The First Time I Saw the Desert
I’d never seen the desert before, but I’ve always wanted to. It seemed like such an intriguing landscape, so different from the dense green rolling hills I was used to. Where palm trees weren’t a strange sight, and cactuses grew naturally. One day I discovered some cheap flights to Las Vegas, and suddenly a week […]
Visiting Family in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
During my trip to Michigan, I wanted to visit the cemeteries of my relatives. Luckily I unknowingly chose a hotel right in between two main cemeteries where my relatives laid. Unlike the the Southfield Cemetery, the Holy Sepulchre Catholic cemetery was massive and easy to get lost in. It was an icy November day, and […]
Mountain Cows
I could hardly believe it when we reached the top of Bearwallow mountain. A herd of cows gently grazing on the mountain top meadow. I was hoping to just see one cow, as the hiking guide had mentioned, so I was overjoyed when I saw so many of them! The cows were really friendly and […]
The Big Hike to Hawksbill Mountain
I never posted the pictures from the Big Hike last fall. It was a one mile hike to the top of a mountain that stood tall along the Blue Ridge mountain range. Towards the end of the hike the trail was nearly straight up the side of the mountain! The views from the top of Hawksbill Mountain […]
Unexpected Mushrooms
It had been too long since we last took a walk. Wanting something different we decided on a nature trail in a park north of town. It was a park I had spent many unwanted hours at years ago for home school events I wanted no part of. I hadn’t returned since. But I decided […]
A Desert Painted
Parts of northern Arizona had reminded me of what Mars might look like. But upon entering the Petrified Forest and seeing the Painted Desert, this area really looked like we had just been transported over to the red planet. The bright sun gave a false impression of a warm day. The air was cold, and […]
Just (2000 Miles) Down the Road
The interstate in my backyard, if followed long enough, will eventually lead to the small town of Holbrook Arizona. It’s a little town that the old route 66 used to run right through until it got bypassed in recent years by the construction of big interstate 40. Holbrook also inspired the little desert town in […]
The Lost Beach
Cape Lookout Island. Only accessible by Ferry, and with no paved roads. It was once a home to a small fishing community but is now owned by the National Park system. A short walk away from the tourist area, down the lonely shoreline, and remnants of the island’s past begin to appear. Barnacle laden debris […]
Abandoned Mill Village
A few more pictures from when my friends and I explored an old Abandoned Mill Village, that was used for part of filming the Hunger Games movies. These little homes have sat vacant for at least forty years, while nature engulfed them. Grass grew tall around the foundation, and vines had climbed through the windows, and […]
Abandoned Mill Village: Inside the Walls
When my friends and I visited the Abandoned Mill Village, we couldn’t resist taking a look inside the little houses that had been abandoned for forty years or more. Many of them were painted bright colors inside, perhaps they had once been cheerful little homes. But now the paint was peeling from the walls, parts of […]