What's on the agenda for national park, or other great shotting locations this summer? I'm curious how much travel people are willing to do with gas now over $4 bucks a gallon.

I'll stick to my usual, montana and alberta, no bit trips planed out of the region. Glacier, Banff, Jasper and little spots in between this year!

So, lets hear where youre planning to go and why. . .

Tony

My wife and I have talked about going back to Crater Lake sometime in July or August. Maybe a late Summer or early Fall trip to the Oregon coast.

Awesome Place! I've never shot there before, but I have seen the lake and love the area! Make sure to post a few shots here upon your return!

Tony,
I think we'll be sticking close to home this summer. Several factors but no question that the price of gas makes traveling even with only a couple of dogs pretty expensive.

We usually travel into the mid-West for some dog shows both to exhibit one or two of our own and also to take ring candids but I doubt we'll do it this year even though Sundance is almost ready for prime time .

Having said that, I think the challenge of finding more stuff close to home -- whether to photograph or just to enjoy in "vacation" mode -- is a good thing. Remember, we have Disney, Universal Studios and Sea World right in our back yard so it's not like we have to go somewhere to enjoy the theme park experience. And beaches one hour away to both the East and to the West. You know, we're pretty lucky in that regard.

Still, I'd love to get to one of the major scenic wonders withing the next year or so. We'll see. Maybe on my way to shoot the 2010 Rottweiler National in Denver.

Jim

I'm planing on going to Virginia, I will be taking in D.C. plus some of the bird walk trails I was told about..

Where in VA? I may have a tip or two for you on the bird thing.

Huntley Meadows
Dyke Marsh

DC in the summer, better take the air conditioner. . . Have a great time, there's sooo much too see around there, if you get a chance make sure you take a trip up the Great Falls on the Potomac river just up from DC in VA. If you go in the early am, you likely will see kayakers on it, it is impressive and very close to DC, only a few miles west on the parkway!


From the WWW:

Great Falls Park, an 800-acre park located along the Potomac River, is one of the most spectacular natural landmarks in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The natural beauty of Great Falls Park and its close proximity to downtown Washington, DC make this park popular with local residents and tourists who are visiting the area.

Great Falls Park offers a variety of activities including hiking, picnicking, kayaking, rock climbing, bicycling, and horseback riding. You can view the falls from several observation areas. The falls cascade into 20 foot waterfalls displaying the steepest fall line rapids of any eastern river. On the Virginia side, Overlook 2 and the Patowmack Canal Trail are wheelchair accessible. Follow the River Trail, beginning just downstream of the falls, and you will see spectacular views of the Mather Gorge. Above the Great Falls Park Visitor Center, you can follow the upper Canal Trail and view the head of the falls and the Aqueduct Dam. See a trail map to help you plan your hike.

Great Falls Park is maintained by the National Park Service. Ranger Talks are offered Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p. m. and 3:30 p. m. at the Ranger Program Area near Overlook 3.

Location
Great Falls Park is accessible from both sides of the Potomac River. The Virginia park is located at 9200 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, Virginia.

The Maryland side is a part of the C & O Canal National Historic Park and is located off of Falls Road in Potomac. There is not access between the two sides of the Potomac River.

Park Hours
Great Falls Park is open from 7 a.m. until dark every day except December 25th. The Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily, with extended hours during the spring and summer.

Admission
There is a $5.00 per vehicle entrance fee and a $3.00 fee for visitors entering the park on foot, horseback, bicycle, or motorcycle.

Official Website
www.nps.gov/grfa


Suggested Reading

Best Views in Washington, DC
Camping in Maryland and Virginia
Hiking in the Washington, DC Area


A Guide to Washington, DC Parks
A Guide to Maryland Parks
A Guide to Northern Virginia Parks

I guess that my wife and I will be bucking the "stay close to home" trend. We will be taking a road trip from Tucson, Arizona to Glencoe, Ontario, Canada to visit my wife's sister in July. The last time we made this trip, we took the scenic route, logging some 8,500 + miles. Our return route included stops at Gettysburg, the Assateague National Seashore, Chesapeake Bay, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Memphis, among others.

This time, we'll just be heading there and back by a more or less direct route. When we take our road trips, we like to avoid the interstates and stick to the back roads. We really enjoy visiting all the small villages and towns that are the backbone of America.

Whenever we see a sign for a local landmark or attraction that catches our fancy, we make a detour for a visit. There are a ton of tremendously beautiful and/or interesting places in this country that are virtually unknown except to the locals.

Factoring in side trips, I expect the drive will end up at less than 5,000 miles this time around. With the price of gas topping $4.00 a gallon, we could have flown a lot cheaper, but we would not have seen as much.

Unfortunately, the only National Park remotely close to our route is Point Pelee National Park in Ontario. It is supposed to be an excellent location for birders (which I am not), but I would guess that there is not much doing there in July. I plan on spending a day there anyway.

If I had had any sense, I would have scheduled this trip for the fall, when the leaves change colors. As it was, I picked July so I could sneak off to the big Antique Radio Show and Swap Meet in Lansing, Michigan while we are there.

We'll probably take the pop-up out for a month or so in September (after all the kids go back to school) and do a big Northern Arizona/Southern Utah loop again.

Jim

While obviously the cost of fuel has been hitting everyone hard, the biggest problem for us has been that the car is on its very last legs...and I am not sure it makes sense to replace it (particularly as we live here in Manhattan next to two subway lines).

However, I don't feel that this will alter our traveling plans too much. For example, we have several places that we are planning on going though over the coming weeks and months. In mid-June, we plan on going up to New Hampshire for a couple of days. In late July, we plan on hitting Acadia National Park (believe it or not, I have NEVER been there). In September, we are going back to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. All positive things. The cost of fuel stinks, but it is a necessary evil. I keep hoping that it all drops, but I guess that is probably a fairy tale.

I guess the question for folks is - what is 'close to home?' Do you consider a 200 or 300 mile round trip to be too much?

James