Panama Canal Day 2

It was another sunny day in beautiful Florida. After brekie, we packed up, checked out, and headed back to the Everglades to hunt for alligators.

The logical place to do so was the Anhinga Trail just inside the park gates. We saw quite a few birds and photographed some of those but what we really wanted to see were GATORS! With higher water levels than last January, they have more choice of where to hang out in the park. During the dry season, the Anhinga Trail tends to stay wetter than other areas so that’s why that trail is considered to be a prime viewing area.

Fortunately, we ran into someone who had just seen a couple of gators so we bustled on over before they disappeared and we lost our chance. One guy was lounging in the water and the other was lying right beside the path - a boardwalk above the water level. Much of that animal was in the dark shade while some of him was in the bright sun. Photographically speaking, this makes for a lousy photo but we didn’t care. We saw what we came to see!

The morning was zooming along and we had miles to make so we left the park, satisfied with our Everglades expedition. We plugged in the GPS and headed to the airport. But along the way, we made a quick stop at the Fruit and Spice Park, an attraction Dawn had read about. We wanted to check out their gift shop. It was rather unremarkable so we continued on. Traffic was much busier than when we came in, of course. After driving on roads with lots of stops and limits of 45 mph we finally reached the freeway, a toll highway. Unfortunately, due to much road construction and the GPS not giving us enough warning when to turn, we zoomed past our turn-off. The rental car needed filling and at the gas station, we got good directions to the airport.

We were later than we wanted to be but not late enough to be in trouble. Returning the car went very smoothly and we connected with my cousins from Saskatchewan. The shuttle took us to the Port of Miami where we checked in and boarded our Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, the Norwegian Star.

We found our rooms, dropped off our carry-ons, then went to explore the ship. We hadn’t had lunch so we grabbed a quick bite before attending the mandatory safety drill. By that time our luggage had arrived and we began to unpack but soon realized the ship was underway. We headed out to take a few pics and see the sunset. 

Supper was at the Aqua Restaurant: steak, potatoes and the delicious wild mushroom quesadillas we remembered from the last cruise. There was chocolate on the dessert menu so that was the only choice, naturally. Enroute back to our rooms, we stopped to watch the last part of a Welcome Show at the Stardust Theater, then back to our rooms to call it a day!

Panama Canal Day 1

The alarm got us up after only 6 hours. We didn't want to miss any of the day sleeping in. Breakfast was a passable hotel offering including make-it-yourself waffles. 

We then headed to the Everglades National Park and stopped at the Visitor Center for maps and information. After paying the $10 entry fee we headed along the main road hoping to see a 'gator jam' - people stopped by the side of the road who have spotted alligators. 

We decided to head to the end of the road then make our stops on the way back. As it was a 38 mile drive we stopped halfway at Mahogany Hammock Trail - an area with trees that were hundreds of years old. 

At the end of the main road is the Flamingo Visitor Center. After a brief tour we went over to the Marina where there were two osprey in a nest. Several photographers were enjoying the view and we joined the group viewing the spectacle. Also nearby was an American crocodile.

They prefer the salt water areas while alligators like the fresh water area more. We learned this fact during the 'Croc Talk' given by one of the park rangers. After a bite of our lunch from Subway, we explored the area a little more then began to head back along the trail. 

The weather by the way, is hot, humid and almost unbearable without air conditioning. The temperature got to around 28 C. After leaving -33 C yesterday you wouldn't think we should complain! But the humidity is the killer. 

And then, and THEN, we stopped at a photogenic little spot called Coot Bay Pond where we were devoured by mosquitoes! Although we really wanted to take more photos, we couldn't bear the swarming of the bloody-thirsty insects.  I can't remember when I was bitten so many times on such a short period. The next few stops were almost as bad. Dawn had some mosquito repellent along and it helped a bit but it did not contain DEET. 

A more pleasant spot was the Pa-hay-okee Overlook with a view of the Shark River Slough on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. A beautiful Anhinga bird posed nicely for us. 

We had seen no gators as of yet but were sure the Anhinga Trail would be a sure thing. When we were here last January it was amazing! Well this time we were surprised to see only birds. The water levels seemed to be higher than they were during our last visit. At least the temperatures finally dropped to a more pleasant range. The sun set around 5:30 PM and we headed back to our vehicle shortly after. There isn't much twilight at this latitude. 

After a hot busy day we were more than ready for a stop at a famous fruit stand called 'Robert is Here'. It is now a thriving popular tourist destination which was started by a young 6 year old Robert. He began his business selling cucumbers by the side of the road and  bit by bit developed the business into the success it is today. We had milkshakes, mine - key lime and Dawn's - black sapote - a delicious fruit tasting like chocolate pudding. We also bought a bunch of Apple bananas - sweet delicious mini bananas. 

We stopped at a Walmart for some necessities, grabbed a quick bite to eat and called it a day. 

Moab Day 6

Today we travelled to the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park, so named because of the formation of the rocks sticking straight up. Six Shooter Peaks was our first stop. It was a quick stop beside the road and the wind was really biting.

At the Visitors Center you could see the Island in the Sky district in the distance where we were yesterday. It is a very broad mesa. There are 3 districts in Canyonlands, naturally divided up by the Green and Colorado Rivers.

Another short stop was at a granary used by Pueblo Natives about 1,000 years ago.

We walked to Cave Springs further down the road and saw a cowboy camp as well as a cave used by cowboys and Pueblo natives many years before that. Both left their mark on the walls. Moisture from the springs seeped along some of the cave walls and plants grew in random places.

The Wooden Shoe Arch was another nice stop and there were cottonwood trees nearby in full glorious fall color. The sun warmed things up nicely and layer after layer of clothing got discarded.

Elephant Hill provided us with a better view of the Needles. But closer exploration would have required hiking in to the area or the use of a 4x4 vehicle with plenty of clearance. We stopped at a picnic area for a noon meal and a group photo.

On the way back to Moab we made a stop at Indian Creek, a world-class destination for rock climbers. There were quite a few groups climbing up a sheer rock wall and the task looked impossible.

Our final picture stop was Newspaper Rock State Park. There is a huge wall filled with petroglyphs of every kind. Unfortunately, others have added graffiti over the years as well.

We arrived back to Moab and had a short break before our farewell supper at the Sunset Grill. It’s a beautiful restaurant high atop a hill and the views of town were great. The food was quite wonderful and we wound up the program after we ate. It’s been fun!

Moab Day 5

It was so nice to have sun all day, right from the get go! And with no wind, the early morning shoot was much more pleasant than yesterday. About an hour from Moab is the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. Our first stop was the iconic Mesa Arch. We knew it was popular but we were not prepared for how many other people would be there at that time of day too. Eventually they cleared away and we were able to get some shots of the sun shining on the arch with a view of the peaks underneath. It’s so nice when the weather and lighting conditions are perfect!

Next was a stop at the Green River Overlook. The Green River joins up with the bigger Colorado River and the view was tremendous.

We stopped to shoot another viewpoint where we could see a winding gravel road below. It looked like quite an adventure to drive that road!

Our last stop of the morning was the Visitor’s Center where we saw another well-done short film. There was a terrific viewpoint right across the road. Where I stood made some people nervous but I was well back from the edge, really I was!

After lunch and a rest, the group drove out to Arches again and we split into two parties. One group went on a hike to Delicate Arch. The other group, which I joined, did a variety of stops. We saw an original cabin of one of the early settlers.

Some more petroglyphs were nearby.

We were able to photograph Delicate Arch from quite a distance away. We could see dozens and dozens of people at the top and along the trail and were glad we had not done the hike to such a popular and over-crowded spot.

We did a short hike in between some ‘fins’ where there was a cool arch.

Our sunset spot was Skyline Arch and we had the place to ourselves. The moon was practically full again. The quality of light at that time of day makes the already red rocks, even more so!

Moab Day 4

Off again at 5:55 AM for breakfast. Our sunrise photo location was Deadhorse State Park. It is a high point of land with the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. It was quite cool because of the wind and there were quite a few clouds in the sky.

 It was still amazingly beautiful though, and the sun tried to shine through. The place reminded me a lot of the Grand Canyon and there were lots of wonderful gnarled trees for foreground.

We made a brief stop at the Visitor Center then left the park.

After another turn-off we headed along the Colorado River again to look at ancient petroglyphs. They were quite high up the canyon wall which prevented vandalism.

Further down the road was Jug Handle Arch. It was not as spectacular as other arches but we were close to it.

We ate lunch together at a different local restaurant, then took a break until 3:30 PM. At that time, we drove back to Arches National Park for a one-way hike along “Park Avenue” trail. 1,000 foot towers of red sandstone line the trail on both sides, like the skyscrapers of New York. I must say, this Park Avenue was much more spectacular.

It was difficult getting very far without stopping for a photo. I could have spent triple our allotted time there.

Our sunset location was the iconic Balanced Rock with the beautiful La Sal Mountains in the background. The sun stayed behind the clouds and the wind was bitterly cold. But there was a short break in the clouds just before the sun dipped below the horizon and we were rewarded with 5 minutes of beautiful light.

We put so much into a day, it hardly feels like we’ve only been on tour 2 days. I can hardly wait to have a better look at my photos when I get home. I am sure I will have some prize winners!

Moab Day 3

Our first day photographing was a long one and a great one. I was up and at it at 5:25 AM – not my normal wake-up time by any stretch of the imagination! At 5:55 AM we piled aboard 2 vans and headed to the Moab Diner for brekie. The food was good, fast and plentiful. I know now what their portion sizes are like and will change my order accordingly tomorrow!

We headed out of town to Arches National Park, now open despite the US government shutdown. The state of Utah is paying operating costs out of its own budget. Thank goodness! The early morning was quite cool and I regretted not bringing the gloves I had packed. The view at the LaSal Mountains and Courthouse Towers Overlook was nice but the light was unspectacular and rather overcast. I was disappointed that we were going to have a cloudy day.

 

It brightened up nicely when we walked to the famous Landscape Arch, a photo used on many Moab and Utah publications. There were many photo opportunities along the trail but I didn’t want to tarry too long on the way to the main attraction. Landscape Arch is only 6 feet thick at its narrowest point. A chunk of it fell down a few years ago and it will all completely come crashing down one of these days.

 

We returned to town but first made a stop at the visitor center where we saw an interesting 15 minute movie on the park and the formation of the arches. After the film, I found some great views behind the building and I was happy to see the sun came out.

We dined together for lunch then went our separate ways. I picked up polarizer at a local camera shop downtown. I'm told it will have a good effect on my photos.

At 3:30 we headed out again, this time to the east. We stopped at a spot where the cottonwood trees were showing some fall color. In the background were the snow-capped LaSal mountains.

Then we stopped by the side of the road and photographed a nice band in the Colorado River.

The final stop of the day was the dramatic Fisher Towers. There were few tourists there, only hikers and rock climbers. We watched a young woman climb up one of the monoliths and photographed her as she made her way to the top.

 It was sunset by then and the light was gorgeous.

 

When it got too dark to take any more pictures, we headed back to town and were given a bag lunch to eat in our rooms. That was fine with me as I was dead tired. My blog won't be posted tonight as I am beat and it is past my bedtime. 5:30 AM will be here before you know it!