When I booked our travel to Canada several months ago, we had a 5-hour direct flight from Boston to Calgary on WestJet Airlines. When we arrived at Logan yesterday, we discovered that our flight had been cancelled and replaced with a flight to Vancouver, followed by one to Calgary at 5am this morning. There was nothing to be done about the predicament and we wound up sleeping in a waiting area at the Vancouver airport between flights.

Not the best start to my 67th birthday. Fortunately, the rest of the day was wonderful. We drove three hours from Calgary to the Waterton Lakes National Park where we stayed at the Prince of Wales hotel. The hotel is a historic landmark perched on a bluff above Waterton townsite, offering sweeping views of Upper Waterton Lake and the surrounding Rocky Mountains. Opened in 1927, the hotel was built by the Great Northern Railway in a dramatic Swiss-chalet style, and has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada since 1992. We arrived shortly before noon and paused to enjoy a charcuterie board which was more like a full meal.

Between the three-hour time difference and lack of sleep last night, we decided to let our rental car do the “hiking” today. We drove to Cameron Lake on a road that just got better with every turn and returned to town for a visit to Cameron Falls.

In 2017, the Kenow Wildfire, triggered by a lightning strike, consumed 100,000 acres, half of which was within the Waterton Lakes National Park boundary. The fire destroyed the visitor center, campground, staff housing, and much of the hiking trail network, while forcing full evacuation of the Waterton townsite. Although major infrastructure was lost, proactive firefighting measures saved the Prince of Wales Hotel and mitigated even greater damage to the town itself. It may not be apparent at first glance, but all of the trees in the photo below, save a few dozen in the lower left corner were killed in the fire.

This morning, in a rematch of last season’s championship game, my soccer team faced Everett. That game was stopped after 8 minutes when their captain suffered a heart attack on the field and was resuscitated by a doctor who plays for our team. The goodwill generated then lasted all of about two minutes before the intense rivalry between our squads was rekindled. They scored first, but we managed to equalize before halftime. We had the run of play in the second half but couldn’t find the back of the net until stoppage time, when we managed to score twice in the last three minutes. It was an extremely satisfying win. I played well with one very powerful shot on goal but it found the keeper rather than the net. I also managed to blow out one of my soccer cleats and will need to replace it before I return to the pitch in two weeks. Jeanine and I travel to Calgary this evening to begin a 10 day vacation through Glacier National Park (subject to the looming government shutdown), Banff, and Jasper.

For the second year in a row, Jeanine helped organize the Conantum Harvest Supper at Verrill Farm. The new venue has proven to be a great fit for the celebration. With nearly 150 attendees, I decided to focus my photographic interest on the growing crop of youngsters present. The full album can be found here.

Earlier in the day, I prepared a pancake and bacon breakfast for Maya, Kyle, and Jeanine. Nico is at a wedding in Maine. My methods may be unconventional, but all seemed satisfied with the meal.

A large syringe makes for efficient and accurate batter disbursement. High-temperature silicon pinch mitt pot holders keep the flat-bottom griddle from sliding around on the flat cooktop.

This morning, I spotted a King Fisher perched above the river and managed to get two shots off before it set out in search of breakfast. The light was not very good, but I really liked the takeoff shot.

I have been eating lunch at Chipotle 4-5 times a week ever since retiring. What can I say? The food is health and tasty and reasonably priced. Until recently, this has required a 36-minute round-trip excursion to Waltham, often coupled with a visit to Home Depot for project supplies. When a new Chipotle opened here in Concord, I was thrilled by the prospect of saving 20 minutes of driving time for each visit. Regrettably, the efficiency of the new restaurant has been quite poor. Initially, I chalked it up to the new staff learning the ropes. Unfortunately, I have seen no improvements, and now that demand has grown, the slow service has become a real problem. Today, I ordered in advance online hoping to avoid the in-store delay. It took 33 minutes to fill my order! Because I am invested in the success of the Concord location, I wrote an e-mail to Chipotle’s CEO to make him aware of my experiences at the restaurant. He responded within minutes promising to look into the situation and get back to me. I am left hopeful that improvements will be made and impressed by a leader who takes customer feedback so seriously.

In our hometown of Schenectady, NY, my sister received a Proclamation from the Office of the Mayor declaring September 24, 2025, Alissa Calabria Quinn Day.

WHEREAS, Alissa Calabria Quinn was born in Albany, New York, the daughter of Dr. Frank and Angela Calabria, and moved to Schenectady at the age of four when her father joined Union College as a professor in the psychology department; and

WHEREAS, Alissa attended Zoller Elementary School, Oneida Middle School, and graduated as the salutatorian of the Mont Pleasant High School Class of 1980, later earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Economics from Union College; and

WHEREAS, Alissa blazed a trail in the field of wealth management in the Capital District, achieving the role of Senior Vice President – Wealth Management and Financial Advisor of the Quinn Wealth Management Group, all while raising her son John and daughter Rachel; and

WHEREAS, Alissa is an international award-winning ballroom dancer, having first developed her passion for dance in Schenectady while watching her parents dance, and she has continued to share that love of ballroom dancing with others; and

WHEREAS, Alissa is also a published author and a recognized community leader, crediting her education in Schenectady and her development through the Schenectady Business and Professional Women’s Club Individual Development Program, which empowered her personal and professional growth; and

WHEREAS, through her leadership and community involvement, Alissa has supported children’s dance programs, the nonprofit Girls Inc., and numerous initiatives in business and finance, inspiring and uplifting countless individuals throughout Schenectady and beyond.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GARY MCCARTHY, Mayor of the City of Schenectady,

do hereby proclaim September 24, 2025, as Alissa Calabria Quinn Day in the City of Schenectady. On behalf of our community, we celebrate her achievements, her dedication, and her many contributions that have enriched the lives of so many.

As we finished a walk of the neighborhood, Jeanine spotted this mushroom emerging from the wood chips I spread earlier this summer. I am hoping it will be the first of many.

My day revolved around getting the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines and then sitting down with Jeanine to plan hikes for our upcoming trip to Glacier National Park, Banff, and Jasper. After New Zealand, we are taking a realistic view of how much time we want to spend hiking each day.

For years, I owned Canon cameras. When Sony introduced the first professional mirrorless cameras, I switched brands wholesale and have never looked back. I own both a Sony Alpha 1 and an A7R4, which are currently meeting my needs in every way. The former is ideal for sports and wildlife photography, while the latter excels in landscapes, portraiture, and product photography. For all of Sony’s hardware prowess, they truly suck at software and user interface. The entirety of my day was consumed performing a software update to my Alpha’s firmware and then restoring the infinite number of settings in the menu system.

Step 1: Download Sony Driver system extension for Mac. (10m)

Step 2: Restart my MacBook in Safe mode, disable a security feature that prevents malicious software from being installed, reboot, install the Sony extension, reboot, reboot again in Safe mode, renable security settings, reboot. (20m)

Step 3: Download and install Ver. 1.31 → Ver. 1.35 updater. (40m)

Step 4: Download and install Ver. 1.35 → Ver. 2.01 updater. (40m)

Step 5: Download and install Ver. 2.01 → Ver. 3.01 updater. (10m)

<I should mention that if any of the prior three steps get interrupted for any reason, it is possible to render the camera a total brick>

Step 6: Program several hundred settings, recustomize the controls and menus to restore the camera to its last configured state (half of the time is spent looking up and deciphering what many of the menu items do). (180m)

Suffice it to say that this was not a very enjoyable day, save for the fact that Jeanine returned from Vermont.

My soccer team traveled to Raynham this morning, where we inflicted a 5-0 drubbing of an opponent that had a few dirty players. One intentionally cleated the top of my right foot, provoking me to subsequently knock him off his feet. Fortunately, the referee saw the lead-up and did not issue me a card for my infraction.

Having driven an hour south, I decided to continue south after the match to visit Woods Hole, MA. There, I stopped first at the Nobska Lighthouse, a historic 40-foot cast-iron tower built in 1876. It serves as a landmark, offering views of Vineyard Sound and guiding mariners to safety through the area’s dangerous shoals. The site is now a publicly accessible museum about maritime history.

Eel Pond, pictured below, is a serene coastal pond at the heart of Woods Hole, valued for its scenic beauty and calm waters.

Alvin is a three-person crewed deep-sea titanium-hulled submersible operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, capable of diving to depths of 6,500 meters (21,300 feet) for ocean floor research. Its personnel sphere, forged from titanium and featuring 2.9-inch thick walls, houses the pilot and two scientists and is designed to withstand immense deep-ocean pressures while providing five viewports for observation.

The Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge is a vertical lift bridge completed in 1935, featuring a 544-foot span and 135-foot clearance when raised. It was the longest vertical lift span in the world at the time, and currently is the second-longest in the United States. Engineered for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the bridge serves freight and seasonal tourist trains and operates primarily by keeping its span raised except during train crossings. In the early 2000s, it underwent a major $30 million rehabilitation to update its cables, machinery, and electrical systems

Jeanine left for Burlington, VT, to stay with her sister, Susan, for the weekend. I was not able to join her because of my soccer game tomorrow. Instead, I decided to head down to the Seaport District to watch the Red Bull Cliff Diving competition, which is in Boston this weekend.

Pictured in this sequence is Gary Hunt, arguably the best cliff diver in the world, having won the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series 10 times. He is the current leader in this year’s series and was the winner of today’s event. Men dive from a specially constructed platform that is 90 feet from the water, and women from 70 feet. The athleticism and fearlessness of these competitors were amazing.

While I was near the ocean, I decided to drive down the coast with stops at the Flynn Cruiseport, Castle Island, the JFK Presidential Library, and the Scituate Lighthouse.

The choice of stone dust for our front walkway has proven to be suboptimal. It becomes soft when wet and is easily deformed by Nico’s crutch tips. Wet or dry, the stone dust gets tracked into the house, and it is not very easily cleared with a snowblower in the winter. We have decided to have a bluestone walkway installed over the top. I was asked by one of the contractors bidding on the job to evaluate the thickness of the substrate, leading me to do a small excavation, revealing six inches of stone dust over compacted clay. I have yet to hear back if this will be adequate to build on or if we will have to excavate and fill with a thicker base.

Years ago, I purchased the pictured set of salt and pepper shakers. They feature a very unique top that “pops” open when the center is pressed. The design is quite clever and works perfectly to keep moisture and dust from contaminating the contents. On a recent picnic outing, we left one of these behind and find ourselves missing it dearly. When I searched the internet for a replacement, I discovered that it had been discontinued by the manufacturer. I then spent the better part of an hour searching for a retailer that still had a pair in stock. After visiting dozens of sites, I finally found one that still had inventory and I purchased their last remaining pair. It is odd to become so attached to something as mundane as a salt shaker but it speaks to the value of great industrial design.

My sister departed for New York this morning to meet up with her husband, who is driving up from North Carolina. We enjoyed a lovely long weekend with her, which was centered on the consumption of ice cream. She left us with five Dwarf Hummingbird Mint Kudos (Agastache Hybrid) plants as a housewarming gift, which Jeanine and I planted next to our patio this morning.

Since it was released 2 years ago, the DJI Mini 4 Pro has been my go-to drone. I prefer the small size and weight to the larger, more expensive drones I have since sold. For months now, I have been anticipating the announcement of the follow-on model Mini 5 Pro, which is primarily distinguished by a higher-quality camera among many other significant improvements. Today, it became available for sale worldwide except for the United States. Here, it is now subject to politically motivated import requirements. DJI must prove that its drones are not produced with coerced Uyghur labor or used to spy on Uyghur people. The company believes it can prove that neither of these are true but the relevant US regulatory bodies are making no effort to move the process along. I suspect the situation will not change until the US and China reach a comprehensive trade deal which could take months or years. I may try to purchase one when we travel to Canada later this month.

In addition to his work on the Bionic Project, Nico serves as the assistant coach for the Lexington High School men’s varsity soccer team. At his request, I took team photos of the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman squads in addition to headshots of the varsity team and coaches. The boys were very cooperative, and I am pleased with the results, which will be posted on the team’s website.

The Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island, is a scenic 3.5-mile public trail along the southeastern shore of Aquidneck Island, famous for its dramatic ocean views and historic mansions from the Gilded Age. Jeanine, Mayela, and I ventured there after stops in Providence and Jamestown on an all-day car trip. Pictured above is the Anglesea, a private residence that may be my favorite on the Cliff Walk.

The Breakers is a renowned mansion built as the summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, chairman of the New York Central Railroad, between 1893 and 1895. The estate remained a Vanderbilt family property for decades. After Cornelius’s death, his wife, Alice, and then his daughter, Gladys Széchenyi, inherited it. Gladys leased the mansion to the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1948, who bought it outright in 1972.

The Forty Steps is a historic stone staircase originally constructed in the early 1800s and later rebuilt with granite in the 1990s. It became a lively gathering spot for mansion staff and locals during the Gilded Age, where people socialized, danced, and enjoyed ocean views after work.

The Chinese Tea House sits atop the Marble House estate, built between 1912 and 1914 by architect brothers Richard and Joseph Howland Hunt as a tribute to Song Dynasty architecture. Commissioned by Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, it served as a site for suffragist rallies, with “Votes for Women” china and calligraphy inscribed to celebrate women’s rights.

While my soccer team cruised to a 5-0 victory this morning, Nico’s New England team won a hard-fought semi-final match against New York in a penalty kick shootout, earning them a place in the US Cup finals. There, they faced last year’s champions, Miami, which is basically the Haitian national team.

In the finals, New England looked very strong through 80% of the match. The team had the more dangerous attacks with two shots just off the posts. Miami, however, managed to score with ten minutes remaining, putting New England into a must-score situation. They pushed forward more players on offense, leaving themselves exposed to counterattacks, which Miami exploited for two additional goals. Nicolai left everything he had on the field, collapsing as the final whistle blew. It was a tough loss for New England but a great victory for amputee soccer.

Visiting us from North Carolina is my baby sister, Mayela (right), who traveled here specifically to watch Nico play in the US Cup this weekend. Also in attendance at today’s match against Colorado was our good friend Eliza Edwards. Nico was in fine form on the pitch, scoring the first goal in a 3-1 victory. For those unfamiliar with the use of forearm crutches, it requires considerable strength and keen balance to execute an overhead kick, as shown below. I usually think of Nico as an attacker, but today it was hard not to recognize how critical he is to the team’s defense. I lost track of the number of interceptions he made and the turnovers he forced. His New England squad will play in the semi-finals tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, I will miss that showdown as I will be playing with my own team in Medway at that time. Should his team advance to the finals, I will have enough time to make it to Weymouth to see him play again.

Nicolai was instrumental in creating the US Amputee Soccer Cup, hoping to increase the level of participation and competition among regional teams in this country. This weekend, it is being contested for the third time here in the Boston area. Five teams from across the country are competing for the national title. Nico’s team is from New England and defeated Chicago in the opening match by a score of 5-1. Nico was in fine form, scoring the first goal of the tournament on a blistering shot from distance. He is pictured here winning a header in midfield and paying the price for his effort.

Normally, this fallen branch that extends above the Sudbury River just outside our house is reserved for use by the local Great Blue Herons. Occasionally, King Fishers will use it for a scouting perch. On this day it was the domain of a very large Red Tailed Hawk. It makes me wonder what the perching policy is; fist come, first served or biggest talons rule.

This filing cabinet has served as a storage cabinet for miscellaneous items in our various garages over the past three decades. I can no longer remember how I acquired it, but I am sure it was free. It has never been an optimal solution and always looked out of place. I moved it to the top of our driveway and took a photo to advertise it as a free item on Craigslist. I had a taker within minutes. For some reason, I find the image interesting. Perhaps it is the juxtaposition of the industrial steel, painted black, against an all-natural setting.

Last night, the keypad used to operate our garage door openers started beeping incessantly. I assumed it was a warning that the battery was nearly depleted and removed it. I decided to wait until this morning to replace it, expecting to complete the task in a few minutes

Today, I discovered that the battery was not the problem and that the unit had basically lost its mind, the result of water ingress, I suspect. A consequence of never throwing out anything of value, I was able to locate not one, but three possible replacement units in a bin labeled “garage door components.” Two were used, not compatible with our new openers, and did not have backlit keys, making the choice easy. The third unit was brand new but did not include programming instructions. The subsequent scavenger hunt for the manual launched me on an exhaustive search and subsequent all-day re-organizing mission which included my desk, credenza, and the cabinets where I store my photo gear. Six hours later, it took all of ten minutes to install and program the new keypad using instructions I downloaded from the internet. I decided to lubricate both doors while I was at it for good measure.

Today, I made an effort to organize and declutter the room in our basement that was meant to be my photo studio. Instead, it has become a dumping ground for all manner of items that do not have a permanent home elsewhere. I made significant inroads and cleared an area large enough to facilitate a modest two-strobe lighting setup.

During the course of this work, I came across this photo of my Uncle Ernie with his friend Tony Bennett and a woman whom I do not recognize. Ernie played the guitar professionally and was an accompanist for many famous artists of the day, including Harry Belafonte, Burt Bacharach, Dinah Shore, Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich, Nana Mouskouri, Miriam Makeba, Steve Allen, Diahann Carroll, Melba Moore, and Eartha Kitt, in addition to Tony Bennett.

Oddly, I feel that I know more about my uncle now than I did when he was alive.

Jeanine returned from Greece today and shared the highlights of her 2-week adventure as we drove back from the airport. She spent her time in Athens traveling solo and on the island of Aegina staying with friends. Later, she showed me all of her photos and provided a more detailed description of her exploits.

This morning, my attention was focused on the first match of my fall soccer season. We faced arch-rival Medfield during intermittent and sometimes torrential rain. We squandered numerous scoring opportunities throughout the match and found ourselves down 1-2 late in the game. Fortunately, we found a way to score the equalizer and the tie felt like a win.

My week-long Nevada, Utah, Arizona road trip has come to an end. The weather (although bloody hot) has been most cooperative. I managed to not crash my drone, or car, or get stranded in the middle of nowhere despite a few close calls on all counts. Most importantly, I returned with a treasure trove of photos I have been wanting to make for many years. As a bonus, I am returning several pounds lighter, the result of skipping at least one meal everyday, several daily hikes, and the sweltering temperatures.

I am eager to see Jeanine again when she returns tomorrow from her adventures in Greece. Her photos and texts suggest she has been relaxing in paradise, sampling the wonderful food and culture, visiting the sights, and enjoying the company of friends, old and new.

One day, I hope to visit all of the US national parks. Today, I explored my 42nd, the Great Basin NP in Nevada. The park’s iconic feature is 13,063 ft. tall Wheeler Peak, which can be approached by a scenic road designed for those absent a fear of heights. I dared to make only one stop for the photo below. What is not apparent from this perspective is that inches beyond the flowering bushes is a steep drop-off of several hundred feet.

As I drove towards St. George, UT, where I spent the night, I paused to photograph this cloud seemingly poised to rain on my parade. Such was not the case, and I completed my journey with only one near incident. A large pickup truck almost merged into me while I was driving at 80 mph (that is the speed limit here) on the highway. The other driver clearly did not see me and I jumped on the horn which averted an accident. When the truck eventually overtook me, it was hard to miss the huge letters on the side which read SHERIFF and the police officer inside. That was the extent of our encounter as he knew that the near collision had been his fault. Still, it took several minutes before my heart stopped racing.

Although the focus of my photography on this trip has been landscapes and rock formations there is much beauty in the fauna as well.

Goblin Valley State Park is famous for its thousands of mushroom-shaped sandstone formations aptly named “goblins,” although “aliens” would have been equally descriptive. I was last here in 2009 with the entire family. I can still remember how much fun the kids had in this otherworldly landscape. It was my only stop on a day dedicated primarily to travel and the weather could not have been more cooperative. For the first time since I arrived, the entire sky was cloud filled providing the ideal diffused lighting for photographing in this park. Even better, this is the first park that offered drone permits ($15) and a dedicated take-off/landing pad. Ironically, this is the one park on my tour that is best photographed from the ground.

These goblin formations, known as hoodoos, were created over millions of years as an ancient inland sea left thick layers of Entrada Sandstone, which later hardened and was exposed to air. Erosion from wind and water carved away the softer sandstone beneath harder capstones, resulting in the bizarre, rounded shapes seen today.

During my drive, I traversed the San Rafael Reef, where I stopped briefly for a photo. Early settlers of the area would travel 20 miles north or south rather than attempt to make the treacherous crossing. In the mid-1960s, an ambitious construction project started to allow for I-70 to pass through the reef.

Before I inundate followers with a slew of arches, I thought I would start this post with a spot of color. Potash is a group of water-soluble salts containing potassium, most commonly potassium chloride, and is used mainly as a fertilizer for plants. Historically, potash was produced by leaching wood ashes in large pots, but today it is manufactured by mining potassium-rich minerals from ancient evaporite deposits and processing them to remove impurities. A bright blue dye is added to potash evaporation ponds during potash mining to absorb more sunlight and heat, which speeds up water evaporation and helps the potash crystallize more quickly. The striking blue is especially visible during peak evaporation but may shift to lighter blue, tan, or brown as more water evaporates and potash forms. When I noticed these pools while looking at a satellite view in Google Maps, I knew it was a must photograph destination despite requiring a few miles of very rugged 4×4 “road” travel.

The balance of my day was primarily centered on photographing arches I had never visited before both inside Arches National Park and outside.

Sand Dune Arch

Broken Arch

Jug Handle Arch

Corona Arch

Bowtie Arch

A permit and mandatory training are needed to hike through the Arches Fiery Furnace because the area is a challenging maze-like labyrinth with no established trails and high walls that block GPS signals, making it easy to get lost and requiring careful navigation. The aerial view tells the whole story and reveals the overall structure which can not be observed from the ground.

I could not resist making a panorama centered on the Three Gossips even though I have photographed this scene many times before.

When temperatures hit their midday peak, I started seeing things in the rocks. Tell me if you do not think the photo below looks like the head of a dog.

I half expected to see a giant come over the top of this peak when I saw its massive hand grabbing the ledge.

Below, a smaller hand is preventing this precariously perched boulder from falling over.

As the sun started to set, I drove to Dead Horse Point State Park to capture the magic and was not disappointed.

I have been to Canyonland National Park several times, but never to the Needles section. It was my first stop en route to Moab, where I will be spending the next two nights. The needles (top edge of the photo above) are magnificent, but just as exciting are what I am calling the “mushrooms” which appear below them.

Temperatures have been in the 90s every day since I arrived. Imagine my relief when I encountered this natural rock formation while hiking. It provided shade, seating, and a side table for my backpack.

NOTE TO JEANINE: I think we have to visit the stone yard again.

I found plenty of reasons to pull over for photographs as I continued towards Moab.

Mexican Hat is a small town in southern Utah named after a distinctive rock formation that resembles an upside-down sombrero perched high above the adjacent San Juan River. With a population of ~100 it is not exactly a marquee destination. It does, however, make an ideal home base for visiting Monument Valley, Gooseneck State Park, and Valley of the Gods, all on the itinerary for today.

Pictured below is a location that I scouted using Google Maps satellite view. I suspect that the San Juan River once circled/created this butte before it found a shortcut.

Gooseneck State Park

Valley of the Gods is a scenic backcountry area featuring dramatic sandstone buttes, pinnacles, and mesas reminiscent of Monument Valley. It can be traversed via a stunning 17-mile unpaved drive through vast open terrain with unique rock formations. The aptly named “Lady in the Bath Tub” is one of the more whimsical. The rugged road is likely the reason few people visit here. This is my second time and I only encountered a dozen other people on each occasion.

The last time I was in Monument Valley, I lost my drone when attempting the photo below. Since then, I have gained much experience as a pilot, and I have a newer model with better obstacle avoidance and greater radio range. I was extremely nervous on this flight, but equally euphoric as I knew I had timed the light perfectly.

Midday light, on the other hand, is pretty mundane, so I tried to add a different kind of interest to my photos. It took about 20 attempts to perfectly time my jump to the ten-second shutter delay.

When the sun started setting, I was in business again. I took the photo below about 20 minutes before golden light to give myself time to drive outside the park and far enough away to get a comprehensive view.

Millions of years in the making, hoodoos never fail to capture my fascination and photographic interest. Their formation process begins with flat-lying sedimentary rocks deposited in ancient lakes or floodplains, later elevated by tectonic forces, and finally sculpted by frost wedging and acidic rain that erodes softer layers beneath harder caprock. The caprock protects the weaker underlying rock, creating the hoodoo’s columnar shape, which persists until erosion eventually topples the cap and destroys the spire. Today, I revisited several of my favorites, the Toadstools and the White Ghost. The former are easily accessible from the highway and can be reached via a relatively short hike. The latter, not so much. On my first visit to the White Ghost, I opted for the southern approach, which requires an 8-mile hike. This time, I opted for the northern approach, which only requires a 2-mile hike. What is the “catch,” you might wonder?  The shorter hike requires a 20-mile round trip on “unimproved roads.” For the most part, these are just very bumpy dirt roads. The problem is with the other parts. There are about a dozen places where the road crosses a river wash. Each one offers a unique way to strand your vehicle in a place where a new vehicle would cost less than the tow truck fee. Let’s just say that I will opt for the longer hike on any future visits. On a positive note, I did encounter some very beautiful landscapes along the way.

Unsuccessful at winning the 1000:1 daily lottery for a pass to The Wave, I opted to use my drone to look for equally impressive rock formations. I found several, my favorite being the one below, which I call “Melting Ice Cream.”

I also made a long flight to capture the aptly named North Teepees.

Lone Rock is a prominent and solitary rock formation located in Wahweap Bay within Lake Powell.

I caught the last light of the day at the Glen Canyon Dam before heading into Page, AZ for the night.

As soon as the sun was up, I made a beeline for St. George, UT where my first stop was Pioneer Park. I had hoped to photograph the St. George Narrows located there, but a group of teenagers was climbing on belay, and it did not look like they would be finishing anytime soon. Instead, I found a beautiful little arch to start the day off on a good note. I made my way north to the Snow Canyon State Park, which had a lovely valley view overlook.

Next, I had planned to photograph the Toquerville Falls, hoping that the all-wheel-drive, high-ground-clearance SUV that I rented would be up to the challenge. One mile into the five-mile final ascent, I had to abandon the effort, because I was not up to the challenge. Jeanine will attest to the fact that I have tackled some very insane roads. This one was just too treacherous and I could just imagine stranding my rental on the side of a mountain and ruining the rest of my trip.

Instead, I decided to drive through Zion National Park on my way to Kanab. Fortunately, traffic was light and I could stop often to soak in the magnificence.

As the sun was setting, I made a final stop at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The light was exceptional, and the dunes looked like waves of water. A perfect way to finish day one of my road trip.

I found a very cute cabin in Kanab and hitched my trusty steed to the post.