Top 10 Possible Photo Excursions for 2019
Every year I get bombarded with travel suggestions. Part of why I love
being at shows is talking travel with people. For every story I tell
about a trip I probably get two recommendations in return. My response is always the same,
“I will add that to my list”, and I usually do. The problem is my
list is extremely long. As an avid traveler this ensures that I will
never have a shortage of amazing places to explore but makes choosing
where to go first extremely difficult. Every year I attempt to cross a
few places off that list and without further ado here are the top 10
most likely photo excursions for 2019. (I completed 6 out of 10 on last
years list).
1. Hawaii
Let’s start with the most likely. This trip is already booked. Sarah and I have been wanting to return to Hawaii since our last trip and when you find round trip tickets under $300 it’s a no brainer. Last time we split the trip between Oahu and Kauai but this time we’re spending the entire trip on the island of Maui. The week long trip will feature a good mix of hiking, relaxing and whale watching as the humpbacks migrate through the island chain this winter.
2. Washington
Another trip that is already on the books, this one courtesy of my amazing wife. She booked us two tickets to Seattle as a Christmas gift and has given me the task of planning a photo-centric adventure. This will all but ensure a trip to Olympic National Park, a location that is very high on my list.
3. Upper Peninsula/Apostle Islands
It’s hard to say this is booked because this will be a solo winter road trip in February. I need to be in Wisconsin in February and thought it would be a good time to schedule this long awaited return to the U.P. The trip will make stops at Badlands National Park, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the Keweenaw Penninsula, and a return to Marquette where I attended college. I always loved exploring the shores of Lake Superior during the winter and this trip will be full of ice caves and icicles.
4. Great Sand Dunes National Park
I’m going to make it a goal to return to the dunes at least once a year. If you’ve never been and are wondering why I can’t stop talking about this place I recommend booking your trip because words can’t put it into perspective. As a photographer this is a paradise especially for those that like to dabble with the abstract. When the sun starts setting there is nothing like the abstract nature of the dunes. Nothing is planned but I assure you I will be vacuuming out my camera bag at some point this year.
5. Belize
There is a solid chance this trip happens because it nearly did this year. Sarah and I had our tickets booked for our second anniversary trip to the jungles of Belize. Weeks before we were scheduled to depart we had to cancel because a hailstorm destroyed our roof. We were both very excited about the trip and extremely disappointed with having to cancel it. The trip is already planned and there is a good chance we make it next October. There is always a chance that something new pops up and sweeps us away to another beautiful location but I'd be surprised if we aren't snorkeling in the clear waters of Belize this year.
6. Oregon
There are whispers of a second trip to the Pacific Northwest this year. Oregon has been high on my list since my first visit but the stars just have not aligned for a return. This trip would likely focus more on the coast but it’s hard to go to Oregon and not hike at least one waterfall. Even with Washington scheduled already, I can never get enough of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon is a strong contender for a long weekend early this summer.
7. Germany
Another trip that almost snuck into 2018. Sarah just started working as a travel agent, fitting because she already spends half her days planning more trips for us than we could possibly take in a lifetime. She found an familiarization opportunity for travel agents for winter European river cruises that was too good to pass up. That is unless they had to pay for a new roof, so that wound up on the back burner with Belize. The offer is still on the table and Sarah and I are eyeing an early December trip to enjoy some of Europe’s finest Christmas Markets.
8. Telluride
This may be the year I finally switch up my fall tradition of going to Crested Butte for peak fall foliage. Southern Colorado is a beautiful region that I’ve yet to explore and it has become more and more tempting and this autumn could finally be the year. The drive is a bit longer than the Gunnison National Forest I've frequented over the last few years but a change of scenery could be a good thing. Telluride, Ouray and Durango are the front runners but the San Juan region is where my sights are set.
9. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
There’s always a couple of local trips on this list and this one carried over from last years. One of two remaining National Parks in Colorado to visit, I would love to find a way out to Black Canyon. This one would pair nicely with excursion #8 and could tie in a stop to #4 as well. The key factor will be finding time. I'm hoping for a busy summer with festivals so keep an eye out for a late year push to check this one off my list finally.
10. Utah
Similar to Oregon, Utah continues to tempt me year after year. One of the four on last years list that went untraveled, there may be a road trip planned this year just to get the monkey off my back. There are no shortage of places to visit in the state with Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Canyonlands and Grand Staircase Escalante. Figuring out where to start will be the hard part.
1. Hawaii
Let’s start with the most likely. This trip is already booked. Sarah and I have been wanting to return to Hawaii since our last trip and when you find round trip tickets under $300 it’s a no brainer. Last time we split the trip between Oahu and Kauai but this time we’re spending the entire trip on the island of Maui. The week long trip will feature a good mix of hiking, relaxing and whale watching as the humpbacks migrate through the island chain this winter.
2. Washington
Another trip that is already on the books, this one courtesy of my amazing wife. She booked us two tickets to Seattle as a Christmas gift and has given me the task of planning a photo-centric adventure. This will all but ensure a trip to Olympic National Park, a location that is very high on my list.
3. Upper Peninsula/Apostle Islands
It’s hard to say this is booked because this will be a solo winter road trip in February. I need to be in Wisconsin in February and thought it would be a good time to schedule this long awaited return to the U.P. The trip will make stops at Badlands National Park, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the Keweenaw Penninsula, and a return to Marquette where I attended college. I always loved exploring the shores of Lake Superior during the winter and this trip will be full of ice caves and icicles.
4. Great Sand Dunes National Park
I’m going to make it a goal to return to the dunes at least once a year. If you’ve never been and are wondering why I can’t stop talking about this place I recommend booking your trip because words can’t put it into perspective. As a photographer this is a paradise especially for those that like to dabble with the abstract. When the sun starts setting there is nothing like the abstract nature of the dunes. Nothing is planned but I assure you I will be vacuuming out my camera bag at some point this year.
5. Belize
There is a solid chance this trip happens because it nearly did this year. Sarah and I had our tickets booked for our second anniversary trip to the jungles of Belize. Weeks before we were scheduled to depart we had to cancel because a hailstorm destroyed our roof. We were both very excited about the trip and extremely disappointed with having to cancel it. The trip is already planned and there is a good chance we make it next October. There is always a chance that something new pops up and sweeps us away to another beautiful location but I'd be surprised if we aren't snorkeling in the clear waters of Belize this year.
6. Oregon
There are whispers of a second trip to the Pacific Northwest this year. Oregon has been high on my list since my first visit but the stars just have not aligned for a return. This trip would likely focus more on the coast but it’s hard to go to Oregon and not hike at least one waterfall. Even with Washington scheduled already, I can never get enough of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon is a strong contender for a long weekend early this summer.
7. Germany
Another trip that almost snuck into 2018. Sarah just started working as a travel agent, fitting because she already spends half her days planning more trips for us than we could possibly take in a lifetime. She found an familiarization opportunity for travel agents for winter European river cruises that was too good to pass up. That is unless they had to pay for a new roof, so that wound up on the back burner with Belize. The offer is still on the table and Sarah and I are eyeing an early December trip to enjoy some of Europe’s finest Christmas Markets.
8. Telluride
This may be the year I finally switch up my fall tradition of going to Crested Butte for peak fall foliage. Southern Colorado is a beautiful region that I’ve yet to explore and it has become more and more tempting and this autumn could finally be the year. The drive is a bit longer than the Gunnison National Forest I've frequented over the last few years but a change of scenery could be a good thing. Telluride, Ouray and Durango are the front runners but the San Juan region is where my sights are set.
9. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
There’s always a couple of local trips on this list and this one carried over from last years. One of two remaining National Parks in Colorado to visit, I would love to find a way out to Black Canyon. This one would pair nicely with excursion #8 and could tie in a stop to #4 as well. The key factor will be finding time. I'm hoping for a busy summer with festivals so keep an eye out for a late year push to check this one off my list finally.
10. Utah
Similar to Oregon, Utah continues to tempt me year after year. One of the four on last years list that went untraveled, there may be a road trip planned this year just to get the monkey off my back. There are no shortage of places to visit in the state with Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Canyonlands and Grand Staircase Escalante. Figuring out where to start will be the hard part.
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