Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, CA
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

I took this photo on my first trip to Death Valley.  That's rain in the hills in the background.  It doesn't rain there a lot, but it does rain.  It's obvious by how the water has shaped the landscape.  There wasn't really a storm on that day, no flooding or anything, it just came down for a few minutes here and there.

Photo selection inspired by Geogypsy's Foto Friday Fun 123, image #17.

The Hike to Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend, AZ
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM, f/11, 1/125s, ISO: 100

This is roughly the halfway point on the trail to Horseshoe Bend from the parking lot.  It's not a long walk, but it can get very hot and it feels like it's uphill in both directions.  Take water!  It's got a great payoff, though.

Marble Canyon & Vermilion Cliffs

House Rock Valley, AZ
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm L USM, f/10, 1/200s, ISO: 100

There are things I'm sure about, things I'm not so sure about and things just don't know in this photo.  I don't know what the name of the mountain or hill or whatever it is we were on when I took this photo.  It's on a turnout on US Route 89.  That's US Route 89A in the lower left of the photo, I'm sure of that.  I think the valley is called House Rock Valley.  The canyon running through the valley is Marble Canyon, which eventually turns into the Grand Canyon.  The Colorado River is running through it.  Those are the Vermilion Cliffs behind the canyon, and I think behind the Vermilion Cliffs is the Kaibab Plateau.

This area is magical, a destination unto itself  I can't wait to go back.

Ghost Rider Crossing

Grand Teton National Park, WY
Canon PowerShot SD770 IS

Remember in junior high when you'd get yourself up to a good speed on your bike and then jump off to see how far you could send your bike down that hill?  Ghost riding, right?  I guess there's a lot of that going on near Jenny Lake.  Doesn't seem like the likeliest of places.  There's no hills or jumps in the vicinity of this sign, anyway.

Point Reyes

Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM, f/8, 1/125s, ISO: 100

I took Pongo to Point Reyes yesterday.  It's one of his favorite day trips.  We saw a lot of cows and a few harriers and elk.  I took a few pictures, nothing all that exciting.  This spot is usually interesting.

Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend, AZ

Can't go to Arizona without getting a picture of Horseshoe Bend, right?  It's an amazing sight, photos don't do it justice.

Vermilion Cliffs

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, AZ
Canon PowerShot SD770 IS

This is a driving shot.  I took a lot of these on my trip last month, just sticking my camera out the window and shooting blindly as I drove.  Most weren't worth keeping--no surprise there--but every once in a while I'd get something good like this photo.  It's a little fuzzy but I really like the colors.