On our long road trips, there is no roadside sign that is more welcome to the eyes than the blue-and-white “Rest Area.” When I’m doing a lot of the driving, these brief stops are the only chance I get to use my camera, so I usually try to make the most of the opportunity. The quality of accommodations at each […]
As we drove along Highway 40 to north Texas and back again, we passed so many light-brown signs along the road pointing toward different state parks. I felt some serious twinges of regret every time I spotted the familiar color-coded indicators, wishing we had time to stop and explore each park. New Mexico alone has 35 state parks — Ute […]
As we were driving through Southern California on the way to Arizona (and further east) in early June, the Big Guy decided he wanted to pause and look at the Colorado River. This vital waterway, originating in Rocky Mountain National Park, winds through the desert south of Lake Mead and marks the state line between California and Arizona. We have […]
I have a bit of regret now that I didn’t shoot more street photography as I walked around our small Roanoke, Texas, neighborhood; at the time I was super focused on finding some bright red cardinals! And as I mentioned before, most of my time was spent indoors thanks to the warm temperatures. This small and well-established neighborhood was full […]
It was mid June, and although the north Texas heat and humidity made it difficult to get outside for exercise during the day, we were lucky to have found a small house just a couple of blocks from the heart of historic Roanoke. This small community is only a 15-minute drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and the quiet […]
Just a short drive west of Amarillo, Texas, is the site known as the Cadillac Ranch. It’s been a unique site ever since 1974, and I’m not really sure what to think of it as it now appears. But we had spotted this collection of colorful cars more than once as we drove past on our previous trips to and […]
At the Maritime Museum near Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco I discovered dioramas, ship models, and remnants of the wooden ship Niantic. California’s 1849 Gold Rush spelled the end of her varied career at sea; once arriving in San Francisco Bay, the crew deserted to search for gold. Like so many other ships, Niantic was abandoned in the bay. She was later converted to an onshore hotel — only to be destroyed by fire in 1851. More than 120 years later, Niantic‘s remants were rediscovered during a routine excavation. You can click on any of the images to enlarge and read the text.
There are a number of trails to explore when you park at the Rattlesnake Bar area of Folsom Lake SRA, but the trip out to Avery’s Pond is one of the most popular. The best time to hike the trail is in the springtime, when wildflowers are abundant and there are few if any annoying dry weeds. Of course, poison […]
Russian Gulch State Park is such a beautiful place to explore, especially on a cool afternoon in October. The sky sent down a light drizzle as I started along the headlands trail, but by the time I had circled back and later headed to the landward side of the park — following the road that crosses beneath Highway 1 — […]