Life: Through the Lens

My blog posts will not necessarily be in order, but will recount parts of our journey which have made an impact on us - through geographic area, people we encounter and/or emotional connection.  With spotty internet service, we will post when we can. Visiting my nephew in Vancouver was so much fun.  He took us around the city, and then out to Vancouver Island by ferry.  It was a whirl-wind adventure...and a wonderful experience. First, the city: Enter the city through a series of bridges and insane city traffic....to meet my nephew who picked us up in a rather unique car.  Reserve it.  Pick it up from some location near you.  Use it.  Drop it off where ever your destination is.  Done. Grab a water taxi to dinner. Science Center The arts are important in Vancouver...even cement factories get a facelift when you have so many art students in the city. We have never been to Vancouver Island, off the coa...

The Tetons - a glorious mountainous area in Wyoming.  Under almost perfect conditions for photography, we spent a day exploring the area around Jackson, or Jackson Hole, depending on who you talk to.  Our first stop was some early morning shooting on Mormon Row, a group of buildings built under the Homestead Act of 1862.  This settlement agreement promised 160 acres to anyone willing to build a house and cultivate the land for five years. There are seven buildings remaining on what is known as Mormon Row...with the stunning backdrop of the Tetons. Jenny Lake is a lovely lake set within Teton National Park.  Pristine and preserved, we love the wonderful blue sky and cumulus clouds which help accentuate the scene. Another lake in the park is Jackson Lake.  There is a nice resort here, with camping, cabins and standard lodge rooms to choose from.   Boats to rent, hiking trails, miles of wilderness to explore, what more could you want?! Of course,...

Travel across country is sometimes a bit monotonous.  I-80 is one long, straight highway, with a lot of truck traffic, construction, and flat farmland for miles and miles and miles. Sunshine or showers, the road stretches before you. Sometimes there isn't much to look at, so time needs to be passed in a variety of ways -  Working on a knitting project... ...meeting a cowboy at McDonalds... ...learning about energy sources at a rest stop... ...wondering how close to true certain messages are.... Pastureland and farm fields become more vast the farther west you go, and Iowa turned into Nebraska with little fanfare.  It wasn't until we reached the western part of Nebraska that the landscape began to change. So Iowa became Nebraska, which became Wyoming, which became Colorado.     Colorado provided a rather dramatic welcome. We arrived in Fort Collins safe and sound...and feel we are truly beginning our adventure...

So let the fun begin.  Today we started our 2 1/2 month adventure as we work our way through the western United States, then north to Alaska.  And so far everything is falling into place. Some of you may remember that we have a little traveling companion who accompanies us on our adventures.  "Roamin' " helped to pack the Jeep.  It is VERY full right now, in preparation for our travels, but also with some extras which will be transferred to our camper, which is currently in Idaho waiting for us to pick it up.  So nice to have a son who can help you with all the necessities for camping the only way we can really do it these days.  We used to love tent camping...not so much anymore. Much of the adventure in the "lower 48" revolves around seeing nephews, a niece, my son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, step-siblings and step-mother, as well as picking up our new camper.  We also planned a couple of specific photo destinations, and I can't wait t...