Every year the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the Medicine Hat Stampede are welcome highlights of summertime in "the Gas City". This year, in addition to shooting a few pictures of the midway like I always do, I decided that I'd also shoot and edit a new video.
There are a lot of things I love about exploring the midway. For one, it reminds me of being a kid. You're also likely to run into half of the people you know in town, and many that you haven't seen in years. The midway is colourful, noisy, a great place to people watch, and with the right stylistic editing and music, I think it's especially dynamic. That's how I see it anyway. Here's my visual take on the 2016 Medicine Hat Stampede Midway. Explore more of my work here.
Completed in 1886, the Carson Mansion located in the historic Old Town of Eureka, California, is often considered "the grandest Victorian home in America". Since 1950 the Carson Mansion has been a private club, but it was originally the home of William Carson, a Northern California lumber baron who made his fortune from the nearby Redwoods.
The structure blends every major style of Victorian architecture, primarily Queen Anne, and itself is constructed out of redwood. The property isn't open to the public, however just viewing it from the street is quite impressive. The level of detail and embellishment is incredible, and unlike other historic structures from the same period, this one still looks much the same as when it was built. Eureka's Carson Mansion is like something straight out of a fairy tale.
One can't truly soak up the complete Tennessee experience without a whiskey tasting - or two or three or four - specifically from some of the incredible micro-distilleries found throughout the state. I took a detour through Chattanooga on my road trip around the American South, and visited the Tennessee Stillhouse, home of the Chattanooga Whiskey Company.
I loved all the drinks I tried, but my favorite whiskey was the 1816 Reserve. It's 90 proof, aged 6.5 years in charred white oak barrels, and a has really balanced sweet and spicy flavor. The 1816 Cask was also great, and I loved that they included cocktails so that you could experience how the different flavors of the whiskey complimented the drinks. I was only sampling, but the whiskey tasting put me in good "spirits" for the afternoon.
As became a recurring theme, I ended up having a really great discussion with the bartender about the journey I was on through the South. She was quick to offer recommendations, which lead to others sharing ideas and stories. Once again, my camera was a nice ice-breaker. There's also a lot to be said for local places like this where it's clear that they care about what they do. If you're in Chattanooga, you owe it to yourself to check out the Tennessee Stillhouse.
