The adventure continues... It's a gift when you can walk away from winning a lottery and create another adventure that is just as amazing. Great insight into the optimism you have for life. Your pictures are absolutely breathtaking! I smiled as I imagined you in the Dodge Durrango cruising through the Arizona desert on route to your next adventure.
i-phone camera -vs- tripod & SLR's Well my battery ran out half through the photographers tour & I ended up using my iPhone & man did I get some great shots, in fact Lammie our guide used my iPhone to show the photographers the best shot to take heheheh! 'Tho I will admit to feeling awkward pulling out my iPhone when in the company of these huge bulky on-steroid looking cameras.
Whoa! You on a Photography Tour with your monopad? You guys never fail to amaze me! I should bring my nephew here. Wow, stunning photography. And with a monopad?
Whoa! How do I let you down gently here Lili? Appreciate you liked the pics and hope you still like them when you know I took them with the camera that I took all those portraits of your family. A monopod is a one-legged tripod...not a type of ipad!!! Denise is the iphone junkie...took all those amazing shots of our trip with her iphone that she posted on Facebook. She had the smaller camera in Antelope Canyon but kept on bringing out her iphone...talk about embarrassing. The others had camera gear like your nephew Rookie...but I don't think his photo studio would fit on my monopad!
The TSA "Welcome" Well as you can tell I am catching up on some reading at last. What an unpleasant experience! Mostly I've been ok when travelling to the States, but some of those power-mad officials have nothing better to do than torment tourists. When I travelled back to NZ from the Yucatan in Mexico I thought I would break up my journey with a 3-day stay in San Francisco. I had to fly from Cancun via Houston airport and those horrible people grilled me for ages - "why are you going to San Francisco"? "Why such a short trip? It's a long way to go for 3 days". I offered to show them a map to tell them where NZ was and explain the trip but that didn't seem to go down too well! I'm glad it all ended okay for you both, and the hospitality of the real Americans made up for it!
The TSA "Welcome" I'm amazed you also have received a callous TSA welcome Rachael. Yet when I got locked up in LAX on my way to Patagonia for putting my boarding pass through the scanner with my passport, I must say the TSA reception as we left Toronto was somewhat less of a surprise!
Lucky Wow, I was reading this and couldn't believe you gave up an opportunity to visit the Wave....but then I read in the comments that you had a much more important engagement and it all became clear. Looking at all your amazing photos you saw plenty of amazing things anyway, and you also got to spend time with some great people - so your number did come up after all!
so your number did come up after all! I really like that take Rachael..."so your number did come up after all!" Sometimes it is the people we meet that is a greater highlight than the scenery. Either way it was a decision we had to make yet agonising as we were so close yet so far. If our ball had fallen as the one before, our roadtrip would have been quite different to how it turned out.
You made the right decision That is cool that you won and a big decision had to be made. Life like to test us from time to time. I believe you are the winner because you have good friends to spend time with and the Wave was not meant to be. Bob and Linda are wonderful people and I am glad you had time with them. Looking at your amazing photos proves you were a winner. Yes, some highs and some lows, a moment in time but you've recovered nicely.
You made the right decision You always vote with your heart MJ and I think you are spot on. When you see what we did in my coming blogs...all only possible because we made that decision...the proof will be presented there. Do I feel lucky? Yeh!!!
C'est la vie!! Well, I guess you'll have to come back, perhaps when the weather is better and our schedules are free so we can do this together. You have so much more to see of the West now that you've gotten a taste of it!
The Wave! Hi Dave,
We have a saying here at our little home in the woods. "If we aint there, we're somewhere else' You'll never be that lucky top do it all! Take what life gives you. Enjoyed the suspense!
The Wave! We also have a saying Dave that life has swings and balances...you can't just have highs...gotta also have some lows. And usually the best stories come from the lows. Glad you enjoyed the suspense. Who'd have thought it could turn out as it did?
Oh, NO!!! C'est la vie...Life's like that Bob. Sometimes you can...sometimes you can't. Wouldn't have swapped or wanted to miss any of our time together...you know what I mean!
Cat and I are there with you! It has been a busy week+ and I am just getting around to reading this. Fantastic...as always. Snows falling softly on the majesty that is Zion. Thank you for making me smile. A simple garden with acres of sky.......... It is amazing how draping the ground in a white blanket of snow can be so mesmerizing and vibrant. You are no doubt a lottery winner. Glad you went off season.
Cat and I are there with you! Hope Cat sang "Into White" when you saw him in concert MJ. Either way you know where it is to assist your recall as "We reckon Cat Stevens is here with us now...and maybe Merry Jo...smiling...snow falling gently from the trees...into their hair."
Snow in Zion Another great blog, Dave, and super photos. There's something special about snow in these parts. We had snow in Bryce, a perfect picture, and failed to get into Sequoia through snowfall in February. The road was far too dangerous - even for us! Keep on movin'
Snow in Zion Were you in Bryce this February David? We had to miss it as we headed south for The Wave lottery and the only way back would have been a total backtrack as the other way was closed. Times like that you just keep going. Look forward to seeing your pics from that area.
Well, you braved the polar vortex and you got treated to such wonderful views. Winter landscapes have their own charm.
I wonder if you won that Wave lottery !
Wonderful story as always! And while I do not miss the cold winters of Canada, I will always admit a landscape blanketed with snow is a beautiful thing.
We also really connected with your past story about US customs... not sure how many times we have encountered similar events and we always walk away asking, "What was there to gain in that display of arrogant bullying?" Now that you are in the US, enjoy the journey!
Cheers,
-Sean
Wonderful story Thanks Sean. Pretty easy to be seduced by a glorious landscape blanketed in snow for those from the land of Oz. It's one reason I shall return to Canada and maybe yet again to China. I seem to have a penchant for white Christmases and New Years. Yet to be blessed by a polar vortex...pure luck...no planning there!
My wife Denise & I like to travel "on paths less travelled" that capture our imagination, inspire my photography & where we mix with locals & remain safe.
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Sean and Erin Douglas
The adventure continues...
It's a gift when you can walk away from winning a lottery and create another adventure that is just as amazing. Great insight into the optimism you have for life. Your pictures are absolutely breathtaking! I smiled as I imagined you in the Dodge Durrango cruising through the Arizona desert on route to your next adventure.