Category travel

Grand Canyon Celebration of Art
Imagine creating a painting of the Grand Canyon. You must decide which section of the massive canyon to paint. You must mix the colors to create the range of hues you need to capture the multi-colored layers of limestone, sandstone and shale and the blues of the sky. Now imagine that you aren’t painting in […]

Volunteers play key role in protecting sea turtles
Inspired by the celebration of World Sea Turtle Week, I’m sharing photos of volunteers monitoring sea turtles on Sanibel Island. The photos illustrate the important role that conservation organizations and volunteers play in protecting sea turtles and educating the public. The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation monitors 18 miles of beach, from the Sanibel lighthouse to Redfish […]

Summer hiking – carry enough water
Water. That is one of the most important items for a successful hike – especially in the summer. Whether I’m hiking in the Grand Canyon or the Smokies, I’m amazed — and concerned — to see so many people carrying little or no water. A couple or a family may have only one 16-ounce bottle […]

River views in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The sun was shining as we hiked the Little River Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a cool fall day in a time before Covid-19. We carried tripods so we could try some slow motion water photos. Stepping from rock to rock, we walked out into the river. We set up our […]

National Public Lands Day and every day — hike safely
National Public Lands Day, on Sept. 26, is one of the five days when admission to national parks is free. Thousands of people will be in the parks on National Public Lands Day and millions will be in the parks this year to enjoy nature and perhaps look for a boost in spirit in the […]

Tranquility of Portland Japanese Garden
Join me in a peaceful stroll through the Portland Japanese Garden, located in the hilltops overlooking Portland, Oregon. I toured the Garden last summer and thought you might enjoy the calmness of these garden views that I photographed. The Portland Japanese Garden is 12 acres and contains eight different styles of gardens. The idea for […]

Enjoy and support our national parks
The Fourth of July is a time for those of us living in the United States to think about what makes this country special. The 62 national parks certainly are one of the country’s greatest treasures. I was fortunate to grow up less than an hour’s drive to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hiking […]