Arizona - Route 66

The Arizona stretch of Route 66 unfolds as a journey through time and terrain. From the cactus-studded expanses of the Sonoran Desert to the rugged canyons of the Colorado Plateau, the landscape shifts like chapters in a novel. Along the iconic route, you'll encounter classic diners, vintage motels, and quirky roadside attractions, each a testament to the route's storied past. As a blogger and photographer, I capture the essence of this historic highway, where the asphalt weaves through red-rock landscapes and sunsets paint the sky in hues only Arizona can offer.

These are some of the iconic sites  I didn’t visit all of them and plan to take another trip to complete the list  

1. **Wigwam Motel (Holbrook):** Sleep in concrete tepees reminiscent of a bygone era.

2. **Petrified Forest National Park:** Marvel at ancient petrified wood and vibrant painted desert landscapes.

3. **Winslow "Standin' on the Corner":** Strike a pose at the famous corner commemorated by the Eagles' song.

4. **Meteor Crater Natural Landmark:** Witness the impact site of a meteorite that hit Earth around 50,000 years ago.

5. **Jack Rabbit Trading Post (Joseph City):** Iconic stop with the "Here It Is" sign beckoning travelers.

6. **Twin Arrows Trading Post:** Discover the striking twin arrows that stand as a Route 66 relic.

7. **Route 66 Museum (Kingman):** Immerse yourself in the history of the Mother Road.

8. **Oatman:** Encounter wild burros and experience a taste of the Old West in this charming ghost town.

9. **El Trovatore Motel (Kingman):** Admire the vintage neon signs of this historic Route 66 motel.

10. **Seligman:** Step into a living museum of Route 66 nostalgia with classic diners and quirky shops.

Apache Junction - Milky Way over Superstition Mountain

 Notes from the iPhone photograph

To capture better night photography using an iPhone, here are some tips and techniques you can try:

1. Steady the camera: Night photography often requires longer exposure times, making camera shake more noticeable. Use a tripod or find a stable surface to rest your iPhone on for sharper shots. Alternatively, you can use accessories like a tripod adapter or a smartphone stabilizer for more flexibility.

2. Adjust exposure manually: Tap on the screen to focus on your subject, then swipe up or down to manually adjust the exposure. Lowering the exposure can help prevent overexposure in bright areas, while increasing it can bring out more details in darker scenes.

3. Use the Night mode: If you have an iPhone model that supports Night mode (typically available in newer models), use it to capture better low-light photos. Night mode automatically detects low-light conditions and extends the exposure time, resulting in brighter and more detailed images. Keep the camera steady while Night mode captures the shot.

4. Experiment with different angles and compositions: Be creative with your compositions and try different angles to capture unique perspectives. Incorporate leading lines, reflections, or interesting light sources to add depth and interest to your nighttime shots.

5. Avoid using flash: In most cases, using the built-in flash can produce harsh and unnatural lighting. Instead, try utilizing available light sources like streetlights, lanterns, or ambient lighting to create a more atmospheric and pleasing effect.

6. Capture light trails: If you want to capture light trails from moving cars or other light sources, use a longer exposure time. You can achieve this by using a third-party camera app that offers manual controls or by using the Live Photos feature on your iPhone and then converting it to a long exposure in post-processing.

7. Edit your photos: After capturing your night photographs, you can enhance them further using photo editing apps available on the App Store. Adjust the brightness, contrast, shadows, and highlights to refine the image and make it more visually appealing.

Remember, night photography often involves trial and error, so don't hesitate to experiment and explore different settings and techniques to achieve the desired results.

Utah - Bryce Canyon National Park Winter Photos

 I traveled with Arizona Highways Photo to Bryce Canyon National Park. The workshop was led by Beth Ruggiero-York.  A former co-worker Michele Holden went also.  It was March, so we knew to expect cold.  The first day it was snowing!

Apache Junction, Arizona - Lost Dutchman Milky Way

 The park was full. Absolutely full with RVs, camp grounds and the cabins.  I love the cabin location and the fact that there is a warm or cool spot when we are out all night. I ran the location on PhotoPills and our ideal time would be about 2:30 am.  At least we had the cabin and didn't have to crawl inside of a tent or the backseat of the Jeep!  We brought dinner and learned about settings on the cameras, the ones that we did not use so far. I played with white balance shift and bracketing. Very interesting find.

We chatted as we saw bits of the Milky Way slowly rise behind the mountain. It is truly beautiful and exciting to have all of the camera settings ready to capture the event.  Finally, at 2:30, we heard the last "click", folded up the tripods and took everything in to the nice warm cabin.

Nice night!

Furnace Creek, CA - Harmony Borax Works

Harmony Borax Works in Death Valley National Park, California.
Look close and you can see the huge wagons.  20 mules pulled them
These "big teams" pulled massive wagons hauling borax from the Harmony Borax Works near Furnace Creek to the railhead near Mojave, a grueling 165 mile, ten day trip across primitive roads. 

Hoover Dam, AZ - Lake water is low

I took the new road to cross the border from Arizona to Nevada plus a little side trip to go check out the dam and see how the water is doing. You can see that it's low by the white marks around the edge of the water. So a beautiful piece of work and the new bridge, you can see it in the background, is amazing.

Nothing, AZ - The Sign Remains

I like to stop by and take a photograph of the spot merely to record it over time and how it's gone from a hustle bustle place to stop to a decent place to pull over and check on the sign. The big sign is now tilting and I don't think that it will be hanging there for very long. I have photos from when this was a place where you could stop and get food, there was an example of a jail, there were baby rattles and other fun things.

On One stop about 20-24 years ago the man inside explained all about the population of Nothing and how it went from 30 to 50 to 10 to 20 and he went on and on and on. This was on a trip with hockey players, and so I think I stop here just to remind them to stop along the way because nothing is going to be there forever.

Wickenburg, AZ - Meet at McDonald’s

When the group is heading north, north west it's easiest to plan to meet in Wickenburg. There are several large parking lots such as McDonald's and a Burger King that are on the right side of the road for pulling in, grabbing a coffee, and making a pitstop.

Step outside of the car and take a deep breath.  The smell of the big city is replaced by the local ranch smells!

Apache Junction, AZ - Night Photography at Lost Dutchman State Park

 Lost Dutchman State Park is located east of Phoenix in Apache Junction.  It sits at the base of the Superstition Mountains, famous as the location of the lost Dutchman's gold mine.  I attended a night photography workshop taught by Beth Ruggiero York through Arizona Highways Photoscapes apps.org.

It was a clear night and a little chilly as it was February.  The skies were clear and we were able to capture the stars.  Here is a sample of what I did.  An old fashioned western looking panoramic.  A vertical panoramic of the mountain and skies rising and over my head.  A series of seventeen photographs stacked 30 second photographs to show the star trails.  And a single forty minute photograph that captured the grace of the stars as the earth spun.  

Phoenix, Arizona - Pink Full Moon

April 7 presented the Pink Full Moon, which was also a Supermoon.  We are to stay home due to Covid 19,  so the normal group gathering could not happen.  I decided to capture it from my street.  I regret that I didn't put it on a tripod and tried to capture it with a hand held camera.  There is a little blur.  My fault!  But I want to save it here.  My lesson learned is to set up the equipment as I know that I should...no shortcuts!