The shortest distance between two points may be a straight line – or a line segment if you’re a mathematician – but curves are often more interesting. We did a recent travel theme on Leading Lines, and I’ve been staring at the leading lines of Interstate Highways for the last three weeks on my road trip across America, so here are a few curves to shake things up.
Croton Dam in New York state was an unexpected surprise which I happened upon last June. I had only seen it from the base of the structure, but when I paid a second visit to it just before leaving New York, I walked along the bridge at the top of the dam. The reservoir was smooth as glass and filled to the brim with water, which was tipping over the spillway and tumbling down the stone tiers in a blaze of white.
During a visit to Washington DC I visited the US Botanic Gardens. Tucked away in the corner of the conservatory lay a little terrarium, bursting with greenery and reflecting the towering conservatory windows.
Driving through the Badlands, surrounded by huge outcrops of shaggy, ragged, tattered rocks, I spied a solitary hill along the highway, flaunting its perfect curves.
Are you ready to show off your curves? If you would like to join in this week’s travel theme, create your own post titled Travel Theme: Curves and put a link to this page in your post so others can find it. Check back in next Friday for a new weekly travel theme.
Throw me a curve ball!
xxx Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Here is my post – the curves of nature.
Wow, Pat, a lovely series of curves, but that last photo is fabulous, a stunning example of the power of nature. xxx
Thanks for the nice comment and especially for checking the post out.
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Fabulous as always Ailsa and very inspiring! Here is mine for the week..
http://thirdeyemom.com/2012/09/01/the-curves-in-a-traveled-road/
Ooh Nicole, these are wonderful. That shot of the Great Wall is spectacular. I’ve seen thousands of photos of it, but yours is really unique, and truly lovely. xxx Ailsa
Thanks Ailsa, especially for encouraging the challenge! 🙂
Hei Ailsa, thank you for these lovely and inspiring themes. Love reading your post, and here is my contribution.
http://cocoaupnorth.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/travel-theme-curves/
Cocoa, these are fantastic, the Sterkfontein Caves and the Cradle of Human Kind have captured my imagination, I’m adding them to my bucket list now. Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful curves with us! xxx Ailsa
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Hey there AIlsa,
Here’s a link to one of the curviest buildings I’ve ever seen: the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia in Dusseldorf, Germany:
Later!
Ruth
You’re not kidding, Ruth, the Landtag is quite possibly the curviest building ever, and you’ve captured a fantastic shot of it. xxx Ailsa
Pingback: Travel Theme: Curves – Liquid Bamboo | Ron Mayhew Photography
Hi Ailsa, another great theme this week. My endeavor is an abstract I call “Liquid Bamboo.”
http://ronmayhewphotography.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/travel-theme-curves-liquid-bamboo/
Wonderful, Ron, the original photo is quite lovely, but I adore how you manipulated it. Liquid Bamboo, what a great title. xxx
Pingback: Travel Theme: Curves | Lucid Gypsy
Here are Gee’s curves ! http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/travel-theme-curves/
A very ancient and very beautiful curve it is too, Gilly. Love it! xxx
Curves in nature and body…
http://brokenlightcollective.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/body-in-nature/
Should mention that it’s by Collective member Rachel. Think it’s a good fit 😉
Gorgeous, Broken Light, and congratulations to Rachel for capturing such a lovely shot. xxx Ailsa
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Natural curves and human lines…
Absolutely stunning shot, badflea. Nature gets my vote every time! xxx
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Wonderful photos, Ailsa – I especially like the dam. I went Victorian for this one – http://newpillowbook.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/travel-theme-curves/.
Classy curves, Sharon, I love the architecture and you’ve captured some wonderful detail in your shots too. xxx Ailsa
Pingback: Travel Theme: Curves | Spiritual World Traveler
Love the bowl one!!! Here is my entry… http://spiritualworldtraveler.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/travel-theme-curves/
Fabulous series, Zully – that top one with the red line is really powerful, and the tunnel shot is so enticing! The snail rocks too! 🙂
Thanks!
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Oh Le Drake Noir, this made me laugh, I have this picture in my head of you tumbling into the Rotterdam harbour. Beware of curves indeed! 🙂
Pingback: Travel theme: Curves « miljoanne
Here’s mine..have a great day…
Oh I love this, Miljo Anne, the curves of yumminess, and a very happy daughter indeed! Really fun post! xxx Ailsa
Hi Ailsa,
Again a great challenge.
Your picture of the dam is my favorite, but you’re second one inspired me the most for my own contribution. As the curves in nature are limitless.
This one again I posted some time ago… hope you ‘ll like it.
http://dauwgalerij.blogspot.be/2012/05/amaryll-is-in-de-fleur.html
Regard this flower as a gift to thank you for the opportunity you give all of us to meet here every week. Thanks!
Oh Dauw, it’s just breathtaking, and thank you very much for the gift of this flower, I love it. xxx Ailsa
Pingback: Travel Theme: Curves | My Sardinian Life | La Mia Vita Sarda
Here’s a curve ball. Hope you like it.
http://laavventura.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/travel-theme-curves/
Jennifer, these are all so lovely, I can’t decide which one I like the best. The gnarly curved trees are just divine, and the seashells too. And the quotes are fantastic. “Earth laughs in flowers”, how wonderful. xxx Ailsa
Can’t help it, I simply had to post a second one 😉
http://dauwgalerij.blogspot.be/2012/09/veni-vidi-vici.html
Fantastic curves, and the irridescent colours are wonderful, Dauw! xxx Ailsa
Pingback: 9 Florida Photo with Reflections and Curves | Canoe Communications
That is a beautiful coast line image. Here is my reflections on curves: http://canoecommunications.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/9-florida-photo-with-reflections-and-curves/ Hope you like them. 🙂
What a great set of photos, c & c, some wonderful reflections and delicious curves. That shot of the Main Street Bridge is glorious! xxx Ailsa
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Ooh Sue, how perfect, what happy timing that you had just visited the Gateway Arch. Fabulous shots, and that little pod is a little freaky, it would have thrown me a curve too! 🙂
Pingback: Travel theme: Curve | tahira's
Your photos are AMAZING, Ailsa! Great challenge! Here is my submission: http://tahira007.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/travel-theme-curve/
Thanks Tahira, Phuket looks spectacular. I can’t get over the green of the water in the second photo, just lovely. xxx Ailsa
I couldn’t resist a second post on this theme.
Ahh, Pat, I adore the curvy house and love love love the name Bay of Fundy. It’s just so much fun to say! 🙂
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Pingback: Travel theme: Curves | travels with toby
I love all three of your images! Here’s my entry this week:
Very cool, Toby – those red and white arches as far as the eye can see are stunning! 🙂
thanks so much!!
Here’s my entry for the week:
Your dam photo is amazing… my grandson was sitting beside me as I was reading your post, and he voted for the terrarium! Another fun challenge – hanks!
Ooh TRS, I’ve never been to Stanford but wow, after viewing your photos I feel like I had a private tour of the wonderful arches. The architecture is so beautiful, I could look at these photos for hours.
I was very happy with how the dam photo turned out, but let your grandson know the terrarium photo is my secret favourite too! 😉
Pingback: The Comforting Curves of Arches | The Retiring Sort
Here’s my contribution. I decided to have a little fun (and a lot pun) with the concept of CURVES.
–Love and Liberation–
Jan @ TheRewildWest
LOVE it, Jan, a wonderful homage to all things curvy, and a stunning series of photos too. I have a huge grin on my face after reading this, thoroughly enjoyable.
Hehe =D A grin, another CURVE!! Thank you ❤
Pingback: Travel Theme: Curves « City Life Picture
Love your photo’s especially the dam. Here’s my contribution – many curves in Ottoman mosque in Turkey http://citylifepicture.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/travel-theme-curves/
Oh my gosh, Dianne, this is breathtaking – curves upon curves and the colours are glorious. Really beautiful photo! xxx Ailsa
Pingback: Travel theme: Curves | eljaygee
your trio of curves are ingenious and beautiful. I do not do much travelling but found this curve http://eljaygee.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/travel-theme-curves/
Really cool shot, Laura, I love the golden curve of the lighter grass around the edge of the photo. 🙂
Pingback: When life gives you curves, flaunt them! « East of Málaga
As promised, here´s my entry for this week´s Travel theme.
http://eastofmalaga.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/when-life-gives-you-curves-flaunt-them/
Proud to be one of your Curvy Girls, Ailsa! 😉
Wow wow wow, Marianne, every time I see a photo of Casa Batlló my heart skips a beat, it’s such a feast for the eyes. Your photo of it is spectacular, and very worthy of a Curvy Girl. Wonderful entry!
Nice photos. I saw this over at http://pdf34.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/curves/
and decided to join in. I’ll post something later on 🙂
I love this shot so much, Cardinal G, it’s spooky and very evocative – especially with the dirty mirror! Although it’s probably not as evocative as the erotic photo you were first planning to post 🙂
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Pingback: Travel Theme — Curves | The World Is a Book…
Love all three shots, Gorgeous! Her is mine: http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/travel-theme-curves/
Oh Amy, each and every one of these is wonderful, but wow, Marqueyssac is something else, isn’t it? Curvalicious!
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Pingback: Travel Theme: Curves (8-31-12 Pass # 2) « The Quotidian Hudson
I have never tried a second pass before but here we go!
http://quotidianhudsonriver.com/2012/09/03/travel-theme-curves-8-31-12-pass-2/
I love that you did a second post on this theme, Robert – just getting caught up now after ages on the road with intermittent internet connection. Those trees are brilliant, and the tunnel shot is wonderful, the curve of the road and the curve of the tunnel roof give a double whammy! Good one!
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