In my mind, I should have made Barstow, California. At times it is incredibly hard to stay on coursei. I did a bit of research before I started this journey, Google maps doesn’t follow a certan road so you have to put each hamlet into the location which, in general, will bring you to the local center of government or toutist information venue. That pulls you off of Route 66 and often sends to your next destination by a completely different road. Navigating the Mother Road, it’s basically a two person job.

The day started with a quick drive up the coast to Malibu. Not too much of an ocean view, it took a bit of an effort to find a place to pull over, windows down to hear the waves. I drove a bit further toward Santa Monica before I smelled the salt spray.

It was kind of crazy to drive on, or past, all those 90210 street names; Wilshire Blvd, and Santa Monica Blvd and Rodeo Drive.

When I got to the hotel in San Dimas, I checked in but before I pulled away from the door, a Doordash driver came out and asked me if my name was Teresa. I answered no, and they said they were supposed to deliver to my room number. Being both hungry and tired, I said that depending on what she had, I’d pay for dinner. She said she wasn’t allowed to do that and went back into the hotel. As I finished parking, she came and gave me the diner. I asked if i could tip her. She told me no. That’s how I got my free Chipotle’s salad.

I have not caught one sunrise nor sunset as I had originally planned but let me use a Disney Frozen analogy, I could either be like Elsa and Let It Go or like Olaf and have a meltdown. I chose to be like Elsa. Besides that, I have no great agenda nor timeframe that I have to meet other than to be in Kanab, Utah on March 4 for the Outsiders Photography Conference.

My BIG things for the day was Joshua Tree National Park and I wanted to shoot the Santa Monica Pier at sunset. I did make it to Joshua Tree National Park, what a diversity of plants. with the Mojave and Colorado Deserts ecosystems coming together.

And while there was a great sky, there was no place to pull over entering Las Angeles. Maybe if I made more sunrises, I’d be able to make more sunsets. Talking about sunsets, I loved finding these wind farms silhouetted against the setting sun.

What an absolutely fabulous day! One of those kind of days that could only have been made better by exploring it with my husband, Dan. Unfortunately, not this trip but to make plans for the future….

After several days of frigid weather, Arizona was blessed with blue, sunny skies and mild temperatures. Today’s plan was to hit Sedona for some beautiful shots. Sedona did not disappoint. I checked a couple of the articles I downloaded to see where I might be able to shoot. The article suggeste Oak Creek Canyon. Wow! The red sandstone was lovely, iron oxide interacting with the sandstone created the beautiful rock.

Once I made it to Sedona, I wanted something to eat. We always choose to eat locally when possible when traveling. Trying to navigate Sedona is definitely another matter. For someone with mobility issues, it ended up being a bit of a problem. After two unsuccessful tries, I chose the SaltRock Southwest Kitchen; it’s part of a spa/hotel, but they have free valet parking!

Part of a continuing issue for this photo traveler is that many locals and maybe I’m assuming they are locals is that everyone is in such a darn hurry. They don’t slow down and enjoy the scenery nor the journey. I bet I pulled over at least 50 times yesterday which is no small trick in the mountains.

I would love to go back and explore the area more especially the areas around Jerome and Stanton.

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Another crazy driving day! No, no, not another drive through a mountain pass, I actually took the interstate today. lol. For those who know me well know that I seldom take the interstate.

Today was about capturing the shot and I got some in Petrified Forest National Park. I am used to seeing badlands, but what struck me today was the colors, they were phenomenally special; striations in reds and greens. Then I took a picture of an old Studebaker. who knew I’d take my first pic of Route 66 in the middle of Arizona.

Of course, not every mile I drove was interstate and I got a pic of a great old gas station. I have a body of work I call Pardon My Gas.

I love my life even when I do incredbly STUPID things like ignore signs that say that chains or snow tires are required! Yep, I did that. I chose a path to travel today that led me over a mountain pass, not knowing that I had to go, nor knowing how far I would have to backtrack, I forged ahead. It was crazy! It wasn’t that I feared for my life, okay, maybe for a second or two, but it was scary nonetheless, like not being able to see more than 20 feet ahead of the car in mountain scary, but I think that God took care of this too. Because not more than three days before I asked Dan while driving through Estes Park how he knew where the road was. He pointed out the road markers, that’s what allowed me to keep going. The other thing Dan told me was to keep going which was exactly what I did, so no pictures of the car buried to it’s hood or some of the amazing landscapes.

Also what I was reminded of was to release your expectations and just enjoy the journey, I wanted to shoot the dunes at sunrise but I slept almost to the minute of sunrise. And since I can’t (yet) walk too far, my images are what I can shoot from my car.

So the highlights include shooting the great sand dunes, the oldest church in Colorado and an abandoned building with a view of the mountain, thinking while I’m there, “do these people undetstand how amazing their view is?

Wow! I know it’s been a long time since I’ve been writing, too long. What an amazing year it has been.  After Texas, my husband and I took a trip to Pennsylvania for our 10th anniversary in June, in July, I visited my son in Wisconsin, in October my husband and I went to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.  Lastly, my husband and I just returned from Florida.  Every trip but the last, we were blessed with the gift of accommodations,  yes, we stayed with friends or friends of family members on every trip,

While in Pennsylvania, we stopped at Falling Water, the iconic house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In Wisconsin, we were guests at a friend of my son’s lake house and was greeted by an amazing sunrise over a misty lake.  And we arrived at Pine Ridge Reservation a day after a 5-inch snow.  It was gorgeous.

 

While I am on vacation, Lisa is not, I decided to go back to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. Sometime in the last few days, I’ve wrenched my left knee and it has been painful to walk. Not horrid, but the thought of an extended hike was not a pleasant one.  My first turn off was to Warbler Vista Sunset Deck. The road started out paved and changed to gravel.  About a mile and a half up the road, there is an observation platform. Get out! Get out of your car! The view is stunning. The deepest green I’ve seen so far in this Texas landscape.  A road winds to the right and far below. A lake and another (perhaps the same) to the far left. Vista was indeed the perfect name.

Next was the Refuge headquarters,  I took the short trail around the headquarters but first I checked out their photography blind.  It rather looked like you might be entering a bunker from the front but the back opened over the creek and I’m sure would a great place to bird watch. I took the shortest trail and found lots of new growth the capture with macro photography, little pink buds and purple flowers, and tiny leaves,

From headquarters, the volunteer told me to take Cow Creek Road to Doeskin Ranch.  Everyone needs to experience Cow Creek Road.  The Road and the Creek cross each other several times.  The creek has cliffs, rock slides, waterfalls, all a great beauty. However, all are on private property and the No Trespassing signs are hard to miss. No access to the beauty that lies beyond.

I came around a bend and I rather got a shock. There on the other side of the road was a longhorn. A magnificent beast, a cream color mottled with some cafe au lait coloring mostly on its head and shoulders.  She eventually meandered back through a break in the brush so small she swung her head back and fourth the make her way through.

While I did drive to Doeskin Ranch, I didn’t get out of the car to shoot. Something didn’t feel right and since I’m traveling alone, I always respect my cautious side,

Now to find ghost towns. The first on the list is Nameless.  I found where the cemetery was but again on gated private property. The next I went to find was Corn Hill,  It took a bit of looking on CR 312 near Jarrell. During the search I found a great on Mobilgas station and had to loop back a couple of highway exits to get to it, but it was worth it. There isn’t much left of Corn Hill. Perhaps two buildings but both were rather interesting,

The last town was Cele. A store/community center and a couple of outbuildings appear to be all that remain.  I felt pretty satisfied that I found the three that I desired to find.

Lisa made a fabulous homemade chicken pot pie, Add wine and a cheeses and strikes up another positive day,

Today was about family,  My nephew Rhett is stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.  He lives there with his wife and 5-year-old son. I reached out to him before I headed south to see if we might get some time together. We agreed on Sunday because of his work schedule.

The plans were to go to Balcones Canyonland National Wildlife Refuge. We did go just to find out that they were closed on Sunday.  We walked out to an observation area, we were in some scrubland, cactus, succulents, low trees, and maybe three birds. There is a great starkness, much gray, a few green shrubs and one lone blooming tree with lovely white blossoms.

We came up with an alternative plan to visit Georgetown, Texas. Lisa and I had planned on going there this morning but ran out of time.  Georgetown is a pretty little town built around a central courthouse mirrored hundreds of times across the United States.  What is often not mimicked was the square was busy and many stores were open this Sunday afternoon. There is an art gallery, restaurants,, the Gumbo has a minaret and a second-floor balcony, a museum, antique stores, and gift shops.  One store had toys, ice cream and candies.

I entered the guitar shop while my nephew, his wife, and my great nephew were shopping in the toy store.  I asked permission to take pictures, the store owner said, “Sure, for a dollar a picture.”  I knew he was joking so I said, “I’m okay with that.”  He did not know I was kidding.  I have this way of shooting that I call “breaking things apart” where I just photograph a portion of an item.  I think it adds some tension and makes the photos more interesting,  I shot frets, and long lines of guitars, between the mandolins, and the strings.  I shot practically anything I thought I could get a good angle on.  I think I owe the owner about $50.00,

We left Georgetown and came back to Lisa’s and she lead the way to Rudy’s Bar-B-Q. As a first time customer, they give you samples of the different types of meat.  There is a well-marbled brisket, tender and juicy, and baby back ribs also tender and delicious. I wasn’t sure if the meat was dry rubbed but the sauce wasn’t necessary, The creamed corn was thick and sweet.  I sat across from my five-year-old and started snapping pictures. He was at times pensive, playful, and I think, finally, just done. One of the fun things they have is a hand wash station that has a Jacuzzi for your hands.  You put your hands in and the water and soap swirl around your hands.  And there were stickers!  I have clean hands. We didn’t notice until we got home that there was a reference to a Bible verse on it. Job 17:9. Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger.

Sunday’s are traditionally days to spend with family and mine was perfect.

 

Today I woke at my friend Lisa’s house. we haven’t seen each other in about 35 years.  We grew up in the same neighborhood in Indianapolis, we went to kindergarten through high school together. From there our roads split, I moved away and eventually, she moved away too.  We ran into each other a time or two but that had been a long time ago. Through the technology of Facebook, we reconnected.

She planned our day, breakfast at a local favorite of hers, Gloria’s. My breakfast of scrambled eggs with beef and veggies, crispy, shredded hash browns, with warm tortillas was flavorful and filling.  Then we headed to Salado, Texas.

Salado is a tourist town with several shops lining Main Street.  We visited a few and I bought a gift for my husband, and a trio of dessert toppings that sounded yummy, like peach pear & amaretto; strawberry pepper pecan; and fudge pecan.  Is your mouth watering yet?

Along the sidewalk, Lisa spotted a small frog on the sidewalk.  We thought it might be a child’s toy because it was so vividly green, but it hopped a bit as we got closer,  She picked the little guy up and moved him to a grassy area just off the walkway.  What a beautiful little creature.

We went to the Salado Cemetery that had some lovely wrought iron fencing around some of the older graves.  And wildflowers, pink, and white, and lavender, and bluebonnets were just showing their lovely colors. I remember when I was I child, I was always frightened of cemeteries.  Today, cemeteries are some of my favorite places to shoot.  I visit some more than others like Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Bellefontaine, and Calvary in St. Louis.

We went to Chalkridge Falls Park next.  We hiked the mile to the falls, I had a bit of difficulty getting to a vantage point. I man with his young daughter sitting up his shoulder stopped and helped me get down the rather steep decline to snap a couple of pictures. Then he stayed to help me back up.  Most grateful for good hearts! After Grand Falls yesterday, I must admit, these falls were a bit underwhelming.  The height of the cascade was higher, but the breadth of the falls was less, there were no pools to invite reflection and thoughts of playful splashing.

We hiked back to the car and decided that lunch was in order.  With several wineries in town, we thought one might be a good place to start.  However, they do not serve food where you sample drinks, I suggested we try someplace different,  We went to The Shed, Lisa was able to get a beer and I had a drink called a sniffling weasel (because you have to try a drink like that, right?) and a baked potato pizza.  Both the drink and the pizza were delicious,  The weasel was a fruity concoction with a twist of grapefruit on the rim and the pizza was much like a loaded potato on a pizza crust,

On the way back to Lisa’s, she drove us to a Westinghouse facility where they kept a couple of longhorn cattle in the field in front,  They were lying down in the field,  One was facing where we stood the other was both farther away and facing the other direction until, of course, I turned around to go back to the car.  At that point in time, it decided to become quite animated, rolling around and moving its head.  All of which I missed because I had turned around, We did laugh  about that one,

Once we got to Lisa’s we thought we just needed to chill, get a bit of rest, talking and laughing,  It felt good, Dinner was TexMex and a margarita, on the rocks with salt, Thank you very much.