As the eternal optimist, I’ve often been accused of viewing the world through rose-colored lenses. Why not take my optimism to the next level? Artistic Earth Photography showcases the world as I see it. My hope is to inspire others to view the world as I do – in all of its wild artistic beauty. Enjoy!
Latest from the Blog
All the Things that Did Not Kill Me
(Reasons to Travel) Original Post: April 23, 2016 Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a “bit” of a worrywart. Okay, it’s true. I’m a flat-out crazy person sometimes. In my own mind, I’ve already encountered every possible awful scenario that has ever existed. My imagination is my own worst enemy. I’ve been through floods, fires,…
Chicago on a Saturday
Original Post: April 23, 2016 Remember the feeling when you were a kid and Christmas day finally arrived? It’s simultaneously amazing and disappointing. The day is here, but all of the weeks of anticipation are gone… There are tons of amazing new things to play with, loud family gathered around the dinner table, dozens of…
You Can’t Have it All
Original Post: February 15, 2016 They say all good things must come to an end, and perhaps that’s why I’ve put off posting this last blog entry! On day 21, we were up at 5:30 due to a crying baby in the camp site across from us (seriously – what is with these parents???) and…
The Race
Original Post: November 30, 2015 Surely you must think that I’ve died since I have sorely neglected this blog for the past month and a half. At least part of that is due to NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, a frantic November scurry to get 50,000 words written by each participating aspiring novelist. As…
Brake Lights
Original Post: October 11, 2015 We got up at 5:30 am to try our hand at spotting wildlife. We’d been told by Kirk that wolves and bears are frequently spotted in the Lamar Valley, and Nate had wanted to fish Pebble Creek, so off we went. Unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone is wonderfully laid out, with roads…
Big Horn Sheep, Hot Springs, and (No) Bears – Oh My!
Original Post: September 22, 2015 We were in for another long trip, but really, was there any other kind on this vacation? We left our little cabin in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho by 7 am and drove through the western edge of Montana, thinking all the while that we’d definitely be retiring there in the future.…
More than Just Potatoes
Original Post: September 8, 2015 There came a point in our trip when we knew it would be time to turn around and head back home. Crater Lake didn’t really count (even though we’d changed directions), as it was still an amazing destination that I’d planned as part of the itinerary. Idaho, however, was…well… Idaho.…
It’s Only an Ankle
Original Post: September 1, 2015 Day 16 – Crater Lake! It was “only” a 3 1/2 hour drive from the Redwood National Forest, but it’s funny how on this trip, the shorter drives felt longer. We arrived at the campground at 12:30, set up camp, ate some lunch, and realized it was already time to get…
Fog City, The City by the Bay, San Fran
Original Post: August 26, 2015 Call it what you will, but I think San Francisco gives Chicago a run for its money as The Windy City. Geez! But I’m ahead of myself. Last I wrote, we were still stuck in Yosemite. Dismal, stormy, not-what-it-was-supposed-to-be Yosemite. We were poured on again the night before, ensuring that…
No Moonbows for You!
Original Post: August 17, 2015 Day 2 at Yosemite. At least we were prepared for Tioga Pass Road today. We woke early, figuring we’d start the day off right. That meant fishing in the stream in the meadow directly across from the campground, of course. Nate caught several cutthroat trout, hooting and hollering each time…
Yosemite (Pronounced Yo-Seh-Mighty in my book)
Original Post: August 16, 2015 Leaving Sequoia National Park, I was excited to head to Yosemite. Yosemite. That amazing park where Ansel Adams produced so many phenomenal photographs. Images that influenced my love for photography, perhaps even images that fueled my insatiable love for nature. (Though I admit, early childhood hikes with family had already…
To See a Giant
Original Post: August 11, 2015 Though we could have enjoyed the coast forever (And really, who couldn’t?), we packed up early and hit the road for Sequoia National Park to meet with The General. (Sherman, that is.) We were on our way early and fully prepared for hitting LA traffic in full-on rush hour. Yeah.…
This Concludes the Desert Portion of Your Tour
Original Post: August 8, 2015 We headed out on Day 10, eager to be leaving Las Vegas. (Hey, isn’t that a movie?) A “quick” stop at McDonald’s for breakfast, but oh, that’s right. That’s where we discovered, yet again, that nothing in Vegas is as quick as the reputation. We got to the drive-through lane…
Viva Las Vegas
Original Post: August 6, 2015 Bring on the crazy! Day 9 meant Vegas time. Life in Las Vegas is supposed to be pretty fast, right? Everything on television and in the books, at least, seems to imply that’s the case. Oh, but didn’t your mother ever tell you that not everything you see on TV…
Even the Best Laid Plans Go Awry
Original Post: August 2, 2015 Hooray, we were finally blessed with a day when we could wake up slowly and take the day easily. I had booked two nights at the Grand Canyon and we were grateful for the down time. Showers and shopping for souvenirs before a short drive to Cape Royal where we’d…
No Encore, Please
Original Post: July 31, 2015 We had packed up and gotten on the road by 7 am, determined not to be in the the canyons of Zion when the temperature rose above 90. We’ve certainly had enough of that to last a lifetime. Plus, we needed to reach Antelope Canyon Tours in Arizona by 9 am to make…
Hot Stuff
Original Post: July 29, 2015 As if driving through the Utah landscape wasn’t torture enough, we faced another scorching day. Leaving Bryce, we found the first place to shower since we’d left Missouri and I swore I heard a heavenly choir when I stepped into that shower stall. Or perhaps that was me. The bathroom…
The Longest Drive
Original Post: July 27, 2015 The title of this post might be slightly misleading. The drive from Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness to Arches National Park was hardly the longest drive. Not even close, in fact, but there’s something about the Utah scenery (or lack thereof) that makes the drive exceptionally monotonous. The desert is initially amazing…
Onward and Upward. Very, Very Upward.
Original Post: July 24, 2015 We’re up at 5:30 and on the road by 6, but not without first appreciating the views that early morning Kansas plains have to offer. Deer in the tall grasses, pheasants calling unseen, and the golden sun rising over the horizon. We decide to stop for gas early in the…
Here We Go…To Kansas
Original Post: July 21, 2015 It should come as no surprise to anyone that Kansas was not on my hotspot list. I mean, other than Dorothy, who have you ever known to actually WANT to go to Kansas? (I think even Toto would have opted out if he’d been given the chance, but dammit…Dorothy just…
Let the Real Vacation Begin
Original Post: July 19, 2015 It wasn’t as though we weren’t already on vacation, but somehow it just didn’t feel like it when we were visiting someplace we’d seen before. Day two was the start of the real excitement for me, and the beginning of the “real” vacation. I couldn’t wait to see the miles…
19 States in 22 Days
Original Post: July 17, 2015 The original plan was 22 states in 22 days, but who’s counting? I have wanted to travel cross-country for almost as long as I can remember. I began formulating an actual “road plan” when I was 18 and had I done it the summer I turned 19 as I’d…
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