Terminal Island Japanese Memorial

In San Pedro there is a memorial that is abit outta the way from everything else,the only reason to be in the area is if you work there or doing abit of urbex site seeing (wink wink).I met up with explorer Bryan of Sobaire photography,after walking around for abit we came upon the memorial by chance.

Some of the boats looked abandoned

Furusato the lost Japanese Village a history of what terminal island looked like and why this memorial stands.(link to website at bottom of post)

Erected in 2002 by artist Henery Alvarez 

Black Current off our shore

Fishes so plentiful

yet,hardships parents endured

we remember

and honor forever

our village no more

The detail is wonderful on the bronze statues 

Up until ww2 the island was in full operation many worked and lived on the island,in Febuary 27th 1942 the military took many of the people away to internment camps places like "Manzanar" which is now a museum off highway 395 and still on my list of places to see,they have a museum and other points of interest.Once everyone was gone the land was bulldozed and nothing remained except fisheries of which some people returned to after being release after january 2nd 1945.

the culture and history of Furusato was lost until the terminal islanders club was established in 1971

Seeing this small memorial I didnt think much I new I should photograph it,after looking up the history of the island and how it relates to Manzanar this small memorial makes my future trip that more exciting to see.

Please have a look at this website below
http://www.terminalisland.org/Archive/default.htm

Bombay Beach Salton Sea California 2013

So to continue on with my 2013 trip to Salton sea I arrived near the water going over a dike along a dirt road to my parking area.Got out and started walking around taking my shots I notices a few faces sticking out.

Has I walked up toward this one I was startled has I turned the corner to see it,I laughed to myself and continued on.

I then found Ms.gas can

and decided to take a pic with her

walking about you really feel a freedom here has to do whatever the hell you want so I did.I think back to these days when I visited and its been one of my favorite trips.

Bombay beach Salton sea

All thats left of the once thriving desert getaway of the bombay beach area where the water meets the sand.Once lined with trailers now abandoned and eaten by the salt deposits and weather.its still very much an epic place to visit.

(these shots were taken 2013)

Xplorzine

 My magazine Xplorzine is about Urban exploration,cemetery photographers,explorers around the world,people who venture for the adventure,world travels and roadside attractions.To music and models who work in abandoned places,to those that ride the rails.Stop on over and get your free digital version or buy the print version by clicking the link                                            


                                               the 2nd issue of Xplorzine is now up

Randy Rhoads final resting place

Some time last year I found my self in the area of Randy Rhoads so I stopped in to pay my respects to the guitar legend and the surroundings

A wonderful door I thought 

when out photographing a cemetery im always on the look out for angels

While coming up to the Rhoads memorial there were a few gentlemen paying there respect,I talk to them for a moment and said they drove down from Northern California to pay there respect and that one of the gentlemen was associated with Findagrave.com.I left them for a moment and explored abit more to see them taking off,pulled up and took my shots.

The Rhoads Memorial can be found at Mountain view cemetery San Bernardino.

Salton sea Bombay beach abandoned

So today I was going through backup disc and found my Salton sea trip images I thought I had deleted by accident,so within the next few post will be those images shot mid 2013.

Taken with the nikon d5100 and Rokinon 8mm fisheye lens on a tripod and remote shutter

                                  wildlife

The crunchy sands,not sands but bones of the salton sea,lots of fish bone line the sea for a crunchy walk

Sadly with the drought California is in,a friend at tawnidoll photography recently photographed Bombay and to my surprise you can almost walk up to the post the birds are sitting on

More from bombay beach to follow more abandoned more forgotten.

Watts tower

I finally made to watts tower been on my bucket list for sometime tho I went on spur of the moment to find they were closed open only fri-sun different times.Tho there was plenty to photograph and still a wonderful site to behold.

U.S. of A

Out an about in Tustin,California for a photoshoot today was happy to find there was no traffic on the 91 freeway to the inland empire,took this shot at Eisenhower park today.

Urbexing california

Urbexing (ue,urban exploration)in So.Cal

 Yes there are still places in California like this hidden and most look like the average home,so when walking in an abandoned place you never know what youll find and thats the hole point of exploration.Seeking out the unknown documenting your findings.These two shot are from tw very different locations both in Socal more on these locations in a future post,as im still getting this blog off the ground.