Arizona 2014

The Arizona desert is so different from what I'm used to in Minnesota.  It's about as different as it would be going to another planet.  There are cacti instead of trees, numerous deadly creatures instead of zero, sand instead of grass, heat instead of cold, dryness instead of humidity, mountains instead of flat terrain, water-less instead of water-rich , and a very small population as opposed to the metropolitan hustle and bustle of the Twin Cities. 

I do somehow enjoy both climates, although Minnesota is slipping in the rankings.  The Arizona landscape was gorgeous and the warmth was much needed after this brutal winter.  We were very blessed to have been taken on this vacation by my wife's parents for their 40th wedding anniversary!  

It was a great voyage indeed, and there were many beautiful things to photograph.

Santa Catalina Mountains

The horses we rode on several days.

Saguaro cactus on the left, palo verde tree on the right, and prickly pear beneath. 

Closeup of a young saguaro cactus.

It's unbelievable how many arms the saguaro can grow.

Agave plant closeup.

Agave plant leaves

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park

I loved how the sun glowed around the outside of the cacti.
God is the greatest artist!

Tanque Verde Ranch at night.

Saguaro cacti

Jumping cholla

Tuscon is surrounded by mountains on all sides, one of the very few places where that is the case.  

The gorgeous palo verde trees are almost surreal, they are 100% green!

When the grooves become deep like this, it shows that the cactus is lacking water.
The more shallow the grooves, the more water it has stored.

Entrance to the Tanque Verde Ranch, which is at the base of the Saguaro National Park.

I hope you enjoyed the photographs!  Tucson is a beautiful area that is definitely worth checking out if you're able to do so.  Tanque Verde has a slew of great offerings if you're so inclined.  I especially recommend the hiking, mountain biking, and of course a steep horseback ride.  

Now summer needs to hurry up and get here asap!  

Skol!

Saguaro National Park
http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Tanque Verde Ranch
http://www.tanqueverderanch.com/

Frozen Minnehaha Falls 2014

Due to the extreme cold, combined with the high quantity of snow, the Midwest and Minnesota particularly, were a bear to handle this year.  Good thing Minnesotans can be creative to deal with a brutal winter!  This year I saw images of people who created a giant snow-shark in their front yard, guys donning frosted beards, and a 50 foot tall snowman in an outside rural town.  

As a Twin Cities resident, one great thing to remember to do in the winter, is to visit the beautifully frozen and aqua-blue Minnehaha Falls, for free. 

Ice crystals formed on the top of the cave, beneath the falls. 

The coloration of the ice accumulation beneath the falls is incredible.  If you have steady feet, I highly recommend a visit before the spring melt has completed.  You'll want to bring boots and be careful on your way up, but it is completely worth the climb.

It's quite surreal inside, and the colors are fascinating to everyone that crawls behind the falls.  I definitely recommend bringing a camera with you to capture some of the beauty.

The name Minnehaha comes from Henry Longfellow's story "The Song of Hiawatha." In the book, Minnehaha is a fictional Native-American character; the Dakotan term translates to "waterfall."

This is definitely one of the easiest spots to forget to visit in the winter time, and it can be a difficult spot to reach, but it's a great way to shake off the cabin fever.

I hope you've enjoyed my photos of this gorgeous frozen sight in Minneapolis!  I'm happy to have found this backstage beauty on a whim a couple of years back. That being said, I am okay with winter vanishing immediately, until next year.  Enjoy the last several days of your winter! Skol!

Up North - January 2014

My family recently celebrated our belated Christmas at my aunt and uncle's place in McGrath, MN. It was fantastic to arrive and see all of the gorgeous snow clinging to the trees. 

We also arrived to some fantastic wildlife: a pair of doe that skipped off as we drove in, blue jays and a tenacious woodpecker competing for dominance at the bird feeder, as well as a startled wild turkey that flew over the road after we departed our vehicles. They fly? I had no idea.

I was inspired right away to take some photographs, I very quickly caught the itch to do so. In between the snowmobiling and family time, I was able to enjoy some nearby photography. Below are just some of the shots from the day, dig in!

That's all for now, and remember to enjoy your winter! Skol!

Hawaii: Kauai and Maui

Just as many couples do, we ventured to Hawaii for our honeymoon!  The islands certainly lived up to the hype.  The most ordinary things on the islands are incredibly beautiful.  During our stay, we island hopped from Kauai to Maui, and back to Kauai.  

There were waterfalls all over the place, all of them unique and very beautiful.  

Wailua Falls

When we arrived at Waimea Canyon, the sky began dumping rain on us.  We waited it out for just 15 minutes and the sky cleared up for us to view the beautiful canyon!  

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon

History repeats itself, even in the short term.  We ran into a ton of rain when we arrived at this beautiful vista shown below.  Decidedly, we went back to our car to wait it out and before we even reached our car, the sky cleared up!  We learned something that day: rain is very brief on Hawaii.  Below are some lovely views we enjoyed at Kilauea Lookout in Kokee State Park.

Kilauea Lookout to the Napali Coast

Kilauea Lookout

Kilauea Lookout

Kilauea Lookout

Taro Fields in Hanalei Valley

The sky was very kind to us come sunset.  We enjoyed all 14 sunsets Hawaii offered us, whether we had time to stop or just enjoy them from the car!

Sunset near Kilauea Lighthouse

Holo Holo Charters took us on a great voyage of the sea, and out to the gorgeous Napali Coast.  Some playful spinner dolphins approached our boat and did some leaps out of the water for us!

Spinner Dolphin

Napali Coast

Napali Coast

Poipu Beach was a great place to stay.  Fantastic snorkeling, great restaurants nearby and short trips to great attractions.

Spouting Horn Park near Poipu Beach.

Spouting Horn Park.

Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree

By chance we discovered a rock bridge that had been carved out by the sea. This was located just a minute down the coast from the Glass Beach in Hanapepe. 

Shortly after arriving in Maui, we moseyed over to the steep rock peak, Iao Valley Needle.   

We woke up at 4 AM to watch the sunrise at Haleaka National Park, but instead we slept in our car for three hours atop of the crater, while waiting for the rain and fog to clear. Gratefully it did!

Haleakala Crater

Waterfalls near Garden of Eden Arboretum

Keopuka Rock, near the Garden of Eden Arboretum, where a scene from Jurassic Park was filmed

View from the Road to Hana

On our venture to Molokini Crater just off the southwest coast of Maui, we were able to enjoy some more great aquatic life!

Pilot Whale

Sea Turtle

I hope you enjoyed the photos from our voyage.  Hawaii is certainly a gorgeous place and I would highly recommend it.  Next blog up to bat: 2012 Fall Colors!  Skol and mahalo!