San Antonio: Historic 1892 Courthouse

As an architectural lighting designer, I am involved in quite a variety of projects - from hotels and casinos to corporate offices and retail malls.  Every once in a while a unique project comes my way and the Bexar County Courthouse was one of them.  Built in 1892, the courthouse underwent several transformations over the next century.  We were brought onto the design team when this National historic landmark was slated to be restored to its original design - which including removing a middle floor that had been aded.  I spent plenty of time with white gloves in historic architectural archives researching what original lighting existed.  The final design involved developing replica gas/electric lights - pendants and sconces to emulate the look at the turn of the century.

State College: Penn State Football

College football games are a staple of any Penn State student.  As students, season tickets were easy to come by, and pretty inexpensive.  After graduating though, not so much.  I lucked out for the PSU vs. MSU game this season and we trekked to State College join in the festivities.  It brought back a lot of memories and was a lot of fun.  Nothing beats being in the stadium for the games.

San Francisco: Exploring Napa Valley

I took a trip to San Francisco for vacation last month and spent an afternoon roaming around Napa Valley with a good friend.  We visited a few wineries as well as an art museum.  I never realized just how many wineries and vineyards co-exist in this region, with many offering a unique variety of wines.  It's a beautiful area that you must visit - whether for a day or even a long weekend.  These photos focus around the Hess Collection - a museum at the Hess winery.

New York City: Ground Zero

For the Fourth of July holiday, I spent the weekend in NYC with some very special friends from San Francisco.  It was a great chance to catch up and wander around the city exploring.  One of our stops was at Ground Zero, to remember those we lost and also see the newly opened museum.  I think that overall, the design and elements of the museum are really well done.  If you get a chance, I strongly encourage you to visit - and plan to spend at least 2 hours there.  And if you happen to know someone that was lost that day, it will be an extra emotional journey.  A good friend and fraternity brother David was one of those lost in the North tower.  Aside from his name on the fountain outside, the museum gave me a chance to hear his name called, see photos of him, and hear stories from his family.  I think it is a very fitting way to remember a great man.  This one is for David Scott Suarez - UTCC 

Charlotte: National Whitewater Center

Every April, I have made it my duty to be in Charlotte to celebrate my godson's birthday with him.  I have been there 6 years in a row and don't plan to miss a single birthday.  During my last trip, we spent a day visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center.  If you're a fan of the outdoors, this is an awesome amusement part of nature.  The center hosts an annual "Hope Floats" duck race - and it includes thousands of rubber duckies - Ernie would love this event ;).  Here are a few shots from the release on the rapids.

Duncansville: Ice Storm

Last Thanksgiving, while home visiting family, I took a drive with my sister.  It wasn't far from the house that we started driving through a rural stretch of road that had freshly coated ice everywhere.  Of course I made my sister stop so I could jump out and grab some shots.  It is really beautiful to see how the ice forms on every edge and tip of the landscape.

Grand Cayman: Sights

With all the snow we've had in the Northeast, it was a great escape to head to Grand Cayman.  Although it was just a quick 24 hour work trip, I made the most of it and explored a bit of the island.  Here are a few shots from my visit.