Oh, The Places We've Been

It's a busy time of year, wouldn't you agree? You've got places to go, people to see. I've got stuff to do. So instead of burdening you with blather, I'm making my holiday gift to you a visual one. Today I'm sharing some favorite photos from our trip out West last fall. 

But before we head West, some photo-related news: Copies of my photo book, "Nature by Nan," are now available for purchase at Hit the Road Joe Coffee Cafe in Croton. The 8x8-inch hardcover book contains 20 of my photos of local flora and fauna.

I hope to soon add copies of my second photo book, "Nature by Nan, Volume II," and to make both books available for order on this website. Stay tuned.

Now, let's head out West!

All aboard the Lake Express for the first leg of the trip, across Lake Michigan

Leaving Muskegon, headed for Milwaukee

As we made our way west, some of the scenery was quietly awe-inspiring

Some of it was downright spooky

Yet even the desolate scenes had their own kind of beauty

I developed a fascination for ramshackle structures

Some especially stunning in their decrepitude

And I kept an eye out for wildlife, like this pronghorn antelope

Fargo, North Dakota, provided the prop for our first goofy-tourist photo. The actual chipper used in the movie "Fargo" is inside the visitor center, but this replica is stationed outside for photo ops

It's always a delight to find art in unexpected places, like this mural in a parking lot in Des Moines, Washington (who knew there was a Des Moines in Washington?)

And this garage in Spokane

And this utility box in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Also these delightful dandelions in a Coeur d'Alene park

Lake Coeur d'Alene was dramatic on a blustery day

Not a day we cared to go flying

The views from nearby Cataldo mission were more serene

Like this restful view

The old mission bell

Is the light really different out West, or does it only seem that way? The view from this spot overlooking the Columbia River was wondrous

Another view from the same overlook

The scenery in nearby Gingko Petrified Forest State Park provided stark contrasts

The park's landscape is almost other-worldly

A ferry ride in Washington offered glimpses of Mt. Ranier

And took us to Kitsap Peninsula, where we visited Point No Point lighthouse

On the way back to Michigan, we took in this monument to wild horses, designed and created by sculptor David Govedare.

Little did we know we'd soon encounter the real thing (keep scrolling).

As long as we're on the subject of monuments, no trip of ours would be complete without visits to oversized roadside attractions. Here's the world's largest buffalo in Jamestown, North Dakota

And the world's largest sandhill crane in Steele, North Dakota

You don't have to go to New York to see the Big Apple. This one's in Edgerton, Wisconsin, which is also the home of the world's largest Culver's Restaurant (which I didn't take a picture of because it looked just like every other Culver's, except bigger).

A highlight of the trip was Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota

Roosevelt's cabin has been relocated to a site near the visitor center.

The sweeping vistas are spectacular

But for me, the critters were at least as much of the attraction

I could've spent all day watching the prairie dogs' antics (and if you ask Ray, he'll probably tell you it seemed like I did).

If you tire of watching prairie dogs, you can track down some bison

Or those feral horses I promised you

---

What are some of your standout memories from the past year?