Category Archives: Travel Blogs

Spring is a Time for New Life

May 22, 2016 Troy

While out and about recently I’ve been privileged to see life emerging to grow and flourish in the abundance of spring. Some has been persistently pursued while others have been fortunate surprises while exploring local lakes and forests during the beautiful days of May. I feel so lucky to have been a part of life in the greening woods and warming waters to share in the lives of animals as they begin to experience the world around them.

My goal is to go unnoticed by the animals around me so they will continue about their daily routines naturally. Usually I’m unsuccessful in this goal at first but eventually I become a part of the forest over time and the life around me goes on about their business as if everything is normal. At least that’s what I attempt to do and it’s a great feeling when I’m successful at it. Usually animals begin to notice I’m there as I move the camera to get pictures of their activity but I try to be as stealth as possible.

This becomes more challenging because of equipment limitations. Often to get the best pictures, wildlife need to be within 20 feet of me as my zoom lens is limited to this distance currently. I struggle with acquiring more equipment at a considerable cost in many cases and accepting the limitations of what I am fortunate to have. As other photographers will often say, there is always another piece of equipment to get and another lens they would like to get to make certain pictures easier.

Going through the progression of these photos, the first picture is a pair of wood ducks paired up ready to nest and lay eggs. Next is a trumpeter swan sitting on the nest for the long process of incubating eggs. Third is a pair of sandhill cranes teaching their young what to eat and how to stay safe by watching and avoiding threats. Below is a group of baby ducklings skirting across the lake grabbing food along the way. The larger photograph above is of a baby coyote exploring the forest around it’s den while mom is sleeping in the den.

Photos, Troy's Blog, Twin Cities Adventures

Turning a City Purple

May 15, 2016 Troy

It’s been several weeks now since the passing of Prince and many of the tributes are now over. Over the past several weeks I’ve talked to a number of people and listened to their stories regarding interactions with him. Some who’ve met him on a more personal level, others who’ve been to some of his more intimate shows in the area, and those who’ve gone to full scale concerts. Many in his home town of Minneapolis have been affected by Prince. How many people in the world have such an effect as to be able to turn symbols around the world purple? Very few that I can think of.

While I didn’t take in those paying tribute at his recording studio Paisley Park or the well known night club First Avenue, I wanted to photograph the city he grew up in at night and what better opportunity than while it was lit up in purple? After work one evening I heading out in search of a great place to capture it all. While I didn’t fully succeed in capturing it all, I think I got some interesting pictures of Minneapolis.

The first goal was to photograph the city as the sun set behind it so I headed to a spot east and set up waiting for dark to begin falling. I was surprised to find I was not the only one taking advantage of this situation and specific location. In fact much of the night I came across others doing the same thing in the same places. Sure the opportunity for a unique picture was decreased but it was somewhat comforting to know others thought taking these night photos was a good idea also.

As the sun continued its trek below the horizon, more and more purple lights became visible in the darkening sky. Blackness continued to fill the sky over this busy city making these colorful lights stand out in places I didn’t expect. There were stories of a few buildings in downtown, and the 35W bridge, being lit up in purple but many other buildings had joined in on this night bringing an even larger tribute to Prince’s place.

After photographing in this location for a couple of hours while the last light from the sun dipped below the city I decided to try a different perspective to see if more of these colored buildings could be spotted so I drove to the north side of Minneapolis. Not much time was spent here as I couldn’t find a composition that brought out these purple accented buildings in a way I wanted so after a few pictures it was off to the west side of the city. From there, more buildings lit up in Prince’s color appeared and provided some nice opportunities with the rising moon in the background. After photographing this night cityscape for over an hour from this location, I decided it was time to call it a night and head for home and a soft pillow.

National Parks, Texas, Troy's Blog

Playing in Padre

May 7, 2016 Troy

After several days in Big Bend National Park we sped across Texas going from the deserts of Southwestern Texas to the Gulf Coast for our next National Parks Monopoly board destination of Padre Island National Seashore. Fortunately the big spring break crowds were here a couple of weeks earlier leaving quieter beaches for us to explore. There was a brief debate about which is better, rocks to climb or the ocean beaches. It was a short debate with the ocean winning.

Padre Island is a narrow, long island running along the southeastern portion of Texas providing miles and miles of beautiful sandy beaches to get lost in all day long. Padre Island National Seashore actually has 60 miles of beach that can be driven on if you have the right vehicle. Since we had a regular car we were unable to explore past the first 5 miles of beach which has sand packed hard enough for almost any vehicle to pass over. Beyond this first 5 miles the sand is more loosely packed making it possible to sink in and become stuck which is why 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended.

In addition to enjoying listening to the waves continually crash against the shore and taking a leisurely stroll through the waves, there is plenty of wildlife to capture your interest for awhile. Some of them required your attention while walking by the water as there could be consequences if you get to close. One of those was the Portuguese Man-o-war’s floating into shore on an occasional wave and landing in the sand until another wave is able to bring it back out to sea. They can sting you even when laying along the beach so watching your step is important. Many of these stranded on the beach were varying shades of blue making a beautiful contrast to the beach.

Another creature to watch out for near the edge of the water are crabs. Mostly we came across blue legged crabs and if walking close enough, they may pinch you in an attempt to scurry away without being crushed. They were great fun to watch, as long as you saw them before you were too close, while they crawled on the sand scavenging for food. These ranged from almost colorless to an intense blue on their legs giving them their name.

A very common sighting on the beach are numerous birds scattered everywhere . There are a number of different types from gulls to herons all searching for the next snack in and out of the waves. A great source of entertainment while taking in the rejuvenating rays from the sun on a beautiful Texas afternoon. We were trying to determine what they were eating just inside the wave zone as they appeared to be plentiful. After watching for a short time and exploring the beach we realized what the meals were.

Small clams of every shade lay just under the sand surface and would quickly emerge as a wave would approach revealing themselves to birds. As we watched and dug more these little sand dwellers were everywhere. When walking along the water’s edge you were walking on thousands of them, usually without ever knowing as they lye just below the surface waiting for the right wave to arrive. It was amazing and a little unnerving to know you were walking on hundreds of them with each step.

A quick brush of the sand and you would see them burrow to the surface all around you. There were white ones and blue ones, yellow clams and purple clams, some with strips while others were solid in color. Another great source of entertainment while relaxing on the beach. I don’t know what type of wave they were looking for but once the right wave was nearing the beach, thousands of these little clams would appear above the sand as if by magic standing straight up. Once the wave passed they would tip over laying on the beach and after another wave, disappear back into the sand making you wonder if you really saw this spectacle or imagined it.

All in a days fun along the Padre Island seashore before retreating to find your next meal.

Texas, Troy's Blog

Exploring History–Dealey Plaza

April 30, 2016 Troy

Dealey Plaza is the site of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Dallas is where we began and ended our Monopoly travels for 2016 and we wanted to spend some time in Dallas taking in a sight or two. When researching things to do and see in Dallas, Dealey Plaza seemed the most intriguing so that is the first thing we headed to see. Our flight landed mid-morning on a sunny, mild Thursday. After collecting our bags and renting a car for the week it was lunch time so we headed to a nearby place to grab a quick bite and then we were off to downtown Dallas.

Dealey Plaza is much the same as it was in November or 1963 making it easier to imagine the events of the JFK assassination (although some of the skyline has changed). Once parked on this warming spring afternoon, the first stop was the Sixth Floor Museum which was the location Lee Harvey Oswald shot from. Along the way from a nearby parking lot it hits you as you look to right, this is it, this is where President Kennedy was killed. Right there on that street! I’ve been asked a couple of times what the street is like. Many expect it has become a memorial no longer in use except by pedestrians exploring this historical place. To the contrary, it is a busy street much in use as any other street except this one bears an ‘X’ in the middle of it to mark the location of the killing shot.

Entering the old book depository, which is now a museum, a sense of curiosity and sadness overtakes you. There is a place to purchase tickets and wait in line for your time to ride an elevator to the 6th floor to learn more about the assassination. Be warned, the procedure of getting tickets and entering the waiting line gets a little confusing and seems inefficient but there are staff to direct you around. As the doors open on the 6th floor you enter a dimly lit maze of informational boards, videos, and physical displays all there to provide information leading you to an unfortunate and expected end. There’s a look back at John and Jackie’s up bringing as well as their road to the white house as president and first lady and the policies put forth by JFK. All of this is providing a better understanding of the potential reason Kennedy was not popular among some groups and why they may have wanted him killed. As you move through the museum, these displays move towards the assassination itself and the timeline of what happened during that short period of time and how that information was broadcast throughout the world. The museum ends with Lee Harvey Oswald being shot as well and the evidence used by the Warren Commission to declare Oswald as working alone and how he assassinated the President. There is a small amount of evidence pointing to the infamous ‘grassy knoll’. Our day in Dallas ended with a drive down Elm Street passing over the ‘X’ in the road to get one final perspective of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

You can watch documentaries or movies, read books, and see pictures of Dealey Plaza but it is not the same as being in the area and viewing it with your own eyes. Pictures and videos don’t give you the same sense of perspective. It’s difficult to imagine the skill required to make the shots Lee Harvey Oswald is credited with or where the crowds gathered, how sharp the turn is the motorcade made to go down Elm St until you see it yourself and walk through the depository looking over the plaza. An educational experience for those who are able to do so.

Photography Experiment, Photos, Troy's Blog

Taking the GoPro Snorkeling

April 23, 2016 Troy

Snorkeling has been a great hobby ever since I first tried it in the Cayman Islands in 2001. Ever since then I’ve wanted to capture the beautiful underwater landscapes but the cost to do so has prevented me from using equipment that would provide great photos. Fortunately things have changed over the past 15 years making it more affordable to capture those underwater memories.

Above is a picture taken in 2015 on the beaches of Cozumel using a GoPro Hero 4. It’s not a great shot but one that makes me laugh because the larger fish is a Barracuda and you don’t see a lot of fish in front of it but there are several behind it. When I first started taking underwater photographs I was resigned to using the disposable camera for water. This image below is one of the better shots as most are made up of varying shades of blue making it difficult to see what you are taking the picture of.

After getting tire of so many poor pictures and the challenge in trying to use one of these disposable underwater cameras I decided it was time to get a waterproof case for a digital camera. The results are better, however I’m using cameras purchased in 2004 so the quality is still less than I would like, but given how often I snorkel, purchasing better gear isn’t justified. Below is an image of coral using the older digital camera in a case made specifically for it.

Many of the images from this older digital camera are a little blurry but at least there are more pictures where you can tell what the picture actually is about and colors are more representative of what you actually see. In addition, there isn’t as much of a limitation on the number of photos you can take because they’re digital instead of a roll of film so go ahead and shoot away. Because of this I was able to photograph this school of fish in the picture below and somewhat see what I was photographing through the screen on the back.

All of the following images were captured using the GoPro. These are definitely better – sharper, more accurate colors, and increased detail on larger images. I just set the camera to take a picture every second or two and swim around with the camera. No more trying to set up a shot only to have a wave come by and push me into a different position. The unfortunate side to this is I don’t know what the photographs look like until I get back to my computer because I don’t have an LCD screen on the GoPro Hero 4 as most of the time my smart phone is the screen but that doesn’t seem to like being in the water.

The end result is better underwater photographs, which for the most part, I’m happy with. For such a small camera it really does a good job. Since I don’t live around an ocean I would like to try it in fresh water in lakes and rivers around my house to see how those turn out. Most likely not as colorful as ocean pictures but could be fun and interesting all the same in the right places.

Above is a school of fish taking refuge among the reef. Below is one of the many urchins hiding in the rocks. The little orange specs near the urchin are small fish. These action cameras like the GoPro are definitely fun cameras to use in ways other cameras can’t without expensive add-ons without sacrificing a lot of quality.

National Parks, Troy's Blog

Canyon De Chelly

April 17, 2016 Troy

Canyon De Chelly was a National Park we haven’t heard of before and a brief search before visiting basically informed us that it is a canyon in Arizona. It may not be largely publicized because of that other little canyon in Arizona called The Grand Canyon. Canyon de Chelly is a beautiful park where the floor is still in use today by the Navajo for farming as this park is part of the Navajo Indian Reservation.

We enjoyed exploring this National Park as it is a beautiful place amongst the Colorado Plateau with the uniquely carved out canyons and amazing rock formations all made out of red tinted stone. There are numerous overlooks surrounding this park each providing a great view of canyon and surrounding area. The longer you look at the rocks you begin to see more and more details such as stone carved by the natural elements, rock stacked together creating layers upon layers highlighted by different colors, and areas where the rocks have fallen away from the cliffs created caves.

There is one designated trail that allows you to hike into the canyon without trespassing on Navajo lands at the bottom so we decided to take advantage of that opportunity. There are tours available led by Navajo guides as they are the only ones allowed to bring people down into the canyon outside of this trail.

The trail takes about 15 – 20 minutes as you wind back and forth among the stones descending about 600 feet to the bottom. Along this hiking trail there are tunnels and caves providing some great locations for people to escape the elements. They also made great additions to the scenery throughout the canyon. Once at the bottom you get a very different perspective of this stone maze. There’s a better understanding of how tall these cliffs are and how large this canyon is. Plant diversity becomes apparent as many areas are dry providing an environment for cactus to grow while near the river running along the bottom gives moisture for trees and other plants.

At the end of the trail you can explore one of the areas cliff dwellers inhabited at one time. The structures are kept behind a fence in order to preserve them but they are still interesting to see and makes it a little easier to imagine what it must have been like living in this canyon before the conveniences of horses and vehicles. What was it like to create multiple level buildings climbing up cliffs into large caves? These cliff dwellings were an unexpected surprise for us as we explored Canyon De Chelly National Monument.

Adventure, Big Bend National Park, Troy's Blog

Window Trail

April 9, 2016 Troy 2 Comments

Our Monopoly board brought us to explore Window Trail which lies inside of Big Bend National Park. This is a moderately difficult trail which covers 3.6 miles in total and covers some beautiful scenery along the way. We were fortunate to be there during the spring when many plants were beginning to bloom and the temperatures were ideal for a hike in the desert. Not to cold and not to warm.

Along this trail we enjoyed a number of great sights including Yucca’s and cactus in bloom, a couple of white tail deer, colorful birds, and a friendly road runner. This trail follows the bottom of a canyon most of the way where water drains during heavier rainfalls.

About halfway to the end of the trail we decided it was time to explore a place to take a few minutes to relax and take in the great desert mountain scenery. What’s the first thing kids want to do when stopping near rocks? Well climb them of course and this we did as some of the nicest seats were higher up. This is not recommended by the park although we were definitely not the first ones to do this as I found an orange peel in one of the crevices left by a previous climber.

Once entering the canyon portion of the hike there were stairs built to make the trail easier to traverse as during other times of the year there can be water flowing through here which is, of course, the way this canyon was created.

At a couple of points along the way we wondered if we were at the end of the trail. I can say definitively now that the end is very obvious because of seeing the window it was named after and it drops off to the desert floor very abruptly. I’m not sure a person would survive a drop from the window.

As you get close to the window the rocks become extremely slippery due to the running water carrying debris which has sanded down the rocks giving them a polished appearance and feel. It was interesting, especially in this dry season, to see how high the water can get in this canyon and how fast it must rush through to wear down the stone underneath.

Carefully climbing near the end there is just a narrow slot with a large drop-off which is all very slippery requiring some care to get to. It would be interesting to see this area from the other side after a heavy rain. There must be an interesting waterfall for a short time.

During our trek back we encountered this road runner that didn’t seem to care we were there as it walked right next to us on the trail. Other hikers behind us had the same experience. This particular bird must be use to hikers on this trail and understand prey can be found scurrying as hikers pass by making them easier to find. It gave us the opportunity to all see a road runner finally as each time before the birds would be gone before everyone could see them running across roads in front of the car.

Photos, Troy's Blog

Spring is Coming

April 3, 2016 Troy

The snow is quickly melting and warmer temperatures are moving in bringing with it an increased desire to go outside and leave our winter dens in Minnesota. People are smiling more and generally in a better mood. Geese are taking advantage of more open water and making their annual trek north in search of places for food and the perfect nesting grounds.

Ducks are following suite as there are numerous different types that we don’t usually see except for their migrations. As water becomes more accessible there are more and more flying through. Even though the ice is retreating it is very likely these ducks will be dealing with a spring snow storm or two yet.

It’s nice to be able to spend more time outdoors with lighter coats and not be cold after awhile. It won’t be long before the trees will begin showing signs of life confirming winter is in months past. This year spring seems to be a few weeks early which many people seem to agree is perfectly ok. Only a few that are passionate for winter activities are morning the loss of snow and ice.

Even though there appears to be no sign of life in the trees there is one that is taking advantage of this early part of spring – pussy willows. They are quickly extending their buds and preparing to flower. An event many miss as this happens while there may be a few spots of snow and ice still visible. Amazing to me that these plants can grow so quickly with temperatures cooling off to below freezing at night.

As these pussy willows progress you see these bright yellow pollen shedding anthers basking in the brighter sunlight inviting any insect nearby. Watching for a short time reveals a multitude of bugs stirring and consuming this abundance of food that never appeared to be alive a few moments before. Yes, spring has begun and so has the re-appearance of life after surviving in the cold, barren landscape for so many months.

Adventure, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, National Parks, Troy's Blog

Meandering Through the Smoky Mountains on a Horse

March 26, 2016 Troy

Exploring a National Park by driving and hiking through it is the most common, riding a horse was something different for us and what better place to do that than Great Smoky Mountains National Park? There are a couple of horse stables in this park. The one we chose was Cades Cove Riding Stables because that was the one closest to where we wanted to explore that day.

Our ride lasted for about an 45 minutes through beautiful forests of the Smoky Mountains so it was long enough to enjoy it but not too long where those of us not use to horses would get sore. The day began cloud covered with the threat of rain but we managed to stay dry and see peaks of sun as the ride continued making for a great summer morning while taking in these surroundings. Several of the Rhododendrons were just beginning to bloom along the trail providing for an even prettier landscape to ride through.

The trail leader was very knowledgeable about the horses and trails and took care of any potential issues with the horses quickly. Some horses just don’t perform as well next to certain other horses so sometimes it’s best to keep them separated in a group. Once in awhile a horse wants to go at a different pace than the rest of the group and needs to be put back in their spot to follow the group for the best and safest ride for all. If your in Great Smoky Mountain National Park and are interested in spending time on horses, I definitely recommend Cades Cove Stables. And NO, I was not compensated to say that.

Adventure, Lake Superior, Troy's Blog

The Frozen River

March 19, 2016 Troy

After a day snowmobiling through Northern Wisconsin we (my cousin and I) wanted to take in a waterfall or two coated in fresh snow so off to Gooseberry Falls we drove. That was the last weekend of the season the trails were open for snowmobiling as it worked out. How fortunate for us?! I was expecting the river to be flowing freely surrounded by fresh snow for some very picturesque landscapes. To my surprise the ice was still well intact over much of the river and waterfalls. For a comparison I’ve included a photo of these same waterfalls during the summer.

I’ve never been to this area during the winter to see what the waterfalls look like iced over so this was interesting to explore in a completely different perspective. Seeing the waterfalls frozen made me wonder what the process looks like during the winter as the ice gets thicker and thicker. I was also surprised how many people were visiting the falls and taking in a beautiful winter day exploring this state park.

Most of the visitors were hiking around the falls, which is what we were doing while some were there to photograph the ice covered waterfalls and one individual was climbing up and over the frozen portions of the falls. Taking some time to talk with him, he says this is his winter version of rock climbing, an activity keeping him out and about enjoying life. It was fun to watch as he picked through the ice with axes and cleats.

While hiking through the state park I discovered trails in locations I wasn’t aware of trails before. I’ve been to this state park a number of times and never discovered a trail on the opposite side of these waterfalls on top of the cliff overlooking this gorgeous landscape. The views from this newly discovered trail are well worth the extra distance required to get to them. That’s were many of these pictures were taken from. You can see the different angles between most of the waterfall photos and the summer shot.

Because one of my goals for 2016 was to photograph snowflakes, I’ve started to look more closely at some of the details in the ice and snow this year. Especially melting ice and snow. The picture above shows the layers that make up ice covering the river as portions are beginning to melt. Some of the freshly fallen snow was beginning to melt and gliding down the ice creating interesting trickles across the several inches of ice still coating the river.

As we continued our hike around a portion of the Gooseberry River I found a few other locations providing a snapshot into the layer upon frozen layer of water making up this thick sheet of ice. In the above photograph you can see the layers underneath the top layer which is still coated in snow. The darkest portions are running water flowing underneath all of this ice. I believe the water depth in this area is several feet so while it looks relatively shallow, that look is deceiving.

Making our way to the lower falls you can see the magnificent rocks covered in all of this ice. in our explorations we confirmed water running under much of this as there were a few spots open to the water underneath as well as sounds of rushing water muffled by layers of ice. There were some great shapes created from the freezing and thawing during the recent days. It’s interesting to look at all these little details that combine together to make this amazing ice walls. Sometimes I forgot I was standing over running water as I was attempting to photograph these small icicles and crystals and their curious shapes.

Darkness was approaching on this already cloud covered light and the wind was growing colder so it was time to exit this beautiful ice river and falls. Before we did I was amazed further by the resilience of trees that grow out of these rock ledges as in the winter they are also ice covered. How they continue to grow surprises me and I work with plants almost every day. These tree roots and icicles clinging to the side of this stone wall made for a sight you don’t expect to see.

Gooseberry Falls State Park has a beautiful visitors center with great information about the North Shore of Minnesota but was unfortunately closed as we were exiting. In the absence of park personnel, we were sent on our way by some of the park residents. Although they seemed to prefer our departure instead of wanting to be interacted with.

Gaining Life Experience