Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #184 – Travel Has Taught Me

Posted in Alaska, Louisiana, Photography, Texas, Travel, Utah, WildflowersTagged , , , , ,

“To Travel is to Live” – Hans Christian Andersen

Travel has taught me that there is beauty everywhere you go if you just take the time to look around. When we were traveling by RV, we always had several major destinations for each trip. At first we just drove between destinations without taking much time to enjoy the places in between.

The more trips we took, the more we enjoyed the out of way places that are often overlooked by travelers. Lake Bistineau State Park, Louisiana was one of those places.

Cypress Trees in Lake Bistineau State Park

I’ve learned that traveling opens up opportunities to try new things, even things that terrify me. Our hike to Delicate Arch at Arches National Park is a perfect example of this. I’m scared of heights and almost didn’t make the hike when I read I would have to walk along a narrow ledge with a shear drop off. With Henry’s help and encouragement, I made it. The payoff was this fantastic view.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah

I learned that asking a local is the best way to find out about the area, the history, and the out of the way places to visit that don’t show up in tour guides. One year we spent about two months wandering around Texas when the bluebonnets were blooming. A ranger I met in one of the state parks gave us directions to a scenic drive on a dirt road that we would have never discovered if we hadn’t asked.

Texas Bluebonnets

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.” -James Michener

Travel has taught me I can learn more about a lot about a place by having conversations with people who live there. At the beautiful Russian Orthodox Church in Ninilchik, Alaska we met two women who manage the gift shop and maintain all the graves. They grew up in Ninilchik together and lived with relatives in Anchorage to attend high school because at the time there was no high school in Ninilchik (there is one today). They graduated together in 1950.

Gift Shop for the Russian Orthadox Church in Ninilchik, Alaska

Travel has taught me to try the local foods. We have enjoyed barbecue beef brisket in Texas, pasties in Michigan, Indian Tacos in South Dakota and Arizona, New Mexico cuisine, local seafood in Florida, Washington and Oregon, pork tenderloin sandwiches in Missouri, Dungeness Crab straight off the boat in Alaska, and so many other delicious things we can’t get at home.

Dungeness Crab, Haines, Alaska

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”― Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s quote describes exactly why Henry and I chose to go on our cruise in January. I’ve learned that every day is a gift. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. A single phone call, doctor’s visit, or an unexpected event can change your life in an instant.

St. Kitts

“Life is either a great adventure or nothing: – Helen Keller

Many thanks for Amy’s challenge Lens’Artists #184: Travel has taught me

37 thoughts on “Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #184 – Travel Has Taught Me”

  4. Hi Beth, Your post has taught me about travel and how to travel through your wonderful experience, stories, and photos.
    I love the cypress trees and blue bluebonnets you captured.Wow, dungeness crab, my favorite! 🙂

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  6. One hundred percent agreement! We will soon be selling our beautiful home in Oregon (which will be sad) but will be hitting the road full-time! So our excitement outweighs our sadness. We’ve travelled full time for four years in the past. It’s time to do it again! –Curt

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  7. I can certainly relate to everything you said in this post. Traveling via RV also gave us the opportunity to travel slow and explore those dirt roads. I’m so grateful for the past ten years of travel even though we barely touched the surface of places we had hoped to visit.

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    1. Ingrid, good to hear from you. Yes, we loved traveling those dirt roads, too. I know what you mean about barely touching the surface of places to visit. There are still places in the United States we missed. And I have many places outside the US I’d love to see!

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  9. Lovely images and thoughts Beth. I actually use that Helen Keller quote as the sign off in my email system – it’s so very true. And your comment about never knowing what tomorrow will bring is true as well. Imagine if someone had predicted Covid – we’d have thought they were crazy!!! Also loved your point about asking the locals – my husband’s favorite phrase!!

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    1. Tina, we’ve never had a local steer us wrong! They are usually happy to help. When we are in a new place we like to ask “where do the locals eat?” We’ve found some amazing food that way.

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  10. What an awesome post! Travel makes us see such amazing places and we get to taste while we visit! I have seen the Delicate Arch two times. I know that hike well. Great picture.
    So did you cruise this past January? How was it? We have a biggie planned for April and we are soooooo ready to go!
    Thanks for all the travel fun!

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  16. You guys have done so much fun travel. I love that you get off the beaten path. I think people that continue to travel, do that. I love the quote by Michener …you might better stay home. To think of some of the “things I have eaten”, the testing of my fears, and morphing into a culture.. I am better for it. Donna

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