Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
3 Quick Hikes at Joshua Tree
The unexpected thing about Joshua Tree is it's size--it's actually bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island! So driving in and around the park takes up a surprising amount of time. But, a lot of the trails are short and easy--more "nature trails" rather than actual hikes, which allow you to experience a lot of the park's features without requiring a whole lot of time. We only had a few hours before it got dark so we only got to check out three trails, but I feel like we saw a lot--would definitely recommend these if you only have a half day to spend at the park.
Arch Rock is a short, not even half-mile there-and-back trail that mostly features a bunch of cool, prehistoric-looking rocks. Walking around here totally made me feel like I was on the set of The Flintstones or something. The trail starts at White Tank campground and the main feature is a cool, arch-shaped rock. I wasn't brave enough to climb onto it so here is a picture of my fiancé being a goof.
You can see chollas all over the park, but nowhere so magnificent at the Cholla Cactus Garden. The coolest time to see them is when the sun is lower in the sky, because it kind of illuminates them and gives them a nice glow. The trail isn't too exciting but it's a nice place to take some pictures. In the spring, you do have to worry about bees pollinating.
We actually walked around in circles before finding this place, and barely got there before it got dark. It's right off of the Wall Street Mill trail, so we parked at the Barker Dam lot. The instructions I found online on how to get there said it was only about a-tenth of the way into the trail, which is why I kept thinking we had passed it. But we had started on the trail from the paved parking lot. There's actually a dirt overfill lot that is much closer to the ruins. And if you start on the Wall Street Mill trail from that parking lot, you only have to walk a few minutes before seeing a trail off to the left that leads to the ruins. The trail is quite wide and well-traversed so you can't really miss it. And you can even see the ruins from the main trail. Not really sure what this building used to be (someone told us it was possibly an old dairy house), but the ruins are pretty cool!
Arch Rock
Arch Rock is a short, not even half-mile there-and-back trail that mostly features a bunch of cool, prehistoric-looking rocks. Walking around here totally made me feel like I was on the set of The Flintstones or something. The trail starts at White Tank campground and the main feature is a cool, arch-shaped rock. I wasn't brave enough to climb onto it so here is a picture of my fiancé being a goof.
Cholla Cactus Garden
You can see chollas all over the park, but nowhere so magnificent at the Cholla Cactus Garden. The coolest time to see them is when the sun is lower in the sky, because it kind of illuminates them and gives them a nice glow. The trail isn't too exciting but it's a nice place to take some pictures. In the spring, you do have to worry about bees pollinating.
Wall Street Mill - Wonderland of Rocks Ruins
We actually walked around in circles before finding this place, and barely got there before it got dark. It's right off of the Wall Street Mill trail, so we parked at the Barker Dam lot. The instructions I found online on how to get there said it was only about a-tenth of the way into the trail, which is why I kept thinking we had passed it. But we had started on the trail from the paved parking lot. There's actually a dirt overfill lot that is much closer to the ruins. And if you start on the Wall Street Mill trail from that parking lot, you only have to walk a few minutes before seeing a trail off to the left that leads to the ruins. The trail is quite wide and well-traversed so you can't really miss it. And you can even see the ruins from the main trail. Not really sure what this building used to be (someone told us it was possibly an old dairy house), but the ruins are pretty cool!
Skaftafell, Iceland
Icelandic Adventure: Skaftafell to Vik
Svartifoss waterfall
So, after we left Jökulsárlón and Fjallsárlón, we made our way west on Ring Road (AKA Route 1) towards Vik, visiting some sights along the way. We had a pretty action-packed day (made even longer when we took a 2-hour detour for cheeseburgers), but that's how you make the most out of 21 hours of sunshine (well sunshine is a little bit of a misnomer--it's mostly cloudy with a chance of rainbows). Yes, Iceland is one of the few places on Earth that experiences midnight sun for some handful of weeks each summer! Assuming the sun does come out. The sun would basically set around midnight and then rise again around 3 am while we were there. In between, it would get dusky but never dark!
Jökulsárlón, Iceland
Icelandic Adventure: Jökulsárlón & Fjallsárlón
So I'm back from an epic adventure in Iceland (which I had concocted and dreamed about for over a year) and finally getting over jetlag. Still working on sorting through the thousands of photos that we took, but I'm definitely ready to start churning out regular blog posts again. I'll be peppering my regularly scheduled programming with Iceland posts over the next few weeks, so if it's something that interests you be sure to check back!
First off, we have Jökulsárlón, which is a glacier lagoon in Southeast Iceland, about a five-hour drive east of Reykjavik (the capital of Iceland). It's quite a famous and well-known spot, as movies have been filmed there (Tomb Raider, Die Another Day) and there are day tours you can book that from Reykjavik that will take you there during the summer months. We drove there ourselves, and getting there is quite easy, as it's right off of Route 1, the main highway that circles the entire country. I can't even tell you how awe-inspiring it is to catch the first glimpse of those milky blue icebergs floating in the water! We parked our car in one of the lots right before the bridge, as the one across the bridge looked quite packed. We mostly had the area west of the bridge all to ourselves, and it was very peaceful to watch the icebergs do their thing. If you stay there long enough you can see (and definitely hear) icebergs calve and melt, and it's pretty cool!Joshua Tree, CA, USA
Desert Dreams
It's been a longtime dream of mine to witness the beauty of the Milky Way, which is impossible in most places that humans dwell because of the light pollution. It's incredible to think that people used to observe this wonder all the time, but for the past few centuries it has been hidden to those of us who live our lives in urban/suburban areas. The best time to see it is during the summer, when it's directly overhead, so we headed out to the desert this past Memorial Day weekend and were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it before the moon rose. I can't even remember the last time I saw the stars sparkle so brightly and it made me feel tiny and insignificant for sure. At the same time, the beauty of the desert and the sky above us reminded me what a gift it is to be alive on Earth.
I definitely want to practice my astrophotography more, so hopefully another trip to Joshua Tree soon is in the stars (hehe)!
Black Carlin Romper, Urban Outfitters (sold out but they still have a ton of cute styles here). Fringed cardigan, LA Made. Wool hat, H&M. Hiking boots, a vintage brand called Kinney Colorado. Tan bucket bag, Old Navy (old). Double pendant necklace, c/o Happiness Boutique (check out their great selection of necklaces.)
Carlsbad, CA, USA
Crispy Creams
Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have noticed I made a little excursion down to San Diego this past weekend. A trip down south this time of year would be remiss without stopping by the famed flower fields in Carlsbad, where acres of ranunculus are in full bloom. If you're a fan of flowers, it's definitely a spectacle to behold. Passing breezes make the flowers look like they are dancing happily in the wind. What could be more "spring" than that? I dressed for the occasion in some of my favorite crisp off-whites and accessorized with my new camera bag from Rebecca Minkoff. Pulling off a monochromatic look can be tricky at times but I think the key is picking slightly different shades and adding a touch of color with accessories.
Cream blazer, Lovers + Friends. Nude romper, Kimchi Blue. Craig Camera Bag, Rebecca Minkoff. Monk-strap shoes, Shoemint.
Cusco, Peru
Peru Part Three: Cusco and Beyond
After our Machu Picchu adventure, we were all pretty beat so we took the 3.5 hour train directly back to Cusco, arriving at our hotel around 9pm. During the drive from the station, there were so many stars in the sky and we could see lightning flashing in the valleys all around the mountains which lent a very surreal atmosphere. Unfortunately, I was too tired and hungry to appreciate it very much.
Breakfast at our hotel the next morning--so good!
Exploring Cusco on foot--the one-time Incan capitol is a very charming city. We were pretty sore from the previous day (and also I was sunburnt and itchy from 17 mosquito bites) so walking around the hilly terrain in the thick smog while getting easily-winded due to the high altitude was killer.
The Plaza de Armas--it was the center of Incan Cusco and still is the center of Cusco today.
Breakfast at our hotel the next morning--so good!
Exploring Cusco on foot--the one-time Incan capitol is a very charming city. We were pretty sore from the previous day (and also I was sunburnt and itchy from 17 mosquito bites) so walking around the hilly terrain in the thick smog while getting easily-winded due to the high altitude was killer.
The Plaza de Armas--it was the center of Incan Cusco and still is the center of Cusco today.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Peru Part Two: Exploring Machu Picchu
We spent the night in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, so we could be the first visitors to Machu Picchu the next morning (before everyone else arrived from Cusco via train). Aguas Calientes is an entirely walkable town with the Urumbamba River running right through it. Some people don't think of it as much more than a tourist trap town, but I thought it did have a certain run-down charm.
Unfortunately we took a little longer than planned eating breakfast so we weren't the VERY first ones at Machu Picchu like I wanted. Still, it was an entirely different experience being there in the quiet of early morning before the crowds piled in and the sun began beating down. I highly recommend trying to get there as early as possible!
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