In the northeastern part of Baguio City which is approximately four kilometers from Session Road is a highly sought after tourist destination called Mines View Park.
But just recently while our planet is in a state of "pandemic", I managed to visit Mines View Park to check what changed or remained static.
By the way, if you're planning to visit Baguio City, the link below will be very useful in addressing health protocols, guidelines, et cetera.
Let me start with the "not so good news". As of writing, February 18, 2021, the road leading to Mines View Park cannot be accessed directly due to ongoing infrastructure road repair/rehabilitation by qualified contractors of the Philippines Department of Public Works and Highways.
Let's cross our fingers and hope that this portion of Mines View Road (via Outlook Drive) gets finished by the end of month of February 2021.
However, you can still reach Mines View via an alternative route using the Gibraltar Road, Baguio City.
Getting to Mines View Park is stress-free, since most jeepneys, taxi cabs, or if you have a personal motorcycle, bike will bring you right in the front of the park itself, and you will see one of this ground signages.
Just a few steps from the ground signage is the Mines View Park entrance. Again, if still in doubt, you can ask the person/s on duty at the Mines View Barangay Hall on the left side of the entrance/gate.
The entrance/gate of Mines View opens very early in the morning (whole week) say, 6:00 a.m. since the businesses inside will have to prepare their display products, produce, et cetera for selling.
Lately, the City Government of Baguio through the City Treasurer's office started to charge entrance fees for the access of the Mines View Park which generated approximately Philippine Pesos 661,000.00 last fiscal year 2020.
For illustrative purposes, you will receive a ticket stub per head (just like this used one which was issued to me) once you pay the entrance fee of Mines View Park.
Mines View Observation Deck is located within Mines View Park and is accessed via the combination of cemented walkways and safe winding stone-constructed stairways.
Well, one of the amenities so far, is the updated support facilities that the park offers in terms of ease of access it provides to PWD (Persons With Disabilities). This will enable wheel chair drive through safely starting from the entrance and going to-and-fro the park.
Nowadays, an Android or an iOS app for measuring number of steps taken is most often used, and much more reliable calculator.
Personally, taking brisk walks in the City of Baguio is highly recommended especially in areas where there are lots of trees like, South Drive, Camp John Hay.
The Mines View Observation Deck is not only a tourist destination , but presents to all the chance and experience of bonding with family, friends, acquaintances. Photography, selfies is highly encouraged in the park.
The Mines View Park is highly sought after location due to it's observation deck or platform which allows walk-in visitors, tourists, bagpackers to enjoy the breathtaking landscape panorama of Itogon, Benguet. I took this photo in the afternoon.
The observation deck is designed to be enjoyed by almost everyone which is equipped with a safety perimeter of cemented railings for added protection especially small children and deck visitors. Just make sure to stay within the confines of the railings and you'll be fine.
If you happen to visit the observation deck in the afternoon, the sunlight will be coming from the back so viewing the landscape will be easy and taking pictures without the need of camera flash. I will tell you the reason why sometimes afternoon photo shoots have its unique advantages versus early morning photo shoots.
The observation deck is also a cool destination in the afternoon while if you go in the morning, it will very cold especially in the months of September through February. So, always be prepared and bring with you a shawl, thick jacket/sweater to keep yourself warm and comfortable and protect yourself from the possibility of hypothermia.
Another feature of Mines View Park is an area before the observation deck, which offers a venue taking your picture with family, friends, acquaintances using a live horse and wearing Indian-inspired costume/props for 50.00 Philippine pesos for three posed pictures.
Also,
children/adults can mount the horse with the assistance of the local operators
and take their pictures again, for a small fee. This is a unique
livelihood of the "Pony Boys" group of Baguio to augment their source of
income.
Now, horses or equine that are employed in the paid photo sessions are fine bred ones (good-natured and friendly) from Wright Park.
Another hit thing to do whilst in Mines View Park is taking pictures by posing in ready made Benguet ethno-indigenous costumes. Your pictures can become instant "post-cards" for your social media accounts like Instagram, Facebook and serve as indelible memories of your visit of the park.
The afternoon weather can be normal as depicted here and sometimes, if you visit the observation deck you will not be able to see the landscape due to thick fog banks.
For
those engaged in horticulture or just plain plant and flower lovers, and you
are looking for potted plants and flowers to purchase, well, just head over to Mines View Park
and the place offers different varieties at affordable prices.
Now,
don't haggle for prices, since we would want to help the local's earn
decent income from this livelihood.
I was surprised to even find Stevia potted plants for sale. How about that for natural food sweetener.
Well,
up to this point of the park journey is all about how to access the park as a casual visitor.
Now, there comes an occassion where those who are bitten by the "photography bug" are not only as enthusiasts, but professional photographers even go through the extremes of sacrificing their time to capture the best landscape during predawn, dawn, and sunrise hours of the beautiful views of what Mines View Observation Deck offers.
By the way, whilst the park is maintained daily in terms of cleanliness, let us also do our part to dispose properly personal trash at designated garbage bins in the park, and avoid littering e.g., candy wrappers, used chewing gum, or any waste by product.. As a practice, Clean As You Go.
My
focus is not just about the park per se, but in particular the Mines View
Observation Deck; a venue especially for persons inclined in landscape
photography, enthusiasts and/or professional photographers who love
landscape photography.
Me and my photography friends,
and mentors miss the days when there were no entrance fee to the park.
In those days, we can access the park as early as 4:30 a.m. and prepare for predawn, the arrival of dawn and catch the sunrise hours.
Patience is one virtue which tests one's stamina with time especially the waiting game.
Photographers who have imbibed as their second nature of waking up before the sun rises can capture long exposure photography techniques. This technique takes time to master and needs some investment of camera filters, tripods, wired/wireless camera shutter triggers.
Sometimes it is not only the Mines View deck where a photo composition works but also utilizing the surroundings of the park itself. Again, stretching one's imagination and trying it out does not cost a centavo, but just a little bit of effort and out of the box ideas.
Sometimes the brrr (cold) months of Baguio City works to the advantage of composition of landscape images especially a mix of low lying clouds, fog banks, and sunlight create extraordinary scenes.
Some of my photos are by chance and whilst taking this photo, a millennial photo enthusiast was taking also shot. So, why not do a shooter shooting another shooter composition. So, it turned out a good human interest capture.
Again, here's another example of a shooter shooting a shooter shooting the sunrise. Click!
This Baguio City promontory is considered as one of the highly sought after tourist spots in Baguio City because of landscape photography as one of the reasons reasons.
This happens especially on the first day of the first month of the year, that's a 01.01. Well, it has auspicious significance and to me ushers new beginnings and insights in meeting the new year, and actually kind of works with photography.
Before the practice was sending postcards to our friends, family, acquaintances to the places of interest that he have visited. However nowadays, it's easy-peasy of being Instagram-ready, and yes, it is, and of course it doesn't disappoint to take landscape photography, selfies which can be instantly shared in social media with technology using mobile phones, tablets, cameras.
Well, one has to develop a keep eye and watch and observe the unfolding drama of the interaction of the fog, clouds, with the mountains and hills of the landscape below.
Looking for great light in photography, well early morning dramatic ambient light is easily accessible in the deck. Constant practice and exercise of one's craft and doing it right the first time makes one improve and create meaningful art. However, timing is the key as sometimes the weather is not always cooperative. So, always check the present weather forecast.
To some photographers, foggy or cloudy scenes and atmospheric mood/texture to their compositions.
Again, it boils down to each personal preference on the importance of fog banks, cloud scenery.
Sea of clouds, look again, look no further. Again, timing and preparation completes the essence of capturing these ephemeral white beauty elements.
More early morning low carpet and dramatic cloudscapes.
At the end of the day, anyone with the knack of documentation can use any technological implements such as (mobile phones with cameras, DSLR, pocket cameras, 360 omni-directional cameras, et cetera) which produces photographic images, videos.
The
most important realization that I want to share is, photography is an
avenue of opening one's mind's eye as a detached observer, and the
developing virtues and positive values whilst one goes through his/her
life journey in time.
Mines View Park and Mines View Observation Deck is just one of the destinations offered to everyone in Baguio City, so make time off to visit (and bring your cellphone camera or any implements to take photographs with).
Enjoy and keep the clicking (shutter). I'll see you when I see you. thanks for dropping by. Stay safe.
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All photographic images used in this blog are personal intellectual property of AvianQuests.com
Avianquests.com
focuses on travel destination blogs covering the Philippines- Regions
I, II, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) using photography to
document society/ethno-indigenous culture, landscapes at dawn/dusk;
coastal communities, local livelihood, et cetera.,
