Historic City Hall in Calgary, Alberta

As the only surviving regional example of the monumental city halls constructed in the prairies before 1930, Calgary, Alberta's historic city hall (completed in 1911) is a noteworthy landmark. It's prominent clock tower and sandstone facade was meant to project Calgary's belief that it would become the dominant urban centre in the region. 

The structure is currently undergoing restoration to repair some key parts of the building. Along with places like Stephen Avenue, the historic city hall is perhaps most fascinating because it provides a glimpse back at Calgary's early growth. I shared a few comparisons of Calgary's archival history in a series of ghosting images which can be viewed here. This historic city hall has been recognized by all three levels of government, and in 1984 was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.      

Calgary City Hall ca. 1910s

San Simeon Pier, California Coast

Heading south along the California coast towards Morro Bay, Mike and I stopped in San Simeon to check out the view from the pier and get a glimpse of Hearst Castle. It had already been a long day by this point, and sadly we missed our window to take the tour up to the former home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst (the inspiration behind Charles Foster Kane in Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane).  

Even from below, the scale of Hearst Castle is pretty incredible. The surrounding hills begin to soften from the more extreme coastline in Big Sur, but San Simeon is no less picturesque. About halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles along the Pacific Coast Highway, San Simeon is where the transition between northern and southern California becomes clearer.