Category Archives: Nature

Lens-Artist Challenge #293 : Water in Motion

Sophia from “Photographias” put forth this week’s challenge to highlight “Water in Motion”. Water is the most abundant and the most important substance on Earth. Many cultures use water, both still and running, as metaphors for life. Sophia’s challenge encouraged me to think deeper about the role of water in motion. Naturally, our first thoughtContinue reading “Lens-Artist Challenge #293 : Water in Motion”

Paddling Glacier Bay, Alaska: In the Wake of John Muir

Glacier Bay, like everything in life, is always changing. But it takes stepping back from it a bit to realize the power that landscape has, and its power to change you. John Muir, the famous naturalist from the late 19th and early 20th centuries was changed by his time in the bay. He once wroteContinue reading “Paddling Glacier Bay, Alaska: In the Wake of John Muir”

Paddling into the Pleistocene: Icy Bay, Alaska

The geomorphologist in me always wanted to go back in time to the late Pleistocene Epoch and experience what it was like to live about 12,000 years ago near the end of the Ice Age. But since I got tired of waiting for someone to invent a time machine, I did the next best thingContinue reading “Paddling into the Pleistocene: Icy Bay, Alaska”

Lens Artist Photo Challenge #284 -Day and Night

This week, Lens Artist Sofia Alves (http://photographias.wordpress.com) put forth the challenge to depict day vs. night in photographs. Our perceptions of night vary immensely across cultures. A pensioner in a crime ridden urban area, a coyote in the High Desert, a bartender in Barcelona: they all have vastly different conceptions of the meaning of, andContinue reading “Lens Artist Photo Challenge #284 -Day and Night”

From Maui to the Mackenzie Mountains to Malabo and on to Mandalay: An alliterative trip around the world

A Virtual travel trip around the world in a generally eastward direction with all destinations starting with the letter M. I invite you to make your own alliterative trip around the world to your bucket list destinations using any letter of the alphabet.
Actual travel to places must start first with a dream about where to go. This exercise will give you an idea to explore new places you never knew about before.

IOWA?? …….I-O-WOW!

Iowa, often dismissed as a mere flyover state, has plenty to offer travelers. Highlights comprise the geological marvel of the Driftless Area, the stunning views from the Fenelon Place Elevator, the remarkable caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park, and over 2,000 miles of bicycle trails. Visitors can also experience cultural history at the Amana Colonies and immerse in the “Field of Dreams” movie nostalgia. Future grandeur promises Stuart Riverside as Captain James Kirk’s birthplace in Star Trek, confirming Iowa’s multifaceted appeal.

A Bicycle Trail in Every State: Midwest Edition

Advice and recommendations on the best designated bicycle trails in the Midwest, based on first hand experience, including a quick overview of trails by state.

Cruising the Enchanted Highway

Seeing forty foot high pheasants while driving across the prairie is an enchanting experience. New Mexico may call itself the “Land of Enchantment”, but you will have to travel far, far from there to find the Enchanted Highway. The Enchanted Highway is a 32 mile stretch of highway in Western North Dakota which boasts theContinue reading “Cruising the Enchanted Highway”