Quinault Rainforest and NW Coast Just walking easy trails from the HOH Visitor's Center will take you to some of the largest evergreen trees on earth - green and more green. Ruby Beach is a close-by change of pace that has tons of driftwood and beautiful surf and sand.
Exploring Alaska is every bit as awesome as described in the travel brochures. My trips have been in the summer when the temperature is moderate and the moisture falls as water, not snow. The photos are from around Petersberg and the Kenai Peninsula. They include a variety of subjects and of course some birds. There's amazing scenery even if you don't get into the back country.
Alaska Commercial Fishing - I had an opportunity to accompany Chad Peterman and his all-girl crew (family members) on one of their salmon seiner fishing forays into the Inside Passage of Alaska. I learned much about commercial salmon fishing and got an up-close look at an unbelievable natural resource and how it's managed.
Chaco Canyon - Between AD 900 and 1150, Chaco Canyon was a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans constructed fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 19th century. Chaco Canyon is sacred ancestral homeland for the Hopi and Pueblo people.
Canyon de Chelly - A National Monument on Navajo tribal lands in northeastern Arizona. Its prominent features include Spider Rock spire, about 800-feet tall, and towering sandstone cliffs surrounding a verdant canyon. Inhabited by several Native American peoples for millennia, the area is dotted with prehistoric rock art and remains of ancient Pueblo villages.
The Crescent City - New Orleans is one of the world's most fascinating cities – it's home to a truly unique melting pot of arts, food and music. Culturally and historically-rich, it also has some great birding right in the city parks and along the waterfronts.
Atchafalaya Country - is the largest combined wetland and swamp in the United States. Located in south central Louisiana where the Atchafalaya River and the Gulf of Mexico converge. The wetlands and hardwood forests of oak, elm, and hickory are key to supporting many native species, including the Louisiana black bear, many ducks and migratory waterfowl, songbirds, and the most iconic critters of the swamp - alligators.
Oregon High Desert East of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, is an area of desolate, high desert. It covers most of five Oregon counties and averages 4,000 feet above sea level. The southwest region is part of the Great Basin. The northern region is part of the Columbia Plateau, where higher levels of rainfall allow the cultivation of alfalfa and hay. Public land within the region, which encompasses more than 30,000 square miles and includes five wild and scenic rivers, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
California Deserts These destinations have unique ecosystems and habitats, and an historical "Old West" collection of legends, districts, and communities. They are a popular tourism region for dramatic natural features and recreation. My photos are from hot and dry Death Valley to Joshua Tree National Park. Changeable light and weather provides variety for interesting and unusual images.
Hawaiian Islands ~ Kona This small city is located where the western slopes of the Hualālai flatten out to meet the ocean. North of the city, the weather is moderate and dry; this is the famous Kona coast, offering world-famous golf courses, gorgeous beaches and impressive resort hotels. South of Kona are more rural communities and modest homes. On the slopes of the mountain the climate is humid and perfect for lush forests and for growing world-famous Kona coffee. Amazing flowering plants and colorful birds abound - perfect subjects for mainland photographers like me.