View Full Version : If I had 3 weeks in the States in October ...
What would you guys from over there recommend I include on the itinerary? I will be coming all the way from Oz with my wife and my 4x5. She is very supportive and we both enjoy shortish (10k or less) hikes and getting a bit off the main track. We have been to US before and this time wanted to focus on some of the iconic national parks in the west. I have a keen interest in some of the desert parks like Arches, Zion etc. and would love to get to monument valley if feasible (happy to hire a Navajo guide etc). She is pretty keen on Yosemite (as am i) and will want to see the canyon. The grand one. Something is going to have to get dropped. It can't all be done.
We could maybe stretch the 3 weeks to 4 if really needed. We'd fly into LA but could get home via Seattle of Vancouver if I can get Glacier or Yellowstone on the list. Obviously we don't mind a bit of a drive. Camping may not be practical I guess. Happy to fly between main bases too of course. Or use buses. Whatever works.
I have read a bit but really wanted to see what those in the know had to offer. Any advise gratefully swapped for travel tips for the land down under!
Mark Barendt
5-Apr-2012, 01:31
If it were me in your shoes I'd start driving in San Francisco with the Golden Gate, then Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Page/Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Arches, then I-70 to Denver.
There is so much along this route that you could easily use up the whole 3 weeks.
From Zion to Denver you'll actually find a lot of great stuff between the big destinations. Kodachrome Basin, the Wave, Horseshoe Bend, slot canyons, Goergetown loop, the Rockies may very well have snow on the peaks.
Denver to Yellowstone is not that interesting until you start getting close but the net travel time might not be any faster by air and the scenery is a bit more interesting than an airport terminal but just barely. ;)
Haven't been up to Glacier so I'll let others guide you there.
Running that route backwards wouldn't be bad either, that would give you the option to go up the coast and see the Redwoods and the Columbia River gorge.
bob carnie
5-Apr-2012, 05:49
If you drive , I am sure the west coast photographers on this forum can route you the trip of your life... When my wife and I travel , we prefer the States and find it most enjoyable to just put car in the right direction and find a simple place to stay each night. If you can handle the full time on the road , New Mexico, Colorado , Wyoming , Montana, Utah would be on my wish list. Taos is a special area of the world.
Safe , friendly and lots of fun,, I hope you have a great trip...
Also if you can afford it hire Eddie as a travel guide , he is big , and has the right stuff to keep you out of trouble.
You need to think about how you like to travel. Sure, you could fly into San Francisco, rent a car, drive down to Carmel (for the pilgrimage), then to Yosemite, and then across the Great Basin desert (aka, Nevada and western Utah) to southern Utah, up the Hurricane Cliffs to the top of the Colorado Plateau (which extends for another 150 miles or so), and then see Cedar Breaks, Zion, Bryce Canyon, then take the back road through the Escalante up the Aquarius Plateau and over Thousand Lake Mountain to Capitol Reef, across the San Rafael Upswell to Canyonlands, Arches, and then down through Blanding and Bluff to Monument Valley, then down through Kayenta and Tuba City to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. You'll be a long way from your starting point (and a long way from an international airport), but I think it's possible to see all those places in three weeks.
I'm not sure it's possible to really experience them, though. I think you'll end up with a bad case of sensory overload, and by the time you get about halfway through that itinerary, you'll drive by a red sandstone canyon wall that would normally have you weeping in wonder, and you'll be thinking, "just another freaking rock wall." You'll also be spending a lot of time in the car, though the view is always nice.
If Yosemite and the Grand Canyon are requirements, then realize both of these are quite crowded with tourists. Actually, they are all crowded. But if there's one spot in all that list I might want to spend a few days, it would be Bryce Canyon, simply because of the good hiking in that park. Arches has good hiking, too, and also some out-of-the-way corners. Canyonlands is more jeeping than hiking, or lots of jeeping first and then some hiking. So, pick three spots, spend a nominal week at each, and see them up close. You'll still end up with sensory overload, probably. But you may also be planning a return trip for the next three spots.
Read a lot before you go. Some required reading: Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang and maybe even Black Sun would be first on my recommended reading list. That will give you a sense of the terrain better than any guidebook. A good picture book to whet your appetite would be Slickrock, with photos by Philip Hyde and text by Abbey. If you like murder mysteries, read a few of the fun mystery novels by Tony Hillerman--they will give you considerable insight into the modern attitudes of the area's original inhabitants. A Thief of Time is probably as good a place to start with his work as any. You'll be able to polish off two or three of those just on the plane ride over.
Rick "who needs a trip out there badly" Denney
Mark Barendt
5-Apr-2012, 08:23
Rick "who needs a trip out there badly" Denney
Yes sensory overload is a distinct problem with these trips.
Mark "who thinks Rick should get off his duff out west soon" Barendt ;)
John Kasaian
5-Apr-2012, 08:31
Color or B&W?
You could always go more or less up the West Coast and check out Sequioa, Yosemite, Redwoods, Crater Lake (Oregon), then into Washington- Mt St Helens Volcanic Monument, Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, North Cascades National Park. That iternary is probably too much for 3 to 4 weeks though.
Frank Petronio
5-Apr-2012, 09:08
I guess I'd look for landscape that is distinctly different from Oz (and NZ since you've probably been there too). I think the Northern California Redwoods and the Marin County hills and wine country are unique, perhaps start with a drive up to Big Sur and the San Francisco Bay area and up to wine country and the Redwoods, loop back to SF and fly to Salt Lake City, Utah for cultural and scenic shock. Head South to Moab and do a loop around the Four Corners (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado) and see Canyons and Native American sites.
Sure the most popular places like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon are good to see, but it usually is the smaller sites and the oddball locations that you remember.
But think in terms of going to a city and making loops rather than trying to drive some spaghetti route everywhere!
depends on what you shoot..but
Venice Beach on a weekend is..um..memorable... and don't miss Las Vegas
otherwise.. that's a good list you already have
Boinzo, I spend about 3 months every year driving across the US to shoot. I've been to pretty much every national park. Here are my thoughts for you.
First the fact that you are coming in October creates some issues. Many of the Parks close in October. Glacier and Yellowstone most likely will be closing So if those parks are important to you hit them first.
If you're interested in Yosemite and then maybe Mono lake, fly into San Francisco. While you risk in October that the Tioga pass my close, if it's still open after you've seen Yosemite, then you can get to see Mono lake, drive down rte 395 and stop at Death Valley, from Death Valley drive to Zion, which in October allows vehicles free access (stay at Zion Lodge) and from there hit Bryce, Arches, Canyon lands. Then drive back to LA stopping at Monument valley on the way. That's plenty of parks in 3 weeks and to fit in any more would be taking away the pleasure of each. Glacier and Yellowstone are out of the way and will be shutting down, so maybe you just skip them this trip.
If you head up the California coast and need a place to stay, let me know (about 450km north of SF in the redwood country). But be warned, my place is a bit of a man-cave...me and my three 15-year-old boys. My boys have dual citizenship (USA/Oz), so visitors from Oz are always welcome!
Vaughn
Wow. Thanks for all the responses guys. Some really useful advise in there. We do know we have to ditch at least some of the itinerary. It's hard though when you are talking about places you've dreamed of since you were a small boy!
To be pragmatic ... We will likely leave the more northern areas to next trip.
We have been down from SF as far as a few days in Monterey and also a brief trip into the redwoods. But this was over 10 years ago!
Will need to work in a few days tourist-ing in LA as well....
I have some concerns about the grand canyon and crowds but have heard the north rim is one way to minimize that. It sounds like yosemite might still work though at that time of year. I was assuming the crowds might have died down some by late sept/October?
I shoot a lot of colour Velvia 50 mostly but also some BW. I really enjoy both. But I would certainly like to shoot a sunrise or 2 in monument valley!
Thanks for the offer of a place to stay Vaughn. That's very generous. May also have my 14 year old daughter with us so the "man cave" might freak her out. Or create heart palpatations in your boys! :)
bob carnie
5-Apr-2012, 14:47
I second Venice Beach for colour neg... going to hang out there again next year.
Wow. Thanks for all the responses guys. Some really useful advise in there. We do know we have to ditch at least some of the itinerary. It's hard though when you are talking about places you've dreamed of since you were a small boy!
To be pragmatic ... We will likely leave the more northern areas to next trip.
We have been down from SF as far as a few days in Monterey and also a brief trip into the redwoods. But this was over 10 years ago!
Will need to work in a few days tourist-ing in LA as well....
I have some concerns about the grand canyon and crowds but have heard the north rim is one way to minimize that. It sounds like yosemite might still work though at that time of year. I was assuming the crowds might have died down some by late sept/October?
I shoot a lot of colour Velvia 50 mostly but also some BW. I really enjoy both. But I would certainly like to shoot a sunrise or 2 in monument valley!
Thanks for the offer of a place to stay Vaughan. That's very generous. May also have my 14 year old daughter with us so the "man cave" might freak her out. Or create heart palpatations in your boys! :)
...Thanks for the offer of a place to stay Vaughn. That's very generous. May also have my 14 year old daughter with us so the "man cave" might freak her out. Or create heart palpatations in your boys! :)
And my boys are pretty good-looking, too, with very different personalities! Have a great journey!
Vaughn
Drew Wiley
5-Apr-2012, 16:05
Do you want to spend quality time or just want to madly run around spending thousands of dollars on fuel with a sightseeing sterotype checklist and get a sore butt in the process? Oct is color month for sure through much of the West, but also when the weather
starts getting dicey over some of the high road passes. Yes, you could easily fly into SF,
travel thru Yosemite over Tioga Pass, then straight across Nevada into southern Utah, and
still have quite a bit of time expoloring several places in the general vicinity. Throw in Yellowstone or the Pacific Northwest and you've got a formula for horrible road fatigue and no real time to get out and look, plus the whole nine yards could backfire due to the weather. Whatever you do in the West, once you head over or into any mtns carry warm sleeping bags and extra food and water, and be prepared for options if there is a road closure somewhere. But Oct can be fantastic in the Southwest, esp Utah and adjacent
parts of Colorado. You can get there from the SF area in one really long day, or two more
enjoyable ones.
Drew Wiley
5-Apr-2012, 16:28
Should footnote - having no camping option and expecting to take a bus is rarely an option
in the West unless you join some organized tour at high expense, and not many cater to
the younger set (a few do in summer). You almost have to rent a car and be prepared for
long distances between formal facilities. Less of a problem if you stick to the coast areas
themselves. But public transportation in this country is generally horrible unless you take
one of the comparatively rare train trips.
I don't recommend the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for a first visit. You'll be looking south, into the Sun, for most of the day. The North Rim is about 1000 feet higher than the South Rim, so the view is not quite the same. And the North Rim is rather a wilderness experience. It takes a long time to get there, and it's primitive when you are there. And in October, you might get snow (it's at 9000 feet).
The South Rim is crowded, but it won't be nearly as bad in October. I'd missed that you would be there that late.
Much of the California coast reminds me of the east coast of the New Zealand South Island, south of Picton, but northern California, at least north of Marin County, is terra incognita for me.
Driving to the Grand Canyon almost requires driving across southern Utah, especially if you are coming down from the north. There's no bridge over the Colorado between Lee's Ferry (where 89A crosses downstream from Page) and the Hoover Dam (near Las Vegas), and none upstream between Page and what used to be Hite before it was submerged under Lake Powell. At Hite, Utah 95 crosses, and it connect Blanding with Hanksville, which is near Capitol Reef. You only have a few choices in that part of the country unless you are flying rather than driving. Rivers in that neighborhood tend to cut deep. So, after going east from Yosemite (over Tioga Pass), you either turn south at Tonapah and go to Las Vegas and then cross the Colorado and go east to the Canyon, or you stay on US 6 east, across Nevada, to Ely where US 50 joins it, and then stay on 50 when it continues east after 6 turns more north in Utah. Then you can go down into Bryce country pretty directly, through Panguitch, on US 89. US 89 eventually crosses the river at Page, taking you around the east end of the Canyon. You are not that far from Monument Valley at that point. So, you'd have to work hard to avoid going near Bryce Canyon in any case, and it's a pretty amazing display of the Orange and Pink cliffs of the Colorado Plateau. Drew is right--the drive over the Colorado Plateau, much of which is high country, will be gorgeous in October, but it might get cold. I've been on the Markagunt Plateau (west of Panguitch, and up around 10,000 feet) in June and seen snow.
Going west from the Grand Canyon puts you on I-40, which will point you pretty directly to Los Angeles.
Were it me, I'd go out of my way to avoid Las Vegas, but then I designed a traffic system for them about 20 years ago and go my fill of the place.
Rick "hoping you like long days of driving" Denney
John Jarosz
5-Apr-2012, 17:07
If you decide to make Monument Valley seriously consider staying here:
The View Hotel (http://www.monumentvalleyview.com/)
It's on the Indian land and you'll have access before sunrise and after sunset. It's pricey, but I think it's worth the experience.
And while all the iconic views are something you need to experience, your best photos will be made somewhere off the beaten track.
If you are adventurous, do the Moki Dugway in Utah but drive going up (you can get back down by continuing north). Going down is certainly possible but it will take stronger nerves than mine. Don't go if you are affected by vertigo.
I'll echo what others have said, don't attempt too much or you'll be spending inordinate amounts of time in the car. There are several lifetimes worth of sites and images in the American West and you won't be able do do even one lifetime's worth in one trip. It will be a great trip no matter what you choose. Have fun.
john
Drew Wiley
5-Apr-2012, 17:33
Oct is probably the least interesting month here on the north coast of Calif. - tends to be hot and dry, without our usual lush fog. But the eastern
Sierras will have aspen in color and are a fairly easy drive from LA. From
there one can cut across the bottom of Nevada to Zion NP, or else more
southerly across the top of Arizona and then on to places like Canyon de
Chelly and Monument Valley. Accommodations north of the Colorado River can be hard to get after summer. The nice thing about our SW deserts is that spectacular red rock country is often near mtn ranges and
aspen forest, which tend to turn color in Oct. The Sierras are different - a
long chain you have to be on one side or the other; but Tioga and Sonora
Passes are generally still open in Oct. Again, always be prepared for weather. You'd hit all kinds of things in Oct due to the varied terrain and
altitudes. Yellowstone is a LONG drive from here - don't recommend it that time of year.
BrianShaw
5-Apr-2012, 17:39
I often head to New England and upstate NY during Oct, but enjoy the US west... It is spectacular!
Oct is probably the least interesting month here on the north coast of Calif. - tends to be hot and dry, without our usual lush fog. ...
Not further north in the "real" north coast of California -- the Big-leaf Maples are turning yellow under the redwoods!
Vaughn "NorCal starts at the Russian River" Hutchins :)
Heroique
5-Apr-2012, 17:58
Something is going to have to get dropped.
Well, I’m one to disagree. Thanks to the US Interstate System, you can do the American West in three weeks – with ease.
There are plenty of rest stops along the way for quiet walks & iconic shots.
You can do it differently, but it will eat up your time, you won’t see nearly as much, and you’ll have to come back again, maybe three or four times.
In any case, have fun and scan your shots for us when you get back!
CantikFotos
5-Apr-2012, 18:10
Too bad you're going to miss the Chitlin' Strut in South Carolina.
Do you have the "guts" to attend the Chitlin' Strut held every year in Salley, South Carolina? The main focus of this festival is the preparation and consumption of large amounts of chitterlings ("chitlin's") -- otherwise known as boiled hog intestines. The festival began in 1966 because the mayor was looking for a way to raise money for new Christmas decorations for the town of Salley.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/sc/es_sc_pig_1.html
David Keith Clemmons of Florence, S.C., has been coming for 22 years. And every year he has been competing for the Hawg Call trophy.
“After all these tries, I finally won,” he said.
Last year he had come in second in the eating contest by consuming nearly three pounds of chitlins.
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2011-11-26/chitlin-strut-brings-thousands-out-chitlins-and-fun
There is more to the United States than the west coast.
The traffic is horrendous, and the prices are in the stratosphere.
The people are funny looking too.
The west coast is overdone photographically to the point of being cliché, over praised and again, boring, to the point of being nauseous photographically.
Picture after picture of the southwest and California can be had cheaply on the internet or at some tourist trap.
Probably, most of that coast is similar to your home.
Try the New England states, and work your way down to the Great Smoky Mountains, with luck the color should be spectacular, something you won’t see in the Southwest, and perhaps very little elsewhere.
Good old hardwood trees can’t be beat for their fall foliage colors.
I would say the Upper Peninsula of Michigan would be a good choice for color, but their color peaks in September.
Again, give plenty of consideration to traveling the New England States, plenty of beauty, and the crowds and prices won’t beat you to death.
Save the west for the last week when you’re on your way home.
Save the west coast for another time or when you’re senile or addled brained.
I don’t think there is a soul alive, who would disagree with this advice, unless they are from that area.
Frank Petronio
5-Apr-2012, 18:31
Hahaha
Drew Wiley
5-Apr-2012, 18:42
New England??? Why would anyone want to see another England? Wasn't
it those guys who deported the poor Aussie prisoners in the first place?
Wasn't it them who tried to lynch my ancestors just for helping themselves to a few of the King' sheep, and would have suceeded
if they hadn't stowed away on a ship to godforsaken "New"England. Heck,
what I'd do is drop the kids off with Vaughn, but don't tell him as you drive away. Then just show up for the kids three weeks later (optional).
Mike Anderson
5-Apr-2012, 18:58
...We have been down from SF as far as a few days in Monterey and also a brief trip into the redwoods.
Just a couple hours farther south and you'll be in Big Sur. I'd base things out of SF, October is often one of the warmer months there. And traffic along the coast isn't so bad that time of year.
Frank Petronio
5-Apr-2012, 19:20
October in New England after the leaves have all fallen... that's a beautiful time... it can be a bit muddy but it's a dry mud.
The clouds can be gloomy but it's a pleasant, even-keeled sort of gloom, as long you maintain your Prozac.
It's a great place for alcoholics, academics, and driving your Volvo into a lake or river.
~~~
What would be a really wild trip would be to follow the Presidential election campaigns around the country, it will be peaking then and the real loonies will be out in force, on all sides of the spectrum.
Drew Wiley
5-Apr-2012, 20:06
Why did you have to bring that disgusting subject up, Frank? Yeah, we've
probably got more than our fair percent of loonies in the West, on both
sides of whatever.... but at least the topography gives us a little space in
between! Even right here at my house, if I don't want to drive at all, I can walk about four blocks and have seven thousand acres of open space with absolutely no political signs! (But what would WPA photography have been
without a few of them?)
HAHA!! I seem to have started a new civil war... east v west this time :)
We have been to New England in October before - and certainly loved the colour. Went down as far as Memphis on that trip. Love those blues.
We do want to "see" some of those iconic spots - even though they are a bit touristy and so on. The purpose of the trip is not all photography - I hate crowds so there is a very good chance I won't even use a camera at places like the Grand Canyon. Or maybe just one with pixels. I know many of these places have been shuttered to death and those images are common for you guys. Not so much here in Oz though - so it is possible they could actually be quite marketable here! :) Certainly Lik seems to sell plenty of Antelope Canyon stuff here!
I REALLY like Frank's idea of following the Presidential campaign - a bit of Fear and Loathing '68 re-dux. That'd be a blast. We don't even HAVE bunting in this country!
Seriously though - we want to go South-West as much as anything because we've never seen some of those things. It's easy to think the Australian landscape is similar - I'm not sure it actually is. Coastal - yeah sure but we are a whole lot flatter than you guys. Our biggest canyon is pretty much tiny. Your parachute wouldn't open before you hit the bottom. But we do have a nice big rock. Of course the Kimberley region of North West Oz is amazing - and we haven't got up there yet (it's on the to do soon list as well). The landscape here is more wind carved - yours is more water I think?
I like the idea of going out of SF - Tioga Pass and then down. Seems to make some sense. I really appreciate the detailed route suggestions. Will that get me by Antelope Canyon as well? I've never driven in the States before so would want to start gently on the wrong side of road...I have been to SF twice - not sure I'm up for the Oakland bridge on day 1!
John - thx for the View Hotel tip - that's a definite I'd say. I had seen it online. Looks great. Maybe we should put together a group shoot based at the View Hotel for first 3 days of October! Who's in?
I had wondered if it was worth flying between some of the larger regional centres - like say LA to Page AZ. Then hire a car to trip around that area and drop the car back and get a flight on to say Sacramento - hire a car out of there and drive in to Yosemite for a few days. Then back to Sacramento etc. That's kind of how you'd do it if you came to Oz. Like you would not be very likely to drive to Alice Springs and Uluru - you'd fly then get a vehicle there. The drive can be done - but it'll take 4 or 5 days out of your trip and put you in some of the most isolated country on Earth. A flight from LA to Page is only like $160 each - so not the utter end of the world if it means we get more time in places we want to be. Is that idea just madness?
With respect to the Chitlin' Strut can I just say to the Mayor of Florence, S.C. - call me. I'll buy you new X-Mas decorations rather than eat that stuff!
Thanks all. Really appreciate the help and ideas you are offering.
HAHA!Seriously though - we want to go South-West as much as anything because we've never seen some of those things. It's easy to think the Australian landscape is similar - I'm not sure it actually is. Coastal - yeah sure but we are a whole lot flatter than you guys. Our biggest canyon is pretty much tiny. Your parachute wouldn't open before you hit the bottom. But we do have a nice big rock. Of course the Kimberley region of North West Oz is amazing - and we haven't got up there yet (it's on the to do soon list as well). The landscape here is more wind carved - yours is more water I think?
On U.S. 6, you won't have to worry about driving on the wrong side of the road. Last time I drove that stretch (dubbed, "the loneliest highway in America"), I saw more fighter planes (they train in that area) than cars. Think, oh, Nullarbor Plain with a mountain range crossing every 30 miles or so. That's what the Great Basin desert is like. (Great Basin so named because it's nestled between the western mountain ranges that include the Sierra Nevada and the more central mountain Rockies range. The locals call it the Intermountain West.
You are right that there are few places on Earth like the Colorado Plateau that covers southern Utah, northern Arizona, and the adjacent corners of Colorado and New Mexico. You will not be disappointed by spending time there.
Rick "thinking you'll have a hard time distinguishing between what is wind-carved and water-carved" Denney
Frank Petronio
6-Apr-2012, 06:57
On that road the freak October blizzard can mean, um, death.
Mark Barendt
6-Apr-2012, 07:12
Yes the route I suggested gets you to Antelope canyon, it is just, and I do mean just barely, outside Page and only a couple minutes from Lake Powell.
Your aversion to crowds is also addressed with this route, for example the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has much less traffic than the south, ~11,000 vs ~110,000 last October.
Antelope canyon South is more famous and more crowded and more expensive to access. The light shafts are fleeting and time of year dependent. The north canyon is no slouch, buy a photo pass, it gets you more time to enjoy it all.
While at Lake Powell you might stay at the Marina. From there it's a long day trip, and you'll sleep well when you get back, but rent a fast boat and go up the lake a ways to Rainbow Bridge and explore some side canyons like where Antelope canyon meets the lake.
Somewhere in my Dad's slide collection there are pictures from the bottoms of some of the canyons there, some of which are under ~900 feet of water now. We actually drove/Jeeped to and camped near Rainbow Bridge when I was a puppy. Actually whole herds of Jeepers would congregate to do this.
Speaking of avoiding crowds we used to camp regularly in Canyonlands NP, of which Arches is a part, back in my puppy days too.
Arches has always been the main draw, and rightfully so because it is incredible, but the rest is gorgeous too and much less traveled.
Back in the sixties when we went camping there we would check in at the entrance station and had to give the ranger a good idea of where we would be and when to expect us to check out. The reason was simple survival. The area is huge and rugged and there were times when my family and the one ranger at the entrance were the only people within an area bigger than some eastern states.
Brian Ellis
6-Apr-2012, 07:13
If I were going to spend three weeks doing what it sounds like you want to do I'd buy the three-volume set "Photographing the Southwest" for starters. Not that everything you mention is in the southwest but much of it is and what isn't is fairly nearby.
If you head out on Hwy 6 or 50, Great Basin National Park is great. It will depend on October's weather. If the storms hold off for you, it is a great place. As you approach it, the land is flat desert. You'll see some mountains that do not look all that interesting, but as you drive up into them the change is remarkable. If the storms do hold off, the end of the road is around 9000 elevation and it is a short hike to bristlecone pines -- trees that were alive when the pyramids in Egypt were being built. Above the pines are peaks that go up to 13,000 feet elevation. If you are into caves, there is also a cave tour. http://www.nps.gov/grba/index.htm
Another unique place (great as a lunch stop) is Cathedral Gorge State Park (Nevada). It is on Hwy 93, west of Cedar City, Utah. Sort of on the way between Great Basin and Zion National Parks. http://parks.nv.gov/parks/cathedral-gorge/ There is a small entrance fee, but there is also a highway rest stop (free) with a trail that goes right into the park.
But there are many many such little gems scattered across the Southwest. We use to get the Australian Geographic magazine. It would highlight national parks and reserves in each issue...it looked like one could easily spend a lifetime exploring all of them. The Southwest is the same way. Moab would be a good place to stay for awhile and then take day-drives in any direction.
Ivan J. Eberle
6-Apr-2012, 07:57
October is my favorite month to travel the west.
Early Oct is probably too late for Glacier-- can be too hot in the desert parks still-- yet it can be absolutely spectacular in Yellowstone the first week of the month before most of the services shut down for the winter. But this will all be dependent on the weather. Specifically, when the first cold snap or major winter storm happens. I'd recommend enough flexibility in planning-- not a rigid itinerary-- that'll allow for last minute shifting of priorities (renting a car and motelling may allow that).
Drew Wiley
6-Apr-2012, 09:34
You generally don't have to worry about crowds in Oct. Even the extremely popular parks
like Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon, and Arches will be relatively uncrowded. Deer hunter up
in the aspens will require some caution outside the parks. Basically, the Colorado River forms a big barrier you want to be on one side of or the other. You could do a big loop
thru Zion over spectacular Hwy 6 on the Escalante (save a morning for the hike to Calf
Creek Falls) thru Capitol Reef (spectacular color) - then over to Arches and Canyonlands, then back down toward Monument Valley, then back across to Painted Desert (Holbrook) S. rim of the Grand Can - or of course the reverse. Just remember the sleeping bag thing in the car. It can be the difference between fun and death. Town can be far apart, and
some will have already shut down by Oct.
If I were going to spend three weeks doing what it sounds like you want to do I'd buy the three-volume set "Photographing the Southwest" for starters. Not that everything you mention is in the southwest but much of it is and what isn't is fairly nearby.
+10 on the suggestion for "Photographing the Southwest". October is a great time for the Southwest.
You've got lots of good suggestions, but if I had that length of time I'd fly into Las Vegas, head up to Zion, then over to Bryce, then along Rt 12 (beautiful drive). Lots of things to see off Rt 12 as described in the Utah volume of the set. Then over to Capitol Reef, then Canyonlands/Arches (they are just a few miles from each other. From there you could head south to Monument Valley and perhaps Canyon de Chelly. Then west to the Grand Canyon (as already suggested, the North Rim is much less crowded - but I'm not sure when they shut down for the season). After that, back to LV. That would be a pretty full 3 week trip. Get a 4-wheel drive for access to the more rugged places
I'm more than a little jealous!
Bob
Drew Wiley
6-Apr-2012, 10:07
N. Rim depends on snow. The other problem is that there's a 50/50 chance of not seeing
the canyon at all due to fog that time of year. I'd rather take Hwy 12 (think I accidentally
called it 6) from Bryce to Capitol Reef. If you book reservations ealy, Ruby's Inn should
still be open just outside Bryce, just down the road from the Hwy 12 turnoff. You take
your chances some of the other places. My sister and her husband came back with horror
stories a couple years ago when Ruby's Inn had no vacancy and they end up in some bedbug-ridden dump down the road in Hurricane with no restaurant in town.
Actually it's route 50 that's the "loneliest road in America" but Rte 6 is similar, I've driven them both many times. And Frank is very right about freak snow storms being lethal. Unless you are driving a 4WD with chains and some provisions in it, I would steer clear of the really desolate roads. If you choose to drive them, then keep very aware of the weather.
I do photo drive trips as long as 12 weeks at a time, once or twice every year, for the last decade. As we speak I am 7 weeks into an 11 week trip that has taken me from NY to Portand to Salton Sea to Las Vegas to Lone Pine to Wendover to Salt Lake City to portland and then maybe back home. About 15,000 miles by the time I'm done.
Reread my first post as I gave it considerable thought and have considerable experience doing these types of trips. Further I advise you not to over extend but to do the trips in a very logical circuit, I would not fly within the US beyond your international arrival and departure because then you limit your flexibility and are forced to stick to a schedule as well as losing time due to the possibilities of airline delays.
The beauty of the American west is that, especially in October, you really don't need to book accommodations ( the summer is a different story). You might need to do so for The View, but you could still see Monument valley on the fly, you can just stay at a hotel in Kayenta. This all means that you can stay as long or as short in any place you want. If the weather forecast says snow in one place, then just go somewhere else. The American west is made for long distance driving. High speed limits, many motels, many gas stations.
So consider my advice, fly into SF, go to Yosemite, maybe Mono if Tioga Pass is still open, then down to Death Valley and then east toward zion and southern Utah's finest. Fly back via LA if you want to stop at Monument valley, or if you want to see the Bonneville salt flats and Salt Lake in northern utah, then fly back via San Fran. It will be a mind blowing trip for you.
Mark Barendt
6-Apr-2012, 11:19
I think the odds of fog or snow on the North Rim are pretty low. Not impossible mind you but fall is normally a dry season on the Colorado Plateau.
Worst case scenario if Antelope canyon is on the menu is driving a few hours south from there and sliding in the east entrance.
The Capital Reef idea is good too.
There's a good lesson in that Ruby's story, it is worth calling ahead.
Accommodations of any type can be in short supply.
At Yosemite, Bryce, Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon accomodations can on any given day be completely full.
Accommodations of any type can be in short supply.
At Yosemite, Bryce, Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon accomodations can on any given day be completely full.
It all depends on where you plan to stay and of course using some common sense. In more than 20 long distance extended trips it has never been a problem, unless you really want to stay at the absolute best places on short notice, i.e. the Ahwanee, the View, Zion lodge. But in October this is much less a factor as kids are in school, the weather is less pleasant, etc.
If I were planning on Yosemite as a first stop, I'd book that in advance as it's stay is a given time period already and the Ahwanee is always in demand, but there are several large motels just outside the gate. In mono lake, there are several motels and I have never had a problem getting a room there on short notice, but as it is the second stay, one could make an advance booking. But once you get down to Death Valley, between stovepipe, Furnace creek inn and ranch there's an awful lot of rooms.
I've had no problems getting a room at Zion lodge in october, and I think there will be little issue getting a room at any of the Utah National parks unless you just show up that same day. I'd try to book rooms no less than 5 days in advance and after having checked out the weather forecasts for that area at that time. But if you are more comfortable booking all in advance, and that is what I do when I travel abroad, then do so. The only risk to that is that you might get stuck sitting out bad weather because you were locked into that booking, whereas you could alter your trip based on following the weather you prefer if you don't have locked in reservations. But in any event just check the cancellation requirements for each hotel as some may allow you to cancel the day before, or even the proposed day of arrival.
One thing, as you plan to visit many national parks, buy the annual pass at the first NP you go to. It's like $75 or 80. It will save you money. As most of the parks are like $20 admission each.
Thanks again for all the advice everyone. Some really useful posts there for sure!
Brian - I have been jumping back and forth between Google Maps and your posts (I have re-read the thread at least 10 times!) figuring out a route. I appreciate the thought and detail everyone has provided. I will try to work out something with approximate driving times and then post to see what you guys think.
I take the point about weather - with some juggling our trip would be mid September through the first week of October. Hopefully that might diminish the risk of early storms or road/park closures.
The Awanhee sure is expensive! But looks like a great place to stay (maybe a treat for the trip!)... Zion Lodge is pretty much booked already so I would need to get moving on that it seems.
I obviously have some tough decisions to make on what will work and what to leave out - but all the advise here has been really great. I'm sure I can formulate a workable plan over the next week or so!
If any of you guys are ever thinking of heading over here be sure to get in touch. I'll map you a cracking trip from the desert to the reef via some waterfalls... :-)
Ok. So we have spent a fair amount of time in web browsers today ... accommodation is a bit of a night mare. Wow - things seriously book out fast.
Here's what we have in mind. Some of it is a bit of a drive by shooting - but we have tried to span some long drives with at least a few days to do some hikes and have a reasonable look around. I realize it is possible to spend weeks in some of these places and I am making some big compromises and will just get a taste. Hopefully I am somewhere between seeing it all but seeing nothing and seeing everything of just one place.
Would love some feedback on this - we need to book some things because, as I mentioned, most of the accommodation is already booked out. The list below includes rough drive times (based on Google). Do I have too much time in some places - not enough in others? Is the whole idea insane?
Should I drop Zion / Bryce and go there on another trip sometime? time in Los Angeles is required to allow the wife and daughter some photography recovery at Universal etc.... :-)
Day 0 Bris Vegas
Day 1 San Francisco Flight
Day 2 San Francisco
Day 3 Yosemite 5 Hours
Day 4 Yosemite
Day 5 Yosemite
Day 6 Tonopah 5 Hours
Day 7 Zion 5 1/2 Hours
Day 8 Zion
Day 9 Bryce Canyon 2 Hours
Day 10 Bryce Canyon
Day 11 Arches / Canyon Lands 4 Hours
Day 12 Arches / Canyon Lands
Day 13 Arches / Canyon Lands
Day 14 Monument Valley 3 1/2 Hours
Day 15 Monument Valley
Day 16 Grand Canyon Village 3 1/2 Hours
Day 17 Grand Canyon Village
Day 18 Grand Canyon Village
Day 19 Las Vegas 4 1/2 Hours
Day 20 Los Angeles Flight
Day 21 Los Angeles
Day 22 Los Angeles
Madness? Or achievable? Pitfalls?
Thanks again you guys.
Mark Barendt
7-Apr-2012, 06:16
Very achievable.
John Jarosz
7-Apr-2012, 06:20
If I understand you correctly you are flying from Las Vegas to LA. Were you planning on renting a car in LA? If so, I'll suggest you drive to LA from Las Vegas. It's only 260 miles and with returning your car at Las Vegas, airport security, baggage, getting a new rental car in LA, the time spent in flying is likely to be longer than driving. That said, you'll need to plan when you hit LA as the traffic can be terrible.
After all that time in the wilderness you may find Las Vegas somewhat distasteful. That happened to me after camping on the South & North rim of the Grand Canyon. After the peace and quiet of the wilderness Vegas seemed like an asylum to us. But maybe you'll be craving some goofyness.
Doable? Sure, it sounds like a nice trip. LA will seem like a shock after all the remotes spaces you'll be hitting.
The ride from Tonopah to Zion will be very long thru extremely remote ares. I'd think about driving thru Death Valley to Las Vegas from Yosemite, then take the interstate up to the Utah parks, and go to LA directly from the Grand Canyon. I think it will save you some miles and break up the trip better with Vegas in the middle.
My opinion anyway, I'm sure you'll get lots of comments.
John
John Jarosz
7-Apr-2012, 06:25
Of course, the ride between Yosemite to Vegas is very long too, and thru some of the most beautiful country you will see (on highway 395 and then on in to Death Valley), so you need to think about how long, what you want to see , etc. It's not easy to strike things off the list.
Ivan J. Eberle
7-Apr-2012, 07:27
When you mentioned mid-Sept it opens up the chance for Yellowstone. CA can be blistering hot then (even into Oct). Sep is a bit early for color in most parts of UT. Peak in WY, MT is usually last week of Sept/first week Oct (wind and weather dependent)
Boinzo, mid september changes everything. That's a pretty peak time for many of the National Parks because of fall foliage. The Ahwanee will be tough to get booked even now as will Zion lodge. Never the less there are motels and hotels just outside the parks. I noticed that you have a stop in Tonopah, is that because a 10 hour drive is too far for the family, because ordinarily I would do that myself. But if you're going to do the stop at Tonopah, add 2 hours overall and do a drive around Mono lake. You'll be right there anyway and it's worth a stop. If you stop there then have lunch at the Mobil Gas station. It is a gas station, and cheaper for a fill up than at Yosemite, but's it's an amazingly good restaurant.
I second John Jarosz' point about driving down to Death Valley and then getting on highway 15. Not only will you get a chance to drive through DV, although you can't really see much of the actual sights, it's still a great drive and will on more populated and safer roads than rte 6 and is nearly the same time and drive length. In fact spend one night there. But DV in sept will be hot the hotels have AC. But for one night you can handle it. Stay at the Furnace creek ranch, or if you can spend more, the furnace creek inn.
BTW when driving in the south west deserts, make sure there is PLENTY of water in the car. Figure several liters at least for each person.
tautatis
8-Apr-2012, 10:54
My advice will be to visit some of the local (West Coast) photographers. I do not believe long rides to these majestic, a million times photographed places will make you produce anything different you have seen from the tourist of coffee table books. Each year, my wife and 2 young kids spend three weeks heading west. Two summers ago we drove from New Mexico to Seattle, going through all parks in NM, Co, Wy, MN, ID and WA state. Driving is brutal and you miss most of the really interesting light. This past summer we did it again, from SoCa, OR, and end in WA. What I came to conclude is this, study a loca photographer's work and spend 3 days in their neck of the woods. For me, I love
http://www.romanloranc.com work. We took our time in CA and spend several days in places he has photographed. It was worth it. Even though you are a visitor, you don't feel like a stranger to the area. You plan when to go shooting and where rather than stopping and driving just because you happen to be there at say noon! It is a beautiful country, whatever route you decide you will enjoy it.
Good luck,
Tautatis
Jim Andrada
10-Apr-2012, 19:21
Rcoks, rocks rocks - don't forget the Sonoran desert in SW AZ - Saguaros are pretty unique after all and the snow birds won't be here until later in the year so hotels are cheap. And we need the tourist dollars!
Boinzo, It sounds like you have a terrific trip lined up. In California, I wouldn't miss the east side of the Sierras around Lone Pine. I'm also a huge fan of the southwest. I've visited Capitol Reef, Moab, Canyonlands, Escalante etc.....Besides the great National Parks though....New Mexico....Taos/Santa Fe/ The Chama River Valley are very special places...I would make every effort to make it to New Mexico...Georgia O'Keefe, Paul Strand & Laura Gilpin have shown the power of that geography...You're in for one grand voyage!
I will give you $50 to stuff me into your suitcase Stef... I will travel light.. No hammer or anything. :)
Lon Overacker
12-Apr-2012, 13:40
Boinzo,
Sounds like a great trip. Sure wish I had 3 weeks to piddle around the American west... as it is I'll just have to settle on 3hr drives to Yosemite a few times a year... ;-)
Speaking of Yosemite, I don't ever want to discourage anyone from visiting this magical place, but in reading through the comments I'm not sure anyone has touched on this. While not the worst time to visit the park, it's not the best. Early October will be fine for the crowds, but considering we're at a little more than 50% of average for snowpack, it's likely the falls will be completely dry. Fall color in the valley doesn't kick in until the end of October. So you're basically left with being awed by granite walls. Probably also blessed with blue-bird skies and very little chance of any "clearing storm" conditions. Having said that, I agree with Brian or some others HIGHLY recommending the Tioga pass to Mono Lake and continuing on down 395 as a must do (if doing the Yosemite thing.) Early October there's a better chance of Tioga still being open - however it's very common to have the pass shut down for hours or days and then re-open. It's all a crap shoot really that time of year. Early October is a good bet for fall color on the Eastern side. And despite the comment that motel rooms are easy to get in Lee Vining in early October.... I would disagree and make your reservations soon. Basing one or two nights in Lee Vining, Mammoth, Bishop or Lone Pine would be a wonderful segment to your trip. Mono Lake, Bodie State Park (ghost town if you like that kind of stuff - great photo ops,) Alabama Hills, The White Mountains(Bristlecon,) Whitney and all the canyons up and down the East side (Starting up north, Virginia Lakes, Lundy, Lee Vining, June Lake Loop, Convict Lake, Mammoth area, Tom's Place/Rock Creek, McGee Creek, Bishop Creek, South, North and Sabrina Lakes... did I miss any?)
Anyway, back to Yosemite. If you've never been and it's on your "list," then certainly go. It just won't be at it's best in early October. Oh, for lodging just outside the park on HW 140, I would definitely recommend the Yosemite View Lodge, (http://www.stayyosemiteviewlodge.com/) right on the edge of the park boundary and there is also the Cedar Lodge (http://www.yosemiteresorts.us/). Shouldn't have any trouble getting rooms there.
Have a great trip whatever you decide on.
Lon
venchka
13-Apr-2012, 06:06
I think everyone has covered the California-Arid Red Rock Southwest, etc. Easily a summer's worth. October can get dicey with elevation gain. However, any snow will come and go that thime of year.
If you want a change from all the rocks and canyons, the Canadian Rockies are the real mountains in North America. The U.S. Rockies are just a preview for Canada. Banff, Jasper, Mt. Robson, etc. are world class mountain scenery parks.
Any day spent in Grand Teton National Park is a great day. Yellowstone should not be missed if you can get there.
On the other hand, 3-4 weeks in California & Utah would be awesome. Rick & I will get back there someday.
Wayne
i spent 4 weeks in utah (moab, island in teh sky, zion, bryce etc) and the grand canyon. not enough time. lots of driving. you will need WAY more time of WAY less stops to do anything but get "wind screen" time.
rdenney
13-Apr-2012, 08:22
Everybody keeps treating the OP's trip like its a photography business trip. People often go places that are well-photographed precisely because they are awesome enough to make people want to photograph them. There are spectacular mountains on all continents, but few places anywhere as awesome--in person--as the Colorado Plateau, whether or not one takes pictures.
Rick "just go" Denney
Thanks for the post Rick. It strikes a chord. I am sitting here reading "Photographing the South West" as recommended in this thread (thx for the tips guys, awesome book!) and what you have just said is precisely what I am thinking. Laurent talks about committed nature photographers being people who would do the hike whether they had a camera or not. My family and I want to see these places. We would do the hikes anyway. I want to photograph them within the obvious and many constraints I have (not the least of which is ability). This means being totally aware of the compromises in time and the dissappointment of not having another day or 3 in the same place.
I completely recognize that I will only be barely scratching the surface of what could be achieved if I had 2 or 3 months for the trip. So the photography while not completely incidental to the trip is not the be all and end all. I'm treating it a little like a location scout, an attempt to discover the bits I want to spend more extended time in next trip!
There will be more trips. Especially if I can sell some work. They will definitely include Yellowstone, Canada and many other locations.
Also.We are Australian. We are used to driving a long way. It comes with the continent. We regularly jump in our car and drive 3 or 4 hours for a weekend away.
I really appreciate all the suggestions and information that has been offered. It's helped a great deal in formulating a plan and doing it with my eyes open. Things are pretty locked in now. So anyone wanting to hook up in Zion around Sept 20 to show me around....? :)
Stef - Give me plenty of warning before you head that way again and I'll make sure I can make it too... Bit of an expedition! :)
Being Aussie definitely makes big drives seem easier. I've driven 1000kms across the kimberleys in one day to shoot Lake Argyle for sunrise, then Cable Beach in Broome sunset.. Its a tough drive but not insurmountable.. driving 3 or 4 hours a day for an Aussie (especially an Aussie landscape photographer) is no big deal at all.
BrianShaw
13-Apr-2012, 18:36
Being Aussie definitely makes big drives seem easier. I've driven 1000kms across the kimberleys in one day to shoot Lake Argyle for sunrise, then Cable Beach in Broome sunset.. Its a tough drive but not insurmountable.. driving 3 or 4 hours a day for an Aussie (especially an Aussie landscape photographer) is no big deal at all.
I'm glad you mentione this. It saves me from sounding like a weakling. I was thinking the itinerary was quite aggressive. When I was much younger I'd try that, but not any more. I'd be tired after three days of that pace. Maybe I am a weakling.
Our continent is like that... You can drive for hours to get to a location. I have driven 4 hours to make a location for sunrise, only to be there for 2 hours of shooting, back into the car and drive 4 hours to be home for lunch...
miss_emma_jade
7-Jul-2012, 17:40
visit the south..
Joseph Dickerson
8-Jul-2012, 08:36
I'd suggest that you check out Robert Hitchman's Photograph America it's a newsletter format, printed or pdf and he sells collections for selected geographic areas.
Ann and I did the trip you're considering last fall but we were on the road for three months. Still needed more time. If you head into Colorado/New Mexico try to include Mesa Verde. Nice hikes, although the park doesn't have too much in the way of facilities. We spent a week there, we have a van camper (Caravan?) and the campground is nice.
Like Australia, you can drive for hours and still be in the same state. We left home in August, places and campgrounds were still crowded but by mid-September the kids were back in school and we usually had things pretty much to ourselves. Arches and Canyon Lands National Parks excepted.
Have fun.
JD
Scott Davis
9-Jul-2012, 12:41
Another alternate route for the Yosemite/Eastern Sierra trip would be to take 108 around the north of Yosemite to connect up with 395. There are some spectacular vistas along 108, including the view of the Dardanelles formation, and an experience not to miss is ascending the peak of the Sonora pass at sunset. If you time it right, you'll be crossing the high point of the pass as the sun is going down, and you'll be able to look back to the west and see the walls of the pass painted golden yellow-orange. A nice place to stay in Lee Vining (just the eastern end of the Tioga pass, and across the road from Mono Lake) is the Tioga Lodge. They have cute little cabins that are plenty rustic (no tvs, just baseboard heaters) and one of the few places to eat in Lee Vining (other than the famous Whoa Nellie Deli, or the exorbitantly priced place run by Ansel Adams' daughter). Some of the structures at the Tioga lodge are reclaimed buildings from Bodie, the ghost town, which is also a short (but very bumpy) ride away. Your daughter might enjoy the side trip to Bodie.
Many of us who've lived in the American west have plenty of driving stamina, but let's face it: Time spent in the car is time not spent outside.
I've been to all of the places you mention at least twice each, with the exception of Glacier. I won't tell you what to do, but here are a few thoughts:
If I could only go to Yosemite one time during the year, it would be the spring, because the waterfalls are running.
Tetons/Yellowstone/Glacier - could be beautiful that time of year, but could also be raining and/or snowing, and cold.
I would think that the south rim of the Grand Canyon wouldn't be too much of a zoo at that time of the year, but others would know better than I. I haven't been to the north rim, but as I think others have mentioned, it is high (so colder), and much more out of the way (good once you are there, but more of a pain getting there). As a side note - if you could ever afford it, come back and do a 15-20 day raft trip down the Colorado through the canyon in September. There are loads of very moderate hikes up incredible side canyons, plus more strenous ones as well, if you want. I've done a lot of outdoor things in my life, and that was the best.
It's hard to go wrong in southeast Utah/the four corners, and that is generally a great time of year to be there. I'd make that the focus of my trip. In addition to all the desert stuff there are also a number of small mountains and mountain ranges (Boulder Mountain, The La Sal Mountains, Henry Mountains, etc.) where you might find aspens turning at that time. (If you wanted more mountain stuff you could fairly quickly get over into the San Juan mountains of Colorado, say around Telluride/Ridgeway.)
I really liked Yosemite, but when I went to Zion I thought "Wow, Yosemite in color!"
If you are dirving, a more obscure place along the way is Great Basin National Park - the mountain (Wheeler Peak) has a large face with kind of northern Rokies look to it, and there is a cool bristlecone pine grove. If you've never been in a limestone cavern, you can do that right there as well. (Someone else may have mentioned GBNP - I didn't read all the posts.)
I suspect you'll have a great time regardless of which of the things you choose! :)
Scott Davis
17-Jul-2012, 07:40
Another thought if Yosemite is too busy/inaccessible/etc - Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Parks. They're still in California, they have the giant redwood groves, very similar geology/geography to Yosemite, and they get a fraction of the tourist traffic of Yosemite. They're also further south, so likely to be a little warmer. And you can hit them more easily on your way to/from the Four Corners area.
Leszek Vogt
27-Aug-2012, 00:30
The problem with SW is that it requires easily a 6 month excursion....and you're trying to jam this in 3 weeks (and you know that). Not sure if renting a van would help....tho you can make it as cozy as needed. I'm not going to compare, since I have different access to all these places, but the way I travel is to feel out a spot...and if for some reason is not working....I'll continue. Than again, I'd stop an extra day+ if I find a place that I really like. It's a form of luxury and a stress reducer. The only thing that I'd add is Bodie (someone already mentioned it)....it's a cool nostalgia place (lots of stuff from 1800's). If you want to spend some time in Yosemite and don't want to stay in the Valley (dealing with lots of people), you probably could stay at White Wolf - they have tent-like cabins....and Tuolumne Meadows is not far from there. Reservations advised. Gasoline in the park is pretty steep, so I'd suggest to fuel up outside. By now you probably have all the info down on all these places. Anyhoo, have a good time and post some pics when you get back.
Les
Darin Boville
27-Aug-2012, 00:45
I travel by car and do these sort of trips every year. I just got back from a three and a half week Yellowstone/Glacier/Ashland trip with stops in between. I'll likely do another before the year's out. I've been to most of the places that have been mentioned and every place on your list. I have many words of wisdom to offer. But one big word of advice:
Don't bring your 4x5. It will slow you down too much. With your schedule you won't have time to wait for the light, you won't have time to get to know an area in order to feel anything genuine about it. Get a handheld medium format or a high end digital. No tripod except when you are near the car.
O.K., a second big word of advice. There are lots of great shots of Yosemite and Yellowstone and Monument Valley and on and on. Shoot those. Make your own. But remember there are *no* photographs of you and your companion(s) in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Monument Valley and so on. None. That's where you are going to have as chance to make the most meaningful photographs to you and others. That's where you are going to get a chance to tell your story.
--Darin
Darin Boville
27-Aug-2012, 00:47
Another thought if Yosemite is too busy/inaccessible/etc
I'm sorry Scott, but you just broke the rule about not mentioning the K-place in a public forum :)
There is no such place. We'll never speak of it again...
--Darin
Steve Smith
27-Aug-2012, 00:57
And remember that they drive on the wrong side of the road over there!
Steve.
Wow. Lots of new replies!
Thanks again for all the tips everyone. I have been really busy trying to get stuff finished before we head off and so haven't been checking in here so regularly. I appreciate everyone's thoughts. It's amazing how different people are in their reactions to the idea of a crazy high-stakes blast through some of the world's most beautiful landscapes! Yes - it's going to be intense. Yes - I'm going to see a lot of windscreen. Yes - I wish I had 12 months. But we are going to love it.
The 4x5 is definitely coming. On its tripod. I always carry all my stuff on my back anyway. While I understand I will have very limited time to make it all work out - I also find that just working with the 4x5 makes me connect better with the landscape and my surroundings.
The last thing I want as a memory is a family happy-snap in front of the tunnel view! I'd rather be able to remember wishing the light had changed! Do I expect to come home with a bunch of masterpieces? Nope. Do I expect to have a blast trying to get something I'm happy to include my next show? Yep.
This is actually the way I work here at home as well. I take 3 to 4 weeks (sometime 3 days!) away from my other work to drive the length of this continent visiting many places for just a few days each. My last trip was around 6000km. At each location I work hard to get my head around the landscape as quickly as I can and to tap into my reaction to it. Then I get out of bed at 4am - hike like mad and shoot it. And I do it again the next day.
Anywayz. We leave next Friday. Fully pumped for it. Except for driving on the wrong side of the road. That I'm nervous as hell about. Oh - and getting my film through US customs...
:-)
C. D. Keth
3-Sep-2012, 23:00
You'll have a great time. I love that you're excited about coming here and seeing some of our western states. I'm often disappointed by how few Americans seem to care about those places so I'm more than happy to welcome somebody from halfway across the world to see it.
While you're in Los Angeles, have you considered visiting the Getty museum (http://www.getty.edu/museum/)? It only costs a parking fee of 7 or $8 and is really a wonderful place.
You'll have a great time. I love that you're excited about coming here and seeing some of our western states. I'm often disappointed by how few Americans seem to care about those places so I'm more than happy to welcome somebody from halfway across the world to see it.
While you're in Los Angeles, have you considered visiting the Getty museum (http://www.getty.edu/museum/)? It only costs a parking fee of 7 or $8 and is really a wonderful place.
Thanks Christopher.
Yes. I am excited. Pumped actually. Doing another 10km training hike with the 4x5 on my back tomorrow.
I have a couple days in LA at the end of the trip so will see if I can make some time for the Getty. Thanks for the tip!
Jack the boatman
15-Sep-2012, 05:47
Hi,
My wife and I did something very similar to what you are planning in June of this year;
Our route was.
Fly into las Vegas stop 1 night
Drive to Zion stop 1 night Drive to Bryce stop 1 night Drive to Lake Powell stop 2 nights
Drive to monument Valley stop 2 nights, Drive to Grand Canyon stop 3 nights.
Drive to Sequioa Nat Park 3 nights to get there.
Yosemite 4 nights.
If we were doing it again I would make some changes. I would increase our stay in Zion, we only had time for a shuttle bus tour of the canyon. It looks superb for photography but I didn't get anything worthwhile.
Bryce and Lake Powell I could happily miss out. Monument valley is definitely worth a visit for at least 2 nights.
Ou 3 nights in the Grand Canyon area could have been reduced. Photos of the canyon I thought became repetitive. Definitely try to be in position for sunrise or sunset.
Sequoia: I've seen it, I wouldn't go back.
Yosemite. I would like to sell up and move there. I could spend all of a 3 week holiday there, it is outstanding.
The weather we had was unbroken sunshine which was quite challenging from the photography perspective. October should be much better.
Hope you enjoy it.
Jack
Bill_1856
16-Sep-2012, 21:24
The weather we had was unbroken sunshine which was quite challenging from the photography perspective.
First time I've ever heard THAT complaint. Oh -- you're from Scotland!
ImSoNegative
17-Sep-2012, 06:32
my favorite place to be in October is the great smokey mountain national park, really beautiful up there. close to home too.
Frank Petronio
17-Sep-2012, 06:36
my favorite place to be in October is the great smokey mountain national park, really beautiful up there. close to home too.
+1 it's a great photo trip I'd like to do someday then too.
Southwest Colorado in mid-October is good too. I find the desert and Yosemite overdone, not that you might do something different but it's hard.
Kevin J. Kolosky
17-Sep-2012, 07:44
Having also driven all over the west and to many of the National Parks already mentioned, and thinking about your available time, and thinking about the distances, and thinking about your wife and daughter, my suggestion would be to slow down a bit from what most have recommended. If you go to all of these places you will certainly see them, but you won't be able to really look at them.
And is it mountains and trees and lakes that you mostly want to look at and photograph?
I think for a two or three week trip, and considering that you want to go to LA for a few days, etc., I would pick no more than three main places that were in close proximity to each other and go really look at those.
And I would make it a point to try and travel on older highways rather than freeways, and even small roads. And I would try to stay in small towns. That way you will see America.
Preston
17-Sep-2012, 10:06
I am in agreement with Kevin, here. You will be looking a lot and not really seeing the countryside.
"And I would make it a point to try and travel on older highways rather than freeways, and even small roads. And I would try to stay in small towns. That way you will see America. "
Sage advice, in my opinion.
--P
Edmond3
18-Sep-2012, 17:29
Some of the most beautiful Autumn light in North America, in my humble opinion, is the redwoods of Humboldt and Del Norte counties on the Northern California Coast. If yu are lucky enough to encounter some early storms, the light just after one of these is really divine
Well hi again all and thanks yet again for all the suggestions. I am just checking in here from Bryce. We have been having a blast! Yosemite was fantastic but not a cloud in the sky for the 3 days we had. Hiked like mad and shot some frames anyway. Came away really wanting to visit in May.
Zion was fantastic. We all hiked the narrows and several other trails. 4x5 on my back. What a fantastic landscape!
Very cloudy in Bryce so light is very flat but we have all hiked the hell out of it. And I got a bit golden light this afternoon. As well as a crowd around the view camera.
Off to Moab tomorrow. Via the smaller back roads! :)
Having a great trip. Hopefully some good images along with great experiences.
C. D. Keth
23-Sep-2012, 22:20
Glad you're enjoying the trip. I think you'll like Moab. It's a unique little town with some pretty surroundings.
Joseph Dickerson
24-Sep-2012, 07:59
In Moab, don't miss Canyonlands...and having a pint at the Moab Brewery! :cool:
JD
I am in Salt lake city, i have until 24fth october to make a trip. I have an RV for this trip, i must do à loop because i must leave the RV at SLC before going back to France. I have no idea which way to start from SLC. i will appreciate your help.
Mark Barendt
30-Sep-2012, 15:28
I am in Salt lake city, i have until 24fth october to make a trip. I have an RV for this trip, i must do à loop because i must leave the RV at SLC before going back to France. I have no idea which way to start from SLC. i will appreciate your help.
You are in for an adventure and a brave soul!
Ok.
From SLC
Arches national park, Moab, UT
Telluride, CO
Mesa Verde national park, Cortez, CO
Monument Valley, UT
Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ
South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon caverns
Las Vegas, NV
Furnace Creek, Scotty's Castle, Death Valley
Zion national park
SLC
Leszek Vogt
30-Sep-2012, 22:19
Mark gave some great suggestions. If you have time, ALEFO, there is Kodachrome Basin, Capital Reef Natl PK, Bryce Natl PK and Valley Of Fire, which is appx 50 mi No of Vegas. The whole SW area is intensely beautiful. Oh, one of my fave's is Cedar Breaks Natl Mon.
Mark Barendt
1-Oct-2012, 02:49
Mark gave some great suggestions. If you have time, ALEFO, there is Kodachrome Basin, Capital Reef Natl PK, Bryce Natl PK and Valley Of Fire, which is appx 50 mi No of Vegas. The whole SW area is intensely beautiful. Oh, one of my fave's is Cedar Breaks Natl Mon.
Heck just trade the south rim and caverns for the north rim and all of these.
Thank you Mark and Leszek for your advises. I will start the loop you propose me probaly tomorrow.I am now at Antelope Islande where i spent the night before on the lake in my kayak because i lost myself at night before.i lost many power i probaly kayaking 10 hours.The wind and à litle current did not help.So sorry for y the delay of myself response.
Mark Barendt
3-Oct-2012, 19:58
Have fun
Hi all. Well I arrived back home in Australia yesterday and I just wanted to post a note of thanks to everyone that offered comments and advise on the trip. Every piece of input was valuable and I could not have seen so much without the help of you all. It was a fantastic trip - we all enjoyed ourselves very much indeed. We have seen some incredible landscapes, done some fabulous hikes, met some awesome people, eaten some great food and sampled some fabulous beers. It was a blast.
My film arrives via FedEx today (I just didn't trust Las Vegas and LAX security to not make me open the boxes) and the Jobo is already warming up. I'm very excited to see what I have managed to capture. All up I shot around 180 frames in 3 weeks. So there is a lot of processing to get through. Hopefully I can share some here soon.
I might see if I can put together a bit of a report on the itinerary and route we took if people think it would be useful resource to those who want to tackle the Grand Circle in the future. I would certainly do one or two things differently - nothing major though.
Anyway. Thanks gain everyone. Much appreciated.
joselsgil
8-Oct-2012, 11:06
It's good to read that you enjoyed your trip to the western part of the USA. A report on your itinerary would be great, even living in the area, it is always good to get a fresh perspective of places to visit and photograph.
I hope you got your own "Moonlight over Hernandez", on this trip.
Jose
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