Ghost of Speedways Past

With the final race of the 2015 NASCAR season today, I thought it would be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane through the old North Wilkesboro Speedway. I have driven past this historic racetrack dozens of times in the past but finally took the time to get off the highway and check it out. It's like a walk through history, accompanied by a very friendly pitbull tour guide who is evidently there to cuddle with the riffraff.

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7. 

Powder Day!

Pow! Feast your eyes upon the cushy mountains on the backside of Diamond Peak. 

Diamond Peak is the most underrated mountain in North America. There, I said it. It's really more ski mountain than ski resort. Its no-nonsense facilities mean $5 chili for lunch, parking 30 feet away from the lodge and the ability to absolutely pack in the runs. Easy up, easy down. It doesn't hurt that just about every run comes with the same view of the Lake as Heavenly's famous California Trail. The lack of fancy frills (and crowds) is exactly how the locals like it.

Please do me a favor, though, just because I called it the most underrated mountain in North America doesn't mean you should check it out. Stick with Heavenly or — if you're feeling more adventurous — Squaw Valley. The last thing we need is a bunch of people filling up lift lines and driving up the prices of the chili.

This photograph was captured with an ancient Canon PowerShot S200 that I bought in Barcelona after the previous one was stolen in Barri Gòtic... but that's a story for another day.

Friday Done Right

Here's another image from the inaugural flight of my DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone. We headed to beautiful Secrets Playa Mujeres for an early kick-off to summer and I wanted to capture the spectacular pool from a different perspective. 

I'm somewhere down there, relaxing on a lounge chair.

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.

Bright Lights, Little City

Reno may not have the glamor of Las Vegas... or the beauty of Lake Tahoe... or the cleanliness of Atlantic City (hyperbole alert)... or the convenience of a riverboat casino... but it does have free drinks.

Despite feeling like the casino town that was left behind, Reno holds a special place in my heart. Having lived on the East Coast for the last 20 years, Reno is the gateway to the mountains of Lake Tahoe. It's a waypoint where you spend a night and a little walking around money as you switch from an airplane to a rented 4x4 for a week of sun, fun and snow in the mountains.

This photograph was captured with an iPhone 5s.

520 Elliot Street Innovation Factory

We're cooking up something special for December at the Innovation Factory at 520 Elliot Street (That's the orange building on the right). Here's a little preview of what's to come. Sign up for the Edison Nation newsletter and you'll be the first to learn about it!

While you're signing up for free newsletters, why not allow me to send you the daily #PhotoJambo post so you can start each day off right?

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.

Heavenly Ride

The future potential of Hyperloop is awesome but the greatest form of transportation currently known to man is the ski gondola. This one picks you up right in the middle of Heavenly Village in Stateline, CA, and takes you 2.4 miles straight up into the mountain.

The last time we were in Lake Tahoe, our condo was located in the Village right next to the gondola station. The only thing better than watching a gondola fly past your condo is watching your condo fly past a gondola.

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7. 

Disco Chicken or L’Oiseau de feu sur l’arche

Charlotte knows the giant sculpture in front of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art as the "Disco Chicken" but it's real name is "L’Oiseau de feu sur l’arche," or "The Large Bird of Fire on an Arch." Most photos from the street reveal this giant statue as a hulking monument to art being larger than life... But take those pictures from 20-30 feet up with a drone and the Disco Chicken seems much less of a menace. 

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone. 

deadmau5 Purrari

This was deadmau5' ride in the Miami2Ibiza Gumball 3000 rally. 

Only deadmau5 could take a perfectly good 458 Italia and improve upon it by wrapping it in Nyan Cat and replacing all of the logos with jumping cats that look suspiciously like Puma logos.

Personal note to deadmau5 — if you're out there and reading this and need a copilot for next year's Gumball, let me know :-)

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7. 

Secrets in the Afternoon

I received my new DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone the night before we headed to Mexico for an early kick-off to summer. Naturally, I modified an old Pelican case to fit the new drone late into the night and brought it along. 

This beautiful resort is Secrets Playa Mujeres, located 30 minutes — and a million miles — north of Cancún. It's much more easy-going and peaceful than your average Yucatán mega-resort and it's a great place to spend a relaxing weekend. 

This photograph was taken on one of my very first flights with the new drone. Not a bad start!

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.