Life on the Beach

I'm lucky that Michael Jr read the guide book as he said to look up the beach for life as the tide pulls out. He was right. We found tons of sea anemones, clams, starfish and large snails. What fun.

Ruby Beach Fog

Ruby Beach at low tide brings in a ground level fog as the warm waters recede and the cool air hits the beach. Looks windswept and cold but it was actually quite nice with a sweater or light jacket. The beach was great to walk on, after you climbed the downed trees and rocks to get there. Firm sand make for great walks along the shore.

Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park

One of the best hikes of the weekend wasn't really a hike at all but a short walk down the hillside to Ruby Beach which we hit at low tide. Getting there at low tide is amazing as you can walk quite a way out on this beautiful firm sand and find all kinds of ocean life. That is for another Shot of the Day but this view is also amazing. I love these land formations called sea stacks that stick out into the ocean and we were able to walk right up to it without getting wet. Pretty cool.

Same shot with a panoramic view:

Lake Crescent Olympic National Park

A moment of zen at the end of a long hike in the Olympic National Park. The hike lead to Lake Crescent where we initially parked the car. Got lots and lots of great lakes in the midwest, but tough to get that mountain view in the background.

Olympic National Forest---Know Your Trees

It is frustrating walking through the forest and seeing all of this biomass around you and not knowing the name of anything. So, as a public service, I will give you the names of the four most common trees in the Pacific Northwest rainforest. From left to right we have the Western Hemlock (can live 400 or 500 hundred years), the Douglas Fir (deep ridges on the bark), the Western Red Cedar (the small one there in the background: a slow growing tree that can live 1,000 years) and the Sitka Spruce (found only 20 to 30 miles from the coast). Yes, I am an Arborist now. It also helps to have a conveniently helpful sign sitting right below these 4 trees showing you what is sitting directly in front of you.

Olympic National Forest

Had a great weekend visiting the Olympic National Forest with Michael Jr. Wonderful hikes and amazing views. If you love trees, the Pacific Northwest is the place to be. What an amazing area of the country.

Bridal Veil Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Probably a falls best seen after a rain to catch a bigger flow but a nice falls located at an easy walk from the parking spot in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Nice, quiet peaceful spot.

Brandywine Falls, Akron, Ohio

Here is a hidden gem. Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Akron, Ohio is a fun place to visit. I saw that I had a national park near my hotel and business finished early enough to get there before the sun set. I enjoyed an unexpected one mile hike in this beautiful area on north central Ohio. The unexpected is what makes heavy travel fun.

Old and New on old Route 66

Most of the gas stations on Route 66 are of the normal every day variety or very old  and closed for decades. This one above is old but open, showing lots of signs of life. The one below is more common on old Route 66.

Route 66 Signs of the Times

Just some random signs of Route 66. The bottom sign is near the Cadillac Ranch where they wanted to keep the graffiti on the cars and not near the road.

Route 66 Blue Swallow Motel splash of color

When you are a photographer looking for color the Blue Swallow Motel is a wonderful place to visit. Next time you are in Tucumcari, New Mexico, you have to stop by.

Route 66 Road Trip: The 1955 Pontiac Chieftain V8

The Blue Swallow Motel had all the stops pulled out with a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain V8 in one of the garages and a 1957 Hudson Hornet out front, as shown in yesterday's shot of the day. Definitely, a nice throwback touch in both instances. I thought the hood ornament on the Chieftain was quite distinctive.

The famous Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66

The iconic Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico is a can't miss sight on US Route 66. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, having survived the by-pass of Route 40 back in the 60's. Now I have to go back one day to catch the sign in twilight, maybe even stay there one day!!! Has to be a wonderful sight. Definitely, a throwback to older days.

Route 66 Road Trip

Back in early April I took a road trip with the camper out west for work and to take a week to see Bryce, Zion and a number of other national parks. Part of the trip took me on Route 66. I was so excited about the national park pictures, I didn't post any from the earlier part of the trip. So, here is a picture of a colorful map that I saw hanging at one of the shops on the trip that includes many of the stops that I took along the way.

Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison

Nice placement for the state capitol building in Madison with the building situated on the top of a hill. Makes for a good picture.