Bighorn sheep rams, Garden of the Gods, September 8, 2011 (Pentax K-r)
It’s pretty rare to see even a single bighorn sheep ram, so we were excited to see three of them in one place. Although we had already been to Gardens of the Gods earlier in the day after arriving in Colorado Springs, we had to decided to go back into the park after supper. We spotted the bighorns around 7:30 PM. .
We were camped at Garden of the Gods RV Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The RV “resort” is adjacent to Garden of the Gods, which has long been a Colorado Springs city park. Four-hundred eighty acres were conveyed to the city in 1909 by the children of railroad executive Charles Elliot Perkins to be operated permanently as a park, open to the public without charge.
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
Midway Geyser Basin contains a small collection of mammoth-sized springs. Midway is part of the Lower Geyser Basin, but because of its isolated location between the main features of Lower and Upper geyser basins it became known as Midway. Rudyard Kipling, who visited Yellowstone in 1889, immortalized this basin by referring to it as “Hell’s Half Acre.” Even today it is still remembered by that name. Despite its small size Midway possesses two of the largest hot springs in the world. Grand Prismatic Spring, nearly 370 feet in diameter, sits upon a large mound surrounded by small step-like terraces. The other feature, Excelsior Geyser, erupted nearly 300 feet high before the 1900s. It is now a dormant geyser and is considered a hot spring, discharging more than 4050 gallons of boiling water per minute. Other colorful springs include Turquoise and Indigo springs, known for their pale and dark blue colors. Across the Firehole River from Excelsior and Grand Prismatic springs are a series of small isolated, pristine springs and mud pots. The Rabbit Creek drainage possesses some colorful and unusual features and most are unnamed. Caution should be exercised while exploring this vicinity since the ground is unstable and trails are not maintained.
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
In 2011, we visited the Painted Desert Inn in Petrified Forest National Park. Closed in 1963 and reopened for limited use in 1976 as the Bicentennial Travel Center after escaping a proposed demolition, the main lodge building was later rehabilitated and restored, opening as a museum and bookstore in 2006.
Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark (park structure now with museum and gallery space as well as park information), Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, October 9, 2011 (Pentax K-r)
The original building from the early 1920s, was known as the Stone Tree House because of extensive use of petrified wood in its construction. Today’s adobe facade dates to the 1930s redesign and renovation of the Painted Desert Inn by builders and artisans of the the Civilian Conservation Corps over 1937 – 1940. (Wikipedia)
The CCC used ponderosa pine and aspen poles cut from nearby Arizona forests for roofing beams and smaller crossbeams (savinos). Light fixtures were hand-made from punched tin, and wooden tables and chairs were given American Indian designs. The beautiful skylight panels were hand-painted by the CCC workers, designs of prehistoric pottery. Concrete floors were etched and painted with patterns based on Navajo blanket designs. (National Park Service)
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
If you’ve seen Tom Cruise in The Firm, you’ve seen this 1,700-foot-long (520m) pedestrian bridge between Memphis city center and the entertainment park on Mud Island. The monorail cars where Mitch McDeere (Cruise) is spotted by a Firm henchman – the Nordic Man (Tobin Bell) – run on rails below the bridge. When the henchman gets off and runs across the bridge chasing the car Mitch is in, he’s running across this bridge (see video below).
Pedestrian Bridge, Mud Island, Memphis, Tennessee, April 21, 2010 (Pentax K10D)
There’s one major continuity error here. The monorail car, like mountain trams, are cable driven and both cars are connected to the same cable. When a car reaches the station on Mud Island, the other car reaches the station on the other side. When the henchman reaches Mud Island, Mitch’s car, realistically, would have reached the Memphis side station; thus, the henchman couldn’t have chased the car that Mitch was riding.
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
There are certainly some grand views in Grand Canyon National Park.
Mather Point near visitors center, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, October 7, 2011 (Pentax K-r)
Our 2011 trip was the second time we had visited the Grand Canyon. Our first visit was in the late 70s – we made a quick detour to view the canyon on our way home to Idaho from visiting Arkansas. Karen’s two youngest siblings were with us and would stay with us for part of the summer.
The Grand Canyon is something to see. Now that we’ve seen it twice, I’m not sure we’ll see it again. It’s huge, it’s grand, but there’s not a lot to do with it other than walk out to the viewpoints and…, well, view. The crowded trails down into the canyon don’t interest us, nor do the helicopter flights or the rafting on the Colorado.
If we do visit it again, we’ll trek a little further to the north rim. It’s more isolated with fewer visitors. At a higher altitude, it also tends to be cooler.
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
Narrow Point on Petroglyph Point Loop Trail; Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, September 26, 2015 (Pentax K-3 II)
Petroglyph Point Trail (National Park Service) provides views of Spruce and Navajo Canyons and is the only trail in the park to view petroglyphs. It is a 2.4 mile loop trail with multiple uphill sections. The trailhead is located near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. Please contact a ranger for times the gate above the trailhead is open. Trail guide available. Registration at the trailhead or museum is required.
This trail didn’t require registration when we took it in 2015. It passes Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling, which is current closed to visitors because the the danger of rock falls from above. I suspect this is the reason for the registration requirement.
Take water! We hiked this in late September on a warm day. We had water, but should have had more. I was pretty parched by the time we got back to the parking lot.
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
Sunrise Point area, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, October 8, 2015 (Pentax K-3 II) 37°37’42″N 112°09’47″W
Sunrise Point Trails2
Sunrise Point serves as the trailhead for the easy to moderate Queen’s Garden Trail that descends into a section of hoodoos ruled by the Queen Victoria hoodoo. This viewpoint also represents the end point for the Navajo Loop/Queen Victoria combination, one of the most popular hikes in the Park. Just to the north of this overlook, the Fairyland Loop climbs back up to the rim continuing north to where it completes its 8-mile journey at Fairyland Canyon overlook. For those who prefer shorter hikes, descending this section of the Fairyland Loop as far as the Tower Bridge and returning back up to Sunrise point, offers a 3-mile “out & back.” The Tower Bridge Hike has a difficulty rating of moderate.
Interesting note on top of National Park Service pages today (1/22/2018):
Post-processing – Image editing to enhance the photo closer to what the eye “saw.” Images in this series are selected within a day or so of being edited and are either posted at the time or scheduled for posting at a later date.
Sunrise Point – Bryce Canyon National Park, National Park Service
Clouds are often an interesting aspect of photos that I’ve taken. Sometimes, they become the subject.
Clouds, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, September 14, 2007 (Pentax K10D)
With the advent of digital photography, it is economical to take photos of anything and everything. Clouds would not have been a favorite subject when I had to pay for the film and pay again to get it developed.
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
Mille Lacs Lake (Wikipedia) (also called Lake Mille Lacs or Mille Lacs) is a large but shallow lake in Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin, and Crow Wing, roughly 100 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is the state’s second largest inland lake at 132,516 acres (536 km2), after Red Lake. The maximum depth is 42 feet. Depth ranges of 20 to 38 foot cover much of the main lake.
Pier on Mille Lacs Lake, Father Hennepin State Park, Minnesota, September 9, 2013 (Pentax K-r)
The largest lake in the Brainerd Lakes Area, it came to be called “Mille Lacs Lake” as the area was also called “Region of Thousand Lakes” (pays des mille lacs in French). Mille Lacs means “thousand lakes” in French.
Series notes:
The photos in this series are (usually) randomly selected from a batch of photos specifically “curated” for Exit78 Photo of the Day.
Each photo in this series is an “original work” – a copyright term – of Michael Goad.
High Heeled Feet by Clee Richeson, Art on the Corner, Grand Junction, Colorado, October 1, 2015 (Pentax K3-II)
This small, ladies size 5, cast bronze sculpture was purchased by Bruce Benge and donated to Grand Junction’s Art on the Corner year-round outdoor sculpture exhibit. It is on permanent display just outside Benge’s Shoe Store on Main Street near the street.
