From Mountain Tops to Desert Floors (What a Day)

California, one of my favorite places to travel, is a beautiful state. Coming south on interstate 15, the trip down the mountain from Hesperia, CA to San Bernardino, CA is a steep drop. And right now there is snow on the distant tops, making the view even more spectacular.

Once you you get down the steepest part, there are these big plates of solid rock, pushing up from the ground.

Once down the mountain, near San Bernardino, sometimes you can see the mountains in the far distance. And some times you can't. But this day, you not only could see the mountains, but there were clouds hanging low.

Through out parts of California the horizon seems so vast, and can make you feel so minuscle. The shape of the mountains are attention grabbing, to say the least.

Then there is Pisgah Volcano, a young volcanic cinder cone, rising above a lava plain in the Mojave Desert, between Barstow and Needles, California. There may have been activity at this site as recent as 2,000 years ago, though more likely 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. It is too young for the commonly used potassium-argon dating technique, which is usable on specimens over 100,000 years old. Although I have to say, the volcano doesn't look like much more than a black colored hill.

As the sun went down, it brought a beautiful pink tone to the sky. I have to say.... what a way to end the day.

 

 



After the Snow Storm

Recently, I was in Washington, D.C. delivering Ford Concept cars to the upcoming Auto Show. And wouldn't you know it, I got stuck overnight, when a big snowstorm came in. Needless to say, the roads looked a mess and I could hear sirens buzzing in the distance all night long.

The next morning, the roads looked better and I made my way out onto the streets and headed back home to Michigan. The countryside, full of fresh winter snow, was extraordinary. I grabbed my camera. And this was the first shots of the morning.

Of course, numerous vehicles were still stuck at the side of the roads. Tow trucks were pulling cars and trucks, out of the snow from the night before, at almost every turn.

There's something so appealing about fresh snow, the way it lays so thick on the branches, the crisp air it brings, and the bright white color. It is such a lovely aspect of living.

And the countryside is so sweet in Pennsylvania. The Smokey Mountains are striking.

Churches and barns are a favorite thing for me to photograph. Their structures, always different, and eye-catching. The scenery that surrounds them, just as significant to my fascination with them.

All and all the roads were plowed very well, making my travel trouble-free. With fresh snow, the countryside vista couldn't have been more spectacular for the ride home.