I’ve had the opportunity to work with Brianna in a couple different venues, and she’s always impressed me, so getting the chance to work with her on her Senior Images was an absolute honor as well. This young lady is just flat out going places!
Colorado, Kansas City, Chicago and back home…
Durango, Colorado:
United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado:
Denver, Colorado:
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado:
Kansas City, Missouri:
Chicago, Illinois:
I’ve been asked where my favorite spots were on the trip, and that’s very difficult to answer. Everything – and I really do mean everything – was just awesome to see. I thought there would be more hiccups on the trip, and that really never happened (thankfully!). To close out these posts, I’m going to post my favorite images from the spots I visited – and trust me, this was really hard to do – but the process of going through all of the photos (almost 6,000 of them) has been a blast because it’s really allowed me to relive everything.
I’m not sure exactly how many posts this is going to take, because I’m limited on post length, but I’ll post them in order of the trip over the course of a couple blog entries.
Nashville, Tennessee:
Memphis, Tennessee:
New Orleans, Louisiana:
My nephews (Gavin & Gage – Bay City, Texas):
Pecos, Texas:
Austin, Texas:
Albuquerque, New Mexico:
Tent Rocks National Monument:
Santa Fe, New Mexico (Sopapilla at Tomasita’s):
Monument Valley, Utah:
Mexican Hat Rock, Utah:
Horseshoe Bend, Arizona:
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona:
After a couple tremendous days in Utah, I was truly looking forward to getting in to Colorado, a place I thought I could see myself retiring to eventually. I was certainly not disappointed…
I posted a photo similar to this one on Instagram and tried to explain what driving through Colorado is like – but basically it’s this. It’s like the feeling of having new sheets on your bed…
(Incidentally, the photo above is the one that I printed out and taped to the upper corner of my windshield to help get me through the hell known as Kansas, but that’s a completely different story).
I’d been to Durango, Colorado several times when I was much younger and it’s basically exactly as I remembered it — and that’s a great thing.
We have a graduate of Greensburg Salem who’s currently a student at the United States Air Force Academy, so after spending a little bit of time in Colorado Springs, I had the chance to meet him for lunch and get a quick tour of the campus — it’s absolutely, incredibly beautiful. The chapel is stunning and you’d never know there’s as much stained glass that projects so well from looking at the outside. And how about that backdrop for your football stadium???
Later that night I had the chance to have dinner with a former Yearbook Editor in Denver and had a blast as well. I really liked the area we were in – LoDo – and it was great to catch up with this young lady as well…
If you know me, then you know how much I enjoy street art and murals as well. This piece of Frank Shorter in downtown Boulder certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Rocky Mountain National Park was the last of the National Parks I got to visit and it was stunning as well. Driving the Trail Ridge Road was a blast and the views were incredible. While I was hoping to see some Big Horn Sheep, the Elk didn’t disappoint…
And then… Red Rocks Amphitheater. While I didn’t get to see a show here, it was pretty neat to get to tour the spot where one of my all-time favorite concerts (U2 at Red Rocks) was performed. What an insanely scenic spot – if you take a look at the top pic in this set, you can see Denver along the horizon of the pic.
One of my absolute favorite sections of my trip was the time I got to spend in California. I’ve been to Los Angeles and San Diego before, so I didn’t include either on this trip – I focused more on seeing family and friends as well as areas I really hadn’t had the chance to experience before…
I’ve been mildly obsessed with Redwoods and Sequoias for quite some time now, so having the chance to see both while in California was just an incredible experience for me. The General Sherman Tree, which can be seen in the last picture above, is the world’s biggest tree (not the tallest, but biggest in terms of mass). It’s incredibly difficult to put these trees in perspective, but you can see the people at the base of the tree to give you an idea.
The word that has stuck with me concerning Yosemite National Park is majestic — and it was the first word that came to mind once going through the tunnel on the descent into Yosemite Valley. It is truly amazing to see El Capitan and Half Dome in person — and it’s just awe-inspiring to see them as they tower over the Valley. Those falls sure aren’t too shabby, either…
Visiting the Hearst Castle was a last minute decision – and I’m really glad that I was able to fit it in. As a teacher of Mass Media, we’ve looked at Hearst’s role in the History of Journalism and being able to see the fruits of his labors (think yellow journalism here, people…) was a pretty cool experience. Unfortunately, the grand pool is under construction, but everything else is just incredible.
From the Hearst Castle, I drove up Highway 1 to Monterey, then on to San Francisco. I’d been to San Francisco one time about 25 years ago and it was just as I remembered. Unfortunately, dealing with the fog was an issue, but I was still able to get some images of which I’m pretty pleased.
Quite simply, every day should begin with a walk through Muir Woods. I’ll just leave it at that…
Prior to this trip I had been to Lake Tahoe once in the heart of a winter, and I knew that I needed to get back during the summer. I had a couple truly relaxing days and had the chance to spend some time with friends who have the coolest A-Frame cabin known to man!
And then there are the Redwoods. After taking in the Avenue of the Giants, a 32 mile where you are just surrounded by the beauty of the Redwoods, I was able to do the hike down to the Tall Trees Grove, which is just truly an experience that everyone should be fortunate enough to take in. On top of this, I ended up doing most of the hike with a National Parks Volunteer, George Nickerson, who embodies all that I saw during the trip from both Volunteers and National Park Rangers — they were beyond professional and helpful in all ways. I can’t speak highly enough of Mr. Nickerson or the Rangers I had the pleasure of meeting throughout my trip.
Without a doubt, California was an absolute highlight of my trip and I’d love to be able to spend even more time there, especially in Northern California…