowded…. so, well… urban! This past weekend, though, a friend invited me to get out on the water in his inflatable canoe.
Turns out downtown Houston’s pretty danged cool from Buffalo Bayou!
This is the same bayou that runs through my neighborhood, but it looks MUCH different out my way.
I was particularly fascinated by the way Houston’s been building bridges on top of bridges. This is exactly why Rome has layers upon layers of archaeological history — though Houston’s obviously still in the very early evolutionary stages. This, for instance:
Such amazing light here — I had to shoot it coming and going. (Added: This is also the Donnellan Grave Vault. See update above.)
And being told that we’d “sprung a leak” just as it was getting dark only added to the fun. (LOL!) Seriously — I’d do this again in a heartbeat. The reflections were splendid, and the view of the city unique.
I may need to buy myself a little boat so I can get out and do this more often.
(Full set of images from this shoot viewable here. Still bringing them online, though, as of this post.) All online that’re comin’.
Nice shots! However, I thought maybe KISD had re-instated corporal punishment or something, reading the title!
~EdT.
HAHAhahah, EdT! If that had been the subject, though, I’d have had to call it “exurban paddling” or something…
Looks like you paddled right by my office!
I still have the canoe in the back of my car. It’s been too cold to wash it and look for the leak.
@ John — very fun! I have a bunch more images to bring up. Let me know if your office is there…
@Glenn — ewww! icky! Your car’s gonna start to smell soon!
I emailed Louis Aulbach, who had the information on the grave vault under Franklin St. He is trying to get his book about Buffalo Bayou out by spring. I think it will be a fascinating read, as much of the early history of Houston centered around Buffalo Bayou.
No. My window looks out at the Ferris Wheel.
“… much of the early history of Houston centered around Buffalo Bayou” … well, I guess! Danged near all of it!!
That’s a gorgeous shot of the Wortham, Polimom. The vast majority of the most commonly shown and widely-publicized promotional photos of downtown Houston are taken from the west side – from either Allen Parkway or Memorial Drive, and I always tell people, “Yes indeed, it is that green!”
My favorite view of downtown Houston is from the northeast, where you can see both the old and the new juxtaposed. I’ve looked at photo after photo – countless photos, actually, but have yet to find one that has captured what I have clearly retained in my memory banks.
I am so happy your D300 didn’t end up taking a swim. You might want to get it a floatie for next time.
~EdT.