Landscapes Galleries

2009 Fall Colors in Michigan's UP : I recently returned from a two-week camping trip in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I took over eleven hundred pictures and Rachel helped me narrow them down to these 130 or so. Whew! What a job! It rained much of the time I was away but that enhanced the brilliance of the colors because of the wet leaves and made possible slower shutter speeds so I could get softer waterfalls. The main purpose of my trip was to just spend time being together with God and what a time we had! I hope you enjoy the pictures and thanks for looking! By the way, the location where many of these pictures were taken can be found using the "MAP THIS" feature at the top of the page. Over time I'll work on placing other pictures on the map as well.

2009 Fall Colors in Michigan's UP

I recently returned from a two-week camping trip in Michigan's Upper P ...

Updated: Oct 13, 2009 8:45am PST

2009 Matthiessen State Park : Matthiessen State Park is an Illinois state park located a few miles south of the more famous Starved Rock State Park. The main entrances to both parks are located on Illinois State Route 178. The park is near Oglesby, in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. and is named for Frederick William Matthiessen, who had originally owned the property and managed it as a private park. The park was donated to Illinois following Matthiessen's death, and was renamed in his honor in 1943. The park is centered around a stream that flows from Matthiessen Lake to the Vermilion River. The stream has cut partway through the sandstone layers, leaving interesting rock formations and drops including the 45-foot tall Cascade Falls where the Lower Dells begin. The day of my hike (my very first visit to the park) was very humid and the canyons cool causing a heavy mist to hang in the air throughout most of the canyon. I thought it made for some very interesting pictures. I hope you enjoy them!

2009 Matthiessen State Park

Matthiessen State Park is an Illinois state park located a few miles s ...

Updated: Aug 10, 2009 8:27am PST

2009 Starved Rock State Park : Starved Rock State Park is an Illinois state park located in Utica, Illinois, in rural LaSalle County, Illinois, about 75 miles from downtown Chicago. The park is 2,630 acres in size and includes 13 miles of hiking trails, numerous waterfalls (ice falls in winter) and other landforms. The park contains 18 sandstone canyons carved by a combination of surface water runoff and groundwater outflow. Starved Rock itself is a large eroded butte overlooking the Illinois River. French explorers built a fort called Fort St. Louis on the rock in 1682 but had abandoned it by the early 1700s. Starved Rock was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1960. I took this first trip on the spur of the moment one afternoon recently when I got off work early. I visited a part of the Park where I had never been...Council Overhang, Ottawa Canyon, and Kaskaskia Canyon. The main reason I choose this particular area is that other visitors mentioned they were the only canyons that currently had waterfalls (and they some of the few canyons I had never visited). Of course the sandstone cliffs are always mesmerizing for me and the coolness of the canyons refreshing. It feels, in some ways, like going to another world. The pictures can be viewed on a map (at the location where they were taken) by clicking on the "Map This" button above. The locations are a bit inaccurate because of the GPS signals bouncing around in the canyons. Also, the pictures are arranged in the order they were taken so you can hopefully get a better sense of what it would be like to be there. Enjoy! I later added some pictures to this Gallery that were taken on a humid day when the canyons were hanging with mist. Those pictures begin with #53.

2009 Starved Rock State Park

Starved Rock State Park is an Illinois state park located in Utica, Il ...

Updated: Aug 10, 2009 8:19am PST

2007 Yellowstone & Tetons vacation : These photos are from a trip my wife and I took for our 35th Anniversary in 2007. The most difficult part of the trip for me was that literally every time I turned around there was another picture to be taken! Most of these pictures were taken within a short walk from the road or parking area; often right out of the car window. It was most spectacular and enjoyable!

2007 Yellowstone & Tetons vacation

These photos are from a trip my wife and I took for our 35th Anniversa ...

Updated: Jul 23, 2009 4:11pm PST

2008 Colorado Vacation : I had the distinct privilege of visiting with my nephew and his family in Erie, CO a short while ago. While there I was able to visit, hike, and climb a number of locations. All were enjoyable! These pictures illustrate a bit of what I experienced in Colorado, with Mark and his family and with God. I hope you will find them enjoyable and inspiring!

2008 Colorado Vacation

I had the distinct privilege of visiting with my nephew and his family ...

Updated: Jul 15, 2009 2:02pm PST

2009 Denver, Colorado - AGRM : While at the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions Conference in Denver in May 2009, I had the opportunity to take several drives into the Mountains. These pictures begin with a drive to Estes Park, then taking Trail Ridge Road to Route #40 and I70 back to Denver. Following, were a trip to Red Rocks Amphitheater, a drive through Independence Pass to Aspen and Maroon Lakes, and a High Country Jeep Tour based out of Salida, Colorado. I hope you enjoy these pictures --- reminding you of similar trips you've taken or those soon to come. God bless!

2009 Denver, Colorado - AGRM

While at the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions Conference in Denve ...

Updated: Jun 04, 2009 5:45am PST

2008-09 Snowscapes : These are some pictures I took on March 29, 2009 following a late season snow storm. It was the most picturesque snow of the year. You may notice I tried some "different" development techniques. I hope you enjoy them!

2008-09 Snowscapes

These are some pictures I took on March 29, 2009 following a late seas ...

Updated: Apr 09, 2009 12:01pm PST