travel

Discovering Portugal

/ Chuck Palmer / 8 Comments

Our plane had just touched down in Porto, Portugal when anticipation and excitement overcame our jetlag from a very long travel day. Traveling Portugal had been on our bucket list for a very long time. “Let the adventure begin” Nancy exclaimed. We were looking forward to experiencing Portugal’s culture, history, cuisine, and natural wonders.

We decided to begin our adventure in Porto in the North, then wind our way South by car all the way to the Algarve coast . . . the southernmost coast in Portugal. Nancy planned 2–3 night stops at historic destinations along the way, ending up in Lisbon before flying home.

Although driving in the small walled cities is not for the faint of heart, we found Portugal’s major highways are among the best we have ever traveled in Europe.

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My Favorite 2023 Images and the Stories behind them. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 7 Comments

I always enjoy reliving family events, the places I have been, and the people I have met. Every year I review all the photos I captured and select my favorite ten. Like every year, this exercise also gives me some great ideas for photography goals in the new year. My top ten photos this year reflect travels, family gatherings, or just a unique photo opportunity while navigating everyday life. So here they are, in no particular order. . .  my top ten favorite images of 2023 and the stories behind them.

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My Favorite 2022 Images and the Stories behind them. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 9 Comments

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.

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Exploring Alaska’s Inside Passage

/ Chuck Palmer / 13 Comments

. . . aboard the National Geographic Venture

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.

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Death Valley National Park. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 12 Comments

. . . A remarkably diverse landscape to explore

Death Valley National Park

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.

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My Favorite 2021 Images and the Stories behind them. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 12 Comments

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.

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Exploring Boneyard Beach

/ Chuck Palmer / 5 Comments
Boneyard Beach, Big Talbot Island, FL
Boneyard Beach, Big Talbot Island, FL

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.

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Exploring Tuscany. . . the culture, delicious food, and unforgettable scenery

/ Chuck Palmer / 4 Comments

I could feel my excitement growing as the train slowed to a stop in Chiusi, our gateway to exploring the Tuscany region of Italy. We had just spent a few hours on a very comfortable Italian train originating from Venice so we were ready to begin our Tuscany adventure. There is no place on earth like Tuscany. Beautiful medieval towns, rolling hill landscapes, art, delicious food, and some of the best wine in the world. We were anxious to get going on our adventure.

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Exploring the Cyclades Islands aboard the Sea Cloud

/ Chuck Palmer / 4 Comments

The Sea Cloud - Piraeus, Greece

The Sea Cloud – Piraeus, Greece

As my wife and I stepped off the shuttle bus dockside at the historic port of Piraeus, Greece, we were amazed to see her rich mahogany woodwork, and gleaming brass.  We had read about the legendary Sea Cloud sailing ship but after seeing her for the first time we felt we were about to step back into history. Our early September 7-day sailing adventure was about to begin. . . Exploring the Greek Cyclades Islands aboard the historic square-rigger. As we boarded this magnificent ship, we were greeted by our expedition director and his staff from National Geographic and the ship’s capable crew.

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