Where We're Headed Next...
Texas
Dave pays a visit to the Hill Country's plush Wildcatter Ranch & Resort near Graham (90 miles south of Ft. Worth) for some Western-style luxury, recreation (horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, skeet shooting, etc.) and relaxation (of course there's a spa). Next, he heads for the Gulf to develop an RV travel feature focusing on So. Padre Island and environs. Coverage here centers on fishing (Laguna Madre) and bird watching at
refuges/parks along the Lower Rio Grande Valley that comprise the World Birding Center network. (November 5-12, 2009)
Just Back From...
Ecuador
Dave made his second visit to Ecuador in September, spending several days covering attractions in and around Quito (including the famous Otavalo Market and Arasha Resort & Spa with its protected rain forest reserve) and continuing on to the Galapagos Islands. Dave cruised the "Enchanted Isles" with EcoVentura's 20-pax motor yacht ERIC, capturing quite a gallery of close-up wildlife, ranging from the world's rarest raptor, the Galapagos Hawk, to omnipresent sea lions, boobies, land and marine iguanas. Nice images too from the Darwin Research Center and of giant tortoises in the wild. (September 16-28, 2009)
Ohio
Jan's home all fired up after attending a video workshop in Columbus, OH, organized by highly respected photographer/videographer, Gail Mooney, and sponsored by Society of American Travel Writers' Freelance Council. (August 12- 16, 2009)
Australia
Just back from our second awesome voyage with Orion Expedition Cruises. This time, cruising Australia's Top End, Darwin to Broome. Also took to the Outback in a rented campervan visiting key National Parks including Litchfield, Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) and Gregory. Joined in the festivities at the Annual Ord Valley Muster, The East Kimberley region's major tourist event. (April 20 - May 20, 2009).
Bali:
Jan journeyed to Bali on her second cultural immersion trip with Ken Ballardmoving deeply into a transformational experience that she's captured on film and video. Check back for a Bali photo gallery to be added soon. (March 10 - April 3, 2009).
Middle East Cruise:
Dave and Jan boarded Peter Deilmann Cruises' MS Deutschland for a Mid-East odyssey featuring visits to Egypt (Suez Canal), Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain and Dubai. (October 13 - Nov. 5, 2008). Check back soon for a complete trip summary and photo posting on our What's New page!
Colorado:
Jan and Dave revisited one of their favorite cities -- Denver -- to take in and photograph the many new additions and attractions since their last visit in 2004. (Sept. 13-18, 2008).
New Mexico:
Dave and Jan made the short trip by RV to Silver City and the Gila National Forest/Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument -- plus a string of old mining towns including Glenwood, Reserve, Datil, Magdalena and Socorro. (August 25-29, 2008).
Bhutan:
Jan traveled with Ken Ballard and his company, Journeys of Spirit, to this magical region. She's riding high from an inspiring journey across the road less traveled and a deep slice of the local culture. (July, 2008)
Colorado:
Dave and Jan hit the road to tour Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic Byway in southern Colorado. Coverage included the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, some of Colorado's oldest towns and churches, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. A post-Byway stop was made in Pagosa Springs -- for a soothing soak in the hot mineral water pools at The Springs Resort. (July, 2008)
San Juan Cosala (Lake Chapala), Jalisco, Mexico:
For the past few years, we've been returning to this charming lakeside village each Spring to housesit for friends. What's happened is we've fallen in love with the villagers, the region, and our drives down. We even added a street dog, Osa, whom we adopted last year , into our household back home. (April 10 to May 1, 2008)
New Zealand (North Island), Papua New Guinea, Melanesia and the Solomon Islands:
16-day voyage with the 5-star expedition cruiser Orion. This amazing voyage was a first-ever voyage for the Aussie-based Orion -- voted the world's best expedition ship in 2006 by readers of Cruise Passenger Magazine. Islands on this itinerary (rarely if ever visited by cruise ships) include: Isle of Pines, Tanna, Espiritu Santo, Utupua, Santa Ana, Savo, Nggela, Gizo, Kennedy (of PT-109 fame) and Rabaul. February 21 to March 23, 2008.
Red Mountain Spa, St. George, Utah:
Jan teamed up with writer-photographer, and close friend, Ellen Barone for an active outdoor girls getaway story at this top-rated destination spa. www.redmountainspa.com (November 15 - 19, 2007)
Death Valley, Nevada: 49ers Encampment
This is the BIG event, year in and year out, at California's Death Valley National Park, when several thousand desert rats, four-wheelers, musicians, mule packers, artists, cowboy poets and curious bystanders assemble at both Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells for a long weekend of activities. November 6 - 11, 2007. (www.deathvalley49ers.org)
Greenland Expedition Cruise:
We're back from sailing aboard Norwegian Coastal Voyages new flagship vessel MS Fram, experiencing the magic of the far North while learning, first hand, about the melting Arctic ice cap. Blessed by the weather gods, we returned home with a stunning new collection of images and stories galore. August 22 - September 10, 2007. (www.costalvoyage.com)
Eastern Provinces, Canada
Montreal, Quebec City and Gaspe Peninsula RV trip. July 6 - 19, 2007.
Honolulu, Hawaii SATW (Society of American Travel Writers)
Attending a Western Chapter Meeting Dave piggybacked the meeting with research/photography for a feature on the recent multi-billion dollar revitalization of Waikiki. June 22 - 30, 2007.
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico:
Housesitting for friends at this expat haven on Lake Chapala put us in position to cover much of central Mexico, from the coast (Mazatlan, Manzanillo & Puerto Vallarta) to the colonial cities of Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Morelia, and others.... April 7 - May 7, 2007.
Lajitas, The Ultimate Hideout, Texas:
March began with a visit to Lajitas resort and a weekend of cowboy culture amidst rugged luxury. Upon arriving in Austin, Texas, the resort’s chartered jet whisked us away to this secluded slice of the Old West – just in time to celebrate Texas Independence Day with live music and dancing, a golf tournament, a Cowboy Action Shooting Tournament, and a chuck wagon barbecue dinner on the historic boardwalk. March 1-4, 2007. (www.lajitas.com)
Key West, Florida
Dave returned from a photography-themed visit to Key West (www.fla-keys.com/keywest) with a gorgeous new file of images and fresh new story ideas. January 15 - 24, 2007.
Texas/Oklahoma:
A Fall,'06 drive trip in our new Toyota Prius took us to Oklahoma City, Lake Texoma, Austin, and many popular Hill Country locations.
Copper Canyon, Mexico:
Dave is still smiling about his September, '06, rail journey through Copper Canyon aboard the deluxe, privately operated Sierra Madre Express (www.sierramadreexpress.com) ,a trip often billed as the "worlds most exciting train journey." September 7 -14, 2006.
Naadam Festival, Mongolia:
This 17-day cultural tour highlights the colorful and ancient Naadam Festival, Mongolia's most famous annual celebration (July 2 - 22, 2006) (www.pacificdelighttours.com).
North American Travel Journalists Association Conference - Stowe, Vermont:
(www.natja.org) May 30 - June 2, 2006. We returned home with a nice new selection of photos from central and northeastern Vermont, including Stowe, St. Johnsbury and the famous Shelburne Museum.
Oregon, RV Road Trip:
This nearly month-long Western US RV drive trip includes visits to Arizona and the scenic California and Oregon coasts.(April 25 - May 20, 2006).
The Kingdom of Bhutan with Photo Explorer Tours:
Timed to coincide with a colorful annual festival featuring mask dances, the highly popular and crowded Paro festival, the two week long visit to Bhutan with Travel Photographer of The Year, Blaine Harrington, includes explorations around Thimphu, Punakha, Wangdi, Trongsa, Gangtey, and Bumthang. (March 29 - April 13, 2006). (www.photoexplorertours.com)