Our Best Shots

I’ve posted some of our best shots to a Flickr page. Take a look and feel free to comment there!

Click on the photos below to go to the page.

Cross-country Travelers

After 24 days, 22 states, and 6,500 miles, we have finally arrived in NY! It was a trip of a lifetime from Reno, Nevada to Yonkers, New York. We actually arrived on August 20, but I haven’t been able to blog since many things we were going on in our life and the general busyness with settling down into our new place. We are officially cross-country drivers after having done it two times in the past two years. Two years ago we drove to Reno, NV from NY and last month we made the trip back.

I couldn’t blog at all during the trip. I thought I would be able to. But as with many things, my wife is better than me in that department and she was able to blog about the trip and list our highlights every day.

Read about our trip of a lifetime from her blog here.

The Greatest Journey of Our Life Begins

We have started the greatest roadtrip of our life. We are currently driving back from our home in Reno for the last two years back to our permanent home in Yonkers, NY. We still haven’t left Nevada though. We are currently at a motel in Ely, Nevada.

We will miss Reno very much. It was so hard to leave. We loved the scenic beauty of mountains all around and the more easy-going lifestyle in a much smaller town. We will try to blog about our experiences on the road here and share some pictures. We’ll add highlights from each day. The western US is such a beautiful region and we need to cover a lot of ground everyday but it’s also very hard not to take time to see it all.

Highlights from the day

• Left Reno around 1pm.
• Traveled on US 50 E from Carson City to Ely, NV. The stretch from Fallon to Ely is nicknamed the “loneliest highway in America”
• We got our US 50 “survival kit” and got it stamped at each city along the way. Later, we can mail it in to get a certificate signed by the Nevada Governor.

 

On the loneliest highway in America near Ely, Nevada

 

 

On US 50 near Ely, NV

 

LA Sky

At the Griffith Observatory, LA

I am truly in love with the shot Ajo took at the Griffith Observatory, LA on May 20, 2010.  It was close to 8:30PM. The sky looks brilliant and the scattered city lights in the horizon are just flamboyant. It was a foggy day in LA when we reached Griffith Observatory. The view of the LA sky line and the Hollywood sign is pictographic from the hills of Griffith Observatory. I truly recommend this gem for LA visitors.

I do regret not capturing the amazing sunset that evening.  Regrets are great teachers. Enjoy!

Majestic Sand Dunes

Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, CA

Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, CA

The above shots were taken on April 9th, Friday, 2010 just after sunset at Death Valley National Park, CA.  This was my first time seeing sand dunes and my first time walking on sand other than by a beach. The sand dunes soar high and continues for miles and miles at Death Valley National Park. The striking characteristic of the sand dunes is its ever-changing contour. Sand dunes appear different day after day for viewers as it gets constantly reshaped by the wind. The peaks and the valleys change constantly and conforms to the wind. The sand dunes reminded me about the parable that Jesus taught about the two builders. The house built on the sand did not stand during trials while the house built on the rock had a firm foundation.

The Tunnel View

Summer of 2009, we visited Yosemite National Park, CA. We were totally stunned by the amazing mountains, the picturesque valleys, and the endless wilderness.  Below is the snap shot of  “Tunnel View” taken by Ajo on July 30, Thursday about 5pm.  Coming from the south after passing through a tunnel, this visual aesthetic is what you see. Incredible!

Just like a painting

The Whimsical One

Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, CA

The above picture was taken by my husband on August of 2009 at Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, CA. Among the numerous pictures we took, one captured the illusion flawlessly. The subject  is our tour guide and he is standing straight. The location of the slanting cabin on  a considerably uneven ground  could perhaps have contributed to this illusion which puzzles thousands of visitors at the Mystery Spot. Illusion is really hard to capture in photos but  this one did justice to the actual setting.

Our Photo Albums

We have starting placing our vacation photos on Google’s Picasa service. Feel free to view and comment!

http://picasaweb.google.com/acherian17

The Traffic Bog Down

US 50 East at El Dorado Hills, CA

The above shot was taken by our D-SLR on August 14, 2009 around 5pm. We were returning from our mini vacation at Mt. Whitney and Sequoia National Park when US 50 east bound had a major traffic jam.  Since I was behind the wheel, Ajo had a great opportunity  to capture this shot from the passenger seat.  I love this picture for couple of reasons. The depth and the details in the snap  is tremendous. You can see almost half a  mile ahead with oncoming traffic and the merging of lanes at a distant. I like to call this shot, “A Biker’s Perspective”.  A clean view of the road is rare when closed in behind a 4 wheeler. Kudos to my hubby. Good work!

Malibu Sunset Silhouette

Malibu, CA was absolutely astounding.  On  March 17, Wednesday of 2010 we were on the road driving south to north on CA-1 also known as Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).  We watched sunset at one of the beaches in Malibu. Pictures do not do justice to any sun down witnessed through your very own eyes.  The hues of orange- red and the luminous horizon afar are breath-taking.

We watched surfers on the beach prior to sunset. Ajo took many shots and the one below is an amateur at his best. Even with the copious photos we take, there are those shots we wish we captured like the two surfers against the sunset. Missed opportunities can never be revived but can reoccur some time in the future.

Sunset at Malibu