Union Transportation Trail – October, 2020

Back in late October my wife and I decided to check out the relatively new (opened in 2010) Union Transportation Trail in Upper Freehold, a nine-mile rail trail not far from where we live. I was itching to get out and about after being mostly homebound for seven months (outside of a week in Cape May in September and dog walks around the neighborhood, I had barely left the house since the pandemic began), and it seemed like a good opportunity to see some fall foliage.

We got a late start, so we only had time to do the short leg of the trail traveling north from the Sharon Station Road parking area to 539–this section of the trail had opened to the public in 2017. It’s a pleasant little trail that also has a detour through trees that opens up into a large field of wild grass. I’m looking forward to returning to explore the southern portion of the trail, as well as the new section being planned that will extend the trail all the way to our home town.

Here are a few photos from our short hike:

Glacier National Park, 2019: Trail of Cedars

These photos are from my hike of the Trail of Cedars, an easy stroll through the woods that hooks up with the highly-recommended Avalanche Lake Trail around the halfway point.

Click on any photo to open a gallery.

View More Photos from Glacier National Park

American Northwest Trip, 2017: Wyoming Scenic Drive

These photos are from my long drive across the entire state of Wyoming from Yellowstone to Deadwood, South Dakota, a roughly ten-hour drive counting stops and other delays. The road trip began with a scenic drive out of Yellowstone via the East Entrance (first photo), followed by a gorgeous drive through Shoshone National Forest (middle nine photos).

After a stop in Cody for dinner and a visit to an Old West town, I got back on the road and spent hours as frequently the only car on a flat, single-lane highway—the kind of seemingly deserted road you see in the movies. I passed by myriad ranches and their large, wooden entry gates, as well as numerous oil derricks. For a moment I was concerned that I might have to drive through major cities during rush hour, but then I remembered I was in Wyoming, where there’s no such thing as a major city.

I was beginning to think that the rest of the drive through Wyoming would be mostly flat and uninteresting—until I hit Bighorn National Forest (the last four photos). What a stunning drive that was, up and down a mountain range through spectacular scenery. It’s a shame I only had time to stop for a few photos (ones that don’t do it justice) because I literally could have stopped every hundred feet. It’s an area that demands a return visit some day just to spend more time basking in its breathtaking scenery.

If you ever find yourself driving through Wyoming, I highly recommend leaving the freeway and taking a drive along Highway 14 through these amazing national forests.

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View More Photos from This Trip

Photo of the Day: Misty Mountain

I thought it might be a neat exercise to hone my black-and-white conversion skills on some of my favorite older color photos that haven’t aged well (due to being shot with low-quality digital cameras). This is my first attempt, a photo taken during my foggy hike up to the top of Clingmans Dome in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains back in 2004.

Date: 7/4/2004
Camera: Fuji FinePix2650
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Jungle Pyramid

This is a shot of the Pyramid of the Magician rising above the jungle in Uxmal, Mexico. This was my favorite of the pyramid sites I visited: more remote, less crowded, and less touristy than the more famous sites of Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan. When you walk around here you can really feel like you’re in the middle of an Indiana Jones film.

Date: 11/2/2013
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.