Seth Berry Photography: Blog https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog en-us (C) Seth Berry Photography (Seth Berry Photography) Tue, 07 Sep 2021 06:21:00 GMT Tue, 07 Sep 2021 06:21:00 GMT https://www.sethberryphotography.com/img/s/v-12/u700903197-o66345581-50.jpg Seth Berry Photography: Blog https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog 90 120 An email from God https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2020/10/an-email-from-god

The other day I got an email from a total stranger that truly was like a direct line of encouragement from God. But before I get to that…

For the past 12+ years, I have greatly enjoyed sharing my nature and travel photography through my social media posts. By now, many of you know my passion for photography runs deeper than just getting a lot of “likes” on Facebook or hopefully landing a shout out from a magazine or outdoor company (although that would be amazing!) However, most of you probably don’t know how or why my photography journey started. I generally do not like to write and have a hard time coming up with the right words, which is why I like letting my pictures speak for themselves — and probably why this is my first blog post since August 2018 — whoops.

Beauty from Ashe(s)ville

2008 — when God refined a new passion within me from a season of ashes.

I was in my 4th year as a Clemson student and I still had a lot of unknowns about my future and career after college. Up to this point of my life, I was never really someone who knew exactly “what I wanted to be when I grew up”. At this time in my life, my passions were mainly preoccupied in experiencing my childhood dream of attending Clemson University and absorbed in a long dating relationship at that time. So my focus in life was very cloudy, to put it vaguely, and I wasn’t ready to grow up.

In the spring semester of 2008, I accepted a graphic design internship to Asheville, NC, mainly because of the strong draw I had for experiencing living in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and I was interested in a career in graphic design.

The mountains were calling, and I had to go.

Early on during my internship, each weekend I would take the hour long drive back to Clemson because I missed my girlfriend and friends. So during the week that was all I could think about — counting down the days and hours at work until I went back to Clemson. Then one weekend there was the break-up that sent me into one of the most challenging seasons of my early life. Here I was now, living alone away from my friends in Clemson, even further away from my family in Lexington, and trying to adapt to “the real world” in a season of loneliness and depression.

But God was calling me to the mountains, and I had to go.

It was during this time that God started refining this ash pit of depression, uncertainty, and passionless part of my life into something special and meaningful. During this time, with a heavy heart, I started taking longer drives home from work through the mountains calling out to God with my worship music, and using my weekends to explore every part of the amazing scenery I was surrounded by in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Then, I specifically remember on my intern computer at work, there was a bookmarked website of a photographer’s work (to this day, I still can’t remember who or what the website was) with some of the most amazing scenery I had ever seen captured. When I realized that these scenes were local, I immediately had the strong God-giving desire to want to capture these scenes myself. So one day I used pretty much all of my paycheck to buy my first ever digital SLR Canon camera (I remember my dad said “you spent how much on a camera?!”) From that point on, I was determined to teach myself how to capture these scenes in the mountains I was witnessing.

Fast forward 12+ years, I can see how God used photography to draw me closer to Him. During that time of brokenness, I was seeking answers from Him that I felt like he wasn’t giving me. But at that time, I didn’t realize — only Jesus knew — He was actually using this time and my new passion for photography to comfort me Himself through the peace that I was receiving with every sunrise/sunset, tranquil setting in the forest, and majestic mountain top view in the Blue Ridge Mountains. So, that is how I got into photography and where it has led me today in being able to use it as a profession. (Side note: a lot of people ask if I do photography full-time. My full-time profession is graphic design, but photography plays a huge role in it. Photography is my side profession, but most importantly my passion) I remember struggling when trying to come up with a name for my photography profession, but finally just decided to go with Seth Berry Photography — with the understanding and decision to not make it all about me, but to glorify Him. Hence, the essence of my tagline: Explore. Capture. Inspire.

So, with all that said, I wanted to write this blog post to not only share what God has done for me, but to be of an encouragement to you! God certainly encouraged me this week when I got this email from a total stranger:
 

“With Thanksgiving coming up, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on this past year and thinking of things / people that I have been grateful for and I wanted to let you know that you are one of them!

This coming March will be my second year living in Lexington. I picked my life up in New Jersey and moved it because the company I work for opened its 15th location in downtown Columbia and I offered to move so I can establish our latest branch. My closest friends/family is 13 hours away! I’ve been knee deep in work getting our latest location up and running. I’m averaging 70 hrs a week so come the weekend, I found myself doing nothing but mentally preparing for the week ahead. I was planning our grand opening that we had back in March and one thing we wanted to do was hire a photographer. I was searching to find a local photographer and I had come across your website. Long story short, we ended up having to cancel everything for the public thanks to COVID. I did buy one of your photos of downtown Columbia! This is my home away from home and what better than to have a photo of the city that brought me here.

Back in June, I had come across all my notes for the grand opening and I saw your website again. I was looking at your photos in all, dreaming about being able to see the most spectacular views, then I realized how a lot were taken here in SC. Fast forward to today, Needless to say, you have changed my life and you have inspired me to do things that I’ve never done before. I started off going to state parks and as I walked into the woods, solitude, is the first word that comes to mind.

I grew up going to a Methodist church and when I moved here, I tried a few out and I just wasn’t happy. It wasn’t the same! One Sunday, I decided, I’m going to go to Pretty Place, (thanks to your photo). When I walked in, I started to cry. I finally found my place, I sat still for 3 hours just listening / watching and taking in all that was in front of me. Multiple things were running through my mind and in the end I realized that these trips I take to state parks, national parks, blue ridge parkway, etc. they have been my solitude trips, they’ve become my church! I am at such peace when I walk into the woods or sit at an overlook. That is where I am able to connect with God. To see all that he has created and for me to have the ability to go and see these breathtaking views, has changed my life in ways I don’t think I can express in words.

Thinking of all that I have seen these past few months and how much I have changed, it all comes back to you and your website. I just want to say, THANK YOU! I am grateful for all that you are able to capture and I wanted you to know how you have inspired me. Your photography has been such an inspiration for me to start hiking, It’s literally become my outlet. It’s a time for me to reflect, regroup and recharge. Growing up in New Jersey, people don’t hike. If someone from NJ says they went hiking over the weekend, they mean they walked an outside mall or walked on the sidewalk in a housing development, lol.

I’ve been thinking about writing this to you and I’ve thought, this is crazy or you will think I’m crazy. Maybe you hear this all the time, but then I thought, maybe nobody says anything. So I wanted to let you know that I am most grateful for you this year because you have introduced hiking to me, expanded my exploring horizons and all of that has allowed me to connect with God, who I’m ashamed to admit, he’s been missing in my life since my move down here. But not anymore! 

Keep on doing what you're doing!”



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(Seth Berry Photography) email encourage encouraging explore God inspire Jesus photography pretty place Seth Berry Photography South Carolina https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2020/10/an-email-from-god Wed, 28 Oct 2020 23:03:37 GMT
MAINE https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2018/8/maine
MAINE by Seth Berry Photography on Exposure]]>
(Seth Berry Photography) acadia national park Appalachian trail bar bass baxter state park cadillac down east magazine harbor jesup katahdin lighthouse lighthouses maine moose mountain owl pemaquid photography portland seth berry photography travel https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2018/8/maine Fri, 03 Aug 2018 19:42:58 GMT
Two Nights on the Parkway https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2018/7/two-nights-on-the-parkway
Two nights on the parkway by Seth Berry Photography on Exposure

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(Seth Berry Photography) backpacking balsam black blog blue carolina craggy falls forest gardens glass hiking looking mitchell mountains mt. national north parkway pisgah ridge Seth Berry Photography sunrise sunset travel https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2018/7/two-nights-on-the-parkway Wed, 04 Jul 2018 19:03:46 GMT
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK | Pacific Northwest 2015 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/9/olympic-national-park-pacific-northwest-2015 PNW DAY 7-9 | Olympic National Park

Previous blog posts: Oregon Coast  |  Columbia River Gorge  |  Mt. Rainier National Park  |  North Cascades National Park  |  Orca Tour

The last three days of my Pacific Northwest Adventure were spent in the vast Olympic National Park on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. With nearly one million acres, this National Park is known for its three main unique features: the glacier capped Olympic mountains, the lush rain forests, and the Pacific shoreline of rocks, cliffs, waves, and wildlife.

Olympic National Park is unique too in that it doesn't have a single road that goes straight through the park like most National Parks do. Instead, to see the different sections of the park you have to drive the scenic HWY 101 around the Olympic Peninsula and take side roads up into the park.

Our journey through Olympic started as we left Burlington, Washington early on Day 7 and drove through Fidalgo and Whidbey Island to catch a ferry that connected us to the Olympic Peninsula.

Port Townsend FerryPort Townsend Ferry Port Townsend FerryPort Townsend Ferry Port Townsend FerryPort Townsend Ferry Port Townsend FerryPort Townsend Ferry

Once we made it to the peninsula, we made our way along HWY 101 as our plan was to see Crescent Lake, Sol Duc Falls, and Hurricane Ridge during our first day in Olympic National Park.

 

Crescent Lake

Located entirely in the Olympic National Park, Crescent Lake is a beautiful blue lake surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery. Highway 101 beautifully winds its way around the edge of the lake offering several places to pull off and enjoy the scenes. But perhaps the best place to take in the amazing views is at the Historic Lake Crescent Lodge. Built in 1915, this beautiful National Park lodge sits along the shores of the lake nestled among giant fir and hemlock trees. It was a wonderful location and I would love to stay in this lodge sometime.

Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake Crescent LodgeLake Crescent Lodge Lake Crescent LodgeLake Crescent Lodge Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent

Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent Lake CrescentLake Crescent

 

Sol Duc Falls

Located near Crescent Lake up into the Olympic Mountains, the Sol Duc area is known for its hot springs resort and the beautiful Sol Duc falls. A short hike through beautiful lush forest brings you to a bridge that overlooks this gorgeous waterfall as it plunges in-between rocks.

Sol Duc FallsSol Duc Falls Sol Duc FallsSol Duc Falls Sol Duc FallsSol Duc Falls Sol Duc FallsSol Duc Falls Sol Duc FallsSol Duc Falls Sol Duc FallsSol Duc Falls Sol DucSol Duc Sol DucSol Duc

 

Hurricane Ridge

After visiting Lake Crescent and Sol Duc, we planned to make our way up to Hurricane Ridge to spend the rest of the evening and watch sunset. One of the most iconic locations of the National Park, Hurricane Ridge sits along a mountain ridge at an elevation of 5,242 feet offering incredible views of the snow capped Olympic Mountain range. This is also a popular ski destination during the colder seasons.

Enjoy the beautiful view as we witnessed a remarkable sunset on Hurricane Ridge!

Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset

Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset Hurricane Ridge SunsetHurricane Ridge Sunset

 

Cape Flattery (Northwestern most tip of US)

Located in the Makah Indian Reservation, the most northwesterly tip of the continental United States is at Cape Flattery. Its about an hour and a half drive on HWY 112 from HWY 101 be it is very scenic as it follows long the shoreline. Then once you get to the parking area of the forested area, its a short hike down to the dramatic cliff views of the coastline. It was an amazing experience being able to say that I was on that tip of the United States. When looking at the map of the US, I was about as far away from home as possible!

The beautiful shoreline offered great sounds as you hear the waves crashing against the rock. Also, off in the distance you can see Tatoosh Island which is technically the most northwestern tip, but its only accessible by boat. On the island sit the gorgeous Cape Flattery Lighthouse. This area is another prime area to spot orcas and sea lions.

Cape FlatteryCape Flattery Cape FlatteryCape Flattery Cape FlatteryCape Flattery Cape Flattery LighthouseCape Flattery Lighthouse Cape FlatteryCape Flattery Cape Flattery LightouseCape Flattery Lightouse

 

Hoh Rain Forest

One of the United States largest temperate rainforest is actually located along the Pacific coast in Olympic National Park. The Hoh Rain Forest is a beautiful lush green forest full of many plants and species. Due to the current dry season and unfortunate wildfires in Washington, our trip to the rainforest wasn't as lush. Sadly, you could tell how dry it was and how it was effecting that environment. However, I was still able to get some photos of some lush areas that were worth saving!

Hoh RainforestHoh Rainforest Hoh RainforestHoh Rainforest Hoh RainforestHoh Rainforest Hoh RainforestHoh Rainforest

 

Sunset on Ruby Beach

Our last sunset of our amazing Pacific Northwest Adventure was experience on Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park. The gorgeous rock formations out in the ocean presented excellent silhouette opportunities during the evening sunlight. This was a perfect way to end our awesome adventure!

Photographing Ruby BeachPhotographing Ruby Beach Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset Ruby Beach SunsetRuby Beach Sunset

It has been my absolute pleasure to take you along my adventure through the Pacific Northwest. I appreciate you following along with my blog, stories, and photos! This is truly an amazing part of the United States and I highly recommend ALL of the locations I had the privilege to see! I hope to someday return!

God bless,

 

 

 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) adventure beach blog camera crescent lake glacier hurricane ridge lake lake crescent lakes lodge mountains northwest ocean olympic mountains olympic national park pacific northwest photography ruby beach seth berry photography snow sunset travel washington washington state https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/9/olympic-national-park-pacific-northwest-2015 Fri, 11 Sep 2015 22:12:04 GMT
ORCA TOUR | Pacific Northwest 2015 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/9/orca-tour-pacific-northwest-2015 PNW DAY 8 | Orca Tour in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Previous blog posts: Oregon Coast  |  Columbia River Gorge  |  Mt. Rainier National Park  |  North Cascades National Park

As if our Pacific Northwest Adventure couldn't get anymore amazing, on Day 8 we got to experience one of the coolest things I've ever done! So I've been to SeaWorld and seen Shamu and I've seen the movie Free Willy, but never before have I ever thought of seeing orcas (whales) in the wild. On the second to last day of our awesome trip, we got to do just that!

After staying in Sequim, Washington the night before, we made the short drive west to Port Angeles where we would embark on our Orca Tour early in the morning. If you ever get the chance to do something like this, I highly recommend it. Our whale watching tour was through Port Angeles Whale Watch Company on The Island Explorer 4 vessel. The company guarantees that you'll see some sort of whale, either orca, humpback, or gray whale, or you can ride again for free until you see one! The vessel is manned by highly trained and passionate workers who enjoy talking marine biology and explaining the different sea life and birds that you encounter. So along with an excellent sightseeing opportunity of the Washington coast and Canadian waters, it is also very educational. Did I mention its cold?
 



But hey, you're in the Pacific waters! What did you expect? A little cold winds and spray of Pacific Ocean is good for your soul! :)

So our large vessel full of about 60 passengers charted out of Port Angeles north towards Canada in search of whales. The tour was scheduled to be 5 hours long and in hopes of us getting our money worth by seeing at least one orca. Well we, including the ship crew, were in for a treat that day.

After about an hour and half drive through the brisk Pacific waters and cold winds, we hadn't see any wildlife except for several typical marine birds. But the ride was still entertaining as we got to listen to the captain tell stories and jokes over the intercom and I had a great discussion with a fellow photographer (also with a big lens) and her experience with working with this Whale Watching Company. Then as we were getting in closer distance to Canadian land we were approaching multiple boats which ended up being Canadian whale tours. They were all in the same location because we were about to witness at least 20 orcas

Robbie and I had ended up being at the right place at the right time on the ship, as we were on the very bow of the ship where I had more than an 180 degree view. There were whales to the left, right, front, and behind us! We even had one go under our ship! Not just one whale traveling alone, but their group of families (or pods as they call them). And we even got to see 3 baby calves! The orcas were very active that day as we got to see several of them breach out of the water multiple times and do other wild tricks. It was such a surreal and peaceful experience as the only noises were the Pacific waters, the slow rhythms of the whales blow holes releasing a puff of air as they swam, and the audience cheering as the whales were basically performing for us. This was no SeaWorld show though as they were completely wild. Such an awesome experience!

Enjoy the photos below as I capture multiple shots of this amazing experience! Be sure to notice the baby whales!

OrcasOrcas OrcasOrcas Orca TourOrca Tour Performing OrcaPerforming Orca Orca teaching its CalfOrca teaching its Calf Orca FamilyOrca Family Orca TricksOrca Tricks Orca TricksOrca Tricks Orca Tail SlapOrca Tail Slap Baby Orca TricksBaby Orca Tricks Baby Orca TricksBaby Orca Tricks Breaching OrcaBreaching Orca Orca JumpingOrca Jumping Orca BreachOrca Breach Orca Blow HoleOrca Blow Hole Orca TricksOrca Tricks Orca TricksOrca Tricks Orca TricksOrca Tricks Wild OrcasWild Orcas Orca TailOrca Tail Orca PodOrca Pod Family of OrcasFamily of Orcas Orca PodOrca Pod Orca PodOrca Pod Orcas in CanadaOrcas in Canada Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Wild OrcasWild Orcas Underwater OrcaUnderwater Orca Orca TourOrca Tour Wild OrcasWild Orcas Orca TourOrca Tour Orca FinOrca Fin

 

This is a map the crew track showing how close we got to Canada and where we saw the orcas! The "start" at the bottom of the map is Port Angeles, Washington, and the upper part of the picture is Canada along Vancouver Island.

 

After about 2 hours of watching that amazing experience with the whales, it was time for our ship to start heading back. But first the crew took us by a Canadian lighthouse called Race Rocks Light. This beautiful lighthouse sits on an island of rocks near Victoria, Canada and was built around 1860 financed by the British Government. The island is also an ecological reserve for many sea lions and other wildlife. But we could definitely see, hear, and smell the sea lions!

This whole experience on the Pacific waters was an amazing experience. It was such a beautiful area and we couldn't have asked for better weather. And to blessed to be able to see that many orcas was beyond amazing! Again, I highly recommend doing an Orca Tour through this company if you ever get the chance. You will not be disappointed! After about 5 hours, we safely returned to Port Angeles. And needless to say, my camera memory card was almost full with all the great picture opportunities!

Sailing into the Wide OpenSailing into the Wide Open Olympic MountainsOlympic Mountains Olympic MountainsOlympic Mountains Olympic MountainsOlympic Mountains Race Rocks LightRace Rocks Light Race Rocks LightRace Rocks Light Swimming Sea LionSwimming Sea Lion Swimming Sea LionSwimming Sea Lion Swimming Sea LionSwimming Sea Lion Race Rocks LightRace Rocks Light Race Rocks LightRace Rocks Light Race Rocks LightRace Rocks Light Race Rocks Sea LionsRace Rocks Sea Lions Race Rocks Sea LionsRace Rocks Sea Lions Race Rocks Sea LionsRace Rocks Sea Lions Race Rocks Sea LionsRace Rocks Sea Lions Race Rocks Sea LionsRace Rocks Sea Lions Race Rocks Sea LionsRace Rocks Sea Lions Race Rocks LightRace Rocks Light Race Rocks LightRace Rocks Light Port Angeles, WAPort Angeles, WA

 

Stay tuned as we finish up our Pacific Northwest Adventure in Olympic National Park!

God bless,

 

 

 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) adventure blog boats camera canada juan de fuca killer whales lighthouse mountains northwest ocean olympic national park orca tour orcas pacific pacific northwest photography port angeles sea lions seth berry photography strait of juan de fuca travel washington washington state water whales https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/9/orca-tour-pacific-northwest-2015 Tue, 08 Sep 2015 23:56:27 GMT
NORTH CASCADES | Pacific Northwest 2015 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/9/north-cascades-pacific-northwest-2015 PNW DAY 6 | North Cascades National Park

Previous blog posts: Oregon Coast  |  Columbia River Gorge  |  Mt. Rainier National Park

After two amazing days spent in Mt. Rainier National Park, our Pacific Northwest Adventure continued further north. Day 6 was planned to be our longest driving day of the trip. And it served to be true.

Our plan was to drive 4 and a half hours from Mt. Rainier north to the North Cascades National Park along the US/Canada border in Washington...while going through Seattle along the way and not to mention any sightseeing stops we came across. We planned to make it to the North Cascades in time to make the scenic drive along Highway 20 through the heart of the National Park to see some of it's major destinations, before backtracking back to Burlington, WA to stay for the night.

The North Cascades, often over shadowed by the many popular National Parks, is a hidden gem known for its immense beauty of "Swiss-Alp-like" mountains, glaciers, meadows, and wildlife. We were mostly looking forward to seeing the gorgeous turquoise Diablo Lake. Well to our disappointment, our plans got changed. As we getting closer and closer to the National Park, we kept noticing a large plume clouds before us of smoke. Sadly, the state of Washington had been struggling with numerous wildfires while we were out there. And sure enough as we were about 5 miles from the North Cascades visitor center and entrance, we came to a stop as the road had just been closed. (see video below)


North Cascades FireNorth Cascades Wildfire North Cascades National ParkNorth Cascades National Park

So after driving 5 hours (most of our day), we were disappointed that we would not be able to go into this gorgeous National Park. But God knew what He was doing all along on our trip, even then. Later that evening we found out that they had just closed HWY 20 right before we had got there as a rock slide had just happened due to the fire. Also sadly, it was during that day that the 3 firefighters lost their lives in the National Park trying to fight the fires. God had his hand on us and kept us from any disaster. Which is a good lesson: Sometimes your life plans may result in a season of disappointment, but God has a different plan and is not done with us. Then we can look back and see that His plan was much better than ours!

So Robbie and I quickly tried to come up with a back up plan for the rest of our Day 6. After stopping at another North Cascades Information Center, we had some park rangers suggest that we drive further northwest to the Mt. Baker National Forest and northwestern part of the North Cascades. So to our great surprise, we were rewarded with one of the best views we had witnessed during our entire trip...and it wasn't even planned on our itinerary.

We made the drive further toward the Canadian border and got on the very scenic HWY 542 which goes through Mt. Baker's National Forest and ends at the Heather Meadows area. The area is on the very border of the North Cascades National Park which offers excellent views of 10,781ft Mt. Baker and the gorgeous picturesque Mt. Shuksan sitting in the North Cascades. You'll see in the photos below as we drive along the road we got to see some scenic farmland then Nooksack Falls. But finally I got to witness a picture opportunity I've only dreamed of. The wonderful picturesque lake with a snowcapped Mt. Shuksan reflecting in the distance seemed like a photo I've only seen in National Geographic photography. The breathtaking scene is still very visual in my mind today as I'm back home. I was in complete awe and amazement with the gorgeous scene I had the opportunity to photograph. And its because of God's grace and His plan that we were able to fit this in to our trip to the Pacific Northwest.

After spending sometime in this area of the park, we actually ventured across the border and drove into Canada. Neither of us had ever been to Canada, so we decided since we were that close we might as well. After driving through Vancouver, we made our way back down into the United States again and finally to Burlington, Washington to stay for the night. After by far our most time spent in the car on our vacation, we were worn out but we satisfied that we were able to see some amazing things after our plans were changed. I hope you enjoy my pictures below
.
 

North CascadesNorth CascadesThe drive to Heather Meadows Nooksack FallsNooksack Falls Nooksack RiverNooksack River Nooksack FallsNooksack Falls Mt. ShuksanMt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan sits in the North Cascades National Park Mt. ShuksanPicture Lake and Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan sits in the North Cascades National Park. Mt. ShuksanMt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan sits in the North Cascades National Park Mt. ShuksanMt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan sits in the North Cascades National Park Mt. ShuksanMt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan sits in the North Cascades National Park Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Baker10,781 feet Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan Mt. ShuksanMt. Shuksan

 

Stay tuned as our las leg of our trip in the Pacific Northwest takes us to various places in Olympic National Park. Including our incredible Orca Tour!

God bless,

 

 

 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) adventure blog camera glacier lake lakes mountains mt. baker mt. shuksan north cascades national park northwest pacific northwest photography reflection seth berry photography shuksan snow travel washington washington state https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/9/north-cascades-pacific-northwest-2015 Sun, 06 Sep 2015 17:04:16 GMT
TWO DAYS IN PARADISE | Pacific Northwest 2015 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/8/two-days-in-paradise-pacific-northwest-2015 PNW DAY 4-5 | Mt. Rainier National Park

Previous blog posts: Oregon Coast  |  Columbia River Gorge

Paradise. Can you imagine what it will be like? I'm sure our limited thoughts can only slightly compare to what true Paradise will be like as believers get to spend eternity with our Savior in Paradise. But graciously God has given us here on earth small glimpses of what Paradise will look like. I love to see the glory of God shown throughout nature and His creation. To me, there's just something very humbling and astonishing about a huge majestic mountain scene that testifies the power of God. I can say Mt. Rainier in the state of Washington has that impact.

Standing at 14,410 feet, Mt. Rainier is the 5th largest mountain in the contiguous United States. On the south side of this mostly glaciated volcanic peak, sitting nestled on a slope of wildflower meadows is the area called "Paradise". And it is rightfully named so. During wildflower season (July and August), Mt. Rainier National Park, particularly the Paradise section of the park, has said to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. This is also one of the most snowiest places on earth as they receive 643 inches of snow average per each year.

We had the privilege to spend 2 days in Paradise as we lodged in the historic Paradise Inn Lodge. I really love how the National Parks systems do their historic lodges. I highly recommend the Paradise Inn Lodge if you ever get the chance at staying there. Built in 1916, this historic wooden lodge is in a hub spot for plenty of hiking trails and wildflower meadows. However, don't think you'll need air condition if you plan to stay there, as each room comes without air condition. With it being one of the most snowy places on earth, who needs air condition? But during the warmer seasons you're perfectly fine "roughing it" with the windows open as you get to sleep with the fresh crisp air coming off the snow capped peak of Rainier.

 

PNW DAY 4  |  The Drive to Paradise and the Skyline Trail

After our night in Hood River, Oregon, we made our second longest drive of the trip as we drove north into Washington on the scenic HWY 141 through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The drive was about 3 and a half hours long to get to Paradise, but we stopped by a few scenic locations around Mt. Adams along the way. Unfortunately though, there was a wildfire going on near Mt. Adams so our scenic visibility wasn't the greatest. I was still able to get a beautiful morning shot of a waterfall and a gorgeous shot of Mt. Adams reflecting on a lake in the morning haze.

Gifford Pinchot National ForestGifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National ForestGifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National ForestGifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National ForestGifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National ForestGifford Pinchot National Forest Mt. AdamsMt. Adams

 

As we got closer to the last leg of our 3 and half hour drive, you began to see the majestic white peak of Mt. Rainier in the distance of our road. This was a marvelous scene to see as I have always wanted to see a snow capped mountain. My adrenaline was racing as we drove closer and closer to photo distance from Mt. Rainier as I was anxious to capture it's beauty. Finally we entered the National Park gates and made our very scenic ascent to Paradise. Our first destination along the way to the Lodge was the impossible-to-pass Reflection Lakes. It would be hard for someone to want to continue driving on without wanting to stop at this gorgeous location with Mt. Rainier reflecting in the pristine mountain lake. 

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After already some breathtaking views, we made our way to Paradise where we checked into the lodge. The rest of the afternoon we spend hiking on the 5.5 mile long Skyline Trail. This amazing trail takes you through multiple wildflower meadows with excellent views of Mt. Rainier that are hard to beat. Unfortunately, the wildflower season had unexpectedly peaked early this year so we were not fortunate to witness the abundance of color that would normally be present during this time. However, it was still a gorgeous place! Our hike took us all the way up to the 6,800 feet Panorama Point with excellent upclose views of glaciers on Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams and Mt. St Helens to the south off in the distance. With the warmer temperatures, it created multiple ice melt waterfalls all over Mt. Rainier, which reminded me of the fantasy like views of Yosemite National Park's valley. Enjoy the scenes as we hike the spectacular Skyline Trail on Mt. Rainier.

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After hiking the amazing Skyline Trail, here are some of the views at sunset from the Paradise Inn Lodge.

Paradise Inn LodgeParadise Inn Lodge Paradise Inn LodgeParadise Inn Lodge Paradise Inn LodgeParadise Inn Lodge Paradise Inn LodgeParadise Inn Lodge Paradise Inn LodgeParadise Inn Lodge

 

PNW DAY 5  |  Sunrise area of Mt. Rainier National Park

On our second day in Mt. Rainier National Park, we planned to go to the section of the National Park that is said to have the most scenic drive and views of Mt. Rainier. The area is called "Sunrise" as it is a perfect location for the sunrise, however we did not plan to get up there that early as it was about a 1 and half hour drive from Paradise. But we did plan to watch the sunset at Sunrise!

Our day 2 in Mt. Rainier didn't provide as beautiful skies as our first day. Due to the numerous wildfires throughout the state of Washington, we experienced a hazy day in the park. Again, this did not affect the pure beauty that this place has no matter what.

On the way to Sunrise, we did the Grove of the Patriarchs trail which took us through an old growth forest of some of the oldest and largest trees in the park. Below is the suspension bridge over a beautiful turquoise river we had to cross. Then we also made another stop for a morning view of the Reflection Lakes. Following that up, we stopped at the beautiful Tipsoo Lake for an outstanding view of an alpine lake and the dramatic mountain scene.

Then finally once we reached Sunrise, we spent the rest of the day enjoying the beautiful scenery and trails this side of the National Park had to offer. We did the roughly 4 mile trail from the parking lot to Dege Peak which stood at 7,006 feet offering breathtaking panoramic views. Then we witnessed the sunset along Emmons Vista to wrap up our time at Mt. Rainier National Park.

For it's pure beauty and majestic views, this National Park will always be one of my favorites. I hope to return again someday.

 

Grove of the Patriarchs BridgeGrove of the Patriarchs Bridge Grove of the Patriarchs BridgeGrove of the Patriarchs Bridge Reflection Lakes, Mt. RainierReflection Lakes, Mt. Rainier Reflection Lakes, Mt. RainierReflection Lakes, Mt. Rainier Reflection Lakes, Mt. RainierReflection Lakes, Mt. Rainier Reflection Lakes, Mt. RainierReflection Lakes, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Tipsoo Lake, Mt. RainierTipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National ParkMt. Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier SunsetMt. Rainier Sunset Mt. Rainier SunsetMt. Rainier Sunset Mt. Rainier SunsetMt. Rainier Sunset Mt. Rainier SunsetMt. Rainier Sunset Mt. Rainier SunsetMt. Rainier Sunset Mt. Rainier SunsetMt. Rainier Sunset

 

Stay tuned as Day 6 of our Pacific Northwest adventure takes an unplanned visit to Mt. Baker National Forest where I captured some of my favorite photos of the entire trip!

God bless,

 

 

 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) adventure blog camera glacier hiking lodge marmot mountains mt. rainier mt. rainier national park northwest pacific northwest paradise paradise inn photography seth berry photography skyline trail snow sunrise sunset travel washington washington state waterfall waterfalls https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/8/two-days-in-paradise-pacific-northwest-2015 Sun, 30 Aug 2015 20:54:38 GMT
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE | Pacific Northwest 2015 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/8/columbia-river-gorge-pacific-northwest-2015 PNW DAY 3 | Columbia River Gorge

Previous blog posts: Oregon Coast

If you love waterfalls, you're in for a treat with this blog post. If you love visiting waterfalls, I highly recommend the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon!

Forming most of the border between Oregon and Washington, "the big river", Columbia River, snakes its way to the Pacific Ocean west towards Astoria. The famous Columbia River is the passage that allowed the well known explorers, Lewis and Clark, to finally reach the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Just a short drive from Portland, Oregon you quickly see how the river winds its way in-between mountains on both sides of the river forming the Columbia River Gorge. A great place to see this is from the dramatic Crown Point Vista House which overlooks high up on the Oregon mountains (this is where we watched the sunset on Day 2).

It's an absolutely scenic drive traveling along the Historic Columbia River Highway as there are literally dozens of waterfalls to see either off the side of the road or a small walking distance...and even more once you hit the hiking trails through the damp forest. Growing up in the Carolinas, I'm a regular visitor to the "Land of Waterfalls" of Transylvania County in North Carolina. But after spending a whole day exploring the Columbia River Gorge, I was left wondering if I've ever seen so many waterfalls that close together in the same day.

In this blog post, I'm going to let the pictures (and videos!) take you in, as you will literally get to see all of the waterfalls in the order that we saw them on Day 3. Starting off the morning in awe, we beat the crowds to one of the most photographed and beautiful waterfalls in the United States -- Multnomah Falls. Then we trekked our way through one of the most unique and technical waterfall hikes I've ever done -- through Oneonta Gorge to see Oneonta Falls. Then following those seemingly unbeatable opening acts, we saw Wiesendanger Falls, Fairy Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Latourell Falls, and the beautiful Wahclella Falls. 

Multnomah FallsMultnomah FallsThe beautiful 620 feet waterfall of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon Multnomah FallsMultnomah FallsThe beautiful 620 feet waterfall of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon Multnomah FallsMultnomah FallsThe beautiful 620 feet waterfall of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon Multnomah FallsMultnomah FallsThe beautiful 620 feet waterfall of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon Multnomah FallsMultnomah FallsThe beautiful 620 feet waterfall of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon Multnomah FallsMultnomah FallsRobbie and I in awe of Multnomah Fall with no one else around! Great way to start the morning! Multnomah FallsMultnomah FallsThe view from Multnomah Falls from the walking bridge

 

The Adventure to Oneonta Falls

Oh, did I mention Oneonta Gorge was one of my favorite hikes to a waterfall I've ever been on? Disclaimer: It's only for the adventurous at heart and those willing to get wet in the ice cold waters of the Columbia River Gorge. But this was "the shot" I was looking for as a photographer my whole trip. So I was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to hike this amazing "trail" into the gorge. But first, to get inside the photographic green canyon walls and see the dreamlike Oneonta Falls pouring out of the rock wall, you must climb over "The Log Jam". It deserves its own name because I've never seen such a mountain of ancient logs piled up blocking a path. And we had to climb over it before starting the short walk through the crack in the mountain and river bed to the epic reward! To begin, I want you to watch my GoPro video (below) to get a virtual view of how we got into this amazing gorge. Then scroll through my photos as we approach the waterfall.

 

 

Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeThe beautiful Oneonta Gorge is a crack in the mountain with green rock walls and a small river bed. Picture perfect. Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeThe beautiful Oneonta Gorge is a crack in the mountain with green rock walls and a small river bed. Picture perfect. Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeThe beautiful Oneonta Gorge is a crack in the mountain with green rock walls and a small river bed. Picture perfect. Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeThe beautiful Oneonta Gorge is a crack in the mountain with green rock walls and a small river bed. Picture perfect. Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeThe beautiful Oneonta Gorge is a crack in the mountain with green rock walls and a small river bed. Picture perfect. Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeApproaching the gorgeous Oneonta Falls Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeApproaching the gorgeous Oneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsApproaching the gorgeous Oneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta FallsInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeInside the Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeApproaching Oneonta Falls Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeApproaching Oneonta Falls Oneonta GorgeOneonta GorgeApproaching Oneonta Falls Oneonta GorgeOneonta Gorge Oneonta GorgeOneonta Gorge Oneonta GorgeRobbie in the Oneonta Gorge Oneonta FallsRobbie at Oneonta Falls Oneonta GorgeRobbie in the Oneonta Gorge Oneonta GorgeAmazed by the Oneonta Gorge Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta FallsOneonta Falls Oneonta GorgeEpic trip to the Oneonta Gorge

More Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls

Enjoy the rest of my photos from the waterfalls and scenes in the Columbia River Gorge!

 

Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger FallsThis waterfall is on a trail that goes up above Multnomah Falls Wiesendanger FallsWiesendanger Falls Columbia River GorgeHiking in the Columbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeHiking in the Columbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Fairy FallsFairy Falls Fairy FallsFairy Falls Fairy FallsFairy Falls Fairy FallsFairy Falls Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Columbia River GorgeColumbia River Gorge Wahkeena FallsWahkeena Falls Wahkeena FallsWahkeena Falls Wahkeena FallsWahkeena Falls Wahkeena FallsWahkeena Falls Latourell FallsLatourell Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Wahclella FallsWahclella Falls Hood River, ORHood River, OR Hood River, ORHood River, OR

Hood River, ORHood River, OR


The last shots were from the sunset at Hood River, Oregon which was our sleeping destination that night. We watched the sunset from the Panorama Point Park which overlooks Mt. Hood in the distance. Unfortunately we had hazy skies due to the wildfires and couldn't see Mt. Hood off in the distance. But it was still a gorgeous sunset.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul." ~Psalm 23:2-3

There's nothing more refreshing than a day filled with beautiful waterfalls and a refreshing sunset. With that, I'll leave you with a music video I made from this day in the Columbia River Gorge. Be blessed!

 

 

 

 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) GoPro adventure blog camera columbia river gorge gorge green hiking multnomah falls northwest oneonta gorge oregon pacific pacific northwest photography seth berry photography travel videos waterfall waterfalls wet https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/8/columbia-river-gorge-pacific-northwest-2015 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 04:05:08 GMT
OREGON COAST | Pacific Northwest 2015 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/8/oregon-coast-pacific-northwest-2015 Pacific Northwest Road Trip 2015



This summer I was blessed to be able to go on yet another grand adventure out west with my great travel buddy, Robbie. The past three summers have been absolutely incredible as I have had the opportunities to travel and photograph some of the most amazing scenes of the American west - a photographer's dream. I have always been inspired by photography of America's great natural wonders and our magnificent National Parks! But only until I've been able to experience and stand in awe among them, have I really been able to be astonished and moved by witnessing these scenes. My God is an awesome God. How can someone stand in awe of so much beauty and not be captivated and drawn toward its Creator? It's my joy to be able to take you on another one of my adventures -- through the lens of my camera and the stories from The Pacific Northwest!

Like my last trip blogs, I will be breaking the posts down in sections. This summer we logged more miles than our previous trips as we drove 2,150 miles! You might think, "wow that's a lot of driving and not a lot of seeing!" Nope. Don't worry, I was up at sunrise and taking photos at every sunset! We had a very detailed itinerary. Plus, the driving is the fun part to me, getting to drive across beautiful places I've never seen while praising Him with songs. It's rewarding once we reach our destination! And we made sure to fit in as much places to see as possible. To give you an idea of our trip, I've created a rough map of our basic route on Google Maps.

 

Our flight to Portland, Oregon took us over some familiar sites from above as we flew over the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Lake Mono, and Yosemite...all places I can say I've seen from the ground too.

 

Desert Mountains from AboveDesert Mountains from Above

Mono Lake from AboveMono Lake from AboveI visited this lake two summers ago!

Yosemite from AboveYosemite from AboveThis is the upper parts of Yosemite National Park around Tioga Pass

Golden Hills from AboveGolden Hills from Above Oakland from AboveOakland from Above

 

PNW DAY 1 | Astoria, Oregon

Our trip started as we landed in Portland, Oregon on Friday around 1:00 PM PST. We had the rest of that afternoon and our Day 2 to explore as much of the Northern Oregon Coast as we could! So we hit the road due west like hamsters in our rental "Hamster Car", the small box-like Kia Soul.

Now being an 80's kid, I grew up a huge fan of the movie Goonies. I've probably seen the movie over 50 times and can quote many scenes. I can remember all of the adventure scenes on the coast the Goonies got into as they were looking for One-Eyed Willy's treasure. Sure enough, our first destination was the Home of the Goonies -- the foggy Victorian fishing town of Astoria, Oregon. My goal was to see 1) Mickey and the Goonies House, 2) the Flavel House where his dad worked, 3) and the Jail House that the Fratelli's broke out of. Then during Day 2 we would see the classic Goonies Pacific Coast scenes.

We were able to see each of these things on my list, fortunately. However, days before we got there the new owner of the Goonies House recently put up "No Trespassing" signs which has outraged the community and Goonie tourist. We were fortunate to still be able to see the house, as days after we saw it the owner then put up tarps around the house! Its sad to say the Goonedocks have officially been sold to the Country Club. (here's the story

​But Astoria was an interesting little maritime town. I would have loved to been able to visit more of it. So here we go! HEY YOU GUYS!

Home of the GooniesAstoria, Oregon

The Goonies HouseThis is as close as we could get to it now. And this is before the owner put up tarps to block visitors views.

Goonies Court HouseThe Goonies - Flavel HouseWhere Mickey's Dad worked in the movie Goonies. Goonies Jail HouseThe Jail HouseThis is the Jail that the Fratelli's broke out of at the beginning of the Goonies. Notice their black Jeep out front! Fratelli's JeepFratelli's JeepYep, Chunk. Even has the bullet holes in it!

Astoria Column ViewAstoria Column ViewThis is the view of Astoria from Astoria Column Park, which is a park that recognizes the Journey of Lewis & Clark and their first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River.

 

PNW DAY 1 | Sunset at Cape Disappointment, Washington

After a long day of flying across the country and then checking out the Goonies sites, we took in the amazing sunset right across the Columbia River in Washington at Cape Disappointment. This was an absolutely gorgeous drive and State Park with a beautiful forest of large coastal evergreens and ferns. Then of course the breathtaking rugged coast and lighthouse made for an amazing first sunset of our trip.

North Head Lighthouse 1North Head LighthouseCape Disappointment, Washington Coast North Head Lighthouse 2North Head Lighthouse SunsetCape Disappointment, Washington Coast North Head Lighthouse 3North Head Lighthouse SunsetCape Disappointment, Washington Coast North Head Lighthouse 4North Head Lighthouse SunsetCape Disappointment, Washington Coast Cape DisappointmentCape DisappointmentThe waves at sunset of the Washington Coast Cape DisappointmentCape DisappointmentPacific Coast Waves Cape DisappointmentCape DisappointmentPacific Coast Waves

PNW DAY 2 | Oregon Coast: Haystack Rock & Ecola State Park

After sleeping in a small beach town of Seaside, Oregon, we work up and drove south along the Oregon Coast on HWY 101. We were about to be in for a morning treat as our first destination was the classic Oregon Coast view of Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach. This is a scene that you see in magazines, postcards, and even on Microsoft Windows desktop backgrounds! That morning was also the first time in the trip I felt the chill of God's presence as I stood in amazement of this awesome scene.

It was such a peaceful morning as we walked the long stretch of Pacific beach sand leading up to the behemoth of a rock sitting out in the waves of the ocean. With the quiet rushing sounds of the morning waves, you could also hear thousands of birds as they circle the top of the huge rock. The 235 feet monolith rock serves as a bird sanctuary to many species of birds including the cute little birds called puffins. The blue morning sky and the pastel sunlight on the clouds made for a beautiful scene as I was able to capture the moment.

​Also, one of the great natural attractions of the Northwest Pacific Coast is the opportunity to go tide pooling. This is when the low tide creates a new shoreline of rock caves and pools of sea urchins, colorful starfish, and more! Check out my photos from this amazing morning at Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach!

Haystack Rock 1Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 2Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 3Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 4Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 5Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 6Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 7Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 8Haystack Rock ReflectionHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 10Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 11Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 12Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 13Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Cannon Beach 6Cannon Beach Morning Cannon Beach 7Cannon Beach Morning Cannon Beach 8Cannon Beach Morning Cannon Beach 9Cannon Beach Morning Haystack Rock 15Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 16Haystack Rock Cannon Beach 10Cannon Beach Tide Pooling Haystack Rock 17Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Haystack Rock 18Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Cannon Beach 11Cannon Beach Robbie Haystack RockRobbie in awe of Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Seth Haystack RockMe in front of Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon Seth Haystack RockIn awe of Haystack RockHaystack Rock at Cannon Beach, Oregon S/R Haystack RockIn front of Haystack Rock Robbie Haystack RockRobbie tide pooling on Cannon Beach S/R Cannon BeachTide Pooling on Cannon Beach Haystack Rock 19Haystack Rock Reflection Haystack Rock 20Haystack Rock Cannon Beach 1Cannon Beach Cannon Beach 2Cannon Beach Cannon Beach 5Cannon Beach Seth Pacific OceanStanding in the Pacific Ocean Tide Pooling 1Tide Pooling along Haystack Rock Tide Pooling 2Tide Pooling along Haystack Rock Tide Pooling 3Tide Pooling along Haystack Rock Tide Pooling 4Star FishTide Pooling along Haystack Rock Tide Pooling 5Star FishTide Pooling along Haystack Rock Tide Pooling 6Star FishTide Pooling along Haystack Rock Tide Pooling 7Star FishTide Pooling along Haystack Rock

 

PNW DAY 2 | Oregon Coast: Ecola State Park

After an amazing morning sunrise at Cannon Beach, we went several miles over to the nearby Ecola State Park. This park offers excellent views of the rocky Oregon Coast with the classic views of Haystack Rock in the distance. This is also the scene of the Goonies Lighthouse Lounge where their adventure all started. If you're a Goonies movie fan, you'll recognize my first photo below.

The rocky coastline is surrounded by a lush spruce forest and huge green ferns. It offered beautiful hiking trails along the coastline and a chance to go out on Indian Beach. Also, in the northern section of the park you get a spectacular view of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse which sits by itself on a lone rock out in the Pacific Ocean.

GoonieHey You Guys!This is the scene from the Goonies when Mickey and the Goonies are searching for One-Eyed Willy's lost treasure along the Oregon Coast. Ecola State Park 1Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Ecola State Park 2Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Ecola State Park 5Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Ecola State Park 6Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Ecola State Park 7Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Ecola State Park 8Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Ecola State Park 9Ecola State ParkCheck out all of the surfers! Tillamook Rock Lighthouse 1Tillamook Rock LighthouseEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Tillamook Rock Lighthouse 2Tillamook Rock LighthouseEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Ecola State Park 10Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Ecola State Park 11Ecola State ParkOregon Coast Giant SlugGiant SlugThese things were every where out there! Ecola State Park Forest 1Ecola State Park Forest 1 Ecola State Park Forest 2Ecola State Park Forest 2 Ecola State Park Forest 3Ecola State Park Forest 3 Ecola State Park Forest 4Ecola State Park Forest 4 Ecola State Park Forest 5Ecola State Park Forest 5 Ecola State Park Forest 6Ecola State Park Forest 6 Ecola State Park Forest 7Ecola State Park Forest 7 Ecola State Park 12Ecola State ParkTillamook Rock Lighthouse is out in the distance Indian Beach 1Indian BeachEcola State Park Indian Beach 2Indian BeachEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Indian Beach 3Indian BeachEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Indian Beach 4Indian BeachEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Indian Beach 5Indian BeachEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Indian Beach 6Indian BeachEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Indian Beach 7Indian BeachEcola State Park, Oregon Coast Oregon Coast 1Oregon Coast Hwy 101 Oregon Coast 3Oregon Coast Hwy 101 Oregon Coast 4Oregon Coast Hwy 101 Oregon Coast 5Oregon Coast Hwy 101 Oregon Coast 6Oregon Coast Hwy 101 Seth Indian BeachIndian Beach Huge trees in Ecola State Park What a view of the Oregon Coast What a view of the Oregon Coast

 

PNW DAY 2 | Sunset at Crown Point and Lodging in Camas Hotel, Washington

After a short day an a half spent on the spectacular Oregon Coast, we had to make our way back toward Portland as we were staying across the Columbia River in Camas, Washington for the night. During our week we got to stay in some unique places and the beautiful and historic Camas Hotel was one of them. Before the day was over though, we made our way to the entrance of the Columbia River Gorge (our Day 3 adventure destination) to take in the sunset at Crown Point. This is an amazing observation point along the Oregon side mountains that carve out the Columbia River Gorge. The view offers excellent scenes of the Columbia River, which Lewis & Clark pioneered and views toward the Portland area.

Crown Point SunsetCrown Point SunsetColumbia River Gorge Crown Point Sunset 1Crown Point SunsetColumbia River Crown Point Sunset 2Crown Point SunsetColumbia River Crown Point Sunset 4Crown Point SunsetColumbia River Camas HotelCamas HotelThis was our stay that night in Camas, Washington

I hope that you enjoy the last scenes of our Day 2 sunset. Stay tuned as Day 3 will be packed full of exploring the lush waterfalls of the famous Columbia River Gorge! Thanks for reading about my Pacific Northwest Adventure! 
CLICK HERE to view my Oregon Coast photo gallery and order prints

 

 

 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) astoria blog cape disappointment coast ecola state park goonies haystack rock house lighthouse north head northwest ocean oregon oregon coast pacific pacific northwest photography seth berry photography sunset the goonies travel washington waves https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/8/oregon-coast-pacific-northwest-2015 Wed, 26 Aug 2015 03:40:49 GMT
A Hidden Beauty in South Carolina https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/4/a-hidden-beauty-in-south-carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina

 

A Hidden Beauty in South Carolina

Lee Falls (Oconee County)

Lee Falls Gallery  |  SC Waterfalls Gallery

 

 

There’s a lot that I love about my home state of South Carolina. This small state boast some of the prettiest scenes to offer from the Lowcountry sights of Charleston to the iconic Upstate views from Table Rock. But one thing that I really love is the fact that there are still hidden gems that if you want to see them you must get off the well beaten path to experience them for yourself. One of these places is named Lee Falls.

 

Not many people realize how many beautiful waterfalls the Upstate of South Carolina has to offer, but instead visit the popular western North Carolina. But if you live in South Carolina you may hear or see pictures of the gorgeous and dramatic Raven Cliff Falls and Lower Whitewater Falls from time to time. Surprisingly, there’s much more…you just might have to put on some hiking shoes to find them.

 

In several books and websites, Lee Falls is considered one of the most scenic waterfalls in Oconee County and the whole Upstate—but not many people know about it. This spectacular 90 ft. waterfall is located deep in the hardwood forest several miles from Oconee State Park. Best to see after rainy days, the Tamassee Creek deep in a cove gracefully spills and trickles over a behemoth granite cliff covered with green moss and rain forest-like surroundings.

 

But there’s a catch. Detailed driving directions, no official trail subject to frequent changes, and crossing over ankle deep streams multiple times makes it rather difficult to find. The hike is 1.5 miles to the falls and considered strenuous. I know by experience because I can finally say I saw this beautiful waterfall for myself without getting turned around after my third visit.

 

The first time I ventured out to find this waterfall was in October 2014 with my friend, Robbie. We had already visited several places around the area and decided to give this trail a shot before heading home. Needless to say, we should have planned it as our first stop, not last. Following detailed hiking instructions in a book I own, we successfully crossed the four large grassy fields and crossed the creek two times. The water was pretty chilly but we did it. Then after hiking through the woods for half a mile we came along the Tamassee Creek again but failed to heed the directions to cross the creek again, and instead followed what looked to be a trail beside the creek. We scurried up the mountainous ravine along the river a lot longer than we should. But we thought we were following the directions as it said that part of the trail would get rocky and overgrown. However it was getting late and we were getting tired of climbing on loose leaves, so unfortunately we decided this couldn’t be the trail and turned around to head back to the car. As we got to the part where the trail branches off from the creek, I happened to look across the creek and saw a orange ribbon tied in a tree signaling that crossing the river led to the trail. But we decided we would come back later. Strike one.

 

The second time, I was determined to find this waterfall but with more witnesses—Robbie, my brother & sister-n-law, and their dog Paisley. Our first mistake was that we went during the heat of the summer. After sweating our way through the open fields and crossing the streams we came across our first snake. It was just a long black snake that startled us, but we continued on. We made it to the point where we reached the Tamassee Creek before and successfully crossed the creek this time to find the right path. However, it didn’t take us long to decide to turn around. As we were trekking up the strenuous overgrown path of boulders and fallen trees, we came across not one, but 3 copperhead snakes. Fearful of one of us or the dog getting bit, we turned around and headed back to the car, to my disappointment. Strike two.

 

Like they say, third time’s the charm. I am now writing this blog post after successfully discovering this gorgeous waterfall this weekend. After learning from our past two experiences, we decided to give it a shot during the late spring (April) when the water isn’t too cold to trek through and there’s just enough vegetation growth to make for a beautiful picture. We couldn’t have picked a better weekend as my friend and I took a spur-of-the-moment trip up to the Upstate to find this thing once and for all. After much rain the past week, we knew the waterfall would be full of water and we were right. It was an absolutely beautiful hike as the grassy fields were bright green, the creek water was cool and soothing, and the strenuous trail felt like we were hiking through a rain forest with all of the new growth and wildflowers. But most importantly, we came across ZERO snakes! After carefully following the trail and having to cross the stream several times on the path we hadn’t been on before, we finally reached our much anticipated destination!

 

Now I can say, Lee Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in South Carolina. Enjoy my photos below.

 
 
 
 
(I’ll let you research directions and discover it for yourself to continue to preserve this hidden beauty)
 
 
Grassy FieldsGrassy Fields
Creek CrossingCreek Crossing Lee Falls TrailLee Falls Trail CascadeCascade FernsFerns White TrilliumWhite Trillium White TrilliumWhite Trillium Field WildflowersField Wildflowers White ButterflyWhite Butterfly
Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina    Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina    Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina    Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina    Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina   Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina Lee Falls, SCLee Falls, SCOconee County, South Carolina
 
Lee Falls Gallery  |  SC Waterfalls Gallery
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(Seth Berry Photography) SC Seth Berry Photography blog carolina falls hike lee lee falls oconee oconee county south carolina spring trail travel upstate waterfall waterfalls https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2015/4/a-hidden-beauty-in-south-carolina Sun, 19 Apr 2015 23:23:10 GMT
ROUTE 66 | Desert Road Trip 2014 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/route-66-desert-road-trip-2014 Route 66 - Desert Road Trip 2014

Previous blog posts: Zion National Park  |  Horseshoe Bend  |  Antelope Canyon  |  Monument Valley  |  Grand Canyon  |  Sedona

CLICK HERE to view my Route 66 photo gallery and order prints

After 7 most amazing days exploring the great American western desert with two of the greatest friends and road adventurers, our epic journey was coming to a finale as we were to take the 276 mile drive back to Las Vegas from Sedona. Of course, we weren't about to just make it a boring long drive...instead we ended our trip in a good ol' fashion way! What better way to spend the last day of our Road Trip than on the historic Route 66 just like the old days!

This was the best conclusion for our trip as Arizona's Route 66 took us through some of the most pretty country roads we had been on. And of course along the way there were plenty of roadside attractions to stop and look at - with the last of them all being the best (make sure to read all the way to the end of this blog)! As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, after leaving the Grand Canyon we took a detour before we headed into Sedona by driving east to visit Winslow, AZ, one of the most famous towns along Route 66 in Arizona. I'll start off sharing pictures of it.

 

Winslow, AZ - Route 66

Winslow, AZ claimed its fame in 1972 when the popular Eagles' song "Take it Easy" mentioned "standin' on the corner of Winslow, Arizona". And what do ya know, now there is an actual corner in Winslow that you can stand on while a pretty girl in a flatbed Ford takes a look at you! Also in the town's gift shops you can buy anything you want with the saying "standin' on the corner" on it or Route 66 Winslow Arizona! Such a neat little town!

Winslow, AZWinslow, AZ Winslow, AZWinslow, AZ Standin' on the CornerStandin' on the Corner Winslow, AZWinslow, AZ Winslow, AZ Red PickupWinslow, AZ Red Pickup Winslow, AZ Red PickupWinslow, AZ Red Pickup Winslow, AZWinslow, AZ Winslow, AZ Red PickupWinslow, AZ Red Pickup

 

Seligman to Kingman, AZ - Route 66

On our last day of our Road Trip, we left out of Sedona and followed I:40 until we got off on the Route 66 exit near Seligman. This small town is claimed as the birthplace of Route 66 in which it connected Seligman to Kingman, AZ! While the town is very close to many of the natural attractions like the Grand Canyon, the town also has many great roadside attractions including the Roadkill Cafe, the historic Route 66 Motel, the historic Route 66 General Store, and more. We followed the scenic Route 66 for 87 miles to Kingman, AZ while stopping at many of the old historic places along the way. You'll also see that we even ran into the Pixar's Cars characters from Route 66!

Route 66 GrillRoute 66 Grill DeSoto's SalonDeSoto's Salon Route 66, AZRoute 66, AZ Route 66, AZRoute 66, AZ Arizona Desert SkyArizona Desert Sky Arizona Desert SkyArizona Desert Sky Stagecoach MotelStagecoach Motel Route 66 StagecoachRoute 66 Stagecoach Angel & Vilma's Gift ShopAngel & Vilma's Gift Shop Texaco Route 66Texaco Route 66 Route 66 Barber ShopRoute 66 Barber Shop Route 66 Barber ShopRoute 66 Barber Shop Angel & Vilma's Gift ShopAngel & Vilma's Gift Shop

 

Notice in the center, I left my own Seth Berry Photography business card for the wall collection!

Route 66 Business CardsRoute 66 Business Cards Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-InDelgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In Delgadillo's Drive-InDelgadillo's Drive-In The Mother RoadThe Mother Road Route 66 OuthouseRoute 66 Outhouse CarsCars CarsCars CarsCars CarsCars CarsCars CarsCars CarsCars Americana Route 66Americana Route 66 Americana Route 66Americana Route 66 Route 66, AZRoute 66, AZ Route 66, AZRoute 66, AZ Arizona Desert SkyArizona Desert Sky Dust DevilsDust Devils Dust DevilsDust Devils Dust DevilDust Devil Dust DevilDust Devil City JailCity Jail

 

 

Oatman, AZ - Route 66

Perhaps the most unique and out of the ordinary place we went to the entire trip was our last stop along Route 66! Instead of exiting Route 66 in Kingman to travel US 93 toward Las Vegas, we decided to continue on about 30 more miles to a little ol' place called Oatman, AZ. This would also turn into one of our more mountainous drives of the trip.

The reason why I wanted to continue on to Oatman, was after reading a brochure about Route 66 I noticed something bizarre about this old gold mine town. Not only was it basically a saloon scene out of an old western movie, but they also have wild burros just roaming the street! We just knew we needed an epic ending to our trip, and seeing some wild burros would do just that. The drive from Kingman to Oatman is gorgeous as it takes you further out "in the middle of nowhere" and up a steady incline of elevation. We kept saying it was amazing that the old cars back then could travel up this windy road. Well, as we were coming around a mountain bend in the road, we came across our first burro...standing right in the middle of the road! The ass 
wouldn't move! ;) Until I whistled at it and he made a bee-line directly to our car and stuck his face in my window! Check out our hilarious burro encounter then see as we continue to encounter more in the interesting town of Oatman! Needless to say, we made a lot of friends...

Arizona BurroArizona Burro Curious BurroCurious Burro Curious BurroCurious Burro Head ScratcherHead Scratcher

Baby BurroBaby Burro Baby BurroBaby Burro Gold CountryGold Country Gold CountryGold Country Gold CountryGold Country Gold CountryGold Country

Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Oatman, AZOatman, AZ Cool Springs, AZCool Springs, AZ Cool Springs, AZCool Springs, AZ Cool Springs, AZCool Springs, AZ Cool Springs, AZCool Springs, AZ Route 66Route 66

CLICK HERE to view my Route 66 photo gallery and order prints
 

The Finish

Well Oatman, AZ was definitely the icing on the cake for one of the most awesome weeks of my life! Many great stories, pictures, and memories to share for a lifetime. I am so grateful and thankful for being blessed with the opportunity to travel out to see some of God's wonders and its my hope that if you do not get to experience some of these places for yourself, at least my photos somewhat took you there! If you ever need any advice or suggestions on where to go while planning a trip out west, please don't hesitate to ask! I am always happy to share with you my adventures whether its to the Grand Canyon or right here in my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains!

Until my next blog post (most likely somewhere in my neck of the woods), I leave you with our last group picture! This is us in front of Lake Mead right after we passed by the famous Hoover Dam. Right afterwards we ate dinner in Las Vegas then hopped on a plane to fly home! Man, what a trip!

Lake MeadLake Mead Lake MeadLake Mead

Thanks again for reading my blogs!


God Bless!

 
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(Seth Berry Photography) 66 Seth Berry Photography arizona burros desert drive historic oatman road route route 66 seligman trip https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/route-66-desert-road-trip-2014 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 01:08:07 GMT
SEDONA, AZ | Desert Road Trip 2014 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/sedona-arizona-desert-road-trip-2014 Sedona, AZ - Desert Road Trip 2014

Previous blog posts: Zion National Park  |  Horseshoe Bend  |  Antelope Canyon  |  Monument Valley  |  Grand Canyon

CLICK HERE to view my Sedona photo gallery and order prints

Our epic western road trip was rounding it's way to it's conclusion, but first we would spend two amazing days bringing in the 4th of July in the most beautiful place called Sedona, AZ! After spending a night and half day at the Grand Canyon we would make our way down through Flagstaff 115 miles to Sedona. However, we took a detour first and tried to go visit Meteor Crater, which is a meteorite impact crater in the earth that is about 3,900 feet wide and 570 feet deep -- huge (check it out here). We decided not to pay the entrance fee though to go visit the incredible sight because a bunch of rain was in the area, but we did drive the long road approaching it. We could see the rim of the crater rising up from the distance. But also on the long desert road we were given some excellent landscape scenes of rain all around the horizon. Here are a few pictures of the peaceful scene:

Scenic Rain on Meteor Crater RoadScenic Rain on Meteor Crater Road Scenic Rain on Meteor Crater RoadScenic Rain on Meteor Crater Road


After turning around on Meteor Crater Road, we continued our detour away from Sedona to visit Winslow, AZ, which is a famous town on the historic Route 66! However, I'm saving an entire blog post on our ride on Route 66 so you'll hear about it later.

We decided it was time for us to make our way into Sedona so we could witness another sunset! Boy were we in for a treat. Sedona, often called "Red Rock Country", is an absolute beautiful playground of giant red rock formations, beautiful green trees, and an interesting vibe. It sort of reminded me of the
 feel of Asheville, North Carolina. The drive into Sedona along the Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive, as it winds it's way through the rugged mountains, is known as one of America's top 5 scenic drives. And the interesting small mountain town of Sedona offers plenty of things to do, arts and shopping, eating, and fun. It's also heard many times that "yes, God created the Grand Canyon, but He lives in Sedona". However people interpret the "spiritual" experiences of visiting Sedona, I do know for sure that my God put on his best sunset show of our trip that evening as we were in Sedona for the first time. 

 

Sedona Sunset

The first few pictures are from our hotel room when we first arrived at Sedona. Then we made our way to the Airport Scenic View for the most amazing sunset show of our trip. As you could see, the sky and clouds were adding up for a perfect light show. Enjoy as you watch the sunset develop!

 

As if that already wasn't good enough, all around us the show continued.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. ~Psalm 19:1

 

Is God amazing, or what? What an amazing way to end our day after we weren't expecting much to happen on this particular day of our trip. By then we were pretty tired and running on the little adrenaline we had left...but this amazing sunset completely rejuvenated us! It was great timing, because we had an action packed 4th of July ahead of us the next morning!!
 

4-Wheel Driving in Sedona - Jeep Rubicon Style

Hands down my most adventurous Independence Day, what better way to celebrate America than 4-wheel driving on some of the most rugged roads in Sedona, AZ! Early Friday morning we picked up our new set of wheels we would have for the entire day - our jacked up olive green Jeep Rubicon. As soon as I sat in it with it's top down, I fell in love ;). But later I found out just what all this amazing vehicle could do!

Sedona is unique in that it offers numerous off road backcountry roads that are accessible only for 4WD or ATV. The famous "Pink Jeeps Tours" are seen everywhere in town giving people tours off the beaten path. But if you want to truly experience Sedona 4WD for yourself, I recommend renting your own off road vehicle, preferably a Jeep from Barlows. This experience was one of the most rugged and fun things I've ever done. We felt like kings of the road as we were able to tear and climb our way through Sedona backwood trails to see some amazing places in Sedona that most visitors aren't able to see unless they were to hike a long ways or rent a 4WD. I quickly got my taste of experience driving 4-wheel drive as we did six 4WD trails during the day including the most famous and strenuous in Sedona - The Broken Arrow Trail. I look forward to sharing with you videos that I got from my GoPro when I create my trip movie. Until then, I hope you enjoy the scenes as we drive through the Sedona backcountry!

Meet Rubicon...



 

DCIM\773GOPRO DCIM\773GOPRO DCIM\773GOPRO DCIM\773GOPRO DCIM\773GOPRO
 


Our planned last off road trail was to drive to the Devil's Bridge trail head, where we would get out of the Jeep to hike about 1 mile to this awesome natural bridge shown below. We were successful in doing so, however our 4th of July ended early as you'll see in the video down below. We were hoping to be able to see one last epic sunset, but mother nature had other plans in mind! (see video below)

 

 

 

DCIM\773GOPRO



A little rain storm and flash flooding didn't bother the Rubicon nor us, but just ended our evening a little early...but just so we could go and enjoy a nice Mexican dinner in Sedona! All in all, what an awesome 4th of July 2014 it was! This will be one I can share for many years to come. God sure has blessed America and I truly love this land!

Stay tuned as I wrap up our Desert Road Trip blog posts with our final journey along the historic Historic Route 66! We sure were cruisin'  and "takin' it easy"! 
 

God Bless!

 
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(Seth Berry Photography) 4wd 4x4 Seth Berry Photography arizona bridge desert devils drive four hiking jeep rainbow red road rocks rubicon sedona sky sunset trip wheel https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/sedona-arizona-desert-road-trip-2014 Tue, 15 Jul 2014 22:58:35 GMT
THE GRAND CANYON | Desert Road Trip 2014 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/the-grand-canyon-desert-road-trip-2014 The Grand Canyon - Desert Road Trip 2014

Previous blog posts: Zion National Park  |  Horseshoe Bend  |  Antelope Canyon  |  Monument Valley

CLICK HERE to view my Grand Canyon photo gallery and order prints

Day 4 of our trip and we have already experienced the unique Narrows hike of Zion National Park, the unbelievable sunset view of Horseshoe Bend, the adventurous kayaking trip on Lake Powell, the mesmerizing scenes of Antelope Canyon, and the majestic monuments of Monument Valley and yet we still haven't seen what many people consider one of the seven wonders of the world! It just goes to show how many amazing places this part of America has to offer.

After our adventurous tour of Monument Valley, we packed up our car again to make our 155 mile journey to the Grand Canyon. Our desired route had us go to the south rim entrance of Grand Canyon National Park to view all of the famous overlooks such as Desert View, Lipan Point, Moran Point, Grandview, and more. We would later make our way to our lodge in Grand Canyon Village for the night, but first we of course had to watch yet another epic sunset!

Approaching the Grand Canyon National Park wasn't exactly what I had always envisioned. I have always thought of the area around the canyon being extremely desert-like, however I was proved wrong as we drove up the beautiful mountains on US 64 towards the park entrance. I was surprised at how the drive reminded me a lot of back home in the Blue Ridge Mountains with the pine forests and mountains. The unexpected dreary rain in the area that day probably helped in giving me that sense of the Smoky Mountains as well. The drive had us travel up to 7500 feet elevation to the first major overlook - Desert View. After driving out of the forest and approaching the rim, I was delighted with my first ever view of the Grand Canyon! The looming clouds and rain showers in the area certainly gave us a unique first view of the amazing place!



 

The Grand Canyon Sunset - Grandview Point

After leaving Desert View, we hit all of the other overlooks before eventually making it to our desired location to watch the sunset - Grandview Point. After hiking down the trail several yards, I quickly found my spot on top of a ledge where I would set up for sunset. As I was setting up my tripod I was greeted by another photographer who was coming out to the same location (my first picture below). After telling him this was my first visit to the Grand Canyon and first sunset, I was soon made aware that he was a published photographer well known in this amazing land and has the privilege of photographing it many times. It was a pleasant experience getting to meet him and hear his tips he provided for my first time shooting in the Grand Canyon. I encourage you to check out Adam's award-winning work! www.adamschallau.com

It was amazing being able to photograph my first sunset in this such special place in the world. As I quickly got caught up in the moment of firing off pictures of all of the beautiful scenes that the light display was making, I made sure just to pause for a moment also just to take the view in for myself. I hope these photographs uplift you as well!

 
 



 

Grand Canyon Ooh Aah Point - South Kaibab Trail

After getting an excellent nights rest in our lodge in Grand Canyon Village, we headed out early the next morning to being our short hike along the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point. On this trail we got a small taste of what hiking down into the canyon is like. If we had more time to spend there, I would have loved to continue to hike further down into the canyon but I can save that for another trip. :) The hike to Ooh Aah Point, however, did make us do just that. It was such a beautiful way to experience the Grand Canyon during the morning light and with the gorgeous white clouds.

Last two were shot with my GoPro!

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CLICK HERE to view my Grand Canyon photo gallery and order prints

Stay tuned as our we continue our last stretch of our amazing Desert Road Trip! We will continue our route south to Sedona, Arizona where there's plenty more for us to see!

God Bless!

 
 
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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography USA arizona blog canyon grand grand canyon hike lodge ooh aah point overlook rain road sunset trip https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/the-grand-canyon-desert-road-trip-2014 Mon, 14 Jul 2014 22:44:27 GMT
MONUMENT VALLEY | Desert Road Trip 2014 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/monument-valley-desert-road-trip-2014 Desert Road Trip 2014

Previous blog posts: Zion National Park  |  Horseshoe Bend  |  Antelope Canyon

Saddle up! Our Desert Road Trip has taken a turn to the good ol' classic west! After leaving Antelope Canyon around noon, we headed out 117 miles towards one of the most famous "western" locations in the world - Monument Valley. Featured in many great classic movies such as John Wayne's cowboy films, Chevy Chase's National Lampoons Vacation, Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump, and Johnny Depp's The Lone Ranger, this majestic place is actually reserved for the Navajo Nation as well. Hi ho Silver, away!




 

Monument Valley - Navajo Reservation

CLICK HERE to order prints of my Monument Valley photos

Our trip to Monument Valley was filled with many great stories and memories. This land is undoubtedly real, non commercialized/developed and held dearly by the Navajo people. Not only do you sense that from just being there, but I learned it while on our tour of the valley with our excellent Navajo guide...which I will get to later. Therefore, this blog post will be longer but I'll break it up into sections. (1) The first thing we wanted to see when we approached Monument Valley was the classic scene in many photographs and movies...but we had to drive past the actual park entrance north on US 163 into Utah to mile marker 13. (2) The next section I'll share with you my dramatic sunset and sunrise shots. (3) Then finally I'll share with you my photos I got while on our Navajo Tour of the valley the next day.

Mile Marker 13
I did a little research before our trip and I found out one of the famous scenes of Monument Valley is actually taken from Utah on US 163 coming into the park in Arizona. If you've ever seen Forrest Gump, you'll remember seeing Tom Hanks running down the road with Monument Valley behind him. The drive along this road is absolutely beautiful as it takes you through the vast valley while you observe all of the stone monuments surrounding you. Once we got to mile marker 13, we pulled off on the sandy pull off to begin taking pictures in the road. Also on this pull off were two young Navajo guys with 3 horses tied up and a cardboard sign next to them saying "Picture on the horse for $5". Needless to say, it was too hard to pass that offer down at this epic location.

 


Sunset & Sunrise from The View Hotel
Hands down the best place to stay in Monument Valley is actually right in the park. The closest town is Kayenta, AZ which is 30 miles away. But it's certainly worth to spend the money to stay at The View Hotel. This hotel is Navajo run and operated and is beautifully built on the mountain ridge above Monument Valley to blend into the land. The hotel is gorgeous inside with a bunch of Native American themes and touches to the decor. But the best part about the place is each room has a balcony view of the valley down below. Also all along the outside of the hotel is plenty of places to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet stillness of the massive scene.

Being a photographer, I had already done my research and knew of a location where I wanted to get my sunset and sunrise shots. So, we did not stay on our balcony during them but rather went out in front of the hotel along with many other people. As a matter of fact, there are signs along the patio of the hotel showing where Ansel Adams' favorite photo location was and where John Wayne's favorite place to watch the sunset! After we watched the sunset that night, we went back to our room to sit on the balcony and observe the billions of stars. As we did, we noticed that The View Hotel shows an old John Wayne outdoor film almost every night against the side of the hotel. How cool is that? Night was short for us though, as we woke up at 5:30 AM the next morning to go out and watch the sunrise! Let the show begin...


These are all views directly in front of The View Hotel. Notice the dirt road down below. It is highly recommended only by Navajo guided tours and not by your own vehicle. The road is extremely rough and causes many flat tires. You'll see once I get to our tour during the next day...


Sunrise the next morning!



Navajo Guided Tour of the Valley
If you have the opportunity to visit this beautiful place, you absolutely must take a guided tour of the valley before you leave. You haven't truly experienced Monument Valley without doing so. Most people think the 3 stone monuments (aka Mittens) are what's all of Monument Valley because those are the iconic views. But actually the valley has many more monuments to explore and a see! Without having a Navajo guided tour down the horrendous dirt road, we would have never experienced it.

Our guide was a gentle older man named Harry with his safari-like chevy pick-up that about 8 of us sat behind. He grew up in the valley among many other natives around there. As a matter of fact, he told us actually only about 17 families still live primitively in the valley. He was such a great tour guide and shared with us many special stories about the land and him growing up. It was very interesting learning about the Navajo culture and the history of the majestic place. But by far the best part of the tour was when he had our group lay against the rock wall beneath a humongous natural arch while he played his Native American flute and drum. He even sang Amazing Grace in Navajo. All of it gave me chills. I was able to take many GoPro videos of the ride while hanging on to my seat on the back of the bumpy ride and I look forward to sharing them in the trip movie I plan to make.


The first 3 shots were with my GoPro from the back of the truck...

DCIM\773GOPRO DCIM\773GOPRO

Best come prepared for some hot, dusty, dry roads!
DCIM\773GOPRO

Does this ledge look familiar? It's because it's the same place Johnny Depp stood on his horse during The Lone Ranger! Just google "Johnny Depp Monument Valley" and see for yourself!

 

"Eye of the Sun" First of 4 natural arch formations we got to see! Just amazing!

"Ear of the Wind" Second of 4 natural arch formations we got to see! This one too was huge!


3rd of 4 natural arches we got to see. This is the one that we got to listen to the Native American flute while laying against the cave wall! See the video below.

 

 

 

Well thanks for reading this far on my Monument Valley post! As I've said in my previous posts about our Desert Road Trip, each day continued to get more and more adventurous as you can see. There are so many interesting places to visit out in this country and Monument Valley is certainly a place I will never forget.

CLICK HERE to view my Monument Valley photo gallery and order prints

Stay tuned as our next stop is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world! The Grand Canyon!

God Bless!

 
 
 
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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography american arizona indian john wayne monument monument valley native navajo navajo reservation reservation utah valley western https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/monument-valley-desert-road-trip-2014 Sun, 13 Jul 2014 17:39:40 GMT
ANTELOPE CANYON | Desert Road Trip 2014 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/antelope-canyon-desert-road-trip-2014 Desert Road Trip 2014

Previous blog posts: Zion National Park  |  Horseshoe Bend

Only two days into our Desert Road Trip and we already were thinking there's no way we could top the amazing sunset at Horseshoe Bend, kayaking on Lake Powell and the uniqueness of the Narrows in Zion National Park. Then there was Antelope Canyon.


 

Antelope Canyon - Navajo Reservation

CLICK HERE to order prints of my Antelope Canyon photos

Amazing, captivating, mesmerizing, astonishing, photogenic...these are a few words that I can think of after experiencing Antelope Canyon. But words hardly describe what you see in this incredibly unique slot canyon on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

On the morning of our 3rd day of our epic trip, we drove only 5 miles from Page, AZ to one of the most amazing places I've ever seen! (Once again Page, AZ has it all!) The next two days of our trip would be spent on the Native American Navajo Reservation, which is the largest land area assigned to Native Americans in the United States. These were some of my most reverential days of the trip as I visited these Navajo landmarks and had a great sense of understanding for their appreciation of their natural surroundings - and for me, just observing how creative God is! It's hard for someone to experience these marvelous places and not fathom there is a Creator!

To the older Navajo generations, entering a place like Antelope Canyon was like entering a cathedral, in which they would show great respect and come away with a spiritual experience. Antelope Canyon is separated into two separate photogenic sections - Upper Antelope Canyon (The Crack) and Lower Antelope Canyon (The Corkscrew). However, to get into the canyons, you must have a Navajo tour guide take you through them. The Navajo Nation is pretty strict about preserving their natural wonders (thankfully), so some of the rules and prices maybe a little steep but definitely worth it. For photographers wanting to photograph the canyon, in order to bring a tripod and have an extended amount of time down there, you have to purchase a photography tour, which is twice as expensive as the regular tour. For our trip I sacrificed my tripod and just took the normal tour and fortunately it was a great success! During our tour, our young Navajo guide gave me plenty of tips of how to set my camera to get excellent shots inside the canyon. And without a tripod to hold my camera sturdy, I think I was able to get some pretty awesome shots!

Our Navajo guide said that every tour that she gives, almost every person runs out of memory card space before then end of the tour! And she was exactly right as every single turn in the slot canyon presented remarkable photo subjects. Fortunately I have a pretty hefty memory card, but I did take up a ton of space during this trip.

Well, without further to do, I know that you will enjoy these incredible shots of Lower Antelope Canyon. Keep in mind, what you see is actually what I saw (not much editing involved)! This place truly is a remarkable wonder with many abstract designs and textures that allows your photo imagination to run wild. If you can't see it someday for yourself, its my hope that my pictures will take you there now! Enjoy.


Entering Antelope Canyon from above, hard to believe what's below:



Do you see the lion's head and mane?


Your imagination runs wild down there. Looks like something's hungry for a bite...

The maze of the slot canyon continues...up and down the ladders!

 


Painting lavender...

 

It's like walking through the maze of mirrors at a fair. You just keep walking through the pathways with so much to see!


Can't get enough of it!


I see another lion face! Do you?


And now my favorite! Do you see the Lady in the Wind?


Standing in awe


The light beam. There's many chances to see instances like this down there, if you catch it at the right time!

 

After hiking alittle over a mile in the slot canyon, we emerge from beneath to the surface!


 

Now if that's not incredible, I don't know what is! A lot of these images would look awesome on canvas and I plan to do some for myself! Click here you're interested in purchasing one of my Antelope Canyon photos!

Stay tuned as we continue our journey through the Navajo Nation to one of the most classic locations for a lot of Western movies, including all of the old John Wayne classics! Can't wait to take you there.

Until then, God Bless!

 
 
 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography abstract antelope antelope canyon arizona canyon formations indian light lines lower navajo page photography rocks slot tour https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/antelope-canyon-desert-road-trip-2014 Fri, 11 Jul 2014 20:55:39 GMT
HORSESHOE BEND | Desert Road Trip 2014 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/horseshoe-bend-desert-road-trip-2014 Desert Road Trip 2014

Previous blog posts: Zion National Park

After a spectacular but short stay in Zion National Park, we continued out of the park the second morning of our trip but did the Canyon Overlook Trail hike like I mentioned in my previous blog post. We then traveled 117 miles east toward Page, Arizona - which was our next destination to stay for a night. We had a kayak rental reserved to kayak on Lake Powell in Page at noon. This was easily our next highlight of our already epic trip! Lake Powell is a beautiful reservoir off the Colorado River and the closest source that begins to carve out the Grand Canyon several miles away. This beautiful oasis of water out in the middle of dry desert land is easily a major playground for people in the surrounding Page area. As I said, the 5 hour long kayak trip became a highlight of our trip as we were able to paddle to several unbelievable locations such as Lone Rock, a slot canyon, and a jumping-off rock. I wasn't crazy enough to bring my SLR camera with me on that trip, so I didn't get any pictures. But I have plenty of GoPro footage that I plan to use for a trip video. Or you can check out the pictures the kayak guide got of us on their Flickr site (scroll to the bottom of the link to see our trip): https://www.flickr.com/photos/hiddencanyonkayak/sets/72157645041533337/  


I will post pictures of Lake Powell on my Seth Berry Photography Facebook page if you're interested in seeing them. But, the main photography highlight from our day in Page, AZ was definitely sunset. Only two days into our adventurous packed trip, sunset #2 easily won my #1 on my trip favorites! Welcome to Horseshoe Bend, AZ!
 

Horseshoe Bend - Sunset

CLICK HERE to order prints of my Horseshoe Bend photos

Little do you know that only 5 miles outside of Page, Arizona on US Route 89 lies one of the most amazing scenes foreshadowing the Grand Canyon! This site which is accessible by pulling off the side of the road and hiking about a mile on sand dunes is surprisingly not an official park, so it is often passed by travelers with great regret. After the Glen Canyon Dam on Lake Powell, the Colorado River continues to wind it's way toward the Grand Canyon. In doing so, it has created a magnificent gorge with canyon walls high above the river down below. The Colorado dramatically turns in a horseshoe fashion creating what we know as Horseshoe Bend. Viewing Horseshoe Bend will leave you in complete awe and shock as you see the unusual beauty and the terrifying depth of the shear drop off from the edge above. But the view is completely worth it and even more worth it during a sunset.

On our particular trip, we started out of the car hiking toward Horseshoe Bend around 6:30. The so called "monsoon season" that the area was beginning to experience thankfully brought us some amazing clouds in the sky! It also brought us forceful brisk winds. So hiking on the sand dunes toward Horseshoe Bend was actually painful as we were constantly getting stung on our arms and face by blowing sand. As you see in my first series of shots, as you're walking its hard to believe there is a 1000 foot drop off around the horizon. You can also see the sand storms off in the distance.

Unbelievably as you approach Horseshoe Bend you notice the shear drop off, but only as you get closer to the edge will you see the beautiful green Colorado River way down below. Its a remarkable site to see. It didn't take me long to claim my spot on the edge and set up my tripod to prepare for the sunset. I say this because evening brings multiple dozens of photographers and even more viewers trying to get the perfect shot at the perfect location. It was nice to be able to find my spot and sit there for the next several hours as I just took in the amazing view I had before me. Its funny, actually back in February my roommates and I built a puzzle when we were snowed in our apartment and the puzzle was an unrealistic view of Horseshoe Bend. Little did I know that I would be sitting in the exact location see just how real it really is!

It's my pleasure to share with you some of my favorite pictures of my trip - Horseshoe Bend! But remember, God designed this...I just had the opportunity to capture it!



Approaching Horseshoe Bend

 

Trail to Horseshoe BendTrail to Horseshoe Bend

Trail to Horseshoe BendTrail to Horseshoe Bend

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Trail to Horseshoe BendTrail to Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend Sunset 15Horseshoe Bend Sunset 15

 

Horseshoe Bend

 

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Horseshoe Bend Sunset 2Horseshoe Bend Sunset 2

 

Horseshoe Bend Sunset 3Horseshoe Bend Sunset 3

 

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Horseshoe Bend Sunset 10Horseshoe Bend Sunset 10

 

To show you a little perspective of exactly how big this place is, when you zoom in there are about 10 paddle boats along the shore with dozens of people getting ready to camp! Now that's pretty awesome!

PerspectivePerspective

 

Horseshoe Bend Sunset 13Horseshoe Bend Sunset 13

 

Horseshoe Bend Sunset 12Horseshoe Bend Sunset 12

 

 

Stay tuned as my next blog post will showcase some of the most unique and abstract photos I have ever taken! I can't wait to tell you about where we went!

Until then, God Bless!

 
 
 


 

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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography arizona bend blog cliff colorado river horseshoe horseshoe bend lake page powell rocks seth berry photography sky sunset water https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/horseshoe-bend-desert-road-trip-2014 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:03:19 GMT
ZION NATIONAL PARK | Desert Road Trip 2014 https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/zion-national-park-desert-road-trip-2014 Desert Road Trip 2014

Last summer I went on my first true road trip around the great American West hitting several national parks with a couple buddies of mine. As amazing as that experience was, little did I know that I would have the privilege to go on another, yet even more adventurous, trip this summer! This summer's adventure was geared toward exploring the great desert lands of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah with my buddies Robbie and Jesse. Like last summer, our flight landing had us down in Las Vegas again, however this year we started our travels northeastward. Our overall route was to circle the entire Grand Canyon while visiting as many unbelievable places surrounding as we could before we looped back to Vegas. Stay tuned as you'll get to read about in these amazing places we travelled to and see my photos in these next series of blog entries!

 

Zion National Park - The Narrows

CLICK HERE to order prints of my Zion National Park photos

After a short day (and long night) in Las Vegas consisted of visiting the Pawn Stars Shop (didn't see the guys), Red Rocks Canyon, walking the strip, riding the worlds largest ferris wheel "High Roller", and watching the Bellagio Fountains, we started our road trip early the next morning at 7:00 AM. Our first destination was Utah's first ever National Park - Zion. The gorgeous 2 1/2 hour drive (150 miles) took us through the Vegas mountains, briefly 
through Arizona, then barely entering the border of Utah.

Zion National Park, to me and Robbie, basically reminded us of a second Yosemite National Park visit, except with red rocks. This extraordinary place had you surrounded by towering sandstone cliffs high above you in the valley. It definitely made you feel small and appreciative of the One who created it (which "Zion" means a place of peace and refuge). We had the privilege of staying in Zion Lodge, a National Historic Register lodge, right beneath the towering cliffs.

Beside enjoying the pure beauty of it all, our main adventure planned out in Zion was for us to hike The Narrows. So, the Virgin River has carved a spectacular gorge 
16 miles long, up to 2000 feet deep, and 20 to 30 feet wide in some places, 
in the upper part of Zion Canyon. This provided us with a hike that we will likely never forget! After renting quality, waterproof and durable hiking shoes and socks, we headed off with our hiking poles to begin our epic hike through the Narrows. We were only about to hike and explore into the canyon about 2 miles (all wading through water), but every view was definitely worth the trip. We wished we could have gone further, but unfortunately we had to have our equipment back by 7 PM.

This was certainly one of the most unique hikes I've ever done. There were plenty of photo opportunities, but the only draw back was we were there during a harsh time of light. I was still able to get some great shots to show you perspective and the great time we had! Enjoy our hike through the Narrows, but first see Zion Lodge and some views leading up to the beginning of the hike!
 

Zion LodgeZion Lodge Zion MorningZion Morning

 

Zion National ParkZion National Park Zion's Virgin RiverZion's Virgin River Zion's Virgin RiverZion's Virgin River Hiking the NarrowsHiking the Narrows The Narrows 1The Narrows 1 The Narrows 2The Narrows 2 The Narrows 3The Narrows 3 The Narrows 4The Narrows 4 The Narrows 6The Narrows 6 The Narrows 7The Narrows 7 The Narrows 11The Narrows 11 The Narrows 10The Narrows 10 The Narrows 9The Narrows 9 The Narrows 12The Narrows 12 The Narrows 12The Narrows 12 The Narrows 13The Narrows 13 The Narrows 15The Narrows 15 The Narrows 16The Narrows 16 The Narrows 18The Narrows 18 The Narrows 19The Narrows 19 The Narrows 20The Narrows 20 The Narrows 21The Narrows 21 The Narrows 22The Narrows 22 The Narrows 23The Narrows 23 The Narrows 24The Narrows 24 The Narrows 25The Narrows 25 The Narrows 26The Narrows 26 The Narrows 27The Narrows 27 The Narrows 29The Narrows 29 The Narrows 30The Narrows 30 The Narrows 31The Narrows 31 The Narrows 32The Narrows 32 The Narrows 33The Narrows 33 The Narrows 35The Narrows 35 The Narrows 36The Narrows 36 The Narrows 37The Narrows 37 The Narrows 34The Narrows 34 The Narrows 38The Narrows 38 The Narrows 39The Narrows 39 The Narrows 40The Narrows 40 The Narrows 41The Narrows 41 The Narrows 42The Narrows 42 The Narrows 43The Narrows 43 Zion National ParkZion National Park The Narrows 44The Narrows 44

 

 

 

Zion National Park - The Watchman Sunset

After doing some research on Zion, I wanted to find a perfect sunset location. I ended up deciding on the scene of The Watchman rock mountain with the Virgin River flowing toward it. Below are the views from our first of many epic sunsets while on our Desert Road Trip!

The Watchman at DuskThe Watchman at Dusk The Watchman and Virgin RiverThe Watchman and Virgin River The Watchman Sunset 1The Watchman Sunset 1 The Watchman Sunset 2The Watchman Sunset 2 The Watchman Sunset 5The Watchman Sunset 5 The Watchman Sunset 3The Watchman Sunset 3 The Watchman Sunset 7The Watchman Sunset 7 The Watchman Sunset 11The Watchman Sunset 11 The Watchman Sunset 10The Watchman Sunset 10 The Watchman Sunset 9The Watchman Sunset 9

 

 

 

Zion National Park - Canyon Road and Overlook

The next morning we woke up early to head out of Zion to start driving toward Page, Arizona (our next destination). But of course, we had things planned before we leave this beautiful National Park.

First stop was to see the Court of the Patriarchs (the first pictures below). These three famous Zion peaks get their names from the Bible as well and are named Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Two other peaks easily scene from this vista are The Sentinel and Mount Moroni.

Next, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive beautifully takes you out of the canyon, up the mountains and into one of the nation's largest mountain tunnels. After grabbing some pictures of the early morning sunlight and after coming through the tunnel, we made our way to the first trailhead parking area to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail. This short but steep hike takes you to one of the most beautiful overlooks above all of Zion National Park. I hope you enjoy the views!

P.S. - the last pictures are of some awesome Beehive rock formation and the last is Checkerboard Mesa!

 

Court of the Patriarchs 1Court of the Patriarchs 1 Court of the Patriarchs 2Court of the Patriarchs 2 Court of the Patriarchs 3Court of the Patriarchs 3 Court of the Patriarchs 4Court of the Patriarchs 4 Court of the Patriarchs 5Court of the Patriarchs 5 Court of the Patriarchs 6Court of the Patriarchs 6 Court of the Patriarchs 7Court of the Patriarchs 7 Court of the Patriarchs 8Court of the Patriarchs 8

 

 

 

Zion SunriseZion Sunrise Zion SunriseZion Sunrise Zion SunriseZion Sunrise Zion Canyon DriveZion Canyon Drive

 

 

 

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Stay tuned of my next blog post about our next designation on our Desert Road Trip! Just like we kept saying on the trip, each day gets even more epic! As a matter of fact, my favorite photography location during the whole trip is coming up on my next post!

Until then, God Bless!

 
 
 
 
 
To order prints of my Zion National Park photos, click here!
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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography blog cliffs hike hiking mountains narrows national overlook park patriarchs river sandstone seth berry photography sunset trail utah virgin virgin river zion zion national park https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/7/zion-national-park-desert-road-trip-2014 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 02:44:39 GMT
BRASSTOWN FALLS | Waterfalls of South Carolina https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/6/brasstown-falls-waterfalls-of-south-carolina Many people don't realize the abundance of beautiful waterfalls the state of South Carolina has to offer. The well populated waterfalls of North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smokies most of the time overshadow the hidden gems in South Carolina. But thats what makes them special, giving you less crowded or well-known waterfalls to discover and explore for yourself.

South Carolina's waterfalls are located in three main counties in the Upstate: Oconee, Pickens, and Greenville. I've enjoyed exploring most of these waterfalls ever since I was young camping with my family, while as a student at Clemson University, and now as a SC photographer. One of my recent favorite destinations has been one I found while at college. If you're in the mood for an excellent 3-for-1 trip, Oconee's hidden Brasstown Falls surely will not disappoint.

Brasstown Falls, South Carolina (Oconee County)

Only about 35 miles outside of Clemson, Brasstown Falls is in the far west corner of the the state in Oconee County, barely inside the Sumter National Forest. This beautiful waterfall offers 3 distinct sections, each with it's own unique design. The upper section is Brasstown Cascades, middle section is Brasstown Veil, and lower section is Brasstown Sluice.

 

Directions

From Clemson, travel west on US 76 for about 16 miles into the small town of Westminster. Continue on US 76 West through the foothills for about 11.8 miles then turn left onto Brasstown Road. This road will turn into dirt road after about 2.6 miles. Continue on for about 1.5 miles and turn right onto FS 751 right before a small bridge over Brasstown Creek. A small parking area will be about 0.5 miles down the road. The easy/difficult trail begins past the boulders in the parking area.

 

Now, I say the trail is easy/difficult because there's no real difficulty at all walking to the first Brasstown Cascade, but to get to the lower two falls you will need to do some steep descending down the bank of the river. As you start out on the short trail you'll pass a few primitive camping spots off on the left. After the last camping area the trail veers to the right along Brasstown Creek. After only about 0.1 miles from the parking area, you'll reach the top of Brasstown Cascades on your left. The water pours gradually about 50 feet making for some nice water flow photography. You can walk out on the top or follow the trail further down to the calm pool at the base. During the warmer seasons you can easily walk out in the water to the base of the falls. Below are the scenes from Brasstown Cascades.

 

 

Brasstown Cascades

Brasstown CascadesBrasstown Cascades

 

Brasstown CascadesBrasstown Cascades

 

Brasstown CascadesBrasstown Cascades

 

 

 

Brasstown Veil

 

It's easy to think that is all of Brasstown Falls, but if you listen carefully you can hear the water continue to fall further down the river. This is when the trail gets a lot more rugged and steep. You'll see several paths that lead you down the slanted terrain, but I recommend taking the less dangerous ones further from the stream if possible. At one point you'll come very close to the edge of the cliff where you can see the beautiful Brasstown Veil from it's side.

Brasstown Veil plunges dramatically 35 feet with a great abundance of water flowing. This waterfall has great width and makes for some splendid waterfall shots. During the summer season you have green moss on the rocks making excellent foreground subjects to frame within the waterfall. Check out the pictures below as I take you down to Brasstown Veil.

 

Brasstown VeilBrasstown Veil

 

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Notice the rainbow in these next two!

Brasstown VeilBrasstown Veil

 

Brasstown VeilBrasstown Veil

 

 

 

 

Brasstown Sluice

 

The great thing about Brasstown Falls is...it's not done yet! That's right, probably my favorite section of all three comes next. After the water plunges down Brasstown Veil, it is forced further down the river into a narrowing creek as it dramatically turns and plummets down a big mass of rock - forming a sluice. This is another 35 ft. fall into a shallow pool at the base.

Once again, however, the hike down to the bottom of Brasstown Sluice is quite difficult as you're descending down steep terrain along narrow ledges. But the destination is worth it! The pool of water at the bottom makes for a perfect place to cool off during a hot day - because you will surely be sweating by then (if not from the humidity, maybe from the stress of not slipping down the ravine).

My favorite part about Brasstown Sluice is being able to wade out in the pool of water with my tripod to get different angles of the intriguing waterfall. Since the waterfall turns off toward the right, you're not offered a head on shot from the bank of the river - so its time to get yourself wet!

Also from the bank of Brasstown Sluice, if you get the angle right, you can look back up the cliffs and see all 3 sections of the spectacular Brasstown Falls.

 

Brasstown FallsBrasstown Falls

 

Brasstown SluiceBrasstown Sluice

 

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Brasstown FallsBrasstown Falls

 

 

 

US 76 has a lot of waterfalls along it. Recently, there have been roadsigns installed pointing most of them out. Alittle further up the road from the Brasstown Road is Reedy Branch Falls. This waterfall, however doesn't have a road sign (yet) but its only a short distance off the road.

Directions
From Westminster, follow US 76 West for 16 miles to Chattooga Ridge Road on the right. Drive past this road for 0.2 miles and turn left into a small unpaved parking areas on the left side of the road. There is a stone wall and gate parallel to the parking area.

 

The short trail to the waterfall takes you about 700 feet down the old roadbed past the gate. Turn left off the roadbed onto a small trail along the creek. Reedy Branch Falls will be a short distance ahead.



Reedy Branch Falls

Reedy Branch FallsReedy Branch Falls Reedy Branch FallsReedy Branch Falls Reedy Branch FallsReedy Branch Falls Reedy Branch FallsReedy Branch Falls Reedy Branch FallsReedy Branch Falls Reedy Branch FallsReedy Branch Falls

 

 

Finally, if you're interested, continue driving west on US 76 further toward the South Carolina/Georgia border and you'll run into the scenic and wild Chattooga River! This offers an excellent area to watch kayakers and rafters paddle over the Class V rapids of Bull Sluice. Lastly are scenes from this wild whitewater rapid.

 

Bull Sluice

 

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Bull Sluice RaftingBull Sluice Rafting

 

Thank you for visiting my blog to read about the beautiful and hidden Brasstown Falls of Oconee County, South Carolina! I plan to write more blog posts about our spectacular waterfalls South Carolina has to offer. Until then, you can check out my South Carolina Waterfalls gallery!

 

Take care and God Bless!

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) 76 Seth Berry Photography US76 brasstown brasstown falls bull sluice carolina cascade chattooga falls hike hiking oconee photography reedy branch reedy branch falls river sc sluice south carolina trail upstate waterfall westminster https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2014/6/brasstown-falls-waterfalls-of-south-carolina Thu, 05 Jun 2014 01:24:30 GMT
FIELDS OF COTTON | An Adventure Post https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2013/11/fields-of-cotton-an-adventure-post This past week I was inspired by a friend's beautiful photo of a full cotton field, so I decided to take a nice Sunday drive through the country after church in search of a good cotton field to photograph. Fortunately, living in South Carolina during this time of year, its not hard to pass a cotton field or two when driving through the back roads.

Ever since I can remember, I've been riding the back roads from Columbia to Bowman, South Carolina where my grandparents live. Bowman is a beautiful, small farm and dairy town right outside of Orangeburg where most of my family lived and grew up. Throughout the year when driving through it's land, you'll pass corn fields, cows, peanut farms, and more. Remembering that I've seen cotton fields many times before around Bowman I was inclined to just cruise to my familiar neck of the woods. (Also, my mom has been telling me I need to drive down there to see the fields before they cut them....and so I did, but just in time!)

With no real destination in mind, except to find the best cotton field to photograph, I drove towards Bowman but via a different route than I normally take. I passed my first large cotton field right outside of Gaston where I pulled over and got a few good shots. I passed other fields that were just recently cut, but this one was still blanketed with white cotton balls as far as you could see. Cotton sure is an interesting plant! Well I didn't quite get the type of picture I was looking for so I continued on, but the further I went the less fields I ran into (or passed ones that were already cut). Finally as I was passing through Orangeburg and the evening sun was starting to get shorter, I decided I would just drive the 178 stretch to Bowman and turn around at my Nanny and Pappy's house to go back home.

It turned out to be a really special moment when I reached the old farm that my Pappy used to work on behind their house. Low and behold it was covered with a beautiful white sheet of cotton and the fall colors from the trees behind it were shining in the sun! It was just what I was looking for! Even better, it was a place that I felt comfortable and at peace taking photos of, knowing it as "home". I have so many memories growing up of going to my grandparents house and "Pappy's Farm" to see all of their animals. Several years before my Pappy passed away when I was really into photography, I would always bring my camera to Bowman when I visited them. I loved taking pictures of the beautiful nature and farm lands around their house, and even more so today! It was just a really special moment for me to be led back to my Pappy's farm as if I was to take pictures of his cotton field. And later the next day I found out from my mom that the field had been cut, so it was as if I was meant to go there!

On my way back home I passed a familiar location that I've always been curious about taking pictures of when I could. The little town is called Bull Swamp. The sunset was brilliant and it was perfect timing to pull over and take pictures of an interesting millpond and a rugged and abandoned Gulf gas station.

I'd say it was a pretty successful Sunday afternoon drive through the South Carolina country.

Thank you everyone for reading my blog post and for following my photography. I enjoy sharing pictures of the beautiful places we have around us in the Carolinas! I hope they inspire you to get out and explore some places, too! I wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving and God bless!

Click Here to View My Bowman Gallery

 

 

 

 

South Carolina CottonSouth Carolina CottonThis isn't in Bowman, but its near it. South Carolina's back country roads are filled with cotton fields and farmland.

 

South Carolina CottonSouth Carolina CottonThis isn't in Bowman, but its near it. South Carolina's back country roads are filled with cotton fields and farmland.

 

South Carolina CottonSouth Carolina CottonThis isn't in Bowman, but its near it. South Carolina's back country roads are filled with cotton fields and farmland.

 

Pappy's FarmPappy's Farm

 

Bowman CottonBowman Cotton

 

Bowman CottonBowman Cotton

 

Bowman CottonBowman Cotton

 

Bowman CottonBowman Cotton

 

Buck Branch AutumnBuck Branch Autumn

 

Bowman CottonBowman Cotton

 

Buck Branch Cotton FieldBuck Branch Cotton Field

 

Buck Branch AutumnBuck Branch Autumn

 

Buck Branch Black and WhiteBuck Branch Black and White

 

Buck Branch AutumnBuck Branch Autumn

 

Buck Branch Cotton FieldBuck Branch Cotton Field

 

Etheredge Millpond, SCEtheredge Millpond, SCOn the back roads to Bowman, SC

 

Etheredge Millpond, SCEtheredge Millpond, SCOn the back roads to Bowman, SC

 

Bull Swamp Gulf StationBull Swamp Gulf StationOn the back roads to Bowman, SC

 

Bull Swamp Gulf StationBull Swamp Gulf StationOn the back roads to Bowman, SC

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography Sunday autumn bowman carolina cotton country drive farm farms field fields gulf old pond roads south south carolina station sunset white https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2013/11/fields-of-cotton-an-adventure-post Tue, 26 Nov 2013 21:13:15 GMT
WESTERN ROAD TRIP 2013 | Day 8 - San Francisco https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2013/10/western-road-trip-2013-day-8---san-francisco   **Click the links below to visit all of my galleries from my Western Trip or to purchase a Seth Berry Photography print:
Yosemite National Park  |  Death Valley National Park  |  Sequoia National Park  |  Kings Canyon National Park
Mono Lake, CA  |  Bodie, CA  |  Nevada Deserts  |  California  |  San Francisco
 
 

Saturday, August 17 (Day 8)

This was the last day of one of the most epic trips I've ever been on - being able to travel the wide open western roads with two great friends and visiting some of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen. As I've mentioned before in my earlier blog posts, traveling out west to witness for myself some of these amazing National Parks was always something I wanted to do. I'm so thankful and grateful that the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to make it out there and capture His beautiful creation through photography...not to mention the great spiritual experiences I had as well. Its also been a blessing to share these magnificent scenes of the great western America to YOU through my pictures and stories. We certainly packed a whole lot into 8 days (you could tell by how filthy our poor rented car was on day 8), but it was totally worth it. I look forward to traveling to more of my bucket list trips in the future (Glacier National Park and Grand Teton National Park to name a few)! All in all, I hope that I've encouraged you to get out and see for yourself the great beauty God has given us to travel to and see!

San Francisco!

Our last full day was going to be an exhausting one! Not only would we spend the whole day walking around and exploring San Francisco, but we were scheduled to board a red eye flight at 10:30 PM to fly back home to South Carolina. That didn't stop us though in packing in all the sightseeing we could during our short stay in the beautiful bay city.

San Francisco was a beautiful city that has tons of things to do and see! I definitely would love to travel back to spend more time there. Our first destination early in the cool morning was the infamous Full House setting - the Painted Ladies houses! This beautiful row of Victorian houses across from Alamo Square with the skyline in the background is a classic scene often seen in postcards, magazines, television, and tourist photographs! When I think of San Francisco, I immediately think of Full House, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Rice-A-Roni...so we made sure to see this location while humming the Full House theme song..."everywhere you look, everywhere you look... chip-a-dee-ba-ba-dow"!

Painted Ladies, San FranciscoPainted Ladies, San Francisco

Painted Ladies, San FranciscoPainted Ladies, San Francisco

Painted Ladies, San FranciscoPainted Ladies, San Francisco

Painted Ladies, San FranciscoPainted Ladies, San Francisco

Full HouseFull House The classic Full House picnic scene pose...without the picnic basket...and Uncle Jesse, Uncle Joey, Stephanie, Michelle, etc...

San FranciscoSan Francisco

 

The Golden Gate Bridge

After driving to the Painted Ladies and around the city some, we made our way to see the most popular place in San Francisco - the Golden Gate Bridge! The morning in San Francisco was absolutely beautiful as the fog was rolling across the bay and the crisp 60 degree temperatures were in the air! This is common weather though in this city. When we arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge park, we were greeted with a brilliant view of the bridge and the morning fog lifting over the red steel structure and the blue sky looming. I was able to get some amazing shots of this famous location. Once we spent time walking around the San Francisco side of the bridge, we paid the toll and drove across the bridge to explore the other side.

Like I've said before, I would love to come back and just drive further along the Pacific Coast, because the views are absolutely stunning. The little amount of driving we did along the Pacific Coast mountains above the Golden Gate Bridge was breathtaking. We stopped at several overlooks for great photo moments of the bridge and city in the distance. But the reason why we drove across the bridge was to get to the beautiful Point Bonita Lighthouse, which you'll see after these Golden Gate Bridge photos.

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate Bridge

 

Point Bonita Lighthouse

We drove across the Golden Gate Bridge so we could go to the Point Bonita Lighthouse...only did I not know it would become the most beautiful coastal scenes I had ever seen! This lighthouse is in the Marin Headlands, which is a hilly peninsula north of San Francisco across the bridge. These rocky drop off cliffs that lead straight to the Pacific Ocean are simply breathtaking. The drive to this lighthouse was a nice country ride on small roads through small bay villages. There are also many historic military sites, bunkers, and batteries along the Marin Headlands as well, so this was a very interesting visit.

The walk to the lighthouse was the real treat. After parking in the parking area, its a good little walk along the path to go out on the rocky peninsula. The lighthouse itself is way out on a rock in the ocean, so to get there you walk through a tunnel of the mountain then across a small bridge to the lighthouse. All along the way, on your left and right, are amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. The beautiful blue sky and green water left me in awe as I just stood and watched the water crashing against the cliffs down below. It was ironic how peaceful, quiet and breathtaking the place was when considering off in the distance was one of the largest and populated cities in the US. We spent the rest of the morning up until the afternoon at this beautiful place and several overlooks of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I hope you enjoy the views along this beautiful walk to the Point Bonita Lighthouse!

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Marin HeadlandsMarin Headlands

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

Marin HeadlandsMarin Headlands

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Marin HeadlandsMarin Headlands

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

DreamingDreaming

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita LighthousePoint Bonita Lighthouse

Sea StruckSea Struck

A Ship A SailingA Ship A Sailing

Coastal MountainsCoastal Mountains

Marin HeadlandsMarin Headlands

 

On our way back to the car, I was taking pictures of the sea lions on the rocks down below. Then all of a sudden I noticed in the foreground and in my viewfinder some movement! At first I thought it was a dog, but it turned out it was a coyote! It was only about 30 yards away from us on the edge of the cliff. However, it wasn't paying any attention to us visitors because there was another coyote down below that he was playing with. It was interesting watching them trying to chase after each other. You'll see in my photos, the one on top of the cliff was looking down on the one trying to climb back up to catch him! This was just another interesting story from our awesome week long trip! But I'll never forget what Robbie said when we both first saw the coyote. When I was zoomed in trying to take a picture of him, Robbie had his camera out too. Then the coyote turned while both of us looking through our camera, it looked like the coyote was coming toward us (you'll see I caught a picture of him looking toward us). Then I heard Robbie say, "Oh blessed Jesus!! He's coming at us. I'm heading back to the car!" Hands down funniest thing I heard the whole trip!

Sea LionsSea Lions

CoyoteCoyote

Curious CoyoteCurious Coyote

Curious CoyoteCurious Coyote

Climbing CoyoteClimbing Coyote

 

 

After taking pictures of the lighthouse, I ran into a problem I had feared the whole trip! However, thankfully this problem occurred on the last day of the trip! I had MAXED OUT ALL OF MY CAMERA'S MEMORY CARDS! At a total of 3,000+ images taken from our unbelievable Western Road Trip, I had finally taken all of the pictures I was able to take.

Now you may thinking, well your day/vacation was pretty much over right? Well keep in mind we visited the Painted Ladies, Golden Gate Bridge, and Point Bonita Lighthouse all in the morning! So we still had a whole afternoon and evening left in San Francisco before we boarded the plane! ;) But actually, I was kind of glad to be able to just enjoy the rest of San Francisco without a camera around my neck. And that was just what I did!

It was a great way to end my vacation to just enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the beautiful city. The rest of our time included walking around the Fisherman's Wharf, eating at one of the top restaurants rated on TripAdvisor with the #1 rated clam chowder in SF, and last but not least - riding on a cable car! I took many pictures and videos though on my iPhone of the city and the sea lions in the Fisherman's Wharf. But I'll leave you with this last photo...proof that I rode the cable car in San Francisco. We actually rode it at night on our way back to our car so we could drive to the airport. And for the record, I didn't sleep on the red eye...so I was flat out exhausted when I got home!

Thank you again for reading each of my posts from my Western Road Trip! I hope that you have enjoyed seeing the pictures and reading the stories. Feel free to contact me or ask me any questions if you'd like to know more about where we traveled. I'd be happy to give you suggestions on places to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography bay blog blue bonita bridge california coast francisco gate golden golden gate bridge headlands information lighthouse marin mountains ocean pacific point point bonita rocks sailing san san francisco sea ship travel waves https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2013/10/western-road-trip-2013-day-8---san-francisco Wed, 02 Oct 2013 01:14:43 GMT
WESTERN ROAD TRIP 2013 | Day 7 - Moro Rock https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2013/9/western-road-trip-2013-day-7---moro-rock **Click the links below to visit all of my galleries from my Western Trip or to purchase a Seth Berry Photography print:
Yosemite National Park  |  Death Valley National Park  |  Sequoia National Park  |  Kings Canyon National Park
Mono Lake, CA  |  Bodie, CA  |  Nevada Deserts  |  California  |  San Francisco

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

>> Click Here to view the other half of Day 7 photos <<

 

Friday, August 16 (Day 7)

As you read in my first blog post of Day 7, Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park was probably my favorite place we visited the entire trip. Its really hard to say that since everything I saw out west could very well be my favorite too. I think the main reason why Moro Rock stood out the most for me was since I had done all of my research on Yosemite and the first places we had visited, I didn't spend much time looking at pictures of Moro Rock. So when I went there, I was totally amazed and left in awe.

Sequoia National Park, of course, is known for its forest of largest sequoia trees in the world. However, in the center of the park sits the huge granite dome 6,725 feet in elevation. From the summit of Moro Rock, you get spectacular views of the western half of the Great Western Divide, the Sequoia Forests, the Central Valley, and on clear days the coastal mountains. But the most dramatic views are of the shear, sawtooth sentinels of the Sierra Nevadas. The neatest thing though was somewhere along the huge peaks was the western side of Mount Whitney - the same mountain we saw in Lone Pine, California. So, just over the impressive mountain range was Lone Pine, California - a shorter distance the way the bird flies than the route we had to take to get here.

To get to the top of Moro Rock, a normal visitor (not rock climber) must ascend 300 feet and 1/3 mile up a giant rock staircase...one that wouldn't go well for those who fear heights. For me I love heights, so it was an amazing experience trekking up the incredibly built staircase through the rock.

Enjoy the views as I take you up to the summit of Moro Rock!

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

 

 

Views from Moro Rock's summit!

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

California's Coastal MountainsCalifornia's Coastal Mountains

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

Moro Rock, Sequoia National ParkMoro Rock, Sequoia National Park

California Scenic HighwayCalifornia Scenic Highway

California Scenic HighwayCalifornia Scenic Highway

Through The GapThrough The Gap

Around The BendAround The Bend

Toy CarsToy Cars

Sierra Nevada DriveSierra Nevada Drive

The HumpsThe Humps

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

The Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevadas

 

Its hard to look at those magnificent views and not believe there is a God who created all of it! Isn't God amazing?

Stay tuned for my last blog post from our trip - Day 8 - San Francisco! If you haven't already, check out my other blog post of Day 7 of Kings Canyon Grant Grove and Sequoia National Park!

>> Click Here to view the other half of Day 7 photos <<

 

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(Seth Berry Photography) Seth Berry Photography blog california information moro moro rock mount mount whitney mountains national nevadas park roads rock sequoia sequoia national park sierra travel whitney https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2013/9/western-road-trip-2013-day-7---moro-rock Mon, 23 Sep 2013 20:57:04 GMT
WESTERN ROAD TRIP 2013 | Day 7 - Sequoia NP & Pacific Coast https://www.sethberryphotography.com/blog/2013/9/western-road-trip-2013-day-7---sequoia-np-pacific-coast **Click the links below to visit all of my galleries from my Western Trip or to purchase a Seth Berry Photography print:
Yosemite National Park  |  Death Valley National Park  |  Sequoia National Park  |  Kings Canyon National Park
Mono Lake, CA  |  Bodie, CA  |  Nevada Deserts  |  California  |  San Francisco

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

For this blog post, I've split the day up into two blog entries. When we were in Sequoia National Park, not only did we witness the most beautiful forest of sequoia trees in the world, but we hiked up to my favorite vista point we had seen the entire trip - Moro Rock! Since I captured some of my favorite pictures of the whole trip at this one location, I've created a separate blog post just for it. To view the incredible scenes from Moro Rock, click on the link below. But first, scroll through this blog post to see the mystical trees of Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park, and our final drive to the Pacific Coast!

>> Click Here to view my Moro Rock photos <<

 

Friday, August 16 (Day 7)

It was hard to believe our week long monumental trip we had planned for a year was finally on its last stretch. While we were each beyond exhausted, I was kind of sad this day was my last day I would spend in the most amazing National Parks I had ever visited - that is until I make my next trip across the US. But only did I not know, these last two days I would see some of my most memorable spots of the whole trip!

After sleeping three nights in Camp Curry under the massive granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley amongst hundreds of other campers, our silent night in our dainty cabin in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park was rather pleasant. For three nights, Camp Curry mainly served as our place to crash after our long days of adventuring Yosemite. With it being a small tent packed between a village of white tents and rather noisy people all around us, we could hear almost everything throughout the night including a screaming child each night around 3:00am. But our cabin in Grant Grove was nicely secluded under a forest of huge trees with not near as many people around us. The cabin from the outside wasn't too special (although to me, I really liked it), but in the inside it had the same feel as a vacation log cabin in the mountains. I would have loved to spend more time there.

After sleeping a little later than normal and a refreshing $1 hot water shower, we took our time as we packed up for the last time all of our junk we accumulated throughout our road trip. Our first destination was the Kings Canyon Grant Grove trail, which was a nice cool morning hike through a path of legendary sequoia trees. Only about 5 minutes from our cabin, this forest of sequoia trees was home of the 2nd largest sequoia tree in the world, "General Grant". Named in honor or Ulysses S. Grant in 1867, the huge tree was coined the "Nation's Christmas Tree" by President Calvin Coolidge.

The following pictures take you along the Grant Grove trail to see the General Grant amongst other huge sequoia trees and even through the center of a fallen sequoia tree.

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove CabinGrant Grove Cabin

Grant Grove CabinGrant Grove Cabin

Grant Grove CabinGrant Grove Cabin

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Giant Sequoia, Grant GroveGiant Sequoia, Grant Grove

Below: Walking through the inside of the Fallen Moncarch (a fallen sequoia tree):

Grant Grove Fallen MonarchGrant Grove Fallen Monarch

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Below: The 2nd largest tree in the world - the General Grant sequoia tree

General Grant, Kings Canyon National ParkGeneral Grant, Kings Canyon National Park

General Grant, Kings Canyon National ParkGeneral Grant, Kings Canyon National Park

General Grant, Kings Canyon National ParkGeneral Grant, Kings Canyon National Park

General Grant, Kings Canyon National ParkGeneral Grant, Kings Canyon National Park

General Grant, Kings Canyon National ParkGeneral Grant, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National ParkGrant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

 

 

Sequoia National Park

After hiking in Grant Grove, we continued on the scenic Generals Highway out of Kings Canyon National Park and into Sequoia National Park, where we would see the most condensed forest of sequoia trees the entire trip! Up until then, Yosemite's Mariposa Grove and Kings Canyon's Grant Grove were only a patch compared to the dense forest of Sequoia National Park.

The drive through the park was as if you were in a fantasy land, as every turn you pass through some of the biggest trees in the world. We had our sunroof open during this drive so we could see the shear beauty of the sequoia canopy we were driving under. Our first major attraction on the drive was driving underneath the famous Tunnel Log - a fallen sequoia tree large enough to drive through! Then we made our way to the parking area to hike to the largest tree in the world - General Sherman. Its hard to capture the magnificent grandness of these beautiful trees in photographs, but I've include pictures of people and us in them to show you the scale of how large they are. To fully grasp how huge they are, you need to experience them in person if you ever have the privilege!

Also in Sequoia National Park, we drove to Moro Rock where we would see the most amazing vista point we had seen the whole trip. Remember to click on the link above to see those pictures!

 

Below: The famous Tunnel Log tree, large enough for our car to drive through!

Tunnel Log, Sequoia National ParkTunnel Log, Sequoia National Park

Tunnel Log, Sequoia National ParkTunnel Log, Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Large Things Come in Small PackagesLarge Things Come in Small Packages

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

Below: The next 4 pictures are of the largest tree in the world - General Sherman

General Sherman, Sequoia National ParkGeneral Sherman, Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

General Sherman, Sequoia National ParkGeneral Sherman, Sequoia National Park

General Sherman, Sequoia National ParkGeneral Sherman, Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National ParkSequoia National Park

 

Pacific Coast Highway - Route 1

After spending half our day in the largest sequoia forests in the world, it was time for us to make our last long drive of our trip. We decided to turn our trip to San Francisco into a five hour scenic drive straight westward to hit the Pacific Ocean and follow the Pacific Coast Highway north to our final destination. Our off the route path consisted of us driving through the beautiful farmlands of the Central Valley of California, through Los Banos, up the golden hills and coastal mountains, through the town of Hollister and reaching the Pacific Coast at Santa Cruz.

There are many places I would love to revisit in the future (Lone Pine, Kings Canyon, etc) but the Pacific Coast is definitely at the top of all of them. Being my first time I had ever seen the Pacific Ocean, I was amazed at the vast beauty surrounded by ocean, mountains, and giant rock cliffs. To top it off, we reached the coast right as the sun was going down so it certainly made a dramatic effect!

In the beautiful beach town of Santa Cruz, we drove to the Natural Bridge State Park where we saw the amazing rock formation of a bridge out in the ocean - something you have probably seen in a lot of magazines. Then we drove up the coast and found a nice pull off for beach access along the Pacific Coast Highway. To say the least, it was simply breathtaking - the pictures will tell. I did take the advantage to get into the cold water up to my knees to say that I'd been in the Pacific Ocean. Finally, we continued driving north as a dense fog began to engulf us. The Pacific Ocean is well known for its foggy weather, especially around the San Francisco area. While we were driving in the dark fog, we could see a flashing light in the distance. As we got closer we could tell it was from a beautiful lighthouse - the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. This was a paradise for lighthouse lovers. We only had a couple minutes to get out and see the beautiful place since it was getting dark. I would love to go back there again. We finally made it to our last destination, our hotel in San Francisco, tired and worn out...knowing tomorrow would be our last full day of vacation.

California Golden HillsCalifornia Golden Hills

California Golden HillsCalifornia Golden Hills

California Golden HillsCalifornia Golden Hills

Natural Bridge, Santa Cruz, CANatural Bridge, Santa Cruz, CA

Natural Bridge, Santa Cruz, CANatural Bridge, Santa Cruz, CA

Natural Bridge, Santa Cruz, CANatural Bridge, Santa Cruz, CA

California Pacific Coast SunsetCalifornia Pacific Coast Sunset