AROC Convention 2025 Day 2 Yerkes Observatory
Scheduled Day 2 activities included the Gimmick Rally (which I did not enter) with a route that ended at the historic Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. I had to be back at the hotel by 2PM to get set up for the national Board of Directors meeting at 3PM, so I drove up independently in the Giulia and found some terrific farm roads that allowed me to let the 2.0 liter sing a bit and it got me to the observatory earlier than the rallyists. When the first group arrived we were treated to a fabulous tour of the facility and got a glimpse of the history of astrophotography as this telescope is the largest refracting telescope in the US. After the tour of the telescope we saw some images on original glass plate negatives that were just stunning and reminded me of the time when I was a volunteer at the San Diego Photography museum and made prints from the glass plates they had there. After the tour, I headed straight back to Crystal Lake.
