Thursday, July 22, 2010

Setting sun sparks KOIN Tower windows as I wait for the 4th of July fireworks

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From my friends' boat on the Willamette River, I noticed the KOIN Tower windows, glowing wondrously. I clicked the D50 a few times, hoping to get at least one photo that would do justice to the sight. I like this one best because it not only shows the windows but also give you a good idea of the size of the crowd at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival there in Tom McCall Waterfront Park as well as the number of boats visible in the narrow space captured by the camera.

The building is 509 feet tall, Oregon's third tallest building. The building was originally named Fountain Plaza, but it quickly came to be known as the KOIN Center, or KOIN Tower, reflecting the name of its highest-profile occupant, KOIN television. The building was controversial while being constructed because its location blocked the view of Mount Hood that had long been seen by drivers emerging from the Vista Ridge Tunnel under Portland's West Hills going eastbound on U.S. Route 26. The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is the largest blues fest west of the Mississippi and the second largest on in the USA.

3 comments:

Clytie said...

Wow. The lights reflecting off the KOIN tower are nearly rival to the fireworks that came later!!! This is a beautiful shot!

Birdman said...

Wonderful job. Makes me want to have been there. My sister might have been. She lives nearby and loves the Blues.

Lori Lynn said...

Awesome shot.
LL