Being socially conscious and finding safe places to explore, I discovered a little oasis in Indiana.
Blue Skies Over Lake Michigan
Easier going down to the lake than coming up.
What Goes Up, Must Come Down
192 feet may not seem very high, but hike it.
Such interesting discoveries
Filed under Art, National Parks, Photography, Travel
This is the only National Park Land that uses the word massacre in it according to the Ranger. It focuses on the mistakes the US made rather than spinning the story to make it less bad. And this one is …bad. The US took responsibility for it and called it heinous. They promised reparations to the survivors. 155 years later – no reparations.
Captain Silas S. Soule, one of the two officers who refused to participate in the unprovoked killing of kids, women, elderly and the men, wrote a detailed report that was used by congress to figure out what happened. Soule was then killed in the streets of Denver. Even though the killers were identified. No charges were filed.
Hundreds of innocent Cheyenne and Arapaho were butchered and the soldiers took their scalps and genitals back to Denver to celebrate. They were given a heroes welcome. Down the road from the slaughter, the people named a city after the military leader in charge. Chivington, CO still exists.
I drove back to Missouri in a subdued mood. Saddened by all of this.
These are the true plains of Eastern Colorado – where the Buffalo once roamed
The United States Government decided NOT to sugar coat this story
The 750 Cheyenne and Arapaho were trying to live in peace on the little land that they had remaining.
They were told, fly this flag – you will not be harmed
Besides the death and mutilation, the entire Cheyenne and Arapaho nations suffered from the trauma
These letters resurfaced 135 years later.
No Charges for Anyone. No prosecution for a single person.
The sadness permeates the ground
The bodies are buried there – it is a sacred site
The flowers remember
The plants still mourn
It’s an ongoing tragedy still affecting people today
This area of Colorado was sheltered a large group of Chiefs and their people
I cannot imagine the horror as people tried to hide, tried to flee, and tried to fight
This chief and his wife survived
…changed forever…
This peace delegation was destined to die
I shed tears of sorrow centuries later
At least the Park Service has provided this memorial for us to remember. We must not forget.
Filed under Art, National Parks, Photography, Travel
Some people say that Kansas, Oklahoma and Eastern Colorado are a bit boring, a bit flat, and a bit desolate. I guess it depends on where you look…
Before the days of Sheltering in Place. February 16th, 2020. From St. Louis to LAX – Three days to see National Park #47 for me.
One thing to do in LA
iconic?
A leisurely stroll
fantastic service
From the Pier
To the Channel Islands
A Forest in the Sea
Sea Urchin
Time suspended
Eternal Spring
For another day
The Spine of a National Park
Sunset on the Pacific
Thousands of Dolphins
Arches and Spires
Sunset in Ventura
Filed under National Parks, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized
Beware the Ides of March.
This has always been a fun theme for my birthday. But in 2020, the Covid-19 virus arrived. People abandoned the streets, breweries, restaurants, museums, and coffee shops. Schools closed. Businesses died.
I was able to cross a few things off my travel lists:
After cancelling a trip to Sonoma Wine Country, we did the best we could to make up for it in 24 hours. On March 16, 2020 – we were asked to stay inside. Social Distance. Flatten the Curve. We are homebound.
What does the Future hold?
Empty Cherokee Street
The National Parks were empty
White Haven abandoned
Magic Mountain eerily similar
The LAST coffee…
The Mud House closed after our visit
A final treat before quarantine
Fright, Fight or Flight?
Charleville empty
Social Distancing
Happy Birthday to Me
Filed under American History, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized
This was my 45th National Park to visit. Yosemite has it all: The soaring granite domes, roaring waterfalls (in July), majestic trees, and whitewater streams.
Filed under Photography, Travel, Uncategorized
This National Park land is out of the way in the High Sierra country of California. You shuttle through the park with 10 stops with countless hikes. The short walk to the Devil’s Postpile is worth the effort.
Filed under Photography, Travel, Uncategorized
As I traveled across the country this summer, I made a point to seek out this concentration camp built for our American citizens in 1942. The Citizens of Japanese descent were offered a safe place to “relocate” to protect them. They gave up everything and complied. When they got to the camp, they found out that they were prisoners. The guard towers weren’t there to protect them from others; it was built to protect their country from them. Such sadness.
Filed under American History, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized
After taking thousands of photos and traveling throughout the United States, these twenty-five photos resonated with me the most from 2018-2019. Some capture beauty, while others remind me of stories from my journey. For example, I stumbled on to the little town of Ferndale in California. After enjoying a peach scone and a coffee at the local cafe, I found a map to the black sand beaches of California’s “lost coast”. The long slow drive over the coastal mountains brought me to a wide open view of the ocean – and cows. They surprised me. I surprised them. The photo captures our mutual interest. The beaches of black rock were stunning. At the conclusion of the drive, I ended up in a Redwood Forest of Humboldt State Park. I took hundreds of pictures – but I ended up cutting the best of the tree photos. Ironic I think.
Filed under Art, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized
As I work my way to all the U.S. National Parks, I get to explore different worlds. The Tortugas offer miles of underwater barrier reefs filled with anemones, sea urchins, fish, coral, and mollusks. The ruins of Fort Jefferson provides an eery backdrop to the picturesque blues of the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Jefferson mainly served as a notorious prison during and after the Civil War.
Sunset in Marathon of the Florida Keys
Two hour ferry ride to this National Park
The gorgeous moat
A crocodile lives in there somewhere
The ruins of the fort that never saw battle
arches of limestone – stalactites were forming
The powder room
Prisoner cell
Snorkeling was the best I’ve experienced
The dive bombing pelicans
looking up into the trees
The other side of the fort
Filed under Photography, Travel, Uncategorized
Freshly "Pic'ed" 