Domino Sugar Building at Night
Domino Sugar Building at Night
New LaGuardia Airport
New LaGuardia Airport
Seilebost
Seilebost
The Glen, Scotland
The Glen, Scotland
Glico Man Sign, Osaka
Glico Man Sign, Osaka
Morning on Cascade Mountain
Morning on Cascade Mountain
Ancient Temple, Japan
Ancient Temple, Japan
Himeji Castle, Japan
Himeji Castle, Japan
Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles
Kusunoki Masashige Statue, Tokyo
Kusunoki Masashige Statue, Tokyo
Himeji Castle, Japan
Himeji Castle, Japan
Huntington Beach, Orange County
Huntington Beach, Orange County
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris
Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris
Huntington Beach Sunset, Orange County
Huntington Beach Sunset, Orange County
Elgin Marbles, The British Museum
Elgin Marbles, The British Museum
Mind the Gap, London
Mind the Gap, London
Avalanche Pass, Adirondack Mountains
Avalanche Pass, Adirondack Mountains
Pericles, The British Museum
Pericles, The British Museum
Borve Beach, Isle of Harris
Borve Beach, Isle of Harris
The Memorial Cairn, Culloden Moor, Inverness
The Memorial Cairn, Culloden Moor, Inverness
The Guggenheim Museum, New York City
The Guggenheim Museum, New York City
Domino Sugar Building at Night
Domino Sugar Building at NightDomino Sugar Building at Night
New LaGuardia Airport
New LaGuardia AirportLaGuardia has had quite a new facelift. The New Terminal layout and space is incredible. Engineering marvel in the heart of one of the busy airports in the world. First flight in over two years!
Seilebost
SeilebostOn the A859 driving through Seilebost.
The Glen, Scotland
The Glen, ScotlandA cloud front rises on Glen Coe, east of the village of Ballachulish and Glencoe, on the A82 road in the Scottish Highlands.
Glico Man Sign, Osaka
Glico Man Sign, OsakaThe Dōtombori–dori district in Osaka is an intense and super fun place.  Packed full of crowds of club kids, date night couples and tourist alike it will set your senses ablaze.  The aroma from the Takoyaki (little batter fried balls of octopus) is enough for anyone to enjoy the but the main highlight of the area is the 33 meter high Glico Man Sign the original of which was put up in 1935. The area was always a mecca for huge advertisements hawking the latest in Japanese wares from clothing to athletic wear and the Glico Man has lasted for decades.  The company behind this sign, Ezaki Glico, makes Pocky sweets which are addicting little snacks sold everywhere in Japan and abroad. Expect to spend 3 to 4 hours here wandering around.  People watching from a canal side restaurant is a great way to pass the time in the area taking in all the sights. The Osaka outpost of Japan's famous Daruma chain of restaurants is a affordable spot to grab a great bite to eat but definitely make sure you don't pass up on streetside Takoyaki as well.  
Morning on Cascade Mountain
Morning on Cascade Mountain Morning on Cascade Mountain in the Adirondacks, New York State
Ancient Temple, Japan
Ancient Temple, JapanI had no idea Japan was such a mountainous country. Before heading out I did some basic research and climbing Mount Fuji was one of the top To-do's on our list.  I came across an outdoor guide, David of Kanto Adventures, who was one of the few guides who takes hikers up Mount Fuji in the winter.  He lived a few hours away from Mount Fuji near the village of Hanno with his wife, young son and their super kawaii Hakaido-ken dog.  The built a cabin in this little village and it was a great way to get to know the local area and a part of Japan I'm guessing foreign travelers hardly ever visit. It was an incredible place and remains one of the most memorable part of the trip to Japan. David told us about a forest temple that was very old near his house. It had been a temple before the ancient era of Japan and people took pilgrimages from all over Japans to visit.  The monks lived up here in the the temple complex which a few parishioners still visit. Down the hill a few miles is a beautiful gorge with multiple waterfalls. It took Erica and I a few tries to figure out the paths but on the third try we eventually found it. Totally worth the multiple trips!I still can't get over how cool it was to hike down to this temple, it felt like a scene right out of Tolkien's lord of the Rings with the stunning mountains and the mossy old statuary. They main statue was flanked by this smaller orc like statues with wicked grins who held little axes. If you are looking for a great trip with an expert guide who can show you a part of Japan that's really off the beaten path give David a holler. A stay in his family's cabin and a hike around the area is a great way to get in touch with the mountains and out of the bustling cities.  David and his team can also arrange guided trips all over the rest of Japan.
Himeji Castle, Japan
Himeji Castle, JapanHimeji Castle is a place worth a visit. It's the castle that graces your smartphones emoji and is a great living example of the history of the country. You can travel to the city of Himeji from Osaka easily and back in a day.  The city offers several other sites you can check out in addition to a visit to the castle like the samurai gardens. These are wonderful reconstructions of retainer houses and gardens that are faithful reconstructions of what it was like to live as an important retainer of the lord of the province. Plan on spending 3 to 4 hours at the castle,  it's picturesque and the placards describing castle life and city live in medieval Japan are worth reading up on at each stop in the castle. Don't miss the totally amazing city mascot for Himeji, see if you can spot the princess, she's everywhere.
Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory, Los AngelesGriffith Observatory is an iconic site in the hills above the city of Los Angeles in California. It has a commanding view of the Los Angeles basin and has been free to the public since it opened in 1935. It's a beautiful example of the power of Art Deco design in public life.  The observatory is surrounding by hiking trails the large Griffith Park, you can hike up to the observatory or catch a taxi to the top easily and spend a few hours soaking in the view and the sun.
Kusunoki Masashige Statue, Tokyo
Kusunoki Masashige Statue, TokyoThis is the epic statue of Kusunoki Masashige, a 14th century samurai who fought for the Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō War, the attempt to wrest rulership of Japan away from the Kamakura shogunate and is remembered as the ideal of samurai loyalty.This is an impressive and not too be missed site if you are walking around the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda in Tokyo.The expression of the horse, the movement of flesh and sinew all comes alive in this bronze cast of what is consider the height of samurai loyalty and the bushido code.Kusunoki sits astride his war horse directly across from the Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. building which General Douglas MacArthur used as his offices and command center during the occupation and reconstruction of Japan after World War II.  Like everywhere else in Japan, you can't get very far trying to escape the past without running into it.  
Himeji Castle, Japan
Himeji Castle, JapanI like this shot of Himeji Castle because it shows the scale of the collection of the buildings including the main keep in the background.Amazingly the main keep is help up by just a few central wooden logs, cut from massive trees.  They have to be replaced every hundred years or so and Himeji Castle just finished a refurbishment project.
Huntington Beach, Orange County
Huntington Beach, Orange CountySunsets make complex and lovely photos.  This one is taken from looking west on a beach in Orange County to the Santa Catalina Islands and old oil derricks in the distance.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park, ColoradoRocky Mountain National Park is located in north central Colorado.  One of fifty-eight of the National Parks of the United States, Rocky Mountain National Park was established in 1915 as part of the conservation movement of the early twentieth century that took root in the United States. Ute and Arapaho first nations people used the area for hunting and paleo-Indians travelled the area as well.This peak, Hallet Peak, and frozen lake, Bear Lake, are just a few of the spectacular sites of the Park.  Hundreds of trails and a half doze access roads make this park very accessible to day hikers and walkers alike.
Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris
Luskentyre Beach, Isle of HarrisLuskentyre Beach is a world treasure.  You'll find no finer sand and no finer view against the stormy North Sea swells. It's a journey to get here and its worth every step. We visit in winter, the low tourist season, the winter winds give life to the swells you simply can't see in the summer and the storms that flirt in an out from sunny brilliance to cloudy malevolence make for wonderful photography. 
Huntington Beach Sunset, Orange County
Huntington Beach Sunset, Orange CountyCan't get enough of these sunsets in Southern California :)
Elgin Marbles, The British Museum
Elgin Marbles, The British MuseumAfter seeing these I understand why they are such a big deal.  The marble, through the genius or its carvers and artists, comes to life and you walk by them.  It's a remarkable achievement for humankind to have produced such artistry.Well worth the visit to The British Museum. You can spend days here but three to four hours will allow you to see the highlights. We spent and hour just wandering around the Marbles themselves.
Mind the Gap, London
Mind the Gap, LondonThe London Underground still rules the public poster art kingdom.
Avalanche Pass, Adirondack Mountains
Avalanche Pass, Adirondack MountainsAvalanche Pass and Avalanche Lake are a remote lake and high mountain pass in the High Peaks area of the Adirondack Mountains.The dramatic scenery is the result of glaciation and several massive rock falls that calved a mountainside into the pass the basin, blocking off water and making for an interesting hike with some stellar scenery. It's a moderate to strenuous hike depending on your fitness and if you have time take a few days and a backpack to camp overnight so you can bag some of the high peaks around nearby Lake Colden. Well worth the slog so you can sit and enjoy the lake at dawn and dusk.  Avalanche Lake makes a great star gazing spot as well if you are staying in the area over night. 
Pericles, The British Museum
Pericles, The British MuseumSecond century marble portrait bust: Pericles wearing a helmet pushed back on his head. A Roman copy of an earlier Greek original. The name is inscribed in Greek. Housed in The British Museum.A head bearing a helmet, and placed upon a Terminus, with the name of Pericles, thus inscribed upon it, ПΕΡΙΚΛΕΣ. The portrait of this great warrior and legislator was not known in these days, until this Terminus, and another similar to it , but of a more modern style of sculpture, were discovered 1780 at the pianella [sic, for Pianura] di Cassio before mentioned’ (TY 12/3, street drawing room 20). The inscription actually reads ΠΕΡΙΚΛΗΣ.
Borve Beach, Isle of Harris
Borve Beach, Isle of HarrisThe rocky coast of Scotland's island the Isle of Harris.  The tiny village of Borve nestles in the fertile machair between the mountains and the sea and beaches like this stretch on into the horizon north and south.The North Atlantic which hits these shores changes minute by minute and the beach is littered with rocks and sand and the occasional curious sheep.
The Memorial Cairn, Culloden Moor, Inverness
The Memorial Cairn, Culloden Moor, InvernessI've wanted to go to Culloden ever since I read about the Scottish Highland wars as a child. Rob Roy, Bonnie Prince Charlie, the battles all of that stuff fascinated me as a young kid. When I finally got to travel to Scotland I nearly forgot about the Battlefield at Culloden as I had so many other things on my list of to-see's for the country. It was a windy and bitterly cold day but I tramped out on the field in joy getting to experience first hand what the place was.  Walking around battlefields is interesting, it make the fight more real and brings it out of the pages of history and the minds eye to your actual eyes.The Battle of was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart were decisively defeated by loyalist troops commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.It wasn't just a defeat, it was a near route. Marching around you really how damp the ground is and having a few thousand men and heavy arms weighing everything down.  Why they chose to fight on a Moor is beyond me.  A moor is basically a deceptively dry uncultivated swampy thing.  This is a historic place as the battle was the last pitched battle fought on British soil. If you go there don't call it British soil though. The ghosts of the Highland clearances and land system still haunt Scotland, despite being a modern and vibrant country, fewer than 500 hundred people (mostly English) own more than half of all the private land in Scotland.Culloden Moor is Scottish land in the minds and hearts of its countrymen and women and my mind too.
The Guggenheim Museum, New York City
The Guggenheim Museum, New York CityI shot this on an iPhone 8.  I think it came out pretty good.  No editing either.  Frank Lloyd Wright knows how to build a building.
info
prev / next