It’s an annual tradition. Every year I enjoy reviewing the places I’ve been, remembering the people I’ve met, and reflecting on the experiences I’ve learned along the way. You learn a lot by looking through all the pictures you have taken during the year. I find that selecting ten story-driven photos is a great way to relive the places and people who especially impacted my life during the year. I have been doing this for eleven years now, and I am always amazed by how reflecting on the past can help you navigate the future. None of these photos will win any awards, but they bring back meaningful stories for me. So in no particular order, here are my top ten photos of the year, and the stories behind them.
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Exploring New Zealand
. . . aboard the National Geographic Orion
How do you go about exploring an island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean with two main landmasses and over 700 smaller islands? We could not think of a better way than a small ship cruise aboard the National Geographic Orion.
Although New Zealand Airlines provided a pleasurable overnight flight from Los Angeles, we were a little exhausted. But we were ready to begin our adventure as soon as possible. We landed in Auckland, the most populous city in New Zealand and home to the “Port of Auckland” where we will board the Orion. After a couple of sightseeing days in Auckland, the Orion will navigate interesting bays, small towns, and national parks along the East Coast of the “North Island”, then cruise through Cook Strait on the way to explore the West Coast of the “South Island”.
Continue readingMy Favorite 2022 Images and the Stories behind them. . .
For several years now, I have reviewed all my photos taken during the year and selected my favorite top ten images. I always enjoy reliving our family events, the places I have been, and the people I have met. This exercise also gives me some great ideas for photography goals in the new year. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys photography. Many of my top ten photos this year reflect travels to a couple of places that have been on my wife’s and my bucket list for a long time. We were excited to be able to travel more often in 2022. So here they are. . . my top ten favorite images of 2022 and the stories behind them.
Continue readingExploring Alaska’s Inside Passage
. . . aboard the National Geographic Venture
It was one of those rare white-knuckle experiences as our plane suddenly pulled up from what felt like a normal landing. It was our final approach into Sitka, Alaska where we were to embark on a “bucket list” adventure. Fog and cloud cover prevented a line-of-sight landing on our Captain’s first attempt, but he informed us he had fuel enough for a couple more tries. I can’t say that comforted my wife and me any or increased the blood flow in our knuckles as we held tight to our armrests. . . We also wondered if fog and cloud cover would follow us during our Alaska adventure over the course of next week.
Continue readingDeath Valley National Park. . .
. . . A remarkably diverse landscape to explore
Driving into Death Valley National Park along California Highway 190, you certainly understand how Death Valley got its name. The brown barren desert landscape is all you can see for miles around. We were headed for “The Ranch at Death Valley”, a self-described casual hotel that would be our home base for the next 6 days. The Ranch turned out to be a convenient centrally located lodge to access the Valley’s most remarkable places to visit. We were excited to finally explore one of the few major National Parks we have never experienced, but we were not at all prepared for the landscape vistas and diversity we were about to encounter.
Continue readingMy Favorite 2021 Images and the Stories behind them. . .
It is my tradition to pick my favorite images of the year and tell the stories behind them. Reviewing all my photos from the year is always fun. The exercise provides insight on where I have been, the people I have met, and gives me some ideas for resolutions in the new year. I get to relive the experiences and special moments all over again, and I learn a lot. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys photography. You will find the difficult part is selecting only 10 favorites. I spent almost another full year socially distanced at home but managed to enjoy some travel to National Parks at year end. Several of my favorite photos came from these travels, and a few from right around my hometown.
So once again, here are my top ten favorite images of 2021 and the stories behind them.
Continue readingExploring Rocky Mountain National Park
It was just before sunrise when we drove up to the Fall River Entrance Station of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was one of those crisp Colorado mornings, the dry cool air was so refreshing that we decided to leave the car window open as we headed to Bear Lake Road for our first hike since we arrived in nearby Estes Park, CO.
Continue readingExploring Boneyard Beach
We stepped from the park path down onto the beach and I thought I just might have stumbled into a scene from the Twilight Zone. The beach scattered with massive driftwood trees resembled images of a pre-historic graveyard. My wife and I looked at each other and almost in unison said, “now we know how this place got its name”. We were at Boneyard Beach on Big Talbot Island, a closely kept secret beach on Florida’s East Coast, just Northeast of Jacksonville.
Continue readingAll Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer. . .
I was a little apprehensive climbing on the charter bus on a warm June morning in Vancouver, Canada. My wife and I rarely travel in a tour group preferring to take our own path while traveling. . . planning our own days and arranging our own accommodations. Our bus was about to take us to a unique travel experience… especially for us. Just a few minutes away our driver would drop us off at the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station. For the next two days we would see the back-country sights of the Canadian Rockies from the legendary Rocky Mountaineer Train.
Continue readingCapture Brevard 2017 – A look at the lifestyle on the East Coast of Florida
For the second year in a row, I participated in a project to “Capture Brevard”, highlighting the lifestyle of the place I call home along the Central East Coast of Florida. Brevard County, also known as the “Space Coast” is the 10th largest county in Florida. Located halfway between Jacksonville and Miami, residents and visitors enjoy 72 miles of beaches, and vast inland waterway lagoons. Of course the Space Coast is known world-wide as the origin of space explorations and rocket launches.
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Chuck Palmer 