Tag: nature

Virginia Trip, 2018: Luray Caverns

Michael Rappa

These photos are from Luray Caverns in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The stalagmites and stalactites of the caverns create remarkable landscapes that look like scenes from an Alien film. Another attraction to look out for is the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which uses the stalactites of the cavern as pipes. When played it sounds similar to a xylophone.

I only wish I’d had my new wide-angle fast lens with me at the time (these were shot with a 50mm prime lens, which was great for the low-light conditions but limited in how much of the landscape it could capture in one photo).

Click on any photo to open a gallery.

Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns: Great Stalacpipe Organ
Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns

View More Photos From This Trip

Upstate New York Trip, 2015: Letchworth Middle/Upper Falls Hike

Michael Rappa

These photos are from my hike along the Middle and Upper Falls of Letchworth State Park in Upstate New York. As I’ve mentioned before, Letchworth is one of my favorite parks, rivaling some of the national parks in splendor.

Click on any photo to open a gallery.

View More Photos From This Trip

Glacier National Park, 2019: Avalanche Lake Trail

Michael Rappa

Greetings, readers, it’s been a while, but this post is hopefully the start of my renewed dedication to this blog.

Back in September I took another trip out west, this time to Glacier National Park and then Seattle. The photos below are from my final hike on my last day in Glacier. I had almost quit the Avalanche Lake Trail before the end because it was late in the day, the woods were getting dark, and I was hiking through grizzly country with very few other hikers on the trail, but I’m glad I stuck it out because the reward at the end was more than worth it: a pristine hidden lake casting a perfect mirror image of the earth and sky above, including a pair of waterfalls in the distance.

Click on any photo to open a gallery.

Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake Trail
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake Trail
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake Trail

View More Photos from Glacier National Park

Virginia Trip, 2018: The Farmhouse

Michael Rappa

This past October we took a road trip down to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to try and catch the fall foliage. Unfortunately, extended warm weather and a very heavy season of rain meant that everything was still green when we got down there (not that there’s anything wrong with green, just not what we were hoping for). Despite that, it was still a nice getaway.

These photos are from the charming farmhouse we rented in the town of Luray in the Shenandoah Valley. The grounds and interior were beautiful; I could totally get used to living like that, though the location was a little too remote for my wife’s taste. I, on the other hand, loved the privacy, and we both dug the feeling of staying in a historic place while still enjoying modern amenities. I would definitely recommend the farmhouse if you’re planning a trip to the area. Just do a google search for “luray modern farmhouse.”

Click on any photo to open a gallery.

Our Farmhouse Rental
Our Farmhouse Rental
Our Farmhouse Rental
Our Farmhouse Rental
The cows in the farm next door to our farmhouse rental.
The cows in the farm next door to our farmhouse rental.
Our Farmhouse Rental: Ollie surfs the web with his mommy.
Our Farmhouse Rental
Our Farmhouse Rental
Our Farmhouse Rental
Our Farmhouse Rental
Babbling brook on the grounds of our farmhouse rental.

View More Photos From This Trip

Upstate New York Trip, 2015: Letchworth Lower Falls and Bridge

Michael Rappa

These photos are from my September 2015 visit to Letchworth State Park in Upstate New York, covering my hikes of the trails leading to the stone footbridge across the Genesee River, the Lower Falls, and down to the floor of the gorge at the site of a lost town called St. Helena. Despite not being a national park, Letchworth is among the more beautiful American parks you’re likely to visit.

Click on any photo to open a gallery.

View More Photos From This Trip

American Northwest Trip, 2017: Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park

Michael Rappa

On the way to Mount Rushmore I detoured for several scenic drives, including Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop, which takes you through rolling green hills reminiscent of the English countryside. For most of the drive I did not encounter much wildlife except for a lone antelope and a distant herd of bison, but toward the end I came upon a vast field of prairie dogs, antelope, and other animals. It’s a nice, pleasant drive, worth the diversion if you have the time.

Click on any photo below to open a gallery.

Antelope having a siesta.
Herd of bison in the distance.
Prairie Dog
Wider shot of antelope (foreground) and rolling hills.
Prairie Dog
All of the dirt mounds in the field here are prairie dog holes.
Mules?
You can see how the prairie dogs have worn paths in the grass between their holes.
Antelope in the distance, prairie dog holes in the foreground.

View More Photos from This Trip

American Northwest Trip, 2017: Grand Teton National Park

Michael Rappa

When I was planning my trip out west last year, I wasn’t sure whether a day trip to Grand Teton National Park was worth spending one fewer day in Yellowstone, so I inquired with a couple of friends, who told me that I should definitely see it. I decided to go for it, and I’m glad that I did. Grand Teton is a park filled with majestic mountain peaks and beautiful lakes. The photos below feature shots taken at Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake, and Snake River (site of one of Ansel Adams’ most famous photographs), as well as miscellaneous photos taken from around the park. My next post will highlight Grand Teton’s historic buildings, such as those located on Mormon Row.

Click on any photo to open a gallery.

Jackson Lake
Jackson Lake
Jackson Lake
Jackson Lake
Jackson Lake
Jackson Lake
View from the top of Signal Mountain.
View from the top of Signal Mountain.
Jenny Lake
Jenny Lake
Jenny Lake
Snake River. This is almost the exact same spot from where Ansel Adams took his famous photo.
Snake River

View More Photos from Grand Teton

Photo of the Day: Old Faithful Rainbow

Michael RappaLeave a comment

Greetings readers, and long time no see. It’s been ages since I’ve posted, in part because I got super busy at work, but also because I spent several months culling and processing all of the photos I took during my two-week trip out west this past summer. Hopefully now that I’m mostly caught up, I’ll be able to start posting more often and maybe get back to updating my trip journal again.

In the meantime, here’s a photo taken during my stay in Yellowstone National Park of Old Faithful erupting and producing a pretty rainbow in the process.

Date: 8/28/2017
Camera: NIKON D5100
Click for larger view

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

Photo of the Day: Backyard Bird

Michael RappaLeave a comment

It’s almost that time of year again when multitudes of bird species will begin flying in and out of the forest behind my house, so I don’t even need to leave the comfort of my backyard patio to go bird watching. 🙂

Here’s a shot from the spring of 2013 taken with my old megazoom point-and-shoot.

Date: 5/4/2013
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

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

Photo of the Day: Yosemite Reflection

Michael Rappa2 Comments

I recently came across this photo from my 2014 hike through Yosemite Valley and thought it was worth sharing.

Date: 10/18/2014
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

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