So without further ado, meet Tucker!
~OTP
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Bonus image
Thought we should introduce our traveling companion...this is his first big road trip, and so far he's handled it like a champ!
So without further ado, meet Tucker!
~OTP
So without further ado, meet Tucker!
~OTP
On the road again
Out There Photography is on the road again!
Not a megatrip this time...just a short road trip down to Oregon for our friends' wedding, with numerous stops along the way to visit family and friends.
Nevertheless, beautiful scenery deserves to be photographed!
At the moment, we're staying with friends in White Salmon, WA (across the Columbia River from Hood River, OR), enjoying the spring weather...green grass, blooming flowers...it's a nice change of pace from North Idaho!
We headed east on Hwy. 14 this morning, just a few miles out toward Lyle, WA. Shot a couple of nice roadside waterfalls and walked the paths at Catherine Creek. It was a pretty mellow excursion, but there were great photographs to be had.
Enjoy!
~OTP
Not a megatrip this time...just a short road trip down to Oregon for our friends' wedding, with numerous stops along the way to visit family and friends.
Nevertheless, beautiful scenery deserves to be photographed!
At the moment, we're staying with friends in White Salmon, WA (across the Columbia River from Hood River, OR), enjoying the spring weather...green grass, blooming flowers...it's a nice change of pace from North Idaho!
We headed east on Hwy. 14 this morning, just a few miles out toward Lyle, WA. Shot a couple of nice roadside waterfalls and walked the paths at Catherine Creek. It was a pretty mellow excursion, but there were great photographs to be had.
Enjoy!
~OTP
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
White Rock Mountain, Arkansas
Since we've been spending so much time in the desert southwest lately, we thought we'd shake things up a bit and head off to a different part of the contry...so let's go to the Ozarks!
While staying with Cathy's sister in Oklahoma, the three of us (plus her two dogs) went camping over in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Our first night out we camped at a place called White Rock Mountain. It's a beautiful park, perched (as you might have guessed) on top of a mountain. The views were spectacular, and we managed to get camp set up in time to go watch the sunset from the viewpoint. Hardwood forest as far as the eye can see, and no sign of civilization to be had. It was a surprisingly peaceful place!
The following morning, as we were packing up camp, we discovered we'd made a new friend overnight (see last photo). Cathy also made friends with a very persistent 4-inch-long walking stick bug (there was a great deal of shrieking when she discovered said bug crawling up her shoulder!). The photos of the walking stick didn't turn out that great, but he's an interesting critter, so we've included one anyway.
More from Arkansas in the next post!
~OTP
While staying with Cathy's sister in Oklahoma, the three of us (plus her two dogs) went camping over in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Our first night out we camped at a place called White Rock Mountain. It's a beautiful park, perched (as you might have guessed) on top of a mountain. The views were spectacular, and we managed to get camp set up in time to go watch the sunset from the viewpoint. Hardwood forest as far as the eye can see, and no sign of civilization to be had. It was a surprisingly peaceful place!
The following morning, as we were packing up camp, we discovered we'd made a new friend overnight (see last photo). Cathy also made friends with a very persistent 4-inch-long walking stick bug (there was a great deal of shrieking when she discovered said bug crawling up her shoulder!). The photos of the walking stick didn't turn out that great, but he's an interesting critter, so we've included one anyway.
More from Arkansas in the next post!
~OTP
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| Walking stick bug |
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| Our overnight friend |
Monday, March 21, 2011
Mesa Verde
The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park are stunning to behold. It's hard to imagine an entire village tucked into a crack halfway up a cliff face, and harder still to imagine actually living in a place like that.
We saw many incredible places on our cross-country trip, but this one stands out as one of the most moving and awe-inspiring.
We arrived at the park fairly late in the day, and the cliff dwellings themselves were about 25 miles past the campground. So, we decided to set up camp, cook some dinner, and drive out to the cliff dwellings the next morning.
At 5am, we were awakened by a raging storm, with thunder, lightning, high winds and torrential rain/hail. Neither of us could go back to sleep, so we waited until the rain slowed, then crawled out of the tent into a very wet world. Rather than set up the camp stove for coffee and breakfast, we just packed up our soaking wet gear and headed for the gift shop for strong, hot coffee and chocolate donuts. The coffee and donuts were a wonderful remedy to the grumpiness of the morning!
The grumpiness and discomfort of the morning were quickly forgotten once we made it to the cliff dwellings...as you can probably imagine. What a place!
~OTP
We saw many incredible places on our cross-country trip, but this one stands out as one of the most moving and awe-inspiring.
We arrived at the park fairly late in the day, and the cliff dwellings themselves were about 25 miles past the campground. So, we decided to set up camp, cook some dinner, and drive out to the cliff dwellings the next morning.
At 5am, we were awakened by a raging storm, with thunder, lightning, high winds and torrential rain/hail. Neither of us could go back to sleep, so we waited until the rain slowed, then crawled out of the tent into a very wet world. Rather than set up the camp stove for coffee and breakfast, we just packed up our soaking wet gear and headed for the gift shop for strong, hot coffee and chocolate donuts. The coffee and donuts were a wonderful remedy to the grumpiness of the morning!
The grumpiness and discomfort of the morning were quickly forgotten once we made it to the cliff dwellings...as you can probably imagine. What a place!
~OTP
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| On the way to the cliffs |
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| On the way to the cliffs |
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| Looking down-canyon from the cliff dwelling overlook |
Natural Bridges
We're on a roll!
Natural Bridges National Monument is a pretty incredible place. Unlike Arches National Park, where the arches are formed by wind and freezing water, the arches/bridges in Natural Bridges were formed by flowing water.
Because of the storms in the area, the river was flowing full and fast, and there were smaller streams flowing in creek beds that are dry most of the year.
The last photo is of one of those usually-dry creek beds...a blood-red waterfall, colored red because of the deep red color of the surrounding soils.
So, enjoy Natural Bridges...and we may just do a couple more posts today, too!
~OTP
Natural Bridges National Monument is a pretty incredible place. Unlike Arches National Park, where the arches are formed by wind and freezing water, the arches/bridges in Natural Bridges were formed by flowing water.
Because of the storms in the area, the river was flowing full and fast, and there were smaller streams flowing in creek beds that are dry most of the year.
The last photo is of one of those usually-dry creek beds...a blood-red waterfall, colored red because of the deep red color of the surrounding soils.
So, enjoy Natural Bridges...and we may just do a couple more posts today, too!
~OTP
From Monument Valley to Natural Bridges National Monument
After leaving Monument Valley, we headed north toward Natural Bridges National Monument. The storm had passed and the sun came out, but there were gray skies all around us.
The drive from Monument to Natural Bridges was incredible. Crazy rock formations, a gorge sculpted by water, and an intense stretch of road that scaled a cliff face. What a day!
We'll be posting photos from Natural Bridges soon, but for now, enjoy getting there!
~OTP
The drive from Monument to Natural Bridges was incredible. Crazy rock formations, a gorge sculpted by water, and an intense stretch of road that scaled a cliff face. What a day!
We'll be posting photos from Natural Bridges soon, but for now, enjoy getting there!
~OTP
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| Mexican Hat |
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| Goosenecks State Park |
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| Yes, the road goes up that cliff...can you see it? |
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| View from the cliff road |
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| Looking down on the cliff road |
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Monument Valley
Wait...can it be? Two posts in two days?
As promised, we're off to Monument Valley!
Monument Valley is one of those places that everyone recognizes once they see it...it's been photographed thousands of times and it's in countless movies. It's a Navajo tribal park that straddles the Arizona/Utah border. We didn't actually go into the park, because they charge quite a hefty entrance fee (plus we had already spent too much money on the entrance fee to Four Corners). Nevertheless, it's a beautiful area and one can appreciate the landscape just fine without having to go into the park itself.
A big, nasty thunderstorm was rolling in just as we arrived at the Valley, which made photographing the area that much more fun.
The first photo wasn't taken in Monument Valley, but about 25 miles south, near Kayenta, AZ.
Enjoy!
~OTP
As promised, we're off to Monument Valley!
Monument Valley is one of those places that everyone recognizes once they see it...it's been photographed thousands of times and it's in countless movies. It's a Navajo tribal park that straddles the Arizona/Utah border. We didn't actually go into the park, because they charge quite a hefty entrance fee (plus we had already spent too much money on the entrance fee to Four Corners). Nevertheless, it's a beautiful area and one can appreciate the landscape just fine without having to go into the park itself.
A big, nasty thunderstorm was rolling in just as we arrived at the Valley, which made photographing the area that much more fun.
The first photo wasn't taken in Monument Valley, but about 25 miles south, near Kayenta, AZ.
Enjoy!
~OTP
Saturday, March 19, 2011
More from the Megatrip
Greetings, all!
Yes, once again, it's been a while, but we're doing our best.
So, without further ado, let's head to Canyonlands National Park in Utah!
There are two entrances to Canyonlands...one is up near Moab, UT, and the other is near Monticello, UT. While we really wanted to check out both areas of the park, time just wouldn't allow it, so our visit to Canyonlands focused on the southern portion of the park, down near Monticello.
This entrance to the park is about 30 miles off the main highway, so a number of the photos you'll see here aren't actually in the park itself, but on the very beautiful road that leads to the park.
An interesting little side note: During the several days we were exploring the numerous parks surrounding the Four Corners area, there were incredible storms ripping through the area each day. We chatted with the woman who runs a little general store just outside Canyonlands, and she told us that there had been a tornado in the park just the day before. Wow!
Next post will be from the Monument Valley area, and you'll get to see a little bit of the storm action in those photos.
~OTP
Yes, once again, it's been a while, but we're doing our best.
So, without further ado, let's head to Canyonlands National Park in Utah!
There are two entrances to Canyonlands...one is up near Moab, UT, and the other is near Monticello, UT. While we really wanted to check out both areas of the park, time just wouldn't allow it, so our visit to Canyonlands focused on the southern portion of the park, down near Monticello.
This entrance to the park is about 30 miles off the main highway, so a number of the photos you'll see here aren't actually in the park itself, but on the very beautiful road that leads to the park.
An interesting little side note: During the several days we were exploring the numerous parks surrounding the Four Corners area, there were incredible storms ripping through the area each day. We chatted with the woman who runs a little general store just outside Canyonlands, and she told us that there had been a tornado in the park just the day before. Wow!
Next post will be from the Monument Valley area, and you'll get to see a little bit of the storm action in those photos.
~OTP
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