Court of the Patriarchs
Easily accessible but still rarely visited, the Court of the Patriarch is my new favorite place for a quick escape or an outdoor yoga session.
The Court of the Patriarchs has become my new favorite place to go for a bit of solace and quietude. Though easily found, it doesn't get much attention from the visitors ... for which I'm glad. There are plenty of other, cooler trails and spots for them. I'll keep this one for myself.
On more than one occasion, I've traipsed up here to do an outdoor yoga session and sometimes I come just to sit and enjoy the scenery. On my most recent visit, I brought my camera to shoot a few things that caught my eye on previous stays.
While in the meadow, you're almost completely surrounded by the cliff walls on three sides. What I noticed is that in more than any other area in the canyon, the cliff faces and peaks are more different than each other than in any other part of the canyon. Shift your gaze a few hundred feet to the left or right of any particular peak and you'll see something that looks like it was carved by a different artist. Yes, many of the colors are similar but because of the vagaries of shadows and sunlight direction, the shades of orange and red easily morph into something new and different based on the angle of the sun or shade.
You'd look dumb doing it, but if you're to stand in that meadow and turn in slow circles, I suspect that you'd have a different show with every rotation.
Hidden Canyon
Visitors to shuttle stop #7 have a tough choice between Hidden Canyon, Weeping Rock and the Overlook Trail. I finally managed to make time to visit this one.
This is one of the last popular hikes in the main canyon that I hadn't yet done. Hidden Canyon has a rather steep set of switchbacks and trails but it's quite smooth most of the way. It can be rather strenuous so on one of the many stops you'll need, please be certain to enjoy the fantastic overview you'll have.
From one of my favorite hiking bloggers ....
The trail to Hidden Canyon starts at the Weeping Rock Trailhead, the 7th stop on the Zion Canyon Shuttle, the same trailhead as for the Observation Point Trail and the East Rim Trail up to Cable Mountain, Deertrap Mountain, and the East Entrance Trailhead. Hike up the paved trail that zig-zags its way up the east side of the main canyon. Take your time; if you're not acclimated to uphill hiking, this could be quite strenuous. Soon enough you will come to the junction of the Hidden Canyon Trail; now it's time to choose the path less traveled!
Night Photography
The nights here are loud with the sounds of nature and when the moon is anything more than a sliver, the whole of the place is radiant.
The nights in Zion Canyon can be cacophonous at times as the hard cliffs keep in all the noise that is generated on the flatland. The crickets are loud, the river is ever flowing and crashing onto the rocks, the large insects and bats swoosh their way through the night sky, and any bird that makes a night sound or rustle is easily heard.
During the rare times that there is cloud cover at night or when the moon is just a sliver of itself, the stars aren't enough to fully illuminate the place, but when the sky is clear and the moon is mostly present, we're afforded a chance to see this darkened, martian landscape in a thoroughly different way.
An Unusually, Grey Day in Zion
Very soon after my arrival in Zion National Park, we had a humdinger of rainstorm. The after-show was epic
Having grown up in California, I am quite used to having clear, blue blanket above me. As I traveled around the country and the world, I always seemed to be more attracted to clouds and grey skies than the sunny ones from my youth.
In Germany, I loved the high, thin clouds that blew in from the Atlantic. In South Carolina, the thunderstorms were some of the most powerful ones I'd ever seen. Juneau, Alaska has 250+ days a year of precipitation and the resultant clouds billowing over the water and the mountaintops were things of amazement and beauty that I've never seen since. Idaho's high prairies created some of the highest/tallest clouds known to man ... or at least this man. So, yeah. You can say that I appreciate clouds.
When I moved to Zion National Park, I knew that it be in a desert and the heat and dryness would be covered by clear, blue and yellow heat. What I did not expect was the incredible power and beauty of the few storms that run through here. Soon after my arrival, I was lucky enough to see an awesome storm that swept through the canyon depositing enough rain to create powerful waterfalls on all the cliffs and made all the dry washes and river beds come to life.
My favorite part of it all was the play of light as it emerged at the tail end of the storm. As the clouds thin and the rays broke through, I was able to see these stones, cliffs, and pillars in an entirely new way.
Enjoy!
The Road to Zion
What a fantastic entry to the State of Utah. Just after crossing the border from Colorado, I let the drone slip away for a quick flight to capture the Martian landscape.
“To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.”
― Ansel Adams
If you're so inclined, check out the cool drone video I made. It gives an even better idea of the vast landscape of Utah.
Zion National Park - Day One
I arrived, checked in and immediately hit the trails! Even though my initial tour only lasted a couple hours and I barely scratched the surface of what could be seen, I can already tell that I'm going to have a blast hiking, seeing, capturing imagery and exploring this place.
My brief journey to me to the Temple of Shinawava, The Narrows, Weeping Rock, and Emerald Pool but those are just a few of the easiest to access trails and sites. If you want to learn more about the spots and all the cool things here, visit the NPS site for the park or for the Zion Lodge.
Zion National Park - https://goo.gl/LxkBKq
Zion Lodge - http://www.zionlodge.com/
The Zion Petroglyphs
Tucked away in plain sight, 100 ft from the road but they still seem hidden, these awesome artifacts of Southwest history show images of what our forebearers saw … and did.
Go click through the NPS handout regarding these glyphs as it explains their awesomeness better than I can. I'm just here to show off the pics.
I'm reluctant to share information about exactly where these artifacts are hidden as the park seems to be consciously making an effort NOT to advertise them. Probably an effort to deter over-viewing or vandalism. Sometimes, people can suck so I understand.
I only heard about them from a friend who has worked in the park for a number of years and they're surprisingly easy to find. Stop, park, walk down a slope and along a dry river bed. Make a couple turns and Boom! You're there.
Tucked away in a small canyon of their own, the place seems a worthy shrine to history.
What's there to say about them? I'd rather have you look at them in their natural surroundings and think about what life may have been like in this beautiful but harsh landscape. Scorching hot nights, chilly nights and death just one misstep away. Those cliffs are unforgiving.
Après la Tempête
The clouds gathered and gained strength. When they released, the whole canyon shook with torrential rains, strong cracks of thunder and whipping winds. Afterwards ... pure beauty!
The clouds break as the storm over Zion Canyon ends.
To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.
Ansel Adams
There are times when I feel as if I should be making more effort to capture the faces of the people in my world. Today was not one of those days.
After the storm passed, I was greeted with some of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. Breathtaking vistas were all around me and I couldn't NOT try to capture the swirling, shifting clouds and the strong features of the sandstone cliffs.
I've never seen anything quite like it.
Angel's Landing - GoPro
Angel's Landing is often rated as one of the very best hikes in America. I can see why!
This hike was rated as "Moderate" on most of the guides that I read, and "Hard" on a few others. I can see why. At points, you'll have to scramble up the stones like a mountain goat. Even without that, some parts are quite steep and you'll be feeling it the next day.
Despite the toughness of the route, the place was quite popular and crowded. I saw little kids and older folks all over the place. It was a tough hike but anyone in decent shape and with a desire to reach the top can make it.
My favorite part of the hike was watching the human stories unfold. Sorority sisters talked trash about their teachers, young sibling conspired to scare the bejesus out of their parents and the older folks determined to make it up "that damn hill".
The best of them all was the Korean family whose dad was trying to take pictures of his kids in a manner that made it look the kids were about to fall off the cliff. He was just using angles to make it look worse than it was and at no point were the kids in jeopardy but the mom was having none of it. She was so worried about the kids freaking out that she freaked them out by freaking out herself. It would have been a cool shot, something silly I would have taken with my boys but her fussing seemed to interrupted the shot. Still, it was entertaining to watch.
On ... and the views of the canyon were alright, too.
And now ... Zion National Park!
My new home in Zion National Park will fill my days with photographic opportunities and challenges that shall keep me quite busy. I'm up for the challenge. Wanna follow along?
How does one create interesting imagery for sights that have been seen by millions upon millions of eyeballs? My new home in Zion National Park will provide me with countless photographic opportunities but also some challenges in how I present the things I see.
You can't fly a drone in National Parks but there is plenty of BLM land in which to fly.
I feel that my strong history of portraiture and theatre photography will allow me to see drama in a scene that others may not have been able to recognize. There are countless landscape photographers that have covered every square inch of this area so there's no need to replicate their masterful work but I know that I'll want to cover some of those same areas ... just with my unique danscape view of seeing things. Sometimes that will be with drone images and other times it will require patience on my part to wait for the sun and clouds to create a darkened mood that others may overlook.
Because the great extent of natural scenerey already covered in these parts, I plan to make a stronger effort to create unique portraiture. The red clay, the shifting and winding canyons and the strong gold in the evening hours combine to create some of the best shooting locations that Ive been lucky enough to find.
If you stick around, you'll also be able to follow me along on some of my hikes and adventures! I've been using a variety of cameras and tools to capture video imagery that I've been placing on my Youtube Channel! Come along with me on my hikes and adventures in the Southwest.
I hope that y'all can appreciate the things that I see and how I see them. I'd love for you to follow along as I go See Things!
Let's Go To The Movies! - Twin Drive-In
It's funny what you can find when you're making no effort to find it.
It may not look like it, but this awesome gem is STILL operating as a drive-in theater during the better-weathered seasons. The Twin Theater has been going strong for more than 60 years and the new owners have invested enough time, effort, and $$$ in the place to make certain that it keeps going for another 60!
I can't recall the last time I went to a drive-in but I'm pretty certain that I'm gonna make a visit to this place this Spring.
A Trip to Orrick, Mo - Part II
Sometimes pictures are easy to edit. Sometimes they're not and they take a bit longer. These pictures from my visit to Orrick, Mo took a bit longer because they deserved it.
Sometimes, I can go through a few hundred images and easily find the best images and get them edited right away in a fit of energy and inspiration. Then again, sometimes, I find ones that require more time and effort to parse and find the best possible edits for. That;s the case with these images. I hope that you feel they're worth the extra time.
Just north of Big Muddy and about 30 minutes east of Kansas City sits a farm town named Orrick, Mo., named in honor of W. W. Orrick who had drawn up the plat. Despite the addition of railroads, a grain silo, and a modest downtown, I don't suspect too much has changed with the land since it was incorporated in 1873.
On my Youtube channel, you'll see an aerial view of the Orrick area filmed with the new drone. You'll also see more images from the trip in the first blog post about Orrick.
Ft. Osage National Historic Landmark and a Frozen Big Muddy.
Over a very chilly weekend, we visited Ft. Osage, a super cool old fort on the banks of the Missouri River. There may have been a drone involved.
Ft Osage and Big Muddy
The day AFTER we visited Ft. Osage, the weather started a pleasant, upwards climb to the 40s. The day OF our visit ... not so much. With temps in the teens and 20s with a rather sharp wind passing through the river basin, we certainly felt that it was Wintertime in the Midwest; a perfect time to visit the outdoors.
“Rose early, examined the Situation and the points of a Small Island which is opposit, found the River could be completely defended and Situation elegant, this Situation I had examined in the year 1804 and was delighted with it and am equally so now, ordered the Boats to be unloaded and tools got ready to work, and fixed on the spot for the fort and other buildings…”
—William Clark, Monday, 5th Sept. 1808
And yes! I managed to get some drone time in.
A Trip to Orrick, Mo
Just 30 minutes outside of Kansas City ... but a hundred years apart.
Just north of Big Muddy and about 30 minutes east of Kansas City sits a farm town named Orrick, Mo., named in honor of W. W. Orrick who had drawn up the plat. Despite the addition of railroads, a grain silo, and a modest downtown, I don't suspect too much has changed with the land since it was incorporated in 1873.
Very soon, on my Youtube channel, you'll see the video that I created with the drone and I'll also soon be releasing the architectural pictures ... but those will take a bit.
Lake Jacomo - Blue Springs, MO
Yup! I'm in Missouri now, just outside of Kansas City. The move provides me an opportunity to meet new folks, shoot at new theaters and explore the new scenery. Come on and join me!
Sunset on Lake Jacomo
Moving always sucks. Yes, a move always provides the chance to see new things and meet new folks but the logistics, administration, and hassle of a move are never fun. It took me a few days to unbury all my stuff and get my humble operation together in order to take, edit, and post a few pics.
I've lived in the area before so I knew what type of nature and geography to expect but I didn't remember the sunsets being this crisp and sharp. The blues were stronger than I recall and the contrast of the hardwoods against the sky was dark and strong. The waves of light and color that washed over Lake Jacomo in the waning minutes of the light ebbed and flowed from one shade to another with ease and quickness.
The area is more varied in its landscape than Texas so it'll provide plenty of natural vistas to seek and shoot and the grit and grunge of Kansas City are legendary so I can't wait to explore the not-so-natural areas, too!
Stay tuned and you just may see a cool thing or two!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Texas Premiere!
This was one of the first times that the publishers had licensed the musical to be produced at a regional or community theater anywhere in the county and it was the very first time in Texas!
I think that the Director, George Green and his team nailed it pretty well!
DOM CLAUDE FROLLO - Bob Galindo
QUASIMODO - Nick Szoeke
CLOPIN TROUILLEFOU - Sean Salazar
CAPT. PHOEBUS DE MARTIN - Quinn Johnson
LT. FREDERIC CHARLUS - Macaulay Hammond
ESMERALDA- Alyssa Lopez
JEHAN FROLLO - Travis Trevino
FLORIKA - Josey Porras
FATHER DUPIN - Ryan Campen
KING LOUIS XI - David Nanny
TRIBUNAL OFFICIAL - Ramsey Sweatmon
MADAME - Corina Zars
SAINT APHRODISIUS - Robert Nauman
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Madeline Gutierrez
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Alyssa Araguz
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Luis Legaspi
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Carrie Daniels
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Stephanie Clark
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Robert Gonzalez
CHOIR - Christopher Miller
CHOIR - Rebecca Trinidad
CHOIR - Katy Galindo
CHOIR - Nicole Erwin
CHOIR - Jennifer Hoskins
CHOIR - Megan DeYoung
CHOIR - Rob Shaver
CHOIR - Ben Scharff
CHOIR - Victor Trevino
CHOIR - Luke Trevino
CHOIR - Chancey Blackburn
There are two types of people in this world.
Those who love Nick Szoeke ... and those that haven't met him yet
Street Art of San Jose
I love me some great street art. Not sh#tty vandalism but the real good stuff that has artistic quality and a social message. The dudes in San Jose have their game on point!
Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. Other terms for this type of art can be "urban art", "guerrilla art", "independent public art", "post-graffiti",
and "neo-graffiti".
That's all a very nice way to go and say "F*ck you!" to the man and be able to get away with it. Some cities, though, are forward thinking and progressive enough to dedicate some of its public spaces to just this type of art. That's the case in San Jose, Costa Rica. On government-controlled walls near the main judicial and legislative offices, you'll find loads of sanctioned art. Near the train station, underpasses and other urban spcaces in that area, it seems that the area has become a Mecca for public art.
click any image to embiggen
I think they're a litmus test of sorts. Do you see disrespect towards the system or to authority? Do you see just the art or just a distasteful message?
Y'all KNOW I dig the graffiti art in San Antonio but this stuff is amazing. Upon my return to town, I'll have to go to some of SA's other well-known street art collections and see what's what. Until then, and I'm proven wrong, I gotta say that San Jose, CR has got better game at this point.
click any image to embiggen
The Doors and Portals of San Jose, Costa Rica
Whether it's San Antonio, Texas or San Jose, Costa Rica, the best way to see a place is by getting out and walking. On this trip, I've been amazed at the diversity of entryways. Cool stuff!
As I walked the streets in and around downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, I was amazed at both the diversity and similarities of the various entryways and portals in the town. What is a common theme is that almost all of the homes feature an outer wall or gate almost directly along the sidewalk. That's often followed by a small courtyard, parking space or patio and then you get to the home. I love it.
It seems to be a fine way of making peace with living in a crowded city. As I've already mentioned, this set-up seems very European as I've seen similar structures in the big cities of Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. All densely populated places but examples of where design makes that impact less.
Some of the doors that caught my eye were inside ones, portals that led to a patio or kitchen. The simplicity of their purpose didn't make them less striking. Others were the main door or gateway facing the street. What a way to announce your home to the world.
OK. It's not all doors and windows. Many of the outer walls are decorated with intricate masonry, detailed textures or, in the case of my favorite wall, these painted tiles. I'll do my best to find out more about this place and update this but for now, just look at the beauty and try to imagine the tale they're trying to tell.
Before my visit to Costa Rica, I looked at some of the guidebooks and websites to get an idea of the highlights. Yes, of course, the beaches and jungles are always winners but in my life, I've never had a traditional vacation where I sit and sip cocktails or tour museums. Nothing wrong with those pastimes but it's a truism that for me, there is no better way to see and feel a pace than by walking. Get away from the well-traveled paths, keep the guidebook in your pack, and get your feet on the street.
As is often the case, I see the differences in how things are done here versus back home but I see the similarities, too. Folks all around the world just want to work, support their families, live in a nice home, play the way they want to play, and live the way they want to live. Here, they just happen to live with awesome doorways, windows, textures and living spaces.
A safety disclaimer - As for following the paths less traveled, I'm also a tall and stout fella that still walks like a soldier. That certainly helps me make the choice to walk off the beaten path. Don't be dumb. Make good and safe chices.
The Things I Carry - A Bowling Pin
I was a soldier once, a good one, too, but before that, I was a scared kids a million miles from home.
Years ago, I was a soldier. A pretty good one, too, but this isn't a story about any exploits I might have had. This is a story about being a young person far from home and without a network.
In December of 1988, after finishing my training at Ft. McClellan and spending a few days at home for Thanksgiving, I was away on my adventure; my first permanent duty station in the US Army. Wearing my Class A uniform and still with my too-short haircut, I walked into what seemed like a screaming madhouse as my new unit had just arrived an hour before me from a field training exercise and were dragging all their filthy gear from the vehicles to the cleaning areas and on to storage. They were all loud and dirty and frankly, I was scared shitless as to what I may have gotten into.
All that madness ended soon enough and I got in-processed into the unit and was assigned to where I needed to be. Though I was the new guy and the folks that were already there seemed much older than me (they weren't) the fact is that we were all a bunch of scared kids so making friends wasn't hard. After a couple months, I got a new roommate, Joe Gilmartin. He was all of two years older than me and had been in the service for about three years at this point. Though he didn't act it, to me he seemed like the coolest, most calm dude possible. I won't pretend that he was a great soldier but he was a great roommate.
Our base was a small one and it had a recently defunct bowling alley in it. On one of Joe's nights out, he ... well, I don't know all the details but he came back home with a few bowling pins, one of which soon became among my favorite possessions. Over my time there, I had many friends sign it or make their mark upon it. Signatures were scribbled over drawings and quotes covered names. It's frankly a mess but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Since that time, I lived in South Carolina, Alaska, California (twice), Kansas City (twice), Idaho, Spokane, and now San Antonio. That stupid bowling pin has come with me every single time and has always been displayed proudly. I'm not the flag-waving type but I am glad that I served in the US Army. Those years provided me with countless memories and experiences that could never have been found elsewhere. And, I got a bowling pin out of it!
Mission Reach - The San Antonio RiverWalk
The San Antonio RiverWalk is an extraordinarily popular attraction in San Antonio but most of our visitors don't realize just how extensive the developed area is
I've done it again! I went on a little adventure, captured and edited images and never got around to posting them in a blog post. No worries. The San Antonio RiverWalk isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
For this quick trip, I only brought my iPhone but wasn't disappointed. That little thing can capture so much wonderful imagery in the world around us, no? Sure, there's no replacing a bigger, "grown-up" camera but I've never been disappointed with what I can create with it.
The visitors to San Antonio love the RiverWalk but so rarely get to see the parts of it outside of the main hub. That's just fine with me as it means there's so much less traffic on the outer stretches of the river. Go north of town and you'll find what's called Museum Reach which goes near the museums, the zoo, and a few awesome parks. I go there quite often and this trip was my first exploring the Mission Reach portion and I was certainly not disappointed.
So many bits of nature and beauty popping up. Many wonderfully cool and abandoned structures along the way and if you've known me for awhile, you know that I'm a sucker for a good freeway underpass.
Again sorry (not really) for the delay.
