Tag Archives: Arizona

Photo Project: 50 States

Truly Grand…The Canyon, That Is

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Views from Mohave Point Overlook, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

It’s a bit of a paradox for me – it’s hard to make a bad picture of the Grand Canyon.  But yet, it’s hard to make a really good picture of the Grand Canyon.  Not because it is one of the most photographed places on Earth and has been done a bazillion times and a bazillion ways, but because it is so darned BIG!

View from Grand Canyon Village near the El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
View from Mohave Point Overlook, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Of course it is impossible to imagine what something like the Grand Canyon will look like in person.  I’ve been to Niagara Falls, and it is big.  I’ve been to Alaska, and places like Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Denali?  Indescribable.  But the Grand Canyon?  I’ve seen it from the air and didn’t realize what it was, because it is so vast.  And down on the ground where you can only see a small part of it, while that part was so big, well.  Words fail me although it doesn’t stop me trying. 🙂

Views from Maricopa Point Overlook, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Hermits Rest, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

We originally weren’t planning to stop at the Grand Canyon, figuring it would be overrun with people, with no place to park, overlooks and shuttle buses crowded with people.  But no.  We arranged our schedule to get there on a Monday in early May, which turned out to be a great choice.  We got a good place to park, never had to wait for the next shuttle, had very few people at the overlooks, and relatively light crowds in the Grand Canyon Village.  We even got a reservation for lunch at the El Tovar Hotel and a table with a canyon view.  Sweet!

Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Desert View Watchtower at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

We only had a day, so we made the most of it.  We didn’t try to get there for sunrise or stay until sunset, partly because I knew that early and late in the day, when the canyon is all in shadow, is generally not the best time to photograph it.  The middle parts of the day provide good, even lighting, while the hours before and after can provide some dramatic shadows.  It’s also important (I think) to have some nice clouds to provide an interesting sky.  We sort of lucked out on all those counts.

Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

It was a good day and we were both very glad to have made the effort.  There are a lot more parks that we want to see, and once we finish up our 50 states project, getting to those parks is going to be one of our priorities.  The list is long! 🙂

As I’ve been doing, for those who are interested or just bored 😉 I’ve added a Grand Canyon gallery to my Adobe Portfolio site.

Desert View Watchtower area of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Travel

Saguaro National Park

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Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona

I’m back at the computer and trying to finish up my photos from our visit to the southwest.  I’ve recently posted new galleries to my Adobe Portfolio site and am continuing to add more as I go.  It feels like I’m only halfway, but I think I’m a little further along than that!

Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona

We visited Saguaro with our friends Cheryl & Mike, over the course of two days.  The park is divided into the West and the East, and we visited the East on a cloudy afternoon, and the West the following day with sunshine and blue-sky.  The sunshine and blue sky made all the difference in the world in appearance, quality of images, and not least, the heat!  It gets warm in the desert, although not nearly as warm in April as later in the summer!

Red Hills Visitor Center at Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona

The Red Hills Visitor Center in Saguaro East was especially picturesque, with the lattice roof casting dramatic shadows at mid-day.  Interestingly, I’ve seen very few photos of this, although I managed to make more than a few of my own!  Maybe I just didn’t look in the right place.

Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona

Anyway, here is a sampling of my photos from our visit.  There are more to be found on my Adobe Portfolio site.

Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
Dead cactus at Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona
Photo Project: 50 States

Now THIS Is Oatman!

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The town of Oatman, Arizona is famous for its wild burros (and tourists) roaming the streets. A Route 66 attraction.

Skipping ahead a bit because I’m processing photos faster than I can write about them.  If anyone is interested in seeing more of my “vacation photos,” head to my Adobe Portfolio page, where I’ve been adding galleries with more photos from places we visited.  I’ll keep adding more galleries as I go and will eventually have a whole album.

A little bit of everything in Oatman
Pretty sure it isn’t Burro Jerky
Shotgun Weddings?  Yeah!
It’s hard to tell the burro food from the burro poop, so watch your step.

The first stop on our Route 66 adventure was Oatman, Arizona.  We had no idea what to expect, but suffice it to say that we could never have imagined it!  We were expecting a sleepy little place with old buildings, a shop or two and some tumbleweeds blowing through town.  But no….  We got there late morning on a Sunday, and the place was jammed with people, cars, motorcycles and…burros!  Turns out it is a pretty happening place.

Security cameras?  Why?
The town of Oatman, Arizona is famous for its wild burros (and tourists) roaming the streets. A Route 66 attraction.
The Best Little Orehouse in Oatman
Someone is having an identity crisis

Our first concern was – oh, crap.  Is this what Route 66 is going to be like the whole way?  But no, I think we actually came across more people at one time in Oatman than we saw anywhere else on Route 66.  It was amazing!

Daily “gunfight” on the main street of Oatman, Arizona
Daily “gunfight” on the main street of Oatman, Arizona
The town of Oatman, Arizona is famous for its wild burros (and tourists) roaming the streets. A Route 66 attraction.
The town of Oatman, Arizona is famous for its wild burros (and tourists) roaming the streets. A Route 66 attraction.
The town of Oatman, Arizona is famous for its wild burros (and tourists) roaming the streets. A Route 66 attraction.

We didn’t stay long, only long enough to walk up and down the street, take in one of the “gunfights” that happens several times a day, then join the parade of vehicles out of town.  But once we left the town limits the road was deserted, pretty much from there to Kingman.

Not your typical Oatman transportation
Well, maybe
More likely….
The town of Oatman, Arizona is famous for its wild burros (and tourists) roaming the streets. A Route 66 attraction.
A must-have on Route 66.  Especially the leather….
The town of Oatman, Arizona is famous for its wild burros (and tourists) roaming the streets. A Route 66 attraction.
Postcards

Postcard From Flagstaff, Arizona

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The Lawrence Lowell Telescope, which was used to discover the planet Pluto at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona

We were able to get tickets for a daytime walking tour of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.  Highlights of our visit included looking at the sun through a solar telescope and visiting the building that houses the “Pluto Discovery Telescope.”  I think I want to be an astronomer when I grow up. 🙂

Interesting story about the boxing glove.  It was put there by a maintenance guy who kept hitting his head on the end of the counterweight.