Top 10 Places I have Visited
My parents instilled in me a passion to travel. Every year we took a family vacation and the older I got the more involved in the planning I became. Then I married another lover of adventure and together Sarah and I have been traveling as much as possible. So to continue my ten lists of ten here are the top ten place I have ever been.
10. Maine
I have stepped foot on Maine soil on three different occasions. I really hadn't seen much of the Pine Tree State my third visit. That trip would be my first adventure with Sarah. This was a big test for us to see how we traveled as a couple. I had yet to declare myself a landscape photographer but my preferences were still bias towards the camera and Sarah wanted to see the lighthouses so our interests alligned. Other than a slight mishap with the rental car, the trip could not have gone better. We took our time driving the coast stopping at a dozen light houses and probably just as many lobster shacks. We made our way to Acadia National Park where we enjoyed reduced crowds thanks to the temporary government shutdown. Maine will forever hold special memories because of that trip but the state is a perfect mix of what we both like to do.
9. Maldives
The Maldives is the one place I will brag about visiting more than any other. When Sarah proposed it as our honeymoon destination I thought there was no way it would happen but we made it. My experience of the country was not as extensive as I would have liked, being secluded to our resort the majority of the trip. We were able to explore a local village for an afternoon and I learned to snorkel which became my favorite thing to do there. I would have liked to see more of the culture but it was everything a honeymoon should be. Most of our time was spent laying on the deck of our hut staring at the turquoise water or swimming in it. We were treated to a smorgasbord of world cuisines, daily massages, romantic dinners and a lot of relaxation. I do have a desire to go back before the islands sink into the ocean to dive with whale sharks but this may have been a once in a lifetime trip that I will not take for granted.
8. Aruba
I am a cold weather person, so for me to enjoy a place that made me sweat constantly speaks to the beauty of the island. The trip to Aruba was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. This was our first anniversary trip and we made a lot of memories as a couple. There was a lot of beach time relaxing and playing in the ocean together, we snorkeled a shipwreck, hiked bee and bat infested caves, watched every sunset wrapped up in each other and the culmination being the sunset cruise where the world ceased to exist beyond that catamaran. Aruba will be a place we return to some day.
7. Marquette
Marquette shouldn't really qualify for this list because I didn't so much visit as live there for four years. It is a cozy college town on Lake Superior with enough city activity to indulge in all the college extra curricula as well as wilderness seclusion that helped develop my photographic eye and sense of adventure. Marquette is the only place I've seen the northern lights, where I hiked across the base of a waterfall, where I found my independence, and where I still dream of spending my winters. It holds memories of late night light painting and beach bon fires, sideline sports photography and chilling dogsled races. I have not returned to Marquette since graduation in 2013 and every year that goes by makes me miss the crystal clear waters of Lake Superior even more.
6. Kauai
If Sarah and I were to retire to an island I would beg for Kauai and she wouldn't take much convincing. We spent half of our Hawaii trip on touristy Oahu and that experience made Kauai feel like Hawaii's version of a cabin in the woods. The quiet Garden Isle is where Jurassic Park was filmed, it has beaches and jungle, mountains and canyons, waterfalls and rainbows. Time moves slow on Kauai, while we were still go-go-go, it was easy to find moments for relaxing. I still think there are dinosaurs on the island and I will keep going back until I find one.
5. Ireland
Ireland was my first real trip out of the country. I had been to Canada before but when you live in Wisconsin it's basically the same thing. Ireland was incredible. The trip took us around the southern half of the island starting in Dublin and stopping in Galway, Cork, and Killarney for city tours as well as the Cliffs of Moher and a number of castles. We also did the Guinness tour and kissed the Blarney Stone because you practically have to. Ireland was one of those trips spent with friends that forms an eternal bond. We have yet to take another vacation with our companions from Ireland but there will be another some day and until then we will continue to reminisce about the green hills and sheep in the road.
4. Lake Abamassagi
Ontario is full of lakes with the best fishing in the world. Lake Abamassagi is one of them and a lake I have fished twice in my life. While the memories of my time here are tied to a friend that is now fishing with angels, the lake itself is a favorite of mine. It takes a float plane to arrive at the lake with no roads and just three cabins on it. Every morning we drove our boat past a moose swimming in the lake and closed our eyes to the songs of the loons and chirping crickets. The fishing is why we go but the lake is where I find myself again and remember what really matters.
3. Crested Butte
What more can I say about my favorite mountain town? Lambeau is always with us when we go and I think that plays into my affection for Crested Butte. We are able to hike with him off leash and he is never happier than having complete freedom in the woods with Mom and Dad behind him. What I love the most about bringing Lambeau is when I jump off the trail to take a picture, he is at my side and will hang out by my bag and watch me work. When I am done Sarah will call him and he will bound through the woods to her side until we continue. The wilderness is a special place because of the scenery and the memories we have made there over the years.
2. Great Sand Dunes National Park
Another location that has frequented these top 10 lists, Great Sand Dunes is my photography high. Usually it takes a while to find a composition on a hike but at the dunes my eye was like a moth to a light bulb. When that sun sets on the dunes it just gets better as the shadows and highlights get deeper and the lines can get really abstract. The dunes may become my hot spot to develop my eye further and really start figuring out how to play with light. I hear the stars are phenomenal as well so maybe a camping trip will be in the works this summer.
1. Abiqua Falls
My favorite place that I have ever visited is Abiqua Falls in Oregon. Oregon is full of stunning locations but Abiqua stands above the rest. The waterfall was privately owned land at one time and since it became public there have yet to be signs put up leading to the hike. Even then, you need high clearance to get to the parking lot and sure footing to arrive at the falls. The hike leads you through fern covered forest and spits you out at the river where you can hear the roar of the falls. Following the river you are deposited in an amphitheater of basalt columns where the 100 foot falls is king. With towering rock and trees surrounding you, it has a way of making you feel small. I didn't want to leave and the experience is why "Jolene" is one of my favorite photos. I feel like I did a good job of capturing the magnitude of Abiqua Falls.
10. Maine
I have stepped foot on Maine soil on three different occasions. I really hadn't seen much of the Pine Tree State my third visit. That trip would be my first adventure with Sarah. This was a big test for us to see how we traveled as a couple. I had yet to declare myself a landscape photographer but my preferences were still bias towards the camera and Sarah wanted to see the lighthouses so our interests alligned. Other than a slight mishap with the rental car, the trip could not have gone better. We took our time driving the coast stopping at a dozen light houses and probably just as many lobster shacks. We made our way to Acadia National Park where we enjoyed reduced crowds thanks to the temporary government shutdown. Maine will forever hold special memories because of that trip but the state is a perfect mix of what we both like to do.
9. Maldives
The Maldives is the one place I will brag about visiting more than any other. When Sarah proposed it as our honeymoon destination I thought there was no way it would happen but we made it. My experience of the country was not as extensive as I would have liked, being secluded to our resort the majority of the trip. We were able to explore a local village for an afternoon and I learned to snorkel which became my favorite thing to do there. I would have liked to see more of the culture but it was everything a honeymoon should be. Most of our time was spent laying on the deck of our hut staring at the turquoise water or swimming in it. We were treated to a smorgasbord of world cuisines, daily massages, romantic dinners and a lot of relaxation. I do have a desire to go back before the islands sink into the ocean to dive with whale sharks but this may have been a once in a lifetime trip that I will not take for granted.
8. Aruba
I am a cold weather person, so for me to enjoy a place that made me sweat constantly speaks to the beauty of the island. The trip to Aruba was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. This was our first anniversary trip and we made a lot of memories as a couple. There was a lot of beach time relaxing and playing in the ocean together, we snorkeled a shipwreck, hiked bee and bat infested caves, watched every sunset wrapped up in each other and the culmination being the sunset cruise where the world ceased to exist beyond that catamaran. Aruba will be a place we return to some day.
7. Marquette
Marquette shouldn't really qualify for this list because I didn't so much visit as live there for four years. It is a cozy college town on Lake Superior with enough city activity to indulge in all the college extra curricula as well as wilderness seclusion that helped develop my photographic eye and sense of adventure. Marquette is the only place I've seen the northern lights, where I hiked across the base of a waterfall, where I found my independence, and where I still dream of spending my winters. It holds memories of late night light painting and beach bon fires, sideline sports photography and chilling dogsled races. I have not returned to Marquette since graduation in 2013 and every year that goes by makes me miss the crystal clear waters of Lake Superior even more.
6. Kauai
If Sarah and I were to retire to an island I would beg for Kauai and she wouldn't take much convincing. We spent half of our Hawaii trip on touristy Oahu and that experience made Kauai feel like Hawaii's version of a cabin in the woods. The quiet Garden Isle is where Jurassic Park was filmed, it has beaches and jungle, mountains and canyons, waterfalls and rainbows. Time moves slow on Kauai, while we were still go-go-go, it was easy to find moments for relaxing. I still think there are dinosaurs on the island and I will keep going back until I find one.
5. Ireland
Ireland was my first real trip out of the country. I had been to Canada before but when you live in Wisconsin it's basically the same thing. Ireland was incredible. The trip took us around the southern half of the island starting in Dublin and stopping in Galway, Cork, and Killarney for city tours as well as the Cliffs of Moher and a number of castles. We also did the Guinness tour and kissed the Blarney Stone because you practically have to. Ireland was one of those trips spent with friends that forms an eternal bond. We have yet to take another vacation with our companions from Ireland but there will be another some day and until then we will continue to reminisce about the green hills and sheep in the road.
4. Lake Abamassagi
Ontario is full of lakes with the best fishing in the world. Lake Abamassagi is one of them and a lake I have fished twice in my life. While the memories of my time here are tied to a friend that is now fishing with angels, the lake itself is a favorite of mine. It takes a float plane to arrive at the lake with no roads and just three cabins on it. Every morning we drove our boat past a moose swimming in the lake and closed our eyes to the songs of the loons and chirping crickets. The fishing is why we go but the lake is where I find myself again and remember what really matters.
3. Crested Butte
What more can I say about my favorite mountain town? Lambeau is always with us when we go and I think that plays into my affection for Crested Butte. We are able to hike with him off leash and he is never happier than having complete freedom in the woods with Mom and Dad behind him. What I love the most about bringing Lambeau is when I jump off the trail to take a picture, he is at my side and will hang out by my bag and watch me work. When I am done Sarah will call him and he will bound through the woods to her side until we continue. The wilderness is a special place because of the scenery and the memories we have made there over the years.
2. Great Sand Dunes National Park
Another location that has frequented these top 10 lists, Great Sand Dunes is my photography high. Usually it takes a while to find a composition on a hike but at the dunes my eye was like a moth to a light bulb. When that sun sets on the dunes it just gets better as the shadows and highlights get deeper and the lines can get really abstract. The dunes may become my hot spot to develop my eye further and really start figuring out how to play with light. I hear the stars are phenomenal as well so maybe a camping trip will be in the works this summer.
1. Abiqua Falls
My favorite place that I have ever visited is Abiqua Falls in Oregon. Oregon is full of stunning locations but Abiqua stands above the rest. The waterfall was privately owned land at one time and since it became public there have yet to be signs put up leading to the hike. Even then, you need high clearance to get to the parking lot and sure footing to arrive at the falls. The hike leads you through fern covered forest and spits you out at the river where you can hear the roar of the falls. Following the river you are deposited in an amphitheater of basalt columns where the 100 foot falls is king. With towering rock and trees surrounding you, it has a way of making you feel small. I didn't want to leave and the experience is why "Jolene" is one of my favorite photos. I feel like I did a good job of capturing the magnitude of Abiqua Falls.
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