Sunrise over Badlands

One man's *badland* is another man's national park. One of my new favorite American national parks is Badlands–a geologically and visually fascinating nature's playground with the rugged terrain, extreme temperatures and no water. It was definitely worth to wake up at 3:30 am to catch the sunrise over the park's unique rock formations.

Wild Horses of Roosevelt National Park

Hi, I'm one of the few hundred wild horses left in the US (and in the world). Together with my brothers and sisters I roam the plains of western North Dakota. I live a happy and content life. My largest source of entertainment are humans. Every day hundreds of them stop near me and take photos. I know, I'm mesmerizingly beautiful, but, please, that's not the reason to stare! Learn some manners! I don't come to your home and don't stare at you going around and taking care of your business... ;)

Off the Beaten Path

I'd be very surprised if any of my readers have heard about Makoshika State Park before I mentioned it just right now. Unless somebody out here is from Glendive, MO? :) I haven't heard about this beautiful park until I stumbled upon it during my last summer's trip and even now I had to re-check its name as not to misspell it. The existence of this magnificent, yet almost completely unknown park, is a great reminder to get "off the beaten path" more often.

Makoshika State Park

Surprise! The Blog Is Coming Back from a Hiatus

After a several-month-long break, the blog is coming back to live. However, I'm going to try something new. For the next 365 days I plan to post "one photo a day." It might be a photo taken on the day that I'm posting it, or–more likely–it will be one of my old photos with a few sentences of commentary providing context to the photo. I decided to try this new format as I miss blogging but I don't have enough time to write the longer blog posts I used to. I have a feeling that this new format will work well for me and I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Clarion Alley Mural Project

One of my favorite places in San Francisco to enjoy modern art is Clarion Alley in the Mission District, which hosts tens of cool murals, such as the one pictured below. If you haven't been there yet, make sure to check it out! Clarion Alley is between and parallel to 17th and 18th Streets and runs from Mission St to Valencia St.

Fog that Ate the Golden Gate Bridge

Pacific winds and a good fortune brought fog to Golden Gate Strait at the precise day and moment for which we planned a photographic expedition to Hawk Hill to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge.

I had a feeling that today would be a good day for photography, as two days ago the first clouds appeared on the San Francisco's sky. However, the weather turned out to be so much better than what I had hoped for. Not only there were clouds on the sky but also the first fog of the season rolled in as we approached the bridge! We spent over two hours observing and photographing the amazing spectacle of water, winds, sun and fog, feeling extremely grateful for the awesome city we can call our home.

Don't Judge Book by Its Cover

Before I traveled to Florida, I thought of it as a place overflowing with old retirees and young college drunks, a flat land that doesn't have much to offer. I was proved wrong. Florida turned out to be beautiful, lush, tropical and full of interesting animals. Our favorite place there was Bahia Honda, pictured on the photo below. We'll for sure be back!

Bahia Honda at Sunset.

Strangled Entangled

Entangled by a strangler fig, the Buddha's head keeps on fascinating: to some as a religious object, to others as a unique art form–a merger of human design and forces of nature.

Found and photographed in 2012 at Wat Maha That in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Why Isn't the Golden Gate Bridge Gold?

Because the name refers not to the color of the bridge but to the Golden Gate Strait which is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.

The color of the bridge is orange vermilion, aka "International Orange." The orange vermillion color was chosen by architect Irving Morrow to be consistent with the bridge's natural setting among the warm colors of the land masses and to differentiate it from the cool colors of the sky and sea.

That's my bit of trivia for today :)

"Look, the Golden Gate Bridge, - Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco treat"

Mama Bear at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park

Seeing Grizzly Bears fish for salmon at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park in Alaska was an absolute highlight of our anyway splendid Alaskan adventure. I became particularly fond of the pictured below Mama Bear who was relentlessly trying to catch salmon for her three young babies, while making sure they wouldn't become food for other larger bears. That's one tough motherhood!

Weather Forecast Apparatus from Africa

The most reliable weather forecast apparatus :) - I found this gem at the Nakop border post between South Africa and Namibia. Years later, it still puts a smile on my face.

Mt. Whitney Take Two

Two months ago Anil and I climbed Mt. Whitney, which at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) is the highest peak in the contiguous US. Getting to the Mt. Whitney summit isn't actually that difficult, as it doesn't involve a technical climb, just hiking. Still, not many people reach the summit, defeated either by Whitney's elevation or the length of the hike (it's 22 miles, round trip).

I'm proud to say that not only Anil and I reached the summit without any trouble, but also we didn't feel tired at all or had any pains the next day. It's great to know that our middle-aged bodies are still capable of such physical effort.

In few minutes I'm leaving for another backpacking expedition in the Sierras, which will also culminate in the climb of Mt. Whitney. But this time I'll be hiking over 120 miles, carrying tent, sleeping bag, mattress, food and all other supplies needed for the hike. All of these come to about 44 pounds and my camera weighs another six, so it'll be somewhat tough.

Wish me luck and don't get worried if you don't hear from me for a week or two. I won't have Internet nor phone reception.

Two photos from Mt. Whitney summit that we took in June this year.

See America–More Statistics

As a follow up to the previous post about the national parks in the United States that I explored within the last six-and-a-half years I decided to also map all the US states that I visited within last decade (I visited some of the states before I moved to the US).

As of 2013¹, the United States of America consists of 50 states and one federal district (Washington, D.C.²). So far I have visited 29 out of 51 of these units and I'd love to have the opportunity to visit the remaining 22 states within next several years.

I live in the most populous state (California) and just a month ago I visited the least populous state (Wyoming). This year I was vacationing in the two newest states–Hawaii and Alaska–which were admitted to the Union only in 1959. Alaska is also the largest state by area. Rhode Island is the smallest and–to the best of my knowledge–I haven't set my foot there yet.

Here's a map showing the states I visited (colors have no meaning, they were randomly assigned by the software that generated the map). I hope to color the remaining white spots within next five years but I might have hard time convincing my husband to travel there with me. Maybe it's a trip that I need to take by myself.

US states that I visited are shown in color.

¹ On May 15, 2013, non-voting Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico asked Congress to admit Puerto Rico as the 51st state.
² The District of Columbia doesn't have full statehood rights, as it was the intention of the Founding Fathers that the United States capital should be at a neutral site.

See America–Mid-2013 Update

Even though for me traveling is about journey not destination, having numerical data on the national parks and other federally protected areas in the US that I have visited during last six and a half years appeals to my overly organized nature. So here it comes. Again.

The United States has 59 national parks and 103 national monuments. The oldest national park is Yellowstone (established in 1872) and the youngest is Pinnacles National Park (2013). Most national parks are located in California (nine), followed by Alaska (eight), Utah (five) and Colorado (four).

I have been to 41 out of 59 national parks (to most more than once, see the list below). Each single one of these parks was beautiful and inspiring in its own way. And each single one of them made me feel grateful to the Mother Nature for creating such amazing wonders, as well as to the Americans who had enough foresight to recognize the importance of protecting these places and making them easily accessible to anybody willing to step out of their home.


Here is the list of national parks in the US and the dates when I visited them.

Parks of the Colorado Plateau:

Arches National Park - visited in 2008 (summer), 2012 (winter), and 2013 (summer)
Bryce Canyon National Park - visited in 2006 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2010 (summer), and 2012 (spring and winter)
Canyonlands National Park - visited in 2008 (summer), 2012 (winter), 2013 (summer)
Capitol Reef National Park - visited in 2008 (summer)
Grand Canyon National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2009 (spring), 2010 (summer), 2012 (spring and winter)
Great Basin National Park - visited in 2013 (spring) Mesa Verde National Park - visited in 2008 (summer) and 2012 (winter)
Petrified Forest National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Saguaro National Park - visited in 2013 (spring)
Zion National Park - visited in 2006 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2012 (spring) and 2013 (winter)


Parks of the Southwest:

Big Bend National Park - not visited yet
Carlsbad Caverns National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)


Parks of the Pacific Southwest:

National Park of American Samoa - not visited yet
Channel Islands National Park - visited in 2010 (fall)
Death Valley National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2010 (summer), 2011 (fall) and 2012 (spring)
Haleakala National Park - visited in 2009 (summer)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - visited in 2013 (spring)
Joshua Tree National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2010 (summer), 2012 (spring and fall)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park - visited in 2009 (summer)
Yosemite National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2009 (spring, summer, and fall), 2011 (spring and summer), 2012 (winter)
Pinnacles National Park - visited in 2008 (fall), 2011 (spring), and 2012 (fall)


Parks of the Pacific Northwest:

Crater Lake National Park - visited in 2011 (summer) and 2012 (fall)
Lassen Volcanic National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Mount Rainier National Park - visited in 2011 (summer)
North Cascades National Park - not yet, likely next year on the way to Alaska
Olympic National Park - visited in 2011 (summer)
Redwood National Park - visited in 2005 (spring) and 2011 (summer)


Parks of Alaska:

Denali National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Glacier Bay National Park
Katmai National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Kenai Fjords National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park


Parks of the Rocky Mountains:

Badlands National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Grand Teton National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Great Sand Dunes National Park -visited in 2010 (summer)
Rocky Mountain National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Theodore Roosevelt National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Glacier National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Wind Cave National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Yellowstone National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)


Parks of the East:

Acadia National Park - not explored yet at all
Biscayne National Park - visited in 2011/2012 (winter)
Congaree National Park - not explored yet at all
Cuyahoga Valley National Park - not explored yet at all
Dry Tortugas National Park - visited in 2011 (winter)
Everglades National Park - visited in 2011 (winter)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - not explored yet at all
Hot Springs National Park - not explored yet at all
Isle Royale National Park - not explored yet at all
Mammoth Cave National Park - not explored yet at all
Shenandoah National Park - not explored yet at all
Virgin Islands National Park - not explored yet at all
Voyageurs National Park - not explored yet at all


I've also been to 35 out of 103 national monuments (Aztec Ruins, NM, Bandelier, NM, Cabrillo, CA, California Coastal, CA, Canyon de Chelly, AZ, Canyons of the Ancients, CO, Carrizo Plain, CA, Casa Grande Ruins, AZ, Cedar Breaks, UH, Chiricahua, AZ, Colorado, CO, Devil's Postpile, CA, Devils Tower, WY, Giant Sequoia, CA, Grand Staircase-Escalante, UH, Hovenweep, CO+UH, Jewel Cave, SD, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM, Lava Beds, CA, Montezuma Castle, AZ, Mount St. Helens, WA, Muir Woods, CA, Natural Bridges, UH, Navajo, AZ,  Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ, Rainbow Bridge, UH, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, CA, Sonoran Desert, AZ, Sunset Crater Volcano, AZ, Tuzigoot, AZ, Vermilion Cliffs, AZ, Walnut Canyon, AZ, White Sands, NM, World War II Valor in the Pacific (HI part), Wupatki, AZ), 5 out of 18 national preserves (Denali, AZ, Katmai, AZ, Great Sand Dunes, CO; Mojave, CA; Big Cypress), 6 out of 46 national historic parks (Boston NHP, MA, Chaco Culture NHP, NM, Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP, HI, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau NHP, HI, San Francisco Maritime NHP, CA, Lewis and Clark NHP, OR), 5 out of 18 national recreation areas (Glen Canyon NRA, UH+AZ, Lake Mead NRA, NV+AZ, Golden Gate NRA, CA, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, CA, Whiskeytown NRA, CA), 1 out of 10 national seashores (Point Reyes, CA), and to none of 4 national lakeshores, 5 national rivers, 10 national wild and scenic rivers, 3 national reserves, 9 national parkways.

Actually, I do not aspire to see most of those places (e.g. majority of the historic sites sound pretty boring to me...) but I guess I would love to see all of the national parks. It looks like it will be a 10-year project!

Moreover, I would love to visit all 21 World Heritage Sites located in the US. As 13 of them are national parks, it shouldn't be too difficult. (The national parks on the list are: Carlsbad Caverns, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii Volcanoes, Mammoth Cave, Mesa Verde, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Olympic, Redwood, Glacier, Wrangell-Glacier Bay NPs).

Remaining 8 positions on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are:

Pueblo de Taos, NM - visited in 2010
Chaco Culture, NM - visited in 2012
Statue of Liberty
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, IL
Independence Hall
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site
Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
Papahānaumokuākea

So far I've been to 12 out of 21 of World Heritage Sites, and I hope to be able to visit remaining 9 within next five years.

Alaska, Here We Come!

This is one busy summer. Less than a week ago we came back from a three-week-long trip to Yellowstone and surrounding national parks, and today we're flying to Alaska for two weeks.

Badlands National Park - One of the Highlights of the "Yellowstone Trip"

I sincerely hope Alaska will be as beautiful and intriguing as I imagine, as I've never had to work so hard to plan any other trip as this one. Planning the trip to Alaska took a lot of time because of two key reasons: (1) Not many places in Alaska can be reached by roads, hence the need to prearrange other forms of transport like small planes and/or boats; (2) Not many businesses in Alaska have good websites and online reservation systems, which meant that I needed to spend many hours on the phone calling one business after the other.

But now the planning phase is over and it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the new frontier :)