Shelley and I both share a love for travel and photography. Shelley brought the love of travel to our relationship, and I brought the love of photography. Now we both share our loves. And this is the place that we share that love with you. Our travels do not always show up in the order in which they occur.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
MARK TWAIN, THE INNOCENTS ABROAD
In late August and early September, Shelley and I set out on a Great American road trip. We left our home base in Parkville, Missouri and headed west. The plan was a scouting trip for future trips. We stayed with friends along the way and also made some new ones.
Part Two of the Into West is the continuation of a multi-part series that chronicles the journey that Shelley and I embarked on in late August and early September; a journey that covered over 5,000 miles, seven states, and two provinces of Canada over the course of about two weeks. If you missed out on […]
We started day five in Idaho at a lovely cabin perched on a mountainside over-looking a valley. Day five was the first full day that would be devoted to Yellowstone National Park. Little did we know that when we started out we would actually see more than we had planned.
Shelley and I awoke again to the breathtaking view at the cabin west of Yellowstone near Island Park, Idaho. Day six of the journey was our last full day in Yellowstone National Park. And we still had a lot to cover.
This was the last morning at the cabin in Idaho. Shelley and I awoke and began packing to leave for our next destination. On this day we would be finishing up Yellowstone National Park and making our way to Bozeman, Montana.
Day eight began in Bozeman, Montana at our friends’ home. The plan was to travel together up to West Glacier, Montana where the four of us would rent a cabin for three nights and two days.
Day nine saw us waking up at the West Glacier cabin. The four of us ate breakfast and then headed into Glacier National Park.
Once more our company of four started out from the cabin in West Glacier, Montana into Glacier National Park. Our goal was to make it to Logan Pass as our first stop on this, our second and final day in Glacier National Park
The morning of the eleventh day of our trip was a sad one. We parted company with Clint and Ann, who headed home as we continued north for a two night’s stay in Banff, Canada. Early on, Shelley and I decided to travel along the western side of the divide to see a little bit of British Columbia.
The morning of day twelve we awoke in the Fox Hotel near the heart of Banff, Canada. Shelley and I planned to travel back north into Banff National Park, with the hopes of seeing Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and a leisurely drive down the Bow Pass Parkway back to Banff.
Shelley and I awoke on the morning of day thirteen in the Fox hotel in Banff, Canada. There was one thing that I still wanted to see prior to leaving Banff and beginning our journey home, and that was the Bow River Falls. So, with that in mind, we loaded up the vehicle, checked out of the hotel and made our way through town to the falls.
Day fourteen began in Great Falls, Montana with Shelley and I was hoping to make it down near Devils Tower National Monument for the evening. Little did we know that almost every road between Great Falls and Billings, Montana was being totally rebuilt.
Shelley and I awoke in Gillette, Wyoming on day fifteen of the trip hoping to spend time at both Devils Tower National Monument and Badlands National Park. Shelley had previously been to Devils Tower National Monument, whereas I had not. We both have spent time in Badlands National Park on previous trips out west.
Morocco 2013 is a 11-part article about a trip that Shelley and I took with my cousins Tracy and Sarah in late February of 2013.
The second day of our tour of Morocco with my cousins Tracy and Sarah started out at Tracy’s loading up the car for a Moroccan road trip. Our destination for the day was the town of Fes which is located in the middle Atlas Mountains. Keep in mind that clicking on the photographs throughout the blog will […]
Third day of our Moroccan road trip started out with breakfast in the Dar Ziryab (http://www.darziryab.com/en/) in Fes. I must say that the Moroccan breakfast is carb loaded, but when in Morocco do as the locals do. The plan for the day was to meet up with one of Tracy’s co-workers and tour the Medina. Keep […]
In this fourth part of the Morocco trip we pick after lunch on day three. Our group had decided after eating lunch to walk to the old Jewish quarter of town. Yes I know what you are thinking, “isn’t Morocco an Islamic country?”. Well the short answer is yes, but they do allow other religions; […]
The fourth morning of the Moroccan road trip began with breakfast at the Dar Ziryab in Fes. Once again there was plenty to go around. I’ll take this time to show off the Riad. I just could not get over the detail in the craftsmanship that went into the construction of the house. It was […]
After I finished photographing the riad we loaded up in the car and left for our next destination, the town of Chefchaouen, located about two and half hours to the north of Fes. This town is nestled in the Rif Mountains and is known for its buildings being painted various shades of blue. Along the […]
The fifth day of the trip, Shelley and I awoke at riad Dar Echchaouen, ate breakfast, and then after making plans to meet Tracy and Sarah in the medina, we started our self guided walking tour of the Blue City of Morocco. Before leaving the riad we checked with the front desk about retaining the […]
Cabo Negro We awoke to a cold apartment that had no running water in Cabo Negro. One might question cold temperatures in Morocco, but remember Morocco is North Africa and the building that we were staying in in Cabo Negro did not have any heat. The community is normally in low season during the winter […]
Septa / Ceuta Our only full day in Ceuta was full of walking. Shelley and I decided to walk the streets of the city and photograph what there was to see. We started our journey with a walk along the Mediterranean Sea toward the Royal Walls of Ceuta. THE ROYAL WALLS The Royal Walls of […]
Ceuta at Night This was the last night in Ceuta and after a late dinner I wandered the city looking for the light of the night. This is something that I already loved doing, and since the Morocco trip I have found that I love photographing cities in the early morning and late evening light […]
We left Septa / Ceuta after two nights and one full day. We headed for Rabat following the N13 to N16 to the A4 bypassing Tangier. We then head South on the A1 to Rabat where we stopped for lunch and saw some of what the city had to offer. All in all we were […]
Shelley and I arrived in Madrid Spain. We had decided to stay closer to the airport, as our flight was one of the earlier ones for the next morning. Once we had settled into the room with our all of our bags, we went down to the front to inquire as to the easiest way […]
Just one more post about A Night on the Town in Madrid. While I was looking back at the photographs from Shelley and I’s short time in Madrid I found a few more that fell into the category of street photography. While we we walking the streets of Madrid I took multiple frames of the […]
Shelley and I awoke on the Canyon rim that first morning to a balmy -14 degrees. Growing up in Minnesota this was not a problem for me.
After returning to the room in the Thunderbird Lodge Shelley was awake and ready to go breakfast at the Harvey House Café, located in the Bright Angel Lodge.
When Shelley and I travel we photograph during all qualities of light. And yes this includes during the midday harsh light. For me, photography trips are not just about the act of making photographs, but getting out and making new experiences.
While Shelley and I were wandering through and around the buildings along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon we came to Hopi House. While there I learned that The Hopi House was constructed in 1904
Toward the end of the afternoon, Shelley and I found ourselves at the Hopi Point overlook. Here the South Rim trail runs very close to the parking lot. The trail was covered with packed snow and ice. This caused most people to stay parking lot to take in the view.
For sunset Shelley and I ended up at Mohave Point. We had hiked and driven along the south rim of the Grand Canyon most of the day looking for the best location at which to photograph the setting sun over a portion of the Grand Canyon.
Shelley and I began our second day at the Grand Canyon by driving from the Grand Canyon Village all the way to the Desert View entrance to the park on the Eastern end of the South Rim. My thinking was to drive as far as Desert View that morning.
While Shelley and I were out on day two scouting for locations we stopped at Navajo Point. I was looking to compose a photograph that would include Desert View Tower
Shelley and I arrived next at Lipan Point. We were still scouting for a sunset location on day two. I must say that Lipan Point is one of my favorite overlooks into the Grand Canyon.
We arrived at Mather point it was filled with people who were in the Park for just the day. It and Desert View were the two busiest points of interest during Shelley and I’s stay in Grand Canyon National Park.
As the light was fading in the afternoon of day two of our trip Shelley and I found our selves near Yavapai point. We were walking along the South Rim trail near the Yavapai Geological Museum and Bookstore.
This morning would be my last chance to photograph at Desert View. Shelley and I departing the Grand Canyon for Page AZ. We ate breakfast and loaded up the vehicle for what was to be the longest driving day of the trip.
Shelley and I left Desert View and the Grand Canyon behind. We headed north to Page Arizona. Home to both Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon.
Introduction Welcome to part 1 of a 20 part series where I will discuss the photographic process and photography opportunities that Shelley and I had on our trip from Seattle to San Francisco along the Pacific coast in 2018. This trip gave us insight has to where we would love to go back to and […]
So, here is a little insight into me as a photographer and person. I love visiting State Capitol buildings so much that I will go out of my way to see one that I have never seen before. This being my first time in the State of Washington and knowing that Olympia Washington was slightly out of the way from Seattle to Forks, I had to take the side trip.
Rialto Beach – Olympic National Park The first morning near Olympic National Park I awoke early with enough time to drive to Rialto Beach well before sunrise. The prior evening Shelley and I had tried to photograph the sunset at Rialto, but the sky was overcast to the point that there was no light to […]
In the last blog, I talked about the morning and evening of day one in Olympic National Park. This installment, we will be exploring some of the waterfalls in the National Park. Starting with Madison Falls. Madison Falls After arriving in the small parking lot for multiple trailheads Shelley and I walked a winding trail […]
On the day that Shelley and I made it to the Hoh Rainforest, it lived up to its name. The trees were glistening from the on-and-off showers. Rain gear was a must for our excursion into the forest. The best tip that I have for photographing in the rain is to carry a large microfiber […]
Shelley and I arrived at Ruby Beach to find the tide coming in and the beach filling with people. This was not what I had in mind when I was planning this trip, but as with other trips, sometimes you have to work with what you have. Our time was limited because we were driving […]
Through Shelley and I’s travels, few places have lived up to the name. Cape Disappointment is one of the places that I feel did so. I have seen images online of the lighthouse and the surrounding area, and I know that it is photogenic, when presented with the right weather conditions. On the day that […]
The Wreck of the Peter Iredale The wreck of the Peter Iredale can be found within Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria Oregon. The ship ran aground on October 25, 1906, as her captain attempted to enter the mouth of the Columbia River during a storm. The shipwreck has drawn endless numbers of photographers to […]
An interesting fact that I learned while Shelley and I were on this trip is that multiple sea stacks are named Haystack Rock along the Oregon coast. The most recognized is the Haystack Rock that was used in the movie Goonies. This Haystack Rock is found on Cannon Beach. Shelley and I visited another Haystack […]
Next, Shelley and I headed down the coast along US-101 to Tillamook, Oregon. At Tillamook, we left US-101 as it heads inland and away from the coast for serval miles. Our first stop off of the old Federal road was to be Cape Meares Lighthouse followed by Cape Kiwanda, before driving just past Yachats, Oregon […]
The night before Shelley and I drove from Cape Kiwanda to the south of Yachats, Oregon, passing by Devil’s Punchbowl and Yaquina Head. We intended to drive back to the north the next morning to Devils Punchbowl and then south again to see Yaquina Head. This went as planned. Weather, on the other hand, did […]
The Cape Perpetua area is a photographer’s dream. The seascapes alone are worth the trip. The main thing to keep in mind is to plan your day around the tides. If you do not plan the trip along the tides then you will be disappointed in the outcome. I love photographing here right around high tide and with some wind. This being said, you need to be mindful of the wave action and how the wind will impact the area. While these conditions lend themselves to the best photographic opportunities, they also come with the highest chances of losing your footing and being swept out to sea. I cannot stress enough the importance of proper footwear at this beautiful location.
In the morning Shelley and I loaded up to drive further south down the coast on US-101. We would not be coming back north. Our next lodging would be in Brookings, Oregon that night. Along the way we had many photographic opportunities, the first of which was Heceta Head, which took us the full morning […]
Umpqua Lighthouse Umpqua Lighthouse is off of highway 101 and is still an active Coast Guard duty lighthouse. This being the case, there are barracks on either side of the lighthouse making it rather interesting to get a composition. Shelley and I pulled into the parking area across from the lighthouse. I pulled out my […]
Shelley and I arrived at Bandon State Park before sunset after spending time at the Coquille River Lighthouse. The weather had turned within the last few miles since leaving the lighthouse. The skies were mostly overcast, and it had started to rain. Also, the winds had picked up. Bandon State Park is mainly known for Face Rock and the small collection of sea stacks that dot the coastline.
One day is not even enough time to begin to scratch the surface of this place. Remember that this was a trip that I knew in advance would be like a scouting expedition. Shelley and I will pick a road trip and research things to see and do along the trip. We then take the journey with the understanding that we will not have enough time in most places to see everything that we would like to. Think of it as a “let’s see what is out there to see trip.” It’s a trip that we take to determine what places we’d like to go back to next time and spend more time at. One could easily spend a lifetime exploring Redwoods and might not see everything that there is to see. I, for one, would love to spend a few weeks exploring the “forest moon of Endor”.
The next morning Shelley and I arrived at Fort Bragg, California. Here we planned on visiting the Glass Sand Beach. After a short walk from the parking area, we arrived at the glass sand beach at low tide. Glass Sand? While at the Glass Sand Beach, I wanted to capture the texture of the beach […]
Shelley and I arrived at Point Arena in the early afternoon. Not the most ideal time of day for photography, but with the right gear, you can make some beautiful photographs.
Shelley and I arrived on the Point Reyes Peninsula late in the afternoon. After checking into our lodging for the night, we headed for an early dinner.
Shelley and I had a few days at the end of our trip to spend in and around San Francisco. We arrived north of the Golden Gate Bridge in the afternoon of the day that we left Point Reyes. Point Bonita Lighthouse 2018 The Point Bonita Lighthouse is located in the Golden Gate National Recreation […]
With every trip that Shelley and I take, I always learn something new. Our Pacific Northwest Coast Road Trip was no exception. While I was performing my normal pre-trip research I built a list of places that I wanted to photograph. I then planned out the route according to those places and took into account […]
While I loved the opportunity to photograph at all of the locations that Shelley and I stopped at on this epic road trip. These are my top 5 Pacific Northwest Coast Locations to spend more time at. Cape Perpetua Cape Perpetua is more than just the seashore. From my trip research, I knew that there […]
Shelley and I arrived at Shoshone Point believing that we had hiked all of the way to Yaki Point. We wandered around looking for possible sunset compositions. The problem that we incurred was with the layers of clouds as they were we would most likely not get enough direct sunlight for sunset. With this in mind, I settled on a composition that included a gnarly tree clinging to the edge of the canyon.
For Shelley and I’s first stop of the morning, we were headed to Grandview point. I find that when photographing a location that is as popular as the Grand Canyon that I am drawn to compositions that are overlooked. Compositions that most of the visitors simply walk past on their way to the grand vistas. […]
After Shelley and I finished at Moran point we continued east to Desert View Point. As we were driving down that scenic two-lane road I saw a cloud front moving in the direction of Desert View. Desert View is without a doubt one of my top 5 locations to photograph along the south rim of […]
Shelley and I awoke on our second morning at the Grand Canyon hoping to photograph Sunrise at Mather Point. Well, I was really hoping to find a composition that would work for predawn and sunrise. And after seeing how crowded the rim trails were at sunset the night before I was worried. If you have […]
Shelley and I arrived in Page Arizona just afternoon. Far too early to checking in to where we would be staying for the next couple of days. The Horseshoe Bend overlook that everyone goes to was undergoing extensive work by the National Park Service and the City of Page. More about that in a bit. […]
Lake Powell was a location that I scouted digital from Google maps, 500px, and over photo-sharing services prior to our trip. I was looking location that would offer wide vistas and the possibility of epic sunrise. Morning landscape photography sessions are my favorite. The world is new and fresh. Every morning brings new possibilities with […]
Page Arizona is most famously known for being the home of Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. Did you know that there is more to see and do then both of these locations? While I was in the planning stages for this trip back in 2019. I researched different tours that left from Page. I was […]
The Lomaki Ruins at Wupatki National Monument were the first ruins that Shelley and I visited. Originally we were going to drive through the Wupatki National Monument on our way from Page to Flagstaff. After seeing the Lomaki Ruins this all changed. Shelley and I turned off of US 89 into Wupatki National Monument south […]
Shelley and I returned to Wupatki National Monument after eating a late lunch in Flagstaff. This time we head straight to the visitors center and the Wupatki ruins. We were hoping to have enough time to photograph the main ruins and Wukoki ruins prior to sunset. Upon our return, the winds had picked up and […]
Shelley and I arrived back at Wupatki National Monument in the evening to photograph the Wukoki ruins. After spending the bulk of the day at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument we drove north on 395 to make the righthand turn onto the paved road that leads to the Wukoki Ruins at Wupatki National Monument. We’ll […]
for my final composition at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. I happened upon this twisted dead tree. That was laying on its side right next to the trail. I loved the shadows that it was casting on the ground. It did not hurt that the tree had multiple twists and turns to it. I sit down on the ground close enough to fill the frame with my wide-angle zoom lens. For this composition, I also wanted to slow down the clouds in the sky. I made this photograph with my Nikon D600 at ISO 100, 14mm, f/11, and 10 seconds.
Shelley and I headed out to explore Walnut Canyon National Monument on our way to Petrified Forest National Park. While this location is of historical importance and is nestled in a beautiful canyon that beauty alone does not guarantee great photographs.
Shelley and I left Walnut Canyon National Monument for the Painted Desert entrance to Petrified Forest National Park. The original plan was to spend most of the afternoon scouting the Park for locations for our next trip to Arizona. This was based on feed and information that we had received friends and family members who […]
Shelley and I left Phoenix well before sunrise for our return to Petrified Forest National Park. We had decided late in the evening after arriving in Phoenix that we head back to the Park and spend the full day there. Stones and Clouds – Petrified Forest National Park Shelley and I walked started our day […]
For our last day of the trip, Shelley and I decided to visit Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. This National Monument is located south-east of Phoenix. Ruins – Casa Grande Ruins National Monument I knew that I wanted a photograph of the “Great House” as well, but there were far too many people walking around […]
As I sit here writing this post in the middle of 2020 I am thinking back to that first full day on the “Garden Island”. Hanapepe Valley was seen in passing on that day. It was just a pull-off from the road to the Russian Fort near Waimea.
After a day of exploring Kauai for photographic compositions, Shelley and I settled on Poipu for photographing the setting sun.
Some nights sit you with your camera pointed at a composition. The waves are right. There are just enough clouds in the sky with your frame. The breeze cools you as you watch the setting sun. And at the last moment, as the sun is sinking closer to the horizon, you realize that another cloud bank as cut off the light that is needed for the sky to ignite in your carefully composed photograph. Then you just sit there watching the waves and setting sun. Take in a deep breath and think to yourself what a beautiful day.
Sometimes you need to visit and revisit a location in order to archive the results that you are looking for. For Shelley and I’s trip to Kauai, Kilauea Point was one such location for me.
One of the least stressful visits that Shelley and I had during our time on Kauai is our time spent […]
The Wai Koa Loop Trail is one of those hidden gems that you find on the island of Kauai. Shelley […]
Some locations take multiple visits, Hanalei Valley is one of those locations on the Island of Kauai. I found myself […]
Waimea Canyon is one of my favorite places in the whole world. Of course, it’s on the island of Kauai, […]
For Shelley and I’s last evening on the island of Kauai, we spent it photographing two of the island’s iconic […]
Photographing the Menehune Fishpond Overlook was Shelley and I’s last location on our last day on the island of Kauai. […]