EC-135A Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) – South Dakota Air & Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
Years ago I hung out with a bunch of guys who were pilots. Some of them owned their own planes – small homebuilt planes or private planes like a Piper Colt or Ercoupe. I actually got my own private pilot license, although I haven’t actually driven a plane in about 30 years. Photography is a very economical hobby compared to flying! But I still like planes, especially big noisy ones.
C-130E Hercules at Scott Field Heritage Air Park at Scott AFB, IllinoisC-130E Hercules at Scott Field Heritage Air Park at Scott AFB, IllinoisC-141B Starlifter at Scott Field Heritage Air Park at Scott AFB, Illinois
One day a bunch of us were talking about going to the annual EAA Fly-In in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For a week at the end of July, the EAA “AirVenture” as it is now called, is the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration®. Kathy was understandably skeptical about the idea of spending a week at an airport with a bunch of airplane geeks, so she asked, “is there anything to see there besides airplanes?” One of the guys looked up and said to her in all seriousness, “well yeah, there’s parts!”
KC-135 Stratotanker at Scott Field Heritage Air Park at Scott AFB, Illinois
We didn’t see many airplane parts on our western road trip, but we did see lots of planes. We visited the static displays at Scott Field in Illinois and Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota. There are a few photos here, but for those who need to see more, I’ve posted a gallery of airplane photos on my Adobe Portfolio site.
B-52D Stratofortress at the South Dakota Air & Space Museum, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South DakotaB-1B Lancer – South Dakota Air & Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South DakotaA-7D Corsair II – South Dakota Air & Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
Locomotive used by the Great Smoky Mountains Railway in Bryson City, North Carolina
I was reading a recent post on Monte’s Blog in the context of a commercial print job I’m currently working on. Monte was discussing how much he wanted a new Fuji lens (me too!) but indicated that his current cameras – 4 and 6 years old – still suited him fine, and he reminded us that all cameras still require a photographer to work.
I was recently contacted by a local restaurant owner about providing prints for their bar and dining rooms for an upcoming remodel. I’m flattered that they asked me, and even more excited that it is one of our favorite restaurants. And that they want 17 photos! One of the things that interested me in the context of Monte’s post and the discussion about needing a “pro” camera for doing quality work is the breakdown of the cameras that were used for the photos we chose for this project:
Canon 5D – 1
Canon 5D Mark III – 3
Canon Powershot G12 – 4
Fuji X-10 – 2
Fuji X-E2 – 1
Fuji X-T1 – 1
Medium Format Film Scan – 1
I wasn’t too surprised about the number of 5D shots, and I wasn’t at all surprised at the number of shots from the Fuji X-E2 and X-T1, my current cameras. But I was quite surprised at 6 of the photos coming from two point & shoot cameras! Maybe there is something to be said for ditching all of the interchangeable lens cameras and just buying a single, good, point & shoot camera!
I’ll share the photos later. Or even better, photos of the photos once they are hung!
Walkway leading to Everett Street in Bryson City, North Carolina
What’s This Stuff? Spotted in a gift shop at Wall Drug in Wall, SD
I hardly ever see film anywhere any more. So I was a bit surprised to see this at a gift shop at Wall Drug. I didn’t check the expiration date. I wonder if they also sell Kodak mailers for processing?
“The Road to Nowhere” in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City, NC
Kathy & I paid a visit today to the so-called “Road to Nowhere” in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City, NC. I wrote about this place in a previous post from last October (just a year ago? Wow!). We caught just a little bit of the end of fall color, before the bottom falls out of the thermometer in a few days. We’ll be back home to our toasty house and our gas fireplace by then!
View of The Painted Canyon at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Our original plan was to stop at the visitor center at for a stamp in Kathy’s Passport book, take a few photos and move on. But even though the weather was iffy when we got there, the scenery was so captivating that we decided to stick around until dark. And we’re glad we did!
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaView of The Painted Canyon at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaView of The Painted Canyon at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaView of The Painted Canyon at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
The visitor center is situated at a rest stop along I-94 and is one of the few interstate rest areas where you can actually see bison. We didn’t see any at the rest stop, but did see a lot of them in the park, both up close and from a distance. The best way to see the park is to drive the loop road, which is what we ended up doing.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaTheodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
A portion of the loop road through the park was closed due to some aerial spraying being done, but the road was open enough to get some good views from within the park. “Prairie Dog Town” was a lot of fun, with hundreds of the cute little critters popping their heads out of their holes to peek at us. We got a little “up close and personal” to some bison that wandered through a parking area right behind our car. I was very glad to be in the car and not out wandering around with my camera!
Bison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaBison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North DakotaBison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Our visit could have been longer had we gotten there earlier or if the weather had been better, but it was longer than we intended, and that is a testament to being open to change and flexible in our plans. It was a worthwhile detour, for sure!
“Geese In Flight” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota
One of the “must visit” places on our recent trip through North Dakota was a place called The Enchanted Highway. The Roadside America website gives this brief overview, and you can visit the link for more details:
“Thirty miles south of the nearest major highway, the town of Regent was dying, and Gary Greff decided someone had to do something about it.
A metal sculptor and retired school teacher, Gary started the work in 1990. His master plan was to create ten giant sculptures, one every few miles along Regency-Gladstone Road, paired with picnic areas and playground equipment. All the sculptures face north, toward the oncoming traffic from the interstate. Seven have been completed.
An additional sculpture towers along I-94, essentially an artistic billboard enticing travelers to exit and head south to Regent. Geese in Flight went up in 2001, next to the Gladstone exit — and it is claimed to be the World’s Largest Outdoor Sculpture.”
“Pheasants On The Prairie” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota“Tin Family” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota“Tin Family” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota
Our visit occurred on one of the nastiest (relatively in North Dakota terms!) of our trip. We started off in the morning with rain and 35 degrees, went through 3-4 inches of snow at 31-32 degrees, then finally ended up in Rapid City where it had warmed to a welcome 40 degrees with light drizzle. You can see the progression of rain to snow in the photos, as the snow increased as we went south on the route.
“Fisherman’s Dream” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota“Fisherman’s Dream” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota“Grasshoppers In The Field” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota“Teddy Rides Again” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota
It’s easy to see the mud that we found at all of the pulloffs, so I made good use of my “car-pod” to make the photos, only getting out of the car where I could do so without tracking through the muck.
“Welcome to Regent” sign along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota“Whirly Gigs” One in a series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North DakotaThe Enchanted Castle, a hotel in Regent, North Dakota at the southern end of “The Enchanted Highway”
These photos are a few of the highlights of our visit. I’ve created a separate gallery on my Adobe Portfolio page for anyone who just needs to see more of The Enchanted Highway!
Series of metal sculptures along “The Enchanted Highway” between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota
Custer National Cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
I’ll be the first to admit that we didn’t come anywhere close to doing Montana justice. We basically cut enough of the corner between Wyoming and North Dakota to count it as a “visit” (even still, it was 300 miles!) but purposely decided ahead of time that it was a state we would revisit later to explore in more detail.
Custer National Cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
Our visit was essentially limited to a stop at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It was a cold, wet day with the precipitation fluctuating between rain and snow, and my photos reflect that. While I’m sure that sunny weather like we saw for most of our trip would have made it more beautiful, the gloomy weather made for appropriate conditions at a place that has such a dark role in American history.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaRural countryside along SR 47 near Custer, MontanaRural countryside along SR 47 near Custer, MontanaRural countryside along SR 47 near Custer, Montana
