National Parks – Wandering Dawgs

For this challenge Sofia is looking back to our first Lens-Artists Challenge: Wonder. Sofia explains her challenge like this: “We’re looking for the moments, places, people that we treasure, the little stories behind a shot that stuff our lives with meaning and joy.” You can visit Patti’s original challenge at Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Wonder.

I believe the world in incomprehensible beautiful – an endless prospect of magic and wonder. – Ansel Adams

I am grateful I have been able to experience many of the wonders in America’s National Parks. Some are huge, some are tiny, some are living, some took thousands of years to create. They all brought me joy. Here are just a few wonders I fell in love with.

The ancient mountains of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the rugged peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina

Ancient Giant Redwoods in Redwoods National Park and Palm Trees in Everglades National Park.

The amazing landscapes created by nature in Yosemite Nationanl Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

Moose in Denali National Park and a Bugling Elk in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The serenity of a waterfall and an old homestead surrounded by tall trees wearing their autumn colors.

Tom Branch Falls, Great Smoky Mountains NP

I can’t leave out the wonder of discovering small things like a butterfly on colorful wildflowers.

Last week Patti challenged us to Focus on the Subject. I enjoyed all of your beautiful responses. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge..

Many thanks to Sofia for this week’s challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to her post Lens-Artists #402: Looking Back to Lens-Artists Challenge #1 – Wonder.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, June 20 at noon eastern time when John will be your host for the challenge.

If you don’t want to miss any of our challenges you may want to think about subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.

For information on how to join the Lens-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift

Sophia has challenged us to “Look back at things you love(d) in your life, things that have happened, places you visited that you’d like to experience again. Anything, really, as long as it’s part of your treasured memories.” I had fun going through boxes of old photos for this challenge. I found too many to include so I decided to focus on some “firsts” from my travels.

I inherited the travel bug from my father. He was a career U.S. Air Force officer whose job required moving quite often. Every summer we spent our summer vacations traveling to visit grandparents in two different states.

My first big trip that didn’t revolve around visiting grandparents was in the summer of 1959 when I was eight years old. As we traveled from the East Coast to California we passed through many different landscapes and explored several National Parks. Here I am with my Mom and my brothers at Yellowstone Lake.

My first big trip with my husband and children was when the kids were 13 and 9. We saw many fantastic places as we traveled to and from the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. A hike on the Bright Angel Trail was the highlight of our Grand Canyon adventure.

I was 16 years old the first time I flew in an airplane. We flew from New York to Rome on our way to My Dad’s next assignment at a small base near Brindisi, Italy. We traveled to many places around Europe during the two years Dad was stationed there. This image is of the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Wandering Dawgs took our first RV trip in 2006 in our brand new fifth wheel. We found beauty every where we went as we traveled west to explore many of the western National Parks.