SUMMING UP

Tue, Sep 2 2008 01:56 | Permalink
Further to my comments in earlier writings, I named the sectors on my journey through the 50 states. With some calendar flexibility, the sectors corresponded to the months of travel. As a recap, although with deviations, I progressed north through the continent in layers. The route was designed to move into good weather as the seasons developed. On the whole, my plan worked, although the weather was always a challenge. I have selected a photograph from each sector for this final journey article. The choice of one image from sometimes a huge area, frequently encompassing several National Parks, was difficult. However, the image selected is unique to me and my feelings at the time and may not represent the best photograph I have in my collection from that area.

SAW TOOTH SECTOR-tallahassee fl to raleigh nc-february

This is one of the many colonial style houses on the water front in Charleston, South Carolina. Almost a millionaires row! Charleston is a charming town, not as commercially developed as nearby Savannah, Georgia. Earlier parts of this sector were not boring, but nothing captured my photographic imagination as something as simple as this delightful part of Charleston. Undoubtedly a lovely place to live.

WEST FOR PHOENIX-raleigh nc to phoenix az-march

The Smoky Mountains National Park. I encountered this moody and misty shot of the Smokies very early on this sector on the North Carolina-Tennessee State Line. My first mountains of the journey!!

IN CALIFORNIA-phoenix az to las vegas nv-april


Selecting a shot from California was difficult. There were many contenders from many parts of this geographically diverse state. A shot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern California takes the prize. It was the isolation and sheer immensity of this range that provoked my interest and almost fear. I rode up to 9500 feet close to the peak of Mount Whitney the highest point in the contiguous USA at 14 505 feet. The local town of Lone Pine, with cowboy feel, provided a great base for a few days.


UTAH RED ROCK-las vegas nv to salt lake city ut-april



Was it to be Zion, Capital Reef or Bryce Canyon? Its Bryce Canyon. Perhaps it was the contrast of greenery, snow and the stunning red rock that persuaded my selection. The National Parks of Utah are not to be missed. Utah is almost the ‘best kept secret’ of the USA, familiarity is not common. Even by Americans.

THE BIG EAST -salt lake city ut to richmond va -may


Having seen all the 50 State Capitol buildings, Des Moines in Iowa was my favourite and stole the show on this trek across the middle of the country. I was graced with clear azure sky, a dramatic backdrop for those impressive domes.

NORTH EAST GRIDLOCK-richmond va to augusta me-june


There’s a lot of asphalt, brick, concrete and people in this part of the country. North east ‘’mega-tropolis’’. My selection was not a typical building that we all would recognise from north east USA. My subject is a touch different. I met astronaut James Irwin at a presentation in England back in 1982. I came across this photo of him and his Apollo 15 crew in the DC Smithsonian. He passed away in 1991. The advancement of technology is spine chilling when you consider the average digital SLR camera today, has more computing power than any Apollo rocket in the 1970s. They were brave people then-but they knew nothing else and could not predict technologies of the future.

ACROSS THE TOP -augusta me to olympia wa -july


Yellowstone or Teton? It’s Teton and those stunning snow capped jagged mountains, against the blue sky with foreground summer flowers says it all.


NORTH TO THE LAST FRONTIER -olympia wa to juneau ak -july



I could have chosen a shot of the Alaska Highway here, considering it dominated my journey through British Columbia, Yukon and into Alaska for a couple of thousand miles. But it was the final part of my journey to the 49th capital that got it. The ferry journey on the Alaska Marine Highway from Skagway-Alaska to Juneau-Alaska was memorable. The sun was burning off early morning low cloud, revealing steep hills lining the quite still fjord. As if my arrangement, hump back whales surfaced ahead of the ferry.

ONWARDS TO ANCHORAGE -juneau ak to anchorage ak -aug


Another marine shot, this time northbound on the fjord from Juneau to Haines. It was a moody evening with not a hint of blue sky. A glimpse of the odd glacier against the grey sky and foreboding landscape, gave very much an isolated feel.

ALOHA STATE -honolulu hi -august


State number 50. Quite a bit of significant history here. However, here I guess is what we all associate Hawaii with. The beach and a surfer-just about a surfer!
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