Rio Americans in Paris 2005

With Rio Americano teacher, Alec Hodgins, his wife, Christine, and the Jokers of French (RAHS).

We flew from San Francisco (SFO) to Paris (CDG) direct, over the top of the world. It was never dark outside during the 11-hour flight.

We connected the students with their host families, then proceeded to our 3-star hotel. We had a week in Paris with little/no obligations. Somehow we managed to fill the days.

When the students returned, we motored down to the Loire Valley to see the sights. We got to Chartres Cathedral, Chateau Chambord, and Clos Lucé, among other.

My image collections can be found here:

Rio Americans in Paris I (Spring) Photo Album

Rio Americans in Paris 2 (Summer) Photo Album

Red Rocks with Rick 2005

My buddy, Rick (best buds since 1969), joined me for this year’s Spring Break sojourn to the red rocks. We met up in Salt Lake City and headed down to Zion National Park.

At the Kolob Canyons entrance, we learned a critical lesson about off-roading in a minivan. In Zion (proper), we explored the East Mesa area, especially The Zion Pine. We also discovered the best restaurant in Springdale.

Next we headed up the hill to Bryce Canyon. There we learned an important lesson about the seasons and elevation. While spring had sprung at Zion (6000 ft), it was still very much winter at Bryce (8000 ft). We tramped in the snow for a bit, then headed to Red Canyon (6500 ft = Spring) and Kodachrome Basin (5000 ft = Summer) for more hiking and landscape photography.

Anyway, toolin’ around with Rick in the red rocks was awesome! Time at Ruby's outside Bryce was spent watching the premier of the US version of The Office and a Rocky movie marathon.

2005 03 Southeast Utah with Rick Photo Album

Crater Lake Getaway 2004

My everlasting summer, I could see it fading fast. So I grabbed the camera, pointed the PhyzVan north, and headed for the bluest blue I ever knew: Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Hiked the hills, the rim, and Wizard Island in two days, and poked around the wee town of Prospect looking for photogenic waterfalls.

2004 08 Crater Lake

Yosemite Mono Bodie Summer Getaway 2004

Jean came out for a summertime Sacramento visit and we managed to sneak down to Yosemite, Mono Lake, and Bodie. Unfortunately, part of Yosemite was on fire and the smoke filled the valley and leaked out of the valley into the Mono Basin. Good shots were hard to come by, but we did our best.

2004 07 Yosemite Mono Bodie

Spring Break Utah! 2004

For Spring Break I was off to Southeast Utah to revisit Arches National Park, Wilson Arch, and Monument Valley, and to get acquainted with Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, Valley of the Gods, Capitol Reef, Newspaper Rock, and the Goosenecks of the San Juan. And I brought my camera along for the ride.

2004 04 Southeast Utah

Mono Bodie Reshoot 2003

Jean signed up for a photography workshop in Yosemite in October. I joined her on the weekend and we returned to Mono Lake and Bodie for better shots than we got in the summer. On the return to Sacramento, we drove across the Sonora Pass. Wild scenery and wild roads (including some with 26% grade.)

2003 10 Mono Bodie Photo Album

Super Summer Sojourn 2003

Arches National Park
Jean and I arrived in the early afternoon and decided to proceed directly to Devil’s Garden for baking-hot hike out to Landscape Arch and environs. I returned in the evening to get the required sunset shots at Delicate Arch. The next day we toured Balanced Rock, The Windows Section, Skyline Arch, and Park Avenue before motoring on to

Durango
We met up with Heather and Tyler. We rode the D&SNGRR train to Silverton. Caught some excellent scenery and a cinder for both eyes. It was the 4th of July, so we got a fireworks show as well. From there, we proceeded the short distance to

Mesa Verde National Park
I took an afternoon tour of Balcony House; we all took a whole-day tour of the park, ending with a hands-on tour of Cliff Palace. Ten days after we left, lightning strikes started fires in the Park that caused an evacuation and closure. But for the moment, we were off to

Grand Canyon National Park
to enjoy the sights from the rim. I also managed to sneak in a few hikes below the rim. Jean arranged for us to take a float trip along the Colorado River through the twists, turns, cold water and hot air of Glenn Canyon. Next we headed northeast to

Monument Valley
and Goulding’s Lodge. Jean and I snuck into the Tribal Park before closing and got some sunset shots of the monuments. The next day we got a full tour of the park with a Navajo guide. Then it was back to Durango where Heather and Tyler headed back to Michigan. Jean and I motored south to

Chaco Culture National Historical Park
It’s 17 miles of dirt road into and out of the park. The Anasazi (Ancestral Puebloan) ruins are amazing, though. On our way to Bryce Canyon we stopped off for a quick tour of the

Antelope Canyon Slot Canyons
Spectacular erosional sandstone geology. Extremely difficult to photograph. A quick photo op at

Red Rock Canyon before entering Bryce Canyon
We hiked the rim and drove to the distant viewpoints. Then it was off to

Zion National Park
Zion Canyon is a desert swamp with more varieties of plant life than can be found in Hawaii. Red rock scale model of Yosemite? After a scary stopover in Tonopah, NV (don’t ever go there), we landed in Lee Vining, CA for another installment of the

Mono Lake/Bodie
pilgrimage before heading into

Yosemite National Park
The sky had been uncooperative since Bryce Canyon. But now it was getting plain nasty. Our attempts at morning and evening shots at Mono were closed down by cloudy skies or outright electrical storms. We got more of the same in Yosemite. We shot what we could while we were there. That’s all you can ever do!