karen maze photoblog

I made a short photo trip to Fresno in July. It’s in the Central Valley (as in, San Joaquin Valley) of California, about 200 miles north of Los Angeles. I had never been there before and what I found was a hub of trade, transportation, and agriculture.

1) Fresno Train Station. This is the new facade, a revitalized version of the classic. 2) "Fresno" is the Spanish word for "ash tree". The leaf of the ash tree is featured on the county flag. 3) Marquee of the Tower Theater in downtown Fresno. 4) A veritable tree of forklifts.

Drive five minutes out of the bustling downtown and you’re suddenly surrounded by grape, apricot, corn and a host of other crops as far as the eye can see.  Along with several hundred photos, I came home with a car full of local produce, including grapes and pluots - fresh, organic and local - alive with flavor like I’d never tasted before.

1) Farmers Market peppers.2) Grapes grow along the side of a road in Fresno. 3) Fresh Fresno peppermint plant.