Taking a trip through the heartland of America? Let's see….should we drive? How about flying? I think I prefer taking the train. Now, the Amtrak routes are pretty limited, but if you live near one of the train stops, as I do, and if you are going in the direction of the train tracks, which I do, then Amtrak is a wonderful way to travel.
When driving on a busy interstate, it is hard to take pictures of the countryside unless one stops the car along the side of the road. Even then, there is so much clutter that distracts from the focus of a photo. There are billboards, traffic signs, high wire lines, and the highway itself. All messy stuff that makes photos dull and uninteresting.
When riding the rails, on the other hand, there are many opportunities to capture the true feel and flavor of small town America. That is why I usually spend the whole time I am on the train with my camera pointed out the window. I never know what is coming up next and I want to get shots of iconic Americana.
This post highlights the buildings I spotted while riding from San Marcos to Fort Worth, a trip that normally takes about five hours, travelling almost due north from central Texas toward the Oklahoma border.
There are delelict buildings that have their own beauty when a deep blue sky provides a backdrop, like this old brick two story building. Even the boarded up windows are photogenic.
Look at First National Bank, Anytown USA. There are no cars parked in front, so I wonder if the bank is open anymore. It may also be abandoned, who know for sure?
Here is Buckley and Welch Hardware Store, complete with an old painted advertisement for some kind of beer. If you look closely to the left of the store, you can see the front of a bright blue tractor.
Now, this little store is located in trendy Zilker Park, which is in the state capital of Austin. It is called Zilker Food Park. Apparently, this store caters to dog owners, as their marquee states that dog gear is available, and there are cute dogs in each of the store windows. There are also doggies on the rooftop, for some strange reason.
Notice also the bike lane and special bike traffic markings. Cycling is very popular in Austin. Austin is home to Lance Armstrong, seven times Tour de France winner.
I think this building is part of an old army post to the north of Austin.
This an abandoned building which has been partially covered with 4x8 sheets of OSB painted a rusty reddish orange. Note the curved roof line that is similiar to one of the most iconic Texas buildings, the Alamo. There are many "Alamo" type roof lines to be found across Texas.
Wow, this orange brick building with its skinny smoke stack, sitting next to shiny grain storage bins is very eye-catching. Here they sit, these old structures, hidden from the heavily travelled highways, treasures to be seen if train passengers have a keen eye.
These buildings form the main street area of another small Texas town. The sage green paint with the white trim is awesome.
Rural Texas homes have so much more character than suburban carbon copy bland houses. Look at the port hole windows in this faux Swiss Chalet. Don't you love the lavender trim paired up with the turquoise accents?
This is the mansion featured in the campy movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Right now, cotton is ready for harvest. The field in the foreground will probably be harvested this week.
I love white picket fences. This 1930's farm house has a lovely fence surrounded a large yard of green grass. Texas has been blessed with quite a bit of rain in the last couple years, after suffering through years of drought. We love green grass.
When the train passes through some of the larger cities like Austin and Temple, passengers can peek into the back yards of suburban tract houses. These homes have little charm, in my opinion, though many people consider these kind of homes as highly desirable and charming. To each his own….
This yellow house with it's shiny tin roof, looks like it needs a little landscaping and some trees. It might have been built in the last year or two. It is hard to tell.
Most of the time, I snap photos with barely a chance to even see what I am photographing. The train may be travelling anywhere from thirty miles per hour to as much as eighty miles per hour. I only have a split second to make a choice, whether to snap or not. Often, it is not until I transfer the data from my camera to my large computer screen, before I find out what I have captured. This back yard is a prime example. As I studied this on the computer, I saw the blooming sage and the purple martin bird house, which were what caught my eye onthe train. On the computer, I saw, in addition, the two concrete deer statues in the grass, the wishing well, the toddler play house, the bird bath and the lattice for some climbing roses.
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