Thursday, July 29, 2010

Discovered on the Road

Somewhere between Lafayette and Chicago, along I-65, I made the coolest discovery.

Although apparently it wasn't that cool because when I ask everyone if they knew about it... they look at me like I'm the slow one!

So, what was my 'great discovery?'

A wind farm!

(Click the pic above and enlarge it. The turbines go on as far as the eye can see!)
Now maybe I don't get out much (I don't), but this was pretty spectacular. For about 15 minutes, in all directions, there was nothing but wind turbines - for as far as the eye can see.

I once had a science teacher who called wind turbines NIMBY. What does that stand for? Not in my back yard - the thought being that they are so ugly.

I, for one, disagree. I thought the whole scene was rather breathtaking!

To give you an idea of scale, look at the huge crane in the pic above. The turbine absolutely dwarfs it!

Have you ever seen a wind farm in person?? (Seriously, I know I'm dorky but it was SO COOL!)

23 Classy Comments:

StephaE said...

I haven't, but i've seen like one or two here and there! That is pretty cool!

RAW said...

There's a huge wind farm in between Omaha and Des Moines. I agree--there's something very elegant about them. It's definitely neat to see.

Lacey Bean said...

We saw a TON of wind farms in Europe while we were traveling by train. It was so cool!!!!

Kimberly said...

I make the trek up to Chicago/NW Indiana every couple of months and love seeing the wind farm. They truly go on for miles. So glad you got to "discover" it!

Cheerful Homemaker said...

I've seen one on the way to Chicago on 55 N.

THE Stephanie said...

There are wind farms in North Texas and I agree, they're so cool! I love seeing them.

Melissa said...

I have never seen one but it looks very cool!!

Krista said...

We drive past that same wind farm every few months on our way to and from Chicago. And I agree with you, it is absolutely spectacular! No matter how many times I see it, I just love it :)

Gwen said...

I love you!!! First I actually worked on a project where we were tying into a wind farm so I have photos of myself directly under a turbine looking straight up. I'll have to see if I can find that photo. LOL!!! Minnesota has a ton of wind farms and we live on the route the blades take from the manufacturer north. So I have lots of photos of the special hauling trailers used to transport the massive blades. The worst part is the woosh noise they produce but it's cool to watch them on a foggy day. When all you see is the tip of the blade come out of the clouds. :) XOXO

Erin said...

There are a couple of wind farms near me (in CO and WY) and I've always thought they were very cool! I think they're pretty, too.

alexis @ bloomed in june said...

i live in the middle of the largest wind farm in canada, so i totally think they're cool as well. it's pretty surreal to look and see all these wind mills every which way.

but i also get why you wouldn't like them-at night, they do NOT stop blinking red lights (so no planes hit them) and a lot of people seem to have gotten major head aches from them (which i've been told may or may not be actually caused by the wind turbines).

Either way, I still think they're pretty awesome and I totally get how you think so too :)

Sara said...

Last summer, I did some contract work for the company that built that wind farm. I got to go and check it out as they were finishing it up. You're right - it was absolutely amazing! To think that something as simple as wind can be harnessed to make power? That's awesome.

Sweet Simplicity said...

There is a wind farm by my hometown and I think it is the coolest thing. I'm fascinated by them.

DSS said...

Now that you mention it...I'm not sure I have seen one IRL. I think I've only seen one on TV. I'll bet it is an amazing sight!

Ms. Emmy N said...

I first saw these years ago on a drive from AZ to California and I had the same reaction, how cool! ...they still amaze me!

Shelby Bukhenik said...

They have had them in California for awhile and they really are so cool looking!

Unknown said...

I have always thought wind farms were elegant and awe inspiring. You may be a little too young to remember the 80's kids movie, Mac & Me about an alien who befriends a handicapped boy. I don't remember the plot other than that they go out searching for a wind farm.

I hadn't seen one in real life till a few years ago when I drove to visit my ex's family in west Texas. They're so cool!

Lauren @ Dreams Take Flight said...

Oh my gosh, this was totally my favorite thing about driving through Texas. I had never seen them in real life before either! They are so massive! I thought it kind of looked like something from outer space or something!

Amber @ A Little Pink in the Cornfields said...

We have a huge stretch of land in Iowa where they are everyone! It's pretty cool! If you ever see them on the truck being transported it's craaaaaaazy how big they are!

Sherrie said...

We saw that on the way to and back from FL this spring. It makes me think of Don Quixote. :)

Unknown said...

That is awesome! I can't wait until we see more of these :)

Full of Heart said...

Yup, there's a huge wind farm just down the hill from us and I drive through it to get to work, it's always crazy over there (and way windy!)

Erin said...

We have them here in Wisconsin too! I kind of like them!

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