ginger snaps

on the road…

my family and I are embarking on a cross country road trip today.

we left late, but happy and excited.

we have a lot of hopes but are trying to limit our expectations. a challenge, to be sure…

I wish we were in a Nash Rambler…

our rental car is smaller than we expected, but we were able to fit all our gear for a month into the trunk and backseat without totally crushing everyone. the reality is that whether we were leaving for a week or a month, we’d probably have the same amount of stuff…

it’s crazy hot but we’re in the car, so I guess it’s ok. we’re lunching in Bakersfield of all places because it’s where we are and we are hungry. but ugh. Bakersfield… talk about a city down on its luck. I know this is a Photography blog, but there is literally nothing to snap here that doesn’t make me feel depressed.

these socks! they do not make me depressed AT ALL!

once in the Mojave, it did become a little interesting out the window. purple mountain majesty and all that…

then there was this:

we got to our cabin on Hualipai Mountain around 8 and had dinner.

on to the Grand Canyon!

on the fence

fence 1 Pt Reyes California

I’m not sure when or why it happened, but somehow I became obsessed with fences…

enjoy.

Wolf House -Jack London State Park, California

I actually don’t even remember where this is… California

Monument, OR – near John Day Fossil Beds

Big Trees State Park, Calaveras County, CA

Redwoods? yes, please!

I recently drove from Seattle to Berkeley. did you know that you can drive along part of Redwood National Park for a while?! you can!! it’s called the avenue of the Giants.

I freaking love redwoods. they’re like no other thing in the world: ancient and beautiful, living and breathing. it’s incredible to stand in their shade. it’s like 25 degrees cooler there…

thank goodness I rarely go anywhere without my camera these days…

chasing waterfalls pt 1 (or route 30, a diversion)

waterfalls, well, water in general, gives me such a feeling of serenity and calm unlike anything I’ve ever felt. on a recent trip to Oregon, we went down old route 30 to see some of the finest displays of falling water one can experience in such a short tract of road.

this was on the hike to Multnomah falls; it’s just water pouring from the rock face. I loved it.

horse tail falls without my face in the way

anyway, part 2 of this post will be other stunning water spots along the Oregon meander (that’s what I’m calling this trip).

enjoy, and go find a waterfall!

little crater lake

in the mount hood national forest, on a random forest road, literally in the middle of mostly nowhere, there exists a little crater lake.

it’s not very wide, about 50 feet deep, and completely crystal clear. as you can see, there are dozens of fallen trees, sunk down to the bottom where the water is a crisp 34°F.

the trail head is at the little crater lake campground, follows a marshy (but boardwalked) trail, and about 1/4 of a mile down the path past the lake is a junction on the Pacific Crest Trail.

I would never had seen this lovely work of art in nature if I hadn’t first driven down a shady, winding NF road along the Clackamas River, which hadn’t been the original plan.

I guess it just reminded me that sometimes plans change and you wend down the road less traveled to find a piece of stunning natural beauty. I’m going to try it again very soon.