| Nightfall 2013 Nightfall at the Palm Canyon Resort was cancelled in 2012 due to financial problems. The resort was closed for a year as they looked for a new owner. Whoever bought the place did over one million dollars of renovation work, and the place is really nice. This is the new lobby. Behind the lobby is the restaurant. |
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2013 The exteriors were all redone and painted in an old west style. Very nice. |
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2013 That was my room - the Dress Shop on the second floor. It only takes about two minutes to walk from my room to where the scopes are set up in the RV park next door. What a great concept - not having to tear down the rig every night and getting to sleep in a real bed at night. Fred and I usually come down a couple of nights before the star party starts and also stay an extra night or two to make it a seven night trip. It's about 500 miles from Santa Cruz so we like to make it worthwhile. |
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2013 One of the pools and hot tub from my balcony. |
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2013 Looking out to the desert from the lobby area. This region of desert is really beautiful. You can even rent or lease a nice house out here. |
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2013 On one of the first days of the star party they host a reception at the bar - sodas and light bar food. You gotta buy your own booze. Jeff and Chris. |
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2013 Walter and Chris came down together with Walter's new trailer. He tricked it out to accommodate all of his astronomy gear. There was still room for Chris, his telescope and camping gear. Jeff, Walter and Al. |
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2013 There's my rig. An Astro-Physics 900GTO mount with a Celestron 9.25" EdgeHD OTA. I'm still using my SBIG ST-4000XCM color camera Here I'm guiding with an SBIG ST-i planetary camera. This year my imaging included NGC 891 (a galaxy) and NGC 6888 - The Crescent Nebula. Gotta do something about all that cabling :) |
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2013 Fred keeping an eye on all of our gear. |
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2013 Fred all ready to go with his rig: Losmandy G11 GoTo mount with an Orion 190mm f/5.3 Mak/Newt OTA. Imaging with an SBIG ST-4000XCM One-Shot-Color (OSC) camera. |
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2013 Al's site with his 12" SCT for imaging. |
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2013 Al setting up his 18" computerized Dobsonian. Probably talking to Annie :) |
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2013 Walter and Chris packing it all up for the 12 hour drive back home (at 55 mph with a trailer). |
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2013 Chris and Walter just about ready to go. |
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2013 Here's all of us from the 2013 Borrego Springs trip. Back row: Walter, Lynne, Fred, Chris. Seated: Jeff, Ron, Al. |
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2013 Here's a little better picture. Back row: Al, Ron, Fred, Lynne Jeff. Front row: Chris and Walter. |
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2013 Chris and Walter hitting the road for home. |
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