Evening Falls
A few hours after crossing the Colorado border we arrived at the state park only to find that the campground was booked solid. Seeing it was Monday I was quite surprised but we decided to check out the falls for a few hours anyway. For this late in the season the waterfalls were moving pretty good and the late afternoon light really made it special. As the sun began to set we left the park and thought about camping at… Read More
Bighorn Morning
A crisp morning greeted us as we checked out of the small motel in Jackson. After filling up my tank we left the town and started back towards Colorado. Driving through the Bridger-Teton National Forest, I noticed some faint movement in the tall grasses and realized that there were a few Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep grazing along the road. After finding a turnout I pulled a U-turn and stopped near them along the shoulder. They didn’t seem to mind… Read More
Evening Storms
After leaving the stormy Midway Geyser area we proceeded to the famous Old Faithful Geyser. Upon arriving we noticed a large crowd gathered around the geyser, signaling the eminent explosion of scalding hot water. As we waited to see Old Faithful be faithful the storm we just left found us again. With rain and crazy clouds surrounding Old Faithful the geyser began to erupt with all its power. Once the activity at the geyser died down we headed to some shops and had a… Read More
Midway Geyser Basin
Leaving the Paint Pots we noticed even larger plumes of steam towards the South. As we got closer we figured the majority of the steam was coming from the Grand Prismatic Pool. On my last visit to the park I didn’t get a chance to see the Grand Prismatic Pool so I was pretty excited to see it today. After finding a parking spot, or should I say after creating one, we walked across the bridge and up towards the… Read More
Fountain Paint Pots
As we continued South along the Western portion of the loop we started noticing more and more geothermal activity. Having seen a geyser pretty close to the road we stopped to take a closer look. After finally finding a parking spot we walked around the boardwalks and watched the Paint Pots and Geyser explode. The colors of the pools and geysers are so striking that in many ways they look quite fake. Apparently all the colors come from many different types of bacteria… Read More
Waterfalls
One of the great things about Yellowstone is the fact that there are so many amazing waterfalls along the Loop. Each one has its unique characteristics and none of them disappoint. The first waterfall we stopped at was the beautiful Rustic Falls (47ft). It used to be listed on the park map but for some reason it no longer marked. The best views of the waterfall is right along the road making it quite dicey when large RVs pass by… Read More
Mammoth Hot Springs
Entering the Mammoth Hot Springs area we decided to take a quick detour to the North entry gate so I could get a National Parks Pass. When we arrived earlier in the day the East entry station was empty so I couldn’t get a new National Parks Pass. I would highly recommend anyone that loves nature to get a pass as it allows entry to any National Park and just about any BLM or National Forest fee areas. Re-entering the park we stopped at Upper… Read More
The Loop
As we drove north along the Loop we neared Dunraven Pass and noticed quite a few people looking up the mountain. Being curious to what they were looking at, we stopped alongside the road and inquired to what was there. They informed us that up the hill a female Grizzly Bear was foraging on some vegetation. Upong looking a little closer at the hillside we spotted the bear and walked along the road until we got a better view. The bear was still a long distance away but I was… Read More
Waterfall Rush
Continuing along the Loop we took the turn-off for Artist point which has the classic view of the Lower Falls(308ft) and the Canyon. Even though I’ve been there before the view is still breathtaking to behold. Seeing that it was still in the morning there were only a handful of people out taking in the view. After taking some photos my friend and I went back to the parking area and noticed multiple buses of people arriving, we left just in… Read More
Yellowstone Morning
Leaving Cody early this morning we drove to the East entrance of Yellowstone National Park. We arrived at the park just before the sunrise and stopped a few times along the road. When we approached Yellowstone Lake the steam vents at Steamboat point were tainting the air with a wonderous sulfur smell. Something that we’d be smelling for more or less the rest of the day. Passing the Lake we went North on the loop alongside the mighty Yellowstone River. I was hoping to see more… Read More
To Wyoming
My friend, Frank, and I decided to go on a little road trip for this weekend. He recently graduated from the Architecture graduate school in Albuquerque and had a little bit of down time. The last time we met up was at his wedding the prior Summer in Santa Fe. After catching a great deal on a flight from Albuquerque to Denver we started thinking about areas to visit on our trip. Eventually we decided on going to Yellowstone National… Read More
Houston to New Orleans
Arriving at Houston in the early morning hours we found ourselves needing a way to get to New Orleans. We figured that a flight from New Orleans to Denver, scheduled for later that afternoon, was the best chance for all of us to get on. So with that in mind, we rented a Budget van and started out for New Orleans. But before leaving Houston we stopped in at a Denny’s and I had myself a wonderful “Moons Over My Hammy”. I know its bad for you but it tasted oh so good! In many ways nothing says… Read More
Miraflores
We flew into Lima early this afternoon and had a few hours to kill before or midnight flight back to the states. So we secured our bags at the airport and headed to the Miraflores district of Lima. Once there we met up with a couple of Erik’s friends, Madelaine & Sophie, at the restaurant La Red. After our wonderful last meal in Peru we walked a few blocks over to the Pacific Ocean near the Parque Tres Picos. Instead of having… Read More
Road to Cuzco
Finally finding our driver from a few days before, we headed back to Cuzco this cloudy morning. I took all these photos from the van and was happy that most of them came out. And in many ways it was nice to just see people going about their normal day to day lives. After dropping into the Cuzco valley we soon arrived at the airport for our return flight to Lima.… Read More
Train to Ollan
Leaving our hostel a little before 5:00am we soon arrived at the station to catch our 5:30 train back to Ollantaytambo. Being tired from the lack of sleep and the day before in Machu, most of us tried to get some sleep on the train. But after the sun began to rise I couldn’t help but look outside at the passing countryside. I was constantly taking photos of the beautiful scenery and small towns we passed. Once we arrived in Ollan. we looked for… Read More
Aguas Caliente
Returning from Machu Picchu we headed back to our hostel in Aguas Caliente. Seeing that we arrived in total darkness the night before it was nice to get a glimpse of the town in daylight. The last two pictures were taken in front of the hostel we were staying at The Supertramp. Before turning in for the night we spent a little time near the Plaza Manco Capac and had a wonderful dinner alongside the train tracks.… Read More
Last of Machu
Before leaving the park we explored the Temple of the Sun and other adjacent areas. The masonry around the Temple was more or less perfect with clean lines and tight joints. Its amazing to think how much effort went into making this place. Near the Temple one can see many different fountains that still work perfectly after all these years. After taking one last look at Machu Picchu we turned the corner and headed for the entry gates. In many ways Machu Picchu was much more… Read More
Machu Ruins II
As we explored further up the mountain the classic view of Machu Picchu soon came apparent. As we neared the House of the Guardians we noticed a few Llamas grazing on the adjacent terraces. And as luck would have it I was able to snap a few shots of a Llama with Machu Picchu as the backdrop (one of my favorites). After taking a few photos around the top we continued onward to the Inca bridge. The bridge consists of two… Read More
Machu Ruins
Returning from the hike from Huayna we took a short rest alongside one of the terraces near the sacred plaza. After resting for 15min. we started exploring the ruins in the early afternoon sun. During the midday hours the amount of people in the park begins to swell. But even with all the people, the 360 degree views and amazing ruins makes Machu Picchu one awesome place to visit! The architecture alone is something that one has to just marvel at. Its no wonder that it was chosen as one… Read More
Temple of the Moon
In order to get to the Temple of the Moon a guide finally told us that we needed to go back towards the summit and connect to the trail there. So after heading back to the summit we found the trail and began a steep descent down into the cloud forest. Passing a few ladders and dense forest we finally arrived at a clearing and some ruins. When we arrived at the Temple of the Moon there were only a few other people… Read More
Huayna Picchu
The steep climb up is definitely worth the effort as the views on top of Huayna are spectacular! In every direction you look you can see the dense cloud forest and steep mountain walls. I was hoping to do a panorama on the summit but it was too crowded with other visitors. The side facing M.P. was probably my favorite area to explore as the steep stairs made for some great overlooks. After exploring for a little longer we went in search for the trail… Read More
Hike up
After waiting in line for a little bit our turn finally came to enter the mountain. Once we signed in we started climbing up the steep Inca stairs leading to the summit. As we climbed higher and higher the ruins of Machu Picchu looked less and less familiar. The size of Huayna Picchu is pretty deceptive while hiking due to the dense vegetation but it towers over 1000ft above M.P. Along the way there are many steep drop offs and for people afraid of heights,… Read More
Machu Picchu
We arrived in Aguas Caliente late last night and after finding our hostel decided to try and hike up Huayna Picchu this morning. Huayna Picchu is the iconic mountain that serves as a backdrop to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Today the park limits the number of passes to the mountain to only 400 a day (200 per group, 1 early/1 late). It being a weekend we knew we had to be one of the first at M.P. to be ensured of a pass. After… Read More
Pinkuylluna
While exploring the town we noticed a sign that read Pinkuylluna. The sign pointed towards a trail the traveled up the mountain and a few ruins. Knowing that sun was setting soon we got up there as fast as we could. Once there we had a wonderful view of the sunset, ruins, and town beneath us. It was if everything went silent and you could almost feel the Incas. These buildings were used by the Incas to store grain which was farmed on the terraces to the west. Before it started to… Read More