Rocky Creek Bridge on Otter Crest Loop

Rocky Creek Bridge, Otter Crest Loop, OR
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, f/6.3, 1/50s, ISO: 100

There's a Rocky Creek Bridge in California.  This isn't that bridge.  This is the Rocky Creek Bridge in Oregon near Depoe Bay.  It's also known as Ben Jones Bridge, but that name just isn't as poetic as Rocky Creek Bridge, so I'm not using it here.

There's a little pullout near this bridge beside a cove with a lot of rock/ocean drama going on when the sea is rough.  I'm no geologist, but these look like volcanic rocks to me.  You know, hardened lava?  I could easily be wrong.  Kind of cool to see this type of rock right up against the ocean.

If you're driving the Oregon Coast, don't miss Otter Crest Loop.  It has some of the best views you'll find along that drive.

Otter Crest Loop, OR
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, f/9, 1/80s, ISO: 100

Otter Crest Loop, OR
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, f/9, 1/80s, ISO: 100

U.S. Route 89

U.S. Route 89, WY
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, ISO: 100, f/11, 1/125s

I like the way the road looks like it can just go on in a straight line forever.  We stopped for a few pictures of a pronghorn on the other side of the road but this is the shot I like from this particular stop.

Well . . . Hell.  I should show the pronghorn, too, right?  Why not?

Pronghorn -- U.S. Route 89, WY
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, ISO: 400, f/5.6, 1/1600s

Mountain Lion Crossing

Desert View Drive, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, 1/40s, f/6.3, ISO: 100

I'm thinking this is one of the last signs you want to see if you have a flat tire.

This mountain lion crossing sign can be seen on Desert View Drive along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It's a not-to-miss thirty mile stretch of road between the South and East entrances of the park.

For the record, I've never seen a mountain lion there.

Roadways: Capitol Reef's Scenic Drive

Scenic Drive, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Canon PowerShot SD770 IS, 1/500s, f/2.8, ISO: 80

Capitol Reef is probably the least well-known of Utah's national parks, and I'm both surprised and a little awed by that fact.  I've also been to Zion and Bryce Canyon, and of the three I'd have to say Capitol Reef was my favorite.  That makes me wonder what Canyonlands and Arches have in store for me on some future visits, because I think they're both more popular destinations than Capitol Reef, and if so they must be truly spectacular.  Zion and Bryce Canyon were pretty amazing also, I just didn't spend much time in Zion and Bryce was a bit too crowded for my liking.  It's easy to get away from the crowds in Capitol Reef, though (a lot like Death Valley in that regard) , and the views are unforgettable.

I spent a single night at Capitol Reef a couple of years ago.  I arrived in the early afternoon, snagged the last available camping spot, then spent the rest of the daylight hours seeing as much of the park as I could.  If I knew then what I know now I'd have spent an extra night at Capitol Reef and cut my time at Bryce Canyon shorter.  Well, then again I had some cool adventures at Bryce, so maybe not.

I kind of think all of Southern Utah should be one big park.  That place is amazing.

Roadways: Highway 101 (Astoria-Megler Bridge)

Astoria-Megler Bridge, Highway 101, Astoria, OR
Canon Power Shot SX40 HS, 1/640s, f/4, ISO: 160

I love going across this bridge.  It spans the Columbia River near its mouth.  The river is massive at this point, roughly four miles wide where the bridge crosses it.  Living in the Bay Area I'm used to bridges of this size and length, but this bridge isn't going across a bay, it's crossing a four mile wide river.  How can a river be that big?

Roadways: Highway 101 (Yaquina Bay Bridge)

Yaquina Bay Bridge, U.S. Route 101, Newport, OR
Canon EOS Rebel T5i,  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/125s, f/4, ISO:800

Oregon has its share of dramatic bridges.  Yaquina Bay Bridge has been one of my favorites since childhood.  My cousins lived in Newport just North of the bridge.  A trip across the bridge usually meant a we were going to the marine science center where we could pick up starfish and see the octopus.  Good times.

I took this picture in November.  It came out OK considering I was shooting in twilight.  I spent a lot of time on this trip working with different shutter speeds.  I've still got a long way to go before I feel like I've got handle on this stuff.

Roadways: Highway 101 (Rogue River Bridge)

Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge, U.S. Route 101, Gold Beach, OR
Canon Powershot SX40 HS, 1/320s, f/4, ISO: 200

The Rogue River Bridge, officially but awkwardly named the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge, is a real beauty.  Built in 1931, it's supported by seven concrete arches that span the Rogue River near its mouth.

I usually stop for a picture of the Mary D. Hume when I'm driving up the coast.  She's a steamer that was built in the nineteenth century for hauling cargo between Gold Beach and San Francisco.  She's been a sunken wreck in the river for thirty years.  I like picking up the bridge in the background, so I have a number of shots from a similar angle from various drives over the last few years.

Mary D. Hume, Gold Beach, OR
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 1/640s. f/4, ISO: 160

Roadways: Highway 101 (Golden Gate Bridge)

Golden Gate Bridge, U.S. Route 101, San Francisco, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i,  EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/125s, f/11, ISO:100

Highway 101 is long and has a number of remarkable sections (as well as a few exceptionally drab ones).  The Golden Gate Bridge is about as exceptional as it gets on any stretch of road.

Not much else to say here.  I've got more Pacific Coast bridges coming, but this is the grand-daddy of 'em all.

Roadways: Pacific Coast Highway (Rocky Creek Bridge)

Rocky Creek Bridge, California State Route 1, Big Sur, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, 1/125s, f/9, ISO:100

Rocky Creek Bridge is roughly ten miles South of Carmel.  It looks a lot like Bixby Bridge which lies a couple of miles South, but it's a little smaller and a bit less dramatic.  Both bridges are of similar design, made of concrete and built in 1932, but the Bixby Bridge just kicks a little more ass.

Roadways: Pacific Coast Highway (Bixby Bridge)

Bixby Bridge, California State Route 1, Big Sur, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, 1/80s, f/4, ISO:100

California's Pacific Coast Highway can stand toe to toe with any of this nation's scenic drives.  Shoot, the Big Sur stretch alone can hang with the best of 'em.  Bixby Bridge is one of the highway's well known icons.  Built in 1932, the bridge spans Bixby Creek Canyon which is about fifteen miles South of Carmel.  Where the Big Sur coastline begins and ends is a bit fuzzy to me, but most sources I've seen seem to agree that the bridge is in Big Sur, so I'll gladly go along with that.

Roadways: Scenic Byway 12

Utah State Route 12
Canon Power Shot SX40 HS, 1/1250s, f/4, ISO: 125

I've only spent a few days in Utah, but I've seen enough to believe that few states aside from California can compete with its epic beauty.

Scenic Byway 12 runs roughly between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks.  It has a well-deserved reputation for being one of America's most dramatic drives.  The section of the road in the photo above runs along the top of a ridge with cliffs on either side and no shoulder to speak of.  Who came up with this plan?  It was sheer genius.

Highway 12 is a drive not to be missed.  If you're travelling between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon, spend the extra time and take this route.  Hell, make a special trip for this drive.  It's worth it.

Roadways: Avenue of the Giants

California State Route 254
Canon Power Shot SX40 HS, 1/25s, f/3.5, ISO: 800

California SR 254 is known as the Avenue of the Giants.  It's a spectacular drive through redwoods groves along the Eel River in Humboldt County.  One could easily spend an entire day exploring this thirty mile stretch of road.  There are numerous places to stop for short hikes and sight seeing, as well as a few small towns where one can grab a bite to eat.

Roadways: Highway 190

California State Route 190, Death Valley National Park, CA
Canon Power Shot SX40 HS, f/4, ISO: 100

There are roads and then there are roads.  Some drives are just special.  Highway 1 in Big Sur and  Highway 12 in Utah are probably my two favorite stretches of road, at least that I've driven over the last few years.  Eastern California has a couple of gems.  Highway 395 runs North/South along the back side of the Sierras and Highway 190 runs through Death Valley.

This shot is Highway 190 as it descends 5000 feet from Towne Pass to Stovepipe Wells.  Those clouds in the sky actually dropped a bit of rain on this particular day.