Fort Jefferson
Almost 70 miles west of Key West, Florida, lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas.
With the surrounding shoals and water, they make up the Dry Tortugas National Park, an area noted for bird and marine life and shipwrecks. Fort Jefferson, its central feature, is one of the nation's largest 1800s masonry forts. Park Service
Golde Butte National Monument
Gold Butte National Monument covers nearly 300,000 acres of remote and rugged desert landscape in southeastern Nevada, where dramatically chiseled red sandstone, twisting canyons, and tree-clad mountains punctuate desolate stretches of the Mojave Desert. The brightly hued sandstone provides a stunning canvas for the area’s famously beautiful rock art, and the desert provides critical habitat. BLM
Dante’s View
Perched atop the Black Mountains at 5,475 feet, Dante’s view is tall and wide. Both of Death Valley’s elevation extremes, 282 feet below sea level and 11,049 feet above, can be seen in a single glance. Dante’s View in Death Valley National Park offers premier panoramic views of Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America. Across the valley rises Telescope Peak, the highest in the park.
Cedar Breaks
Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. Elevation here is about 10,500 feet.
Zion National Park
Snowmelt in SW Utah has caused rivers to run fast and wide and in Zion, waterfalls.
Zion Waterfall
The heavy rain and snow in the Zion National Park area feeds the Virgin River and gives us these rare waterfalls.
Memorial Day
The "world's tallest tribute to freedom," is a 400-foot tall flagpole waving an American flag that's 7,200 square feet. The pole is about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, its flag is four stories tall and it stands at Acuity insurance company in Sheboygan WI. "The purpose No. 1 was to sincerely thank veterans." The stars measure 3.5 feet. Each stripe is more than 4 feet wide. The pole itself, weighing in at 420,000 pounds, required 500 gallons of paint. The foundation holds about 55 tons of rebar. Three pendulums ensure it can take vibrations while working as dampeners, and it can withstand the severe northern temperatures — prepared to deal with cold as low as -42 degrees. A 220-pound flag flies during normal weather; a 350-pound one for harsh conditions. Old Glory even has her own seamstress. The flag takes "at least a half dozen" people to raise and lower it.
Death Valley
Death Valley National Park is one of my favorite places to use the black & white camera.
Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly 46,000 acres located 16 miles south of Overton, Nevada. The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting sand dunes 150 million years ago.Wikipedia
Snow Canyon State Park
Snow Canyon State Park is a state park in Utah, located in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The park features a canyon carved from the red and white Navajo sandstone of the Red Mountains, as well as the extinct Santa Clara Volcano, lava tubes, lava flows, and sand dunes. Snow Canyon is located near the cities of Ivins and St. George in Washington County.Wikipedia
I got up very early to photograph this rare white on red snowfall knowing that in a couple hours there would be no trace of snow.
SoBe
South Beach, also known as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and in 1910 was the first section of the beach to be developed.
In 2009, the Miami New Times described it as "Until the 1980s, Miami Beach was a peculiar mix of criminals, Cubans, and little old ladies. Then the beautiful people moved in."
Today, it is considered one of the wealthiest and most prosperous commercial areas on the beach with 65% of residents speak Spanish as a first language.
Zion National Park
Utah - Taken at sunset
Porch Art
Key West porches are, to my eye, works of art.
Key West
This shot comprises the Western side of the city including the harbor (owned by the US Navy), old Ft Zachary Taylor in the foreground, and Sunset Key to the top left. Half of the rest of what you see is owned by some branch of the military.
Virgin River
Zion National Park
Barefoot Sunrise
Smooth water in the early morning bring out the pros. This lake has a waterski team that performs every Wednesday evening. I've seen as many as 23 skiers doing a 3 person high pyramid.
Ely Nevada
Nevada's National Historic Landmarks Committee granted unanimous support to nominating the Nevada Northern's East Ely shops complex as a National Historic Landmark. The nomination was approved by the National Park Service on September 27, 2006.
The Long and winding road
Gold Butte National Monument is a wild geological wonder to explore. Numerous mining sites, rock art panels and outstanding colors, plants and quiet. A capable vehicle is highly recommended due to very rough roads. I carry a tire inflator when I'm in places like this so I can deflate my tires to about 1/2 normal pressure then re-inflate them when I get back on hard surface roads.
Red White & Blue
Woke early and things looked unusually bright. Walking outside I realized it had snowed, a very rare event where we live. Grabbed the camera and began taking photos knowing it would melt fast. There was 6-10" on the ground but by 11am it had completely disappeared. The white/red/blue was a wonderful combination while it lasted. Here's the park's description per Utah.com:
SNOW CANYON STATE PARK - This place would be a national park in any other state.
Located in the red-rock country near St George, in southwestern Utah, this park enjoys mild winter weather and seldom receives snow. The park was named after early Utah leaders Lorenzo and Erastus Snow. It offers some 16 miles of hiking trails, technical rock climbing, biking and horseback riding. It features a very nice campground open year-round. People also enjoy nature studies, wildlife viewing and photographic opportunities galore. All of this is set against a stunning backdrop of towering sandstone cliffs colored red and white. A jumbled of black lava rock caps some ridges and tumbles down hillsides.
Badlands National Park
Neither the sky nor the landscape had much color that day so I shot it in black & white.
Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park
Last colors of the day
Gold Butte National Monument is one of my favorite places because of the remoteness, diversity, colors and quite honestly it is close to where I live. It is especially photogenic, as most things are, in morning or evening light.
Red & White
Snow covered Navajo Sandstone at 10,700 feet in Cedar Breaks National Monument
Point Imperial Grand Canyon National Park
Point Imperial Grand Canyon National Park
The highest point on the rim of Grand Canyon at 8,803 feet, Point Imperial is also the most northern boundary of the park.The views of the Painted Desert and the eastern end of Grand Canyon. It is from this area that the canyon transforms from the narrow walls of Marble Canyon, visible only as a winding gash, to a more open and dramatic "grand" canyon. Layers of red and black Precambrian rocks, not visible at Bright Angel Point, add contrast and color.
Havana Shine
Truck Pull
Jefferson County WI Fair
Glen Canyon Dam
Supplying Colorado River water and hydroelectric power to 5 states located in Page Arizona
Sunset Key
An island that is accessed by a 10 minute ferry ride from Key West mainland. It is primarily a hotel but there are also about 50 private homes. I liked the layers of water, trees and clouds which would also look good in color but sometimes black and white is just more interesting.
Early Morning Zion
Springtime in Zion National Park looking up the Virgin River canyon. Sun is just high enough to light the floor and one wall.
Old World Wisconsin
Original late 1800s homestead house. It was moved, furnished and repaired by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Dressed for tourists
Lady in Havana earning tips to take her photo.
Toronto
Pacific Coast
South of Carmel CA
Common Street Scene
I have not been to another city that is more street photogenic than Havana.
Zion Canyon
Zion National Park is located in SW Utah and has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. The lowest point in the park is 3,666 ft and the highest is 8,726 ft. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to 2,640 ft deep. The canyon walls are reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone eroded by the North Fork of the Virgin River. Wikipedia I took this photo on a winter day so leaves didn't obscure the views.
Niagara Falls Canada
Aeromotor
Stumbled upon this abandoned small town with maybe 20 buildings and this wind powered water pump was still working.
I did a little research and found this: "The first Aermotor was sold in 1888, with 24 windmills in total being sold in the first year. Aermotor soon became a strong competitor among its contemporaries selling over 20,000 of its windmills by 1892". And this Chicago company is still in business today making high tech windmills.
Unique Taxi
For those with US dollars one can take a cool taxi in Cuba.
Chicago B&W
Early morning sun begins to light up one side of the glass and steel canyon.
Nothing Compares
Great Basin National Park.
The Great Basin includes most of Nevada, half of Utah, and sections of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and California. Great Basin National Park preserves a small representative piece of this entire region. NPS This "small" piece is the largest area of real estate I have ever seen. One stretch of the main highway was almost 90 miles long, had no intersections and we only saw 3 other vehicles the entire drive.
Trail Ridge Road
In Rocky Mountain National Park, the 48 mile Trail RidgeRoad more than lives up to its advanced billing. Eleven miles of this high highway travel above treeline, the elevation near 11,500 feet where the park's evergreen forests come to a halt. It winds across the tundra's vastness to this high point of 12,183 feet elevation.
Canyonlands
The 527 square mile National park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the combined rivers—the Green and Colorado—which carved two large canyons into the Colorado Plateau. While these areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character. Author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor, described the Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere."
Ready for School
Cuba
Watching the Street
Old Town Havana is very photogenic with its combination of crumbling structures and color.
Imperial Point
North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Point Edward Canada
This bridge extends behind me across the St Clair river to the USA.
Fort Ord
Fort Ord National Monument, located on the former Fort Ord military base, is currently run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). They protect and manage 44 species of rare plants and animals that call the property home. The 14,000 acre parcel has more than 86 miles of trails that can be explored on foot, bike or on horseback.
Full Gas Tank?
Death Valley is the largest U.S. National Park outside Alaska at 3,422,024 acres. Nearly 1,000 miles of paved and dirt roads provide access to locations both popular and remote. Even so, 93% of the park is protected as officially designated Wilderness. That wild country includes low valley floors crusted with barren salt flats, rugged mountains rising as much as 11,000 feet, deep and winding canyons, rolling sand dunes, and spring-fed oases.
Salesman
A garlic vendor and friend
Prague
Germany
Unfortunately the town name escapes me. Back in 2015 when I took this photo I used a function of my old Nikon to give it an artsy look.
Old World Wisconsin
Very old barn scene in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine area which was shaped by the glaciers.
Canyonlands National Park
Endless deep canyons, towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs, and spires stretching across 527 square miles. This is Canyonlands National Park, formed by the currents and tributaries of Utah's Green and Colorado rivers. It is the largest park in Utah located near the town of Moab. Wikipedia
Fort Jefferson
Fort Jefferson was built to protect one of the most strategic deepwater anchorages in North America. By fortifying this spacious harbor, the United States maintained an important “advance post” for ships patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. Nestled within the islands and shoals that make up the Dry Tortugas, the harbor offered ships the chance to resupply, refit, or seek refuge from storms. The location of the Tortugas along one the world’s busiest shipping lanes was its greatest military asset. Though passing ships could easily avoid the largest of Fort Jefferson’s guns, they could not avoid the warships that used its harbor.
Zion National Park
If you look close you can see the road through the park at the very bottom.
Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce Canyon National Park is much smaller than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet. Wikipedia
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a massive sculpture carved into Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Completed in 1941 under the direction of Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln, the sculpture's roughly 60-ft.-high granite faces depict U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Bahia Honda State Park
Located about 40 miles North of Key West it's geography was changed during Hurricane Irma. Prior to that it always made the top 10 list for the best beach in the USA. When I visited in December 2021 the access road to the beach was still closed because of the hurricane. The South end of the Key has been restored and is actually better because many buildings and shorelines had to be replaced.
Havana Balcony
It's a very interesting and baffling country.
Zion National Park Virgin River
The Virgin River has carved a spectacular gorge in the upper reaches of Zion Canyon: 16 miles long, up to 1,000 feet deep, and at times only 30 feet wide. Walking in the shadow of soaring walls, sandstone grottos, natural springs, and hanging gardens can be an unforgettable wilderness experience. It is not, however, a trip to be underestimated. When hiking through the Virgin River Narrows, at least 80% of the route is spent wading, walking, and swimming sections of the river. There is no maintained trail; the river is the route. The river current is swift, the water is cold, and the rocks underfoot are slippery. Flash flooding and hypothermia are constant dangers. Per NPS
Grafton UT
Original Morman homestead from the mid-1800s. Parks Utah is trying to maintain 1/2 dozen structures on the property within a few miles from Zion National Park
Glen Canyon Dam Lake View
This is the Lake Powell side of the dam and when water levels are higher this area I'm standing on would be completely submerged. As of 9/1/2021 the lake is down 151 feet leaving it only 30% full.
Say Cheese
Organic dairy farm in Stonebank Wisconsin. This farmer has quite the story but I didn't ask his permission to tell it.
Zion at Dusk
We were leaving Zion National Park one winter evening while the sun was setting behind the mountains to the right. It was getting dark fast but we stopped on a bridge to shoot a couple more photos lit faintly by the fading light.
Typical downtown Havana
Every street in the capital you look down looks almost exactly like this one.
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard.
This area was the first section of Miami Beach to be developed, starting in the 1910. Day or night the colorful buildings are make for some beautiful photographs.
Virgin River
This river cut Zion National Park. I took this on the deep floor of the canyon in winter.
Art Deco
South Beach hotels in Miami are very photogenic daytime or especially after dark.
Chicago River
Downtown Chicago is a sparkling jewel of architecture, colors and people. Every summer I take the train to Union Station, spend the way walking till my feet hurt then the train back.
Cuban Neighborhood
These are very small homes lining the cobblestone street. Traffic is mostly mules and horse drawn carts.
Santiago de Cuba
I would have a hard time finding a better place for street photography than Cuba
Zion National Park in Winter
Deep in the valley the sunlight barely made it to the bottom this time of year.
Cedar Breaks
The far peak is 11,300 feet. It's accessible by preferably 4WD vehicle a few months a year.
Long Way Home
This is an 80 mile long road out of Great Basin National Park. We saw only 3 other cars during the drive.
Canyon Floor Colors
Early Spring in Zion National Park.
Cuban Street
State Fair
Chicago IL
Gunlock Reservoir
Gunlock Reservoir UT holds snowmelt water for future use downstream. In 2017 the water level got high enough that it overflowed like this for months. There is a large rock dam which is designed to hold back the water whereas this is the natural rock off to one side that acts as the overflow route.
Fort Jefferson
Fort Jefferson is a massive coastal fortress. It is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas and is composed of over 16 million bricks. The building covers 16 acres. Among United States forts, only Fort Monroe in Virginia and Fort Adams in Rhode Island are larger. The fort is located on Garden Key in the lower Florida Keys within the Dry Tortugas National Park, 68 miles west of the island of Key West.
Bookseller in Havana
Both Che Guevara and Fidel Castro are revered in Cuba.
Red Rock Recreation Area
Utah park with multiple waterfalls and numerous dinosaur prints. You can maybe make out the chiseled foot holds and rope for climbing.
Joshua Tree in Gold Butte National Monument
Joshua trees are fast growers for a desert species; new seedlings may grow at an average rate of 3 inches per year in their first 10 years, then only about 1.5 per year. The trunk consists of thousands of small fibers and lacks annual growth rings, making determining the tree's age difficult. This tree has a top-heavy branch system, but also what has been described as a "deep and extensive" root system, with roots reaching down to 36 ft. If it survives the rigors of the desert, it can live for hundreds of years; some specimens survive a thousand years. The tallest trees reach about 49 ft. New plants can grow from seed, but in some populations, new stems grow from underground rhizomes that spread out around the parent tree.
The first time I "bumped" into one I thought I'd been stabbed thereafter keeping my distance.
A Beautiful Walk
Boca Chica Naval Air Station (Key West) is just over the far mangroves. I love to walk the coast here as the water depth varies from a few inches to a few feet depending on tides. There are birds, sea creatures, plants, coral and F18 Super Hornets to keep my interest as I walk.
Grafton Settlement
Historic Mormon settlement on the south side of the Virgin River, adjoining orchards and farmland; last occupied in the 1940s. The town contains five original, partly restored buildings plus pieces of iron equipment and other relics. Zion National can be seen in the background.
Cedar Breaks National Monument
This spot where I took the photo is about 10,500 feet. There's another peak behind me that goes up to 11,300 but the access road is only open for a couple months.
Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park
This is a wonderful park near Zion National Park in Utah. Follow the footprints to my friend, about 1/2 way to the top to give this some scale.
5 foot hole
In Valley Of Fire State Park in Nevada.
Coral Pink
While the dunes are estimated to be 10,000 to 15,000 years old, this state park was first opened to the public in 1963. A phenomenon known as the Venturi Effect created the dunes, which is when wind passes through a notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains. It increases velocity through the notch, which erodes the sandstone and carries the grains to the dunes.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is 3,730 acres of sand.
Glacier National Park
If you haven't visited this park.... bucket list it.
Virgin River
Standing on a bridge in Zion National Park I was able to take this photo of the Virgin River which carved the canyons through the park.
Downtown Las Vegas
a.k.a. The Fremont Street Experience
Arches NP
Arches National Park is in eastern Utah adjacent to the Colorado River, 4 miles north of Moab. More than 2,000 sandstone arches are located in the park which is the highest density in the world.
Bahia Honda State Park
The stormy skies made for strong color contrast between water, grass and sand.
Mesquite Dunes
While sand exists throughout Death Valley, there are very few locations where large dune fields are created. In order to create sand dunes, there must be a source of sand (in this case, the eroding mountains to the north), wind to move that sand, and a barrier to prevent the sand from being blown farther (the mountains to the south). The conditions at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are perfect for the creation of dunes, and while individual grains move, and ripples form, the dune field remains.
Think Blues Brothers
Chicago
Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam, rising 710 feet above bedrock within the steep, rust-colored sand-stone walls of Glen Canyon, was constructed in 1956 to harness the power of the Colorado River in order to provide for the water and power needs of millions of people in the West. BLM
Devils Island
In the distance is Devil's Island (Île du Diable), a French penal colony that operated for more than 100 years, from 1852 to 1953, in the Salvation Islands of French Guiana.
Opened in 1852, the Devil's Island system received convicts from the Prison of St-Laurent-du-Maroni, who had been deported from all parts of the Second French Empire. It was notorious both for the staff's harsh treatment of detainees and the tropical climate and diseases that contributed to high mortality. The prison system had a death rate of 75% at the worst, and was finally closed down in 1953.
Cedar Breaks
Cedar Breaks is a natural amphitheater, stretching across 3 miles, with a depth of over 2,000 feet. The elevation of the rim of the amphitheater is over 10,000 feet above sea level. Iron oxides provide the reds, oranges and yellows, while manganese oxides provide shades of purple.
Continental Divide
Rocky Mountain National Park at 10,759 feet.