No outing has stirred-up my yearning for road trips more than driving from Chicago to Los Angeles along Historic Route 66. With the right guide there is still much to be seen. For any fan of early twentieth century Americana, the path is rich with rewards. How much have I enjoyed it? Well, enough to have driven it eight times and still be wanting more!
Check out my first trip blog here.
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Between two extensive road trips covering what will amount to more than 22,000 miles I decided it was appropriate to post a reminder. There are plenty of lovely sites near home in the mid-atlantic area. One such destination is Ricketts Glenn which is a four hour drive into Pennsylvania and in theory a one-day round trip. Here youll find a network of 21 waterfalls over a very short distance, making it both pleasant to visit and gratifying to photograph.
Check out the original blog post here: Ricketts Glen Falls.
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Something about the Alhambra made me reflect on other ancient dwellings.
Earlier in 2010 I spent a week running around New Mexico. Why? Easy, I was totally ignorant about the State: its history, its people, its geography. Spending time driving around within its borders I learned a lot. One lesson was that many different indigenous people have called home the territory we now refer to as New Mexico. These people left behind evidence that they once occupied the area: their dwellings.
The early peoples lived in many dwelling types: underground, above ground in structures, etc. However, the most interesting to me were their dwellings in cliffs. Not just a rare exception, cliff dwellings can be found throughout the region. Most were occupied several hundred years before the Alhambra was established but, like the great structures of Granada, these structures impress you and cause you to wonder.
Check out the post covering the Gila Cliff Dwellings.
Or, if you’re interested in the bigger picture then see my New Mexico trip.
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Many of the animals I see along the Appalachian Trail I see only fleetingly. Bears scamper off often before you can even focus on them. Deer may pause and stare but it’s only seconds before they bound away. Rarely do I have the privilege of staying in their presence for very long.
OK, so at the zoo they’re confined and that explains why they can’t run away!However, nowadays animals are not caged and they’re treated quite well within their confinement habitats. At the zoo I’m able to linger in their presence and that’s what I was looking for to put my new lens to quick use last Christmas.
I went to the National Zoo to focus on animals’ eyes.
Click here to view a reprise of my old blog post.
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Nowhere on my plan did I write “Oh yeah and climb England’s tallest peak.”
Nowhere!
Still, that’s what I did while visiting Fort Williams in western Scotland, on the border of the highlands. From near sea level it’s a persistent climb over several miles as you climb to the peak. At the base they were warning people off due to bad weather but when was I going to come back? Not any time soon so I put on all the layers of clothes I had and set out. It was rewarding.
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For some odd reason bridges hold a fascination for me. It may be due to the fact that all their architectural wonder is on display for everyone to see. The variety and beauty also contribute as does size, either small or large. I seem drawn to bridges and in this quiet period while I’m traveling around Oregon I thought I’d post a retrospective to some bridge pictures.
To see a gallery of the 17 bridges crossing the Thames in London click here. <fix>
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Cave visits seem to be a recent theme so I thought I’d surface one of the very best. Located in New Mexico, this National Monument is vast, vast, vast and chalk full of formations. Better still for a photographer, you can enter with a tripod and go at your own pace. This luxury affords a great opportunity to capture wonderful images.
To see some shots from Carlsbad Caverns click here.
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My first trip to France was from London via the Chunnel.
Good stuff, though my hostel left much to be desired.
Click here for a look back on my visit.
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