Category Archives: Travel

You’ve Got Mail!

Rural mailboxes near Lac La Belle on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan

During our time in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, we took a day to explore the countryside and essentially circumnavigate the peninsula.

Rural mailboxes near Lac La Belle on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan

We came across this line of mail boxes near Lac La Belle. It is certainly the most mail boxes I’ve seen in one place! We didn’t count them – feel free if you must! – but we estimated there to be about 20 in each section and 6 sections. I wonder how long it takes the letter carrier to stuff all those boxes?

Rural mailboxes near Lac La Belle on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan

Falling For Falling Water

Upper Tahquamenon Falls, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Michigan

I started the most recent installment of my photographic journey chasing waterfalls in western North Carolina, and still enjoy checking out new-to-me waterfalls during our travels. We recently stopped by Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the U.P. of Michigan to see and photograph the Upper Falls.

Tahquamenon Falls is sometimes referred to as the “root beer falls” due to the amber color of the waters caused by tannins in the cedar swamps from which the river drains. The water really does take on the cast of root beer barrel candies!

Don’t Adjust Your Set….

Piles of Taconite, a form of iron ore pellets used in the production of steel. Seen at the Algoma Steel Company plant located on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada

Kathy & I are currently on a journey through cool, comfortable Michigan. We’ve visited a number of places so I’ll likely be posting images completely out of order as I get to them!

We recently visited Sault Sainte Marie, MI and did a boat cruise (never pass up a boat cruise!) on the Soo Locks. These piles of Taconite are used in the production of steel and were waiting alongside the Algona Steel Company on the St. Marys River. The black piles made me think of the opposite of something like White Sands, NM.

Yellowstone: Mammoth Hot Springs

Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

We thought we had a pretty good idea what to expect. But when we rounded a curve and caught our first glimpse of the formations of Mammoth Hot Springs, our first thoughts were “is that snow???”

Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

The first impression of Mammoth Hot Springs is that it can’t be real. It is so different from anything we’ve ever seen that it just doesn’t register. And when one gets closer it looks even stranger, as the patterns, colors and textures of the various deposits defy the logic of our memories.

Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

After spending a little time studying the springs, it becomes a little more clear what is happening and why. Eventually it begins to make a little sense, although looking at these photos a month later I still have a hard time comprehending what I saw. It was quite an experience and one I’ll remember for a long time.

Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Dryad Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Minerva Trace. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Dryad Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Grassy Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Palette Spring. Lower Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
View of the Mammoth Hotel and visitor complex from the Main Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park

Hard To Believe

Bison in Snow. Yellowstone National Park near Biscuit Geyser Basin

Yesterday afternoon the thermometer on our patio (in the shade!) read 100 degrees. The month before we were taking a photography tour in Yellowstone. In the snow at 30 degrees!

Still processing photos and a bit behind, but couldn’t resist commenting on the temperature differential.

Stay cool, wherever you are! 😉

Pine trees in Snow. Kepler Cascades overlook, Yellowstone National Park near Old Faithful Inn

A Very Nice View

Chapel of the Transfiguration. Grand Teton National Park

The Chapel of the Transfiguration is a small log chapel in Grand Teton National Park, in the community of Moose. The chapel was sited and built to frame a view of the Cathedral Group of peaks in a large window behind the altar. The chapel, which was built in 1925, is owned and operated by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson. The church is open daily, and still hosts services on Sunday. On the day of our visit, an organist was playing in the chapel.

Chapel of the Transfiguration. Grand Teton National Park

The chapel was built to serve guests and employees of the dude ranches that stretched north of Jackson along the base of the Teton Range. The land was donated by Maud Noble, owner of nearby Menor’s Ferry, predating the establishment of Grand Teton National Park in 1929 and its expansion into the Moose area in 1950. The chapel played a primary role in the movie Spencer’s Mountain, which was filmed in Jackson Hole in 1963, and featured Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara.

Chapel of the Transfiguration. Grand Teton National Park
Chapel of the Transfiguration. Grand Teton National Park

The chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1980.

Chapel of the Transfiguration. Grand Teton National Park
Chapel of the Transfiguration. Grand Teton National Park

A Visit To The Gordon Parks Museum

The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS

Yes, I’m sort of working backwards through my (4,888!) photos from this trip, because there are so many from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It’s gonna take me a while to get through them all!

Hoping for extra credit in Professor Curto’s History of Photography class 😉 Kathy & I visited Fort Scott, KS to see the Gordon Parks Museum. We had previously been to Fort Scott in 2020 to visit the Fort Scott National Historic Site, but the museum had been closed.

The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS

From the Museum website:

After Gordon Parks attended the first-ever Gordon Parks Celebration in 2004, he gifted the Gordon Parks Center with 30 of his photographs. This spectacular group includes many of his iconic works such as American Gothic, Tuskegee Airmen, Flavio, Ali Sweating, Ingrid Bergman on Stromboli and many others.

In 2006, after his death, his personal effects and other memorabilia, per Gordon’s wishes, were given to the Museum. This valuable collection included many of his awards and medals, personal photos, paintings and drawings of Gordon, plaques, certificates, diplomas and honorary doctorates, selected books and articles, clothing, record player, tennis racquet, magazine articles, his collection of Life magazines and much more.

Since that time, more gifts have been given by his family and friends such as his camera, gifted by his daughter Toni Parks; his film camera and tripod, donated by his son David Parks; a collection of photographs of Gordon donated by Patricia DuBose Duncan, and much more. These gifts have made this collection substantive and significant and we are proud of Gordon’s faith in us to preserve and protect his legacy.

The museum houses a nice collection of Parks memorabilia, including a number of prints, some cameras, numerous awards and displays chronicling Parks’ life and work. I knew him as a photographer and film maker but didn’t realize that he was also a talented musician, composer, writer and poet.

Photos of Gordon Parks on display at The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
Selected prints of Gordon Parks’ photographs. The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
Selected prints of Gordon Parks’ photographs. The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS
The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS

A Stop In Fort Collins

Prairie Dogs at Pine Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins, Colorado

After our two weeks exploring Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, we started our journey home with a quick stop in Fort Collins, CO to see our buddy Monte. We packed a lot into a little over a day!

Pine Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins, Colorado
Monte photographing at Pine Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins, Colorado

 Monte met us at our motel and we had fun catching up over a nice dinner. The next morning while Kathy slept in, I met Monte at Pine Ridge Natural Area, one of his usual haunts. After an hour or so of burning pixels, we retreated to Cups, one of Monte’s regular coffee shops.

Salsify blossom. Pine Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins, Colorado

We went our separate ways for the rest of the morning, then met up after lunch for a drive out to the Pawnee National Grassland just east of Fort Collins. High winds from an approaching storm system made for challenging conditions on the ground but gifted us with some very interesting skies.

Interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado
Interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado
Interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado
Interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado
Interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado
Interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado
Interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado
Monte photographing the interesting clouds over Pawnee National Grassland, east of Fort Collins, Colorado

We had a second dinner before signing off and getting packed up for the rest of the journey home. It was great to see Monte again and catch up in person instead of just virtually through our blogs!

Yo Ho Ho, Etc.

Stade’s Rum Distillery on Barbados

Those who know me know that I love to bring home “liquid souvenirs” from our travels. Our recent cruise on Celebrity Beyond was no exception. For our visit to the island of Barbados I had arranged a tour to take us to three distilleries. As luck would have it, our driver/guide for the day is a rum aficionado, so he was the ideal person for us to spend the day with. He also had a great place for us to have an authentic Bajan lunch!

Foursquare Distillery on Barbados
Tour and tasting at Foursquare Distillery on Barbados
Barrels of Rum at Foursquare Distillery on Barbados
Tour and tasting at Foursquare Distillery on Barbados

We visited Foursquare, Mount Gay and Stade’s distilleries, and brought home several bottles from each.  Just like with bourbon, gin and other spirits, rum distilleries all have their individual stories, methods and recipes. It is interesting to learn about them, in the interest of science, of course. 😉

Original Mount Gay Pot Still from 1760. At Mount Gay Rum on Barbados
Tour and tasting at Mount Gay Rum on Barbados
Mount Gay Rum on Barbados

I have finally completed all of the processing from our winter adventures and posted galleries on my Adobe Portfolio page.

Tour and tasting at Stade’s Rum Distillery on Barbados
Stade’s Rum Distillery on Barbados

A Walk In The Woods

Rocks and moss. McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA

On our way to Ohio to see the eclipse, Kathy & I stopped off in western Pennsylvania to visit our friends Jim & Lisa. While we were there we made a trip to McConnell’s Mill State Park to do a little hiking. The mill itself has fallen into disrepair, but the covered bridge has been nicely maintained and makes for a picturesque scene on Slippery Rock Creek.

Covered Bridge over Slippery Rock Creek. McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA
Covered Bridge over Slippery Rock Creek. McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA

I had been to this park years ago, but enjoyed the time outdoors and with friends. I even managed to make a few photographs.

Cascades on Slippery Rock Creek. McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA
McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA
Kildoo Falls. McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA
Kildoo Falls. McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA
Rocks and moss. McConnells Mill State Park near Portersville, PA