You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘photography’ category.
Sand Hill Crane, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12
We went out last weekend to break in our new travel trailer. We had originally planned to go to Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral three weeks ago, but Tropical Storm/Hurricane Sandy screwed up those plans for us. She ended up screwing a lot of things for a lot of people, so we’re not complaining too much. Instead we headed out to Moss Park, a local favorite of ours. It’s an Orange County park nestled between Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane with a relatively recently remodeled campground. New, clean bathrooms, spacious sites and wide roads that are very easy to maneuver on. (Unless, of course, you’re having a heart attack. We were camping here last Presidents Day when I was suffering from what turned out to be my “cardiac event”. I could not back my trailer into an extremely wide site to save my life, even with the help of a kind neighbor. Looking back I was certainly “cognitively impaired” from the event…at least more impaired than normal. Feel free to insert jokes here.)
One of the things we like about this place are the critters that stroll through at all hours of the day. Deer, racoons, armadillos, Fox Squirrels and turtles have all made appearances. The most common critter in the campground is a protected bird: the Sand Hill Crane. They are tall, noisy birds that stroll around their habitat like they own the place which, in a sense, they do. They are protected in Florida and it’s common to see road signs warning of their presence and to find traffic stopped, even on major roads, while they stroll across the street. They are everywhere at Moss Park and we have had many experiences with them. (They also serve the function of an alarm clock, honking to each other VERY LOUDLY at dawn.) This trip I put on one of my better lenses and got some very nice shots.
Oh, we also had a nice weekend roughing it with the new trailer. Sitting outside with a beer in my hand watching the NFL on the HD TV mounted on the side of the Winnebago was out of character for me, but certainly appealing in its own way.
PS: Be sure to click on the pictures to look at them full size. A couple of them are pretty cool.
Sand Hill Crane, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12
Sand Hill Crane, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12
Young Buck, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12
Cruising, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12
Roughing It, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12
Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12
After finally getting a hot shower, we left Bryce and hit Utah Route 12 for the drive to Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park. This whole leg was a result of research back in Florida. The Rt 12 drive was described as a “must do” by the folks on TripAdvisor and it is easy to see why. It has been designated a “National Scenic Byway” and, even more impressively, an All American Road. We needed to go north anyway in order to get back to Salt Lake City, so this was a no-brainer.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, 8/1/12
And what a beautiful drive it was, too. Impressive scenery, some sphincter-tightening moments, a great lunch and some unplanned turn-offs all combined for a very enjoyable day. The first unplanned stop was at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (it’s easy to find while traveling north…just hang a left after the Airstream-themed Drive-In/Campground) where we met a very nice young lady who took our entrance fee. Since there was nobody behind us, we spoke for a bit and asked her what else we should see on the way to Torrey. She STRONGLY recommended that we drive down the Burr Trail where, about 11.5 miles in, there was a nice slot canyon we could walk into. We took a hike in the park where Patti saw petrified wood for the first time, then we pressed on. In Boulder, we stopped for a delicious lunch at Hell’s Backbone Grill where they also recommended the Burr Trail. After doing the Anasazi State Park Museum, and getting yet another Burr Trail recommendation, we headed down the Burr Trail Scenic Backway. The narrow, winding road connects Boulder, Utah, to Capitol Reef and continues on to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. We wished we were in our own truck rather than a rental car so that we could keep on going but a segment of it is unpaved. It’s a stunning drive through red canyons and scrub land. We found the slot canyon without a problem, right at 11.5 miles, and got out to explore. It was raining not too far off, though, so we didn’t linger.
Torrey, UT, 8/1/12
We arrived in Torrey with plenty of daylight left, so we ducked into Capitol Reef for a bit. Stopped at the visitor’s center where the ranger told us to check out the petroglyphs that were close by. We got there just as a herd of deer moved through an orchard, complete with a fawn frolicking through the trees. After seeing the glyphs, we headed back to our hotel just outside the park. At dinner that night, Patti got her second “first” of the day when she saw hummingbirds at a feeder just outside the restaurant window. It was pretty spectacular and I got some nice photos and even a movie.
Next morning, our last on the road, we explored Capitol Reef some more, enough to know we need to come back. Lots of beautiful scenery in this lightly visited park. We also got to participate a bit in the park’s 75th birthday celebration (yummy cupcakes), took a scenic hike to Hickman Bridge, picked peaches in one of the orchards (free if eaten there, $1/lb otherwise), bought some delicious pies and preserves (which we’re still enjoying), took many more photos, then headed up the road to Salt Lake City and eventually, home. Road Trip 2012 was over. Bummer.
Slot Canyon, 11.5 miles ESE of Boulder, UT, 8/1/12
Slot Canyon, 11.5 miles ESE of Boulder, UT, 8/1/12
Capitol Reef National Park, 8/1/12
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, 8/1/12
Hickmans Bridge, Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12
Orchard, Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12
Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12
The Orbiter Endeavour left KSC for the last time this morning on its way to L.A.. I got some shots from the causeway between KSC & the Air Force Station, and some from my office window.
Yet another ending in the growing list.
Endeavour Departure, KSC, 9/19/12
Endeavour Departure, KSC, 9/19/12
Endeavour Departure (from my office window), KSC, 9/19/12
Endeavour Departure (from my office window), KSC, 9/19/12
When we first started planning this trip, I was pretty excited about visiting Bryce. Photographing the bizarre hoodoos, particularly at sunrise, was another item that was on my must-do list. Plus there were a couple of trails a short walk from the lodge that were within our level of expertise/fitness and crazy beautiful at the same time. Lots to look forward to.
We got to the park after a short and pleasant drive from Zion. It was drizzling when we arrived, so we tried to check in right away, but it was way too early and they told us to return at 4:00. OK, we figured it shouldn’t be too hard to find something to do and we were right. We got our first look at the canyon, and the hoodoos, from Inspiration Point. I’ve gotta tell you, Mother Nature sure is a strange bird. The hoodoos are just indescribable, all shades of oranges, whites, grays. The structures reminded me of those I had seen in caves in Virginia and West Virginia, except under a blue sky instead of a low ceiling. I knew I was going to enjoy photographing this place.
We went on and completely overloaded on the views at Bryce Point, Paria View and Sunset Point before heading back to the lobby a few minutes before 4:00. They made us wait again, which I felt was odd. Finally, at the stroke of 4:00, a nice lady started to check us in and we found out what was up: while upgrading the lodge’s plumbing the workers had busted the water main. No water, no they didn’t know when it would be back on, I’d be happy to get you a bag of ice from the kitchen. On the way to the room I saw a guy obviously opening a buried valve and sure enough we had running water in about an hour. No big deal.
Sunrise Point, BCNP, 7/31/12
The next morning I got up very early in order to shoot the sunrise while Patti elected to remain horizontal. As I was heading towards the door with my gear, the fire alarm went off. Loudly. Patti rolled out of bed, got dressed and joined me to walk to the rim of the canyon on a brisk morning before sunrise. She was thrilled. While waiting for the sun, we finally heard the alarm stop, so Patti retreated to the showers while I shot the amazing sunrise. The colors changed by the moment. That 20 minutes lived up to the anticipation.
After breakfast Patti and I packed up some water and the cameras and walked down the Navajo Loop Trail, through Wall Street and back up the Queen’s Garden Trail. About 3 hours and it also lived up to the hype. The canyon is even more impressive when you’re down in it. We drove the park that afternoon, from Rainbow Point back to the lodge. A couple of adult beverages, a nice dinner and we were ready for a mellow night. I was heading to bed, where Patti was already into her book, when the fire alarm went off. Again. Twenty minutes of standing around outside (at least we had put our clothes on, two British girls were out there in their night gowns wrapped in towels) and we were let back in.
The next morning I quickly discovered that there was no hot water. Great. After a dirty breakfast (we were dirty, not the food), we went back to our room where hot water awaited. To be fair, all of these escapades were a result of a single event, the water main break, and they did give us a break on the bill.
Interestingly, while Bryce easily met all of my high expectations, we would probably prefer to return to either Zion or the North Rim before returning here. This isn’t to knock Bryce in any way. It’s just how much we loved the other two. The reality is, we’ll be back to all of them.
Sunrise, BCNP, 7/31/12
Wall Street, BCNP, 7/31/12
Navajo Loop Trail, BCNP, 7/31/12
Queen Victoria, BCNP, 7/31/12
Queen’s Garden Loop Trail, BCNP, 7/31/12
Natural Bridge, BCNP, 7/31/12
Zion Lodge, ZNP, 7/29/12
After breakfast and a walk out to Bright Angel Point, we hit the road to Zion. After about a 3 hour leisurely drive, including a nice stop for lunch in Kanab, we found ourselves marveling once again at a landscape that was different from what we had seen so far. Shortly after entering the east entrance of the park, we pulled off just before the second of two tunnels and walked the Canyon Overlook Trail to, well, the Canyon Overlook. It was hot but spectacular, with a beautiful panoramic view down Zion Canyon that included the very winding road we were about to drive.
From there we pressed on to the Zion Lodge, which is located in the narrow valley between two towering cliffs. This portion of Zion National Park is so busy that you are only allowed to drive your car in if you are staying at the lodge, and even then you can only drive straight to the lodge. Otherwise, it’s all shuttle bus access. Our cabin was comfortable and the experience was nice, but next time we’ll stay in Springdale which is located just outside the park. More restaurants while still maintaining easy access to the park.
Cowboy Bob, ZNP, 7/29/12
Next morning it was up and out to a horseback ride with Cowboy Bob, and what a character he is. Married 49 years (to an obviously very patient woman), he spent 26 years in the Navy (including 3 tours in Viet Nam on river boats) and the rest of his life being a cowboy. He was very funny, in a bad joke kind of way, and provided us with a very pleasurable 1.5 hour ride to The Court of the Patriarchs. Just beautiful and lots-o-fun. We also met a very nice woman from Philly whose husband and sons were hiking the Narrows.
After our horsey experience, we hopped the shuttle to the end of the line at the Temple of Sinawava and walked up the Riverside Walk. This was as crowded as 5th Avenue at lunch time and, although beautiful, there were just too many damn people. We walked a couple of miles then it was back to the lodge for a cold beer. That evening we took a tour on an open air tram with a guide who was a physicist by training. He was a nice, knowledgeable guy who took us around explaining the valley to us in a way we could understand. I just wish it was in a way I could remember, because most of what he said, but not all, is lost to me now. It was a lot of fun and a very mellow evening.
Next morning we were up early and took a quick walk to the Lower Emerald Pool and got some cool photos from behind the waterfall. Then it was time to leave Zion and head to Bryce. We were pleasantly surprised by Zion. It was the park I had probably prepared for the least and therefore knew the least about, but it’s the one that’s probably near the top of the list to go back to. There’s a lot to do (hike the Narrows, hike to Angels Landing) that we didn’t get a crack at this time. We’ll be back.
View of Zion Canyon from the Canyon Overlook, ZNP, 7/28/12
Moon over The Watchman, ZNP, 7/28/12
Court Of The Patriarchs, ZNP, 7/29/12
The Virgin River, ZNP, 7/29/12
The Lower Emerald Pool, ZNP, 7/30/12
The Altar Of Sacrifice, ZNP, 7/30/12
Cape Final, GCNP, 7/27/12
The North Rim marked the beginning of our taking walks (or hikes, depending upon your definition). Our first night at the lodge, Patti crashed early as a result of taking seasickness pills earlier in the day for our tour of Lake Powell. Never one to miss an opportunity, I walked out to Bright Angel Point in order to shoot the sunset. The pictures were completely worth the effort, but what I hadn’t taken into account was that we were at about 8300 feet, which is about 8290 more than I’m used to. The walk back up to the lodge was an eye opener for me. Surprisingly, that was the only time I was significantly out of breath during this trip. Which is not to say the only time I was out of breath.
The next day we got in the car and checked out, in order, Point Imperial, Cape Royal (which includes Angel’s Window) and a nice hike to Cape Final, followed by some cold beers on the lodge veranda. Since our priorities on this road trip were, in no particular order, to see cool stuff, do some walking/hiking, take beautiful pictures, and relax/not knock ourselves out, this day can be marked as a complete success. This was also the first real test of my recently upgraded cardiovascular system which seemed to pass admirably.
When we got home and I started scrubbing the photos we took, I realized that many of them lend themselves to being cropped into panoramas. Here are some from our time at the North Rim. I’m already looking forward to returning to explore more. We only touched the surface on this trip!
Near the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12
Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12
View from Cape Final, GCNP, 7/27/12
Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/27/12
Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/27/12
The North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12
After our (eventful) boat ride on Lake Powell, we hopped in the car and headed towards the north rim of the Grand Canyon for two nights in the lodge. It was my first visit to the canyon; Patti had been to the south rim briefly many years earlier. I was pretty excited. I’d been looking forward to seeing this for many years and I knew that there were going to be lots of opportunities for some excellent photos. I was not disappointed!
Our North Rim Cabin, GCNP, 7/26/12
After driving down one hell of a mountain, we went through Lee’s Ferry which consisted pretty much of a couple of bridges, a visitor’s center, and extremely high temperatures. Once we started climbing the plateau to the park, the temperature moderated quite a bit. The drive into the park was simply gorgeous, a nice winding road through forest and meadow. Sweet. I have since confirmed that along much of this road you can pull off onto one of the many unpaved roads and simply find a nice isolated spot to camp. That is on the list for next time!
The North Rim Lodge Veranda, GCNP, 7/26/12
The lodge itself is everything I expected it to be: rustic, comfortable and set among world-class views. From the porch of our cabin you could see the canyon, from the veranda of the lodge were tremendous views. We never had a problem grabbing a chair, enjoying an adult beverage, soaking in the sights and listening to people from all over the world. It rocked. I want to go back. Now.
Next time I’ll talk about what we did while we were there. It’s time to look at some pictures.
The Sitting Room in the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/27/12
An Odd Sign at Lee’s Ferry, Az, 7/26/12
Angel’s Window, GCNP, 7/27/12
View From Angel’s Window, GCNP, 7/27/12
Cape Final, GCNP, 7/27/12
View From Point Imperial, GCNP, 7/27/12
Kennedy Space Center, 8/16/12
Allow me to divert from our trip report for a few moments to show y’all some photos from yet another in a long (too long) series of “lasts” that have been taking place here on the Space Coast over the past few years. On August 16th, two Orbiters came nose to nose for the last time. Endeavour was wheeled into the VAB to wait for her ride to her final resting place (Los Angeles) and Atlantis, which is staying here at the KSC Visitor Center, took her place in the OPF for final processing.
Just over a year ago, these kinds of photo ops would have drawn a few thousand workers away from their desks so that they could snap some pictures and just be near these insanely cool, and even more insanely complicated, vehicles. Now, as the local paper reported, there were only a few dozen people. I see this phenomenon every day as I drive around the base, easily finding parking in empty lots that used to be a real pain in the ass to drive to. I wish it was still a pain in the ass.
Sidenote: I was told the other day that it has been reported that 75% of the folks laid off have found work again either here or elsewhere in the country. That’s the good news. I also read about another ex-worker that committed suicide. That’s the bad.
Enjoy the pictures.
Kennedy Space Center, 8/16/12
Kennedy Space Center, 8/16/12
Kennedy Space Center, 8/16/12
Goulding’s Lodge, Monument Valley, UT, 7/25/12
Next up we drove from Moab to Page, AZ, via Monument Valley. Monument Valley was exactly what we expected with buttes and mesas popping up all over the place. We kept expecting to see scenes out of a John Ford western with covered wagons or tasseled indians or, above all else, John Wayne riding tall in the saddle. They loves them some John Wayne out there in that part of the world.
Lunchtime view, Goulding’s Lodge, Monument Valley, UT, 7/25/12
That morning, before leaving Moab, we had bought a couple of sandwiches to throw into the cooler, being sure to apply the lessons learned from the previous evening’s picnic (ie: sandwiches & water don’t mix too well). We got to Goulding’s Lodge where, according to Patti’s research, The Duke and John Ford used to hang their spurs while filming in the area. We enjoyed our sandwiches in a nice shady spot overlooking the beautiful valley and had what turned out to be my favorite lunch of the trip. Beautiful breeze, beautiful view. I’d throw in beautiful company, but Patti would probably dope slap me for getting mushy.
From there to the Lake Powell Resort where we splurged for a night and lived the high life. Had a nice dinner with a lovely view of the houseboats on the lake. Next morning we were up early so we could check out and take a tour boat for a 2.5 hour jaunt around the lake and up a couple of slot canyons. Another time expenditure that was totally worth it. We saw the Glen Canyon Dam, then headed up Antelope Canyon for some gorgeous scenery. As we cruised by the refueling dock at the new marina we heard a big “whump!” that didn’t sound good. A boat had blown up! Of course I took photos. It burned to the waterline and eventually sank (after being towed away from the dock).
Up Navajo Canyon for more beauty, then back to the resort, the rental car, and the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Our 6 nights in National Park lodges was about to begin. We hadn’t seen anything yet.
Gooseneck SP, Monument Valley, UT, 7/25/12
Monument Valley, UT, 7/25/12
View From Lake Powell Resort, Page, AZ, 7/25/12
Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, AZ, 7/26/12
A Bad Day, Lake Powell, AZ, 7/26/12
Navajo Canyon, Lake Powell, AZ, 7/26/12
Dead Horse Point SP, 7/24/12
Standing in front of the Monitor & Merrimac at our first photo stop of the trip. Canyonlands NP, 7/24/12
We kicked this trip off by making the half-day trip from Salt Lake to Moab with Patti’s brother & sister-in-law. They had just finished a big weekend celebrating their 40th anniversary and joined us for this segment of the trip. After we checked into our hotels (they were at a very swanky place outside of town), we hooked up and went for a drive. We checked out Canyonlands NP and I got the first of many, many photos. Next morning, Patti and I hit Arches NP early and ran into a ranger about to start a guided walk at our second stop. He took us about the Windows area and gave us a nice flora/fauna talk. We also took a short hike up a hill (our first challenge) to see Delicate Arch from a distance. The altitude made itself known.
We joined the family at their fancy digs for lunch. Afterwards we took a drive up Rt 128, which is just beautiful, and checked out Fisher Towers and Dewey Bridge, which, as we all know, was the second longest suspension bridge west of the Mississippi. Back in the day. That night we checked out Canyonlands more thoroughly which was pretty damn impressive. Lots of stunning views of canyons. This was also about the time that the phrase “Holy crap!” came to mean “Look at that!” It was said a lot over the next two weeks. Then we went to Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset and a picnic dinner.
There are a couple of things that I really looked forward to on this trip. Photographing Sunrise at Bryce Canyon (which was great, btw). Enjoying a cocktail on the veranda at Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge (which was great too). Also on that list was shooting sunset at Dead Horse Point SP. From reading about it I knew it was impressive, but the actuality of it was a new experience for me. I got lots of very nice shots there. And learned lessons concerning wrapped sandwiches and coolers.
Looking down “Park Avenue”, Arches NP, 7/24/12
One of “The Windows”, Arches NP, 7/24/12
Off, way off, Rt 128 near Moab, UT, 7/24/12
Dewey Bridge, Rt 128 near Moab, UT, 7/24/12
Canyonlands NP, 7/24/12
Canyonlands NP, 7/24/12
Dead Horse Point SP, 7/24/12
The World as We See It 