Man, I love a good ol' barn...

...especially when there's nothing but good memories and a little luck still holding them up.  It doesn't hurt the scene any when they're backdropped by the San Juan Mountains in SE Colorado. This one is in an epic battle with the elements and gravity but is fighting the good fight. I love to think about the day when the last board was nailed into place and the family first looked with such pride upon their brand new barn.

This picture was taken north of Westcliffe, CO, at sunrise one morning as I was headed from Denver to Phoenix (via backroads and state highways, obviously.)  👍

Lunar landscape via New Mexico Volcanoes

This picture was taken along the road that leads to the iconic Capulin Volcano at the US Park Services National Monument of the same name.













Capulin Volcano is located roughly near Des Moines, NM, which is pretty much right next to nothing you've ever heard of.


The closest town in Oklahoma is actually only 75 miles away from the volcano.  But Kenton, OK, is also near the OK state line you've likely never crossed...the one that borders New Mexico.  When you leave Kenton headed west, it's not long before you run into dirt road (4x4 only in bad weather) and that then carries you further into New Mexico.

I've loved every visit to Capulin Volcano and once was able to make the one mile hike around the rim.  It's an obscure, but wonderful off-the-beaten-path sort of destination - my favorite kind.

If you are headed to Colorado Springs from Oklahoma, I highly recommend taking the volcano route (Amarillo | Dalhart | Clayton | Raton) since it costs you next to nothing in drive time but affords you lots in beautiful scenery.



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And as a bit of travelogue...

The view as you head west out of Oklahoma from Kenton.

The paved trail on the volcano and expansive view afforded from the same.

View from the top.  You can see the parking lot at the bottom right of the first pic and over my right shoulder in the second pic.

Miniature human action figure(?) @ Red Rock Canyon in Nevada

See that itty bitty climber?

A little Frost in an Arizona snow

The poetry is below. I included it here partly because it describes exactly how I often feel in my travels but mostly because I want to impress my bride who has a degree in English. :)

While it was 80 degrees in OKC, these were the scenes 3 weeks ago near Payson, AZ, in the Sitgreaves National Forest. The last picture is the state highway just outside the forest and leading up to Holbrook, AZ.

The area is quite remote and the forest service roads back into the woods, more so  In fact, try as I might, I couldn't hear....anything. It was dead silent and it was magnificent! When was the last time you heard absolutely nothing - not a clock ticking, a refrigerator running, or a car passing by?

I'm no poetry analyst, but some have surmised that the subject in the poem is taking in his great scene, fully tempted to stay longer.  Painfully aware of all the obligations that awaits him at his destination, he knows the moment must be brief because obligations await and many hours stand between him and his next rest.



Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eve

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


Robert Frost

Loneliest Road things

Things you can do on Nevada's State Highway 50, a.k.a. the loneliest road in America.

Smoky Mountains at Sunset

Cow Heaven?

It's not often I really care to be a cow but were that to happen, I wouldn't mind doing a little grazing right here...in Cowvana.

Blue Ridge Mountains disappear into the distance

I've got a few shots on the way of Clingman's Dome itself.  For now though I hope you'll enjoy with me this great view from the dome, at 6,643 feet the highest point in Smoky Mountains National Park.

*Blue* Ridge Mountains, indeed.

Sunrise over Lake Estes (Estes Park, CO)

I might have had to trespass just a teensy little bit to get this image. Considering I was neither shot nor arrested, I'd say it was clearly worth it.  As I understand it, getting either shot and/or arrested really puts a damper on taking pictures.

Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park (feat. DanaBozTography)

Hurricane Ridge is an amazing (and easily accessible) hike in Olympic National Park in the NW corner of the state of Washington.  Every time I visit a new national park I am convinced it is more beautiful than the last.  In the end, I suppose they are all pretty magical in their own way.

If you're looking for a hike, I suggest looking for the word "ridge" in the name.  This almost always guarantees great views since, well, it's a ridge and the land drops off on both sides.

This is also my first feature of danaboztography.  She framed this quite nicely, don't you think?

















Here is the same trail looking the other direction.  What a view!

Gaining some clarity on Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is one of my personal Top 10 places to visit.  I've visited a handful of times now and each time I'm blown away.  The crisp mountain air.  The cool summer temps.  The mega-clear water.  The tempting shades of green and blue as the water transitions from shore to depth.  The whole mountain lake experience just makes it all a very special place.

At over 1600ft deep, Lake Tahoe is deeper than the world's 4th tallest building is tall.  While it's the 16th deepest lake on the planet, it is the 5th largest by volume.

When we were there most recently, I enjoyed a first of seeing it rain on the lake.  While it was great to watch, the clouds didn't help much for taking pictures! As we stood on this rock outcropping, a small break in the clouds allowed a sliver of sunlight to slowly make it's way toward our position.  There were only a couple minutes of light but it was enough to compose a few photographs to demonstrate this incredible water.  Even in this pic you can see the bottom 15-20 feet down.  Overall depth clarity runs to about 70ft.

I'm a self-confessed big baby when it comes to cold water and this would be a fantastic place to swim if the water wasn't so bone-chillingly cold!

Twelve years ago the bride and I even parasailed 800' over Lake Tahoe.  I can't say we enjoyed it though.  Those ratty straps connecting us to the parachute really freaked us out!

Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park - Washington

First light of day after spending the night in an A-frame cabin on the lake

Before embarking on a kayak trip around the lake

Lake Crescent has the clearest water I've ever seen. Because it is mostly devoid of nitrogen, algae can't grow there and thus it remains extremely clear. This lake is also extremely deep. The story behind it's official and unofficial depths is pretty interesting so I included an excerpt from Wikipedia below:

In the early 1960s, the U.S. Navy did a survey of the lake using a Furuno depth sounder. They were not able to verify the maximum depth on their equipment. During a 1970 depth survey conducted by the students of the fisheries program atPeninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington, students used instruments that could not record measurements beyond a depth of 624 feet, which thus became the "official" depth of the lake as recorded by the National Park Service. However, when power cable was being laid in the lake, instruments showed depths in excess of 1000 feet, the maximum range of the equipment used. The actual maximum depth of Lake Crescent remains unknown.

Wichita Mountains in early light

Recently Katie (my 7yo daughter) and I took a trip for a day-hike up Elk Mountain in Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.  We wanted to arrive early to beat the heat and the sun was just starting to cast an early light.  We entered the park through the less oft-used south entrance from Cache, OK.  This picture is a view looking north on Highway 115 just before it intersects with Highway 49 that runs the length of the park from east to west.

Mt. Rainier over Gig Harbor, WA

Mt. Rainier as seen from 51 miles away during dinner in Gig Harbor, WA.  I was amazed how Mt. Rainier could make its presence known no matter where I travelled around north and western Washingon.