I was looking for some entrances to tantalizing backroads that I can see from I-280 near some really photo-worthy scenery, but couldn't figure out how access worked. I dialed up Google Maps, and found the above picture. Any brainiacs have any theory as to what kind of building keeps three white spheres on top? Any chances of getting shot if I drive by too slowly?
UPDATE: There is no LOS to this facility from any public road. The actual road up to it is "private, no tresspassing". It's in the middle of an "open space preserve" (CA has tons of them) -- it's definitely not a school. The picture now links to the google maps page; if you scroll around, you'll see a whole lotta roads that don't seem to go anywhere. If you go north, eventually you'll find this:
19 comments:
John and I were thinking that it looks like a radar facility of some kind. Is is near an airport or old military installation??
Radar or electronically propagated observation facility. Could be scientific too.
Funny, I was thinking that as well. Could be a chemical facility or plastics testing facility. Might be best to take a drive and see if there is a fence around the property, if so, I don't really recommend driving slowly by.
Look for a chain link fence and warning signs. If there are some, just keep going. If not, I am thinking some kind of weather station, or monitoring station. It doesn't look like a communications setup. A tip off if its a government facility is to check for vehicles with government license plates.
Wee-yerd.
If I read the terrain right from the shadows, it's under the ridge, meaning it's not very well-sited for weather radar.
Sphere like that can be water tanks. But there's nothing resembling heat-exchangers, steam power, or sewage treatment tanks. In addition, a building of this size sited close to desert or dry land should have some kind of chiller units on the roof: there aren't any, and that makes NO sense unless this is damned far north.
In addition, there's Sphere #4 set lower into the ground, with a pretty good retaining wall. And the vegetation out back is low, and clearly unnatural in growth pattern, perhaps having taken over an old supplementary parking lot. The main parking lot is designed for a very small number of cars... but has a space for a bus turnaround.
There are no gates,thoguh there's what looks to be a speed-bump two cm to the right of where the parking lot roads join... and the land near it shows obvious sign of really heavy-duty clearance to the NE.
My guess is that it's either a really odd school, or else it's a high-speed low-drag Fire-and-Rescue station, and that white thing you're seeing pointing south from the NE corner of the building is the front of a fire engine.
I can't tell if those are spheres, or fairly tall domes with the shadows confusing things.
Amanda
That second picture looks more like a water tower.
I think it's a private airport. Domes like these are put over radar to protect them from weather. It's not a secret government facility because the domes would be angled to protect them from detection from other radar sites.
Additionally, I'm pretty sure that's a small landing strip opposite the parking lot.
Knowing the rest of what Jim typed, I would buy that.
And I agree with Coffeespaz about the water tower.
It turns out that somewhere in the preserve is a pumping station for water, so my current theory is that that's it, and for some reason they're using spherical tanks.
Makes the most logical sense.
So what say you...is it photography time?? Looks like a very lush area.
I'm more inclined to think the second one is the pumping station, if either of them are..
Somewhere in that area is the Water Temple too although I think that's off to the Southeast..
Water Temple?
Yeah I found it on Google.. It's pretty wild looking.. Look up 'Pulgas Water Temple'.
http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/pwt.html
Looks like a nice area.
Yeah, Northern CA is gorgeous. Very nice if you're a photographer. I cringe at what my photo-life'll end up like in TX.
Ah, but TX has its own charm too, just like the Northeast versus the SouthEast on the coast.
We've already had that debate, and certain people here will agree with you.
JimDesu is all about the easy eye-candy...
(how's that for fightin' words? Come 'ere, BOY!! COME ON!!) :)
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