My Favorite Experiences – #9-12

Here is the continuation of my Favorite Experiences.

You can read about my previous favorite experiences #13-16 and #17-20 at these posts.

Here are my favorite experiences #9-12. Lots from the Southwest this time.

#12 - Overnight on Milford Sound, New Zealand

Way back in 1996, I had the fortune of taking a business trip to New Zealand. Since my company was flying me half way around the world, I took advantage of the trip and took 2 weeks of vacation to do a little touring of the country. After the conference, I hopped a flight to New Zealand’s south island and started exploring the beautiful sights. This was a great trip, being the first where I traveled by myself and the trip where I really really discovered photography and took my photos to the next level.

Milford Wanderer pulls into the Dock

While down in Queestown, I drove into Milford Sound to take an overnight boat trip on the Milford Wanderer. A whopping 7 of us boarded a boat that holds 72 (it was off-season). We toured around the incredible Milford Sound in the afternoon then anchored in a small cove for a late afternoon kayak where I had dolphins swim right past my kayak and watched penguins on the shore. In the early morning, I went on deck and watch the misty morning develop all alone. I loved the wildness and peacefulness of the place and would love to go back.

Early Morning in Milford Sound

Photos from my trip to New Zealand are at my Smugmug site.

#11 - 4-Wheelin’ in Moab, Utah

Back in 1998, I found myself at home, alone, during Christmas vacation. For some unknown reason, I decided to pack myself and my cat in my Jeep and head to Moab, Utah. It had just snowed, so the beautiful desert landscape had a wonderful white coat ing of snow. I’ve been to the southwest several times and you often get tired of the same ‘ol pictures of red rocks. The snow cover in Moab made for some unique photos.

Colorado River Reflection

I visited Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, taking several off-road trails that were passable in the snowy conditions. This was really the first time I had tested myself on off-road trails with my Jeep and have been a Jeep fan ever since (on my 2nd Jeep Wrangler now). Going up a ice & snow covered switchback trail in Canyonlands was nerve-racking, but I had so much more confidence in my Jeep and my driving afterwards.

My Jeep (and my cat) on an off-road trail in Arches National Park

I had some nice alone time and again got some different perspectives from the normal tourist stops at these two parks. I specifically remember a 4-wheel drive trail on the middle plateau level in Canyonlands. At one point I get to a spot in the road maybe 15 feet wide; one side shooting straight up to the upper plateau and the other side shooting straight down to the Colorado River.

A Snow-covered Arches National Park

Other then the creepy guy at the hotel (which had me moving hotels), the trip was an adventure.

More Moab Photos.

#10 - Rafting the Grand Canyon

This past spring, I found myself with a break in our hectic flight test schedule and a lot of vacation to burn. This was a perfect opportunity to tackle a bucket list item, rafting the Grand Canyon.

I had been to the Grand Canyon before in my youth, driving to overlooks along both the North & South rims. I remember my dad trying to see if we could get a last minute rafting trip down part of the canyon, but with 5 family members and no advance preparation, we were not able to get anything.

Heading for the Rapids

However, when you are just one person, it is a bit easier to get a last minute reservation on an exisitng commercial trip. I found a slot on a 7 day trip of the top 2/3 rds of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon with Western River Expeditions. This trip had the perfect combination of number of days, rapids, side trips, and raft for me.

Sleeping alongside the Colorado River

And it was certainly a great trip; everything that I thought it would be. The rapids were extreme and utterly awesome. Eating and camping out along side the river and under the stars was magical. And seeing the Grand Canyon from the river gives you such an intimate and different perspective of this immense canyon.

Stopping along the river for lunch

It was much more physically demanding of a trip that I thought it would be. Grabbing on raft ropes for dear life through rapids made for a lot of sore muscles and the extreme dry conditions had me going through moisturizer endlessly, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

You can see all my Grand Canyon Photos Here.

#9 - Sunrise and Sunset on Hunts Mesa

I like going to unique places. The “road less traveled” kind of places. This was definitely one of those kind of locations. Again, this was a last minute trip in 2008 with a professional photographer friend of mine who had a last minute opening on one of his tours of Monument Valley and Capitol Reef National Park.

Sunset of Monument Valley from Hunts Mesa

Many people have shot Monument Valley, but only a few every year get to shoot it from Hunt’s Mesa, a large mesa directly to the south of Monument Valley. You can’t just drive up to the this amazing spot, you have to have a specific Navajo guide take you up to this privately owned land in a 4-Wheel drive vehicle. But the view from the top is extraordinary. Spread out below you are all the buttes and mesa of Monument Valley. Its so vast, it is hard to capture on film.

More sunset from the Mesa

We camped out overnight on top of the mesa in order to shoot both sunset and sunrise from the rim of the mesa. I also got to try my hand at some star trails and paint with light shots while on top of the mesa.