It’s time for yet another installment of my blog circle and this month it’s back to 6 current favorite images on the 6th of the month.
I have to admit this post was really really hard. After spending 3 weeks on our family summer road trip covering 5000+ miles and 9 different states, I was staring at all the images trying to narrow down my current favorites. My love for the mountains and lifestyle photography took over and I selected the following 6 images to showcase the most amazing memorable jaunt with my littlest explorers! 🙂
Each image has meaning evoking emotions and special memories. They each have a story to tell. I hope you will indulge me and read the descriptions 🙂 🙂 – Feel free to let me know if they evoke similar emotions in you as well! 🙂
And I promise to post more images very very soon 🙂
1) Feral Horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
I could stare at this horse forever! We almost did not make it to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is one of the lessor known US National Parks but in terms of beauty and personality, it’s really high up on the list. Perhaps the most compelling reason to go here is to see Feral Horses in the wild. This is one of the few places left in the US where wild horses roam free and can easily be seen. I wasn’t so sure we would get to see them because just as we entered the park, it started to rain really heavily. The rain and the fog were making it very difficult to see anything. As we neared a bend, we saw a car stopped ahead of us. The rain magically cleared out for a few seconds and as I was fumbling with my camera, I turned around and saw this beauty stare right at me. She was magnificent! – she was running along with her herd and for whatever reason she decided to stop and climb a ridge facing the road. For a split second we looked at each other and then something in my brain screamed “Take a picture! Take a picture!” – by the time I picked up the camera, she was turning away. The morning light, the moisture and the rain made her look almost purple 🙂 – but she is so beautiful – wild and free – a true testament to the wild and free spirit of the west!
2) Alpine Hiking in Glacier National Park
I have always wanted to backpack and camp in backcountry. If you have been following my blog, you know I am very much a mountain lover. Open skies, snow capped mountains and alpine valleys make my heart sign and soar. I could live in the backcountry forever. During our week long stint in Glacier National Park, we had the opportunity to stay at the Granite Park Chalet – a remote chalet in the park. There are several hikes from the chalet and this particular one -the Swift Current Pass Trail is one of the prettiest I have every been on – alpine trees, snow fields and a dirt road that appears to lead to the mountains…..what’s not to love here 🙂 🙂
3) Bison in Yellowstone National Park
Most people think of Bison as gentle giant cows. But these guys are anything but! – weighing over 2000 lbs and having the ability to run 30+ miles per hour, these guys are something else. When they walk on the road, you stop. You don’t honk, pass over or even try to intimidate them with your car…No Way! – you just patiently wait for them to take their time to walk to where it is they are going. They command respect by their sheer size and majestic demeanor! This guy spent a good 10 minutes standing in the middle of the road waiting for something and we just let him do just that! 🙂 🙂
4) Old Forest Trail in Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is a hiker’s paradise. Whether you are into backcountry, front country, alpine or boardwalk trails, there is something for everyone. On our rest day between long alpine hikes, we would do shorter flat elevation hikes to pass time :). On one of these hikes, we came across a slightly old growth forest area and this path just called to me. Doesn’t it beccon you to spent an hour or two meandering through this dirt path? Forget about life for awhile and just soak in the surroundings 🙂
5) Tracking Mountain Goats in Glacier National Park
This image right here makes the entire trip worthwhile. The mom in me just smiles. For being all of 5 years old, my littlest explorer was such a trooper. He climbed 2300 feet and hiked a total of 25 miles over a span of 4 days. He was such a pleasure to be around – always curious and always exploring. His flashlight and binoculars were always by his side and he spotted mountain goats, bear berries and marmots for us! – I hope to be his hiking buddy for life!!!!!
6) Sunset over the pacific ocean at Seaside, Oregon
I can almost imagine the math in your head. 5000+ miles and 9 states – did you just drive coast to coast? Well! almost. After spending time in the mountains we drove to Seaside, Oregon for some R&R with old fiends. It was heavenly! – This is my first time in Oregon and the place is absolutely stunning. On our last day, we ate pizza on the beach and watched the sun set with great conversations and lots of full belly laughs (you know the ones you have with your best buddies 🙂 ). When I saw this lifeguard tower, I just knew I had to take a sunset silhouette shot that would just speak for itself 🙂
Follow along to my talent friend Erika Leitch Photography, a natural light photographer based in Fargo, ND to see her 6 current favorite images.
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