When travelling my constant companion is a notebook and pencil, where I can jot down thoughts or observations about what I see or feel. This Travel Diary is a cleaned-up version of some of the notes that I take during my travels. Oftentimes, they are posted while I am still travelling. Their purpose is to give a sense of travel apart from a more structured article.
Good by Arizona!
Once again, I am leaving Arizona. I spent the summer of 2021 in Montana, and now it's time to go to the gulf coast of Texas. I had originally intended to stay 2 weeks in Arizona as a stopover on the way to Texas, but circumstances forced me to stay for a little more than 2 months. I have a lot of dear friends here, but I don't care for the hot weather and I don't like big cities.
On the way back to Arizona, I made a quick visit Valley of Fires State Park. I'd heard a lot about this park and seen quite a few wonderful images and even though it was a detour of about 100 miles, I though it would be worth it, if only to explore and scout for a future visit. I didn't arrive until late in the afternoon; the visitor center was already closed before I was able to get there. I explored along the main park highway and then made my way back to Arizona after sunset.
Valley of Fires State Park, Nevada (Fujifilm GFX 100S, Fujinon GFX 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR lens).
Valley of Fires State Park, Nevada (Fujifilm GFX 100S, Fujinon GFX 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR lens).
I'm sure that this park will be a focal point of a future visit.
Like a great number of other people, I started the day at Zabriskie Point. It was a cold morning (38° F), with a few high clouds in the sky. This is the popular spot for photographers and casual visitors in the morning. This is due, perhaps to the way the rising sun highlights the point, while keeping the valley beyond in shadow.
Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California (Fujifilm GFX 100S, Fujinon GFX 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR lens).While most people seem to concentrate of Zabriskie Point itself, my favorite subject is the surrounding bentonite clay hills. I love the varied colors and patterns (also exhibited in front of the point). The Point itself, is such a commanding part of the landscape, it overshadows the clay hills, which I feel are a great subject in themselves.
I returned to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes later in the day, hoping to catch the late afternoon sunlight on the dunes. Unfortunately, the dunes were still dark, with the absorbed rain, and a cloud cover descended over the mountains to the west, obscuring the sunset and casting the dunes into shadow.
A storm rolled through the park last nigh, leaving a dusting of snow on the surrounding mountains. Many of the roads in the park were closed because of it The main road through the park showed signs of flooding - standing water and patches of mud - on the roadway. It's mostly cloudy with very few shadows and 52° F. I spent the afternoon at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The dunes themselves were dark, having absorbed rain from the previous evening rain.
It's been a long time since I've added anything new to the dairy. The time since I left Idaho (and my last travel diary entry) has been quite hectic and consuming with a number of personal issues that have arisen. I'm back in Arizona, on a temporary basis; at the end of the month I leave for Texas.
One of the things I've been doing the past couple of weeks is testing out some new camera gear. I'm not a gear obsessed photographer, I buy gear as I feel that it fits into what I'm trying to accomplish.
Superstition Mountain, near Apache Junction, Arizona (Fujifilm GFX 100S, Fujinon GFX 32-64mm f4 R LM WR lens).I'm currently testing out the Fujifilm GFX 100S camera. This is a 102mp medium format camera which has taken the photographic community by storm due to its low cost and high quality. I'm working on a review of this camera, which will be in my reviews section (near the end of December 2021).