Road Photography

Every day, I commute an hour and a half to work, each way.  Which adds to being on the road for at least three hours on a daily basis.  But, somehow, it worked out that these past two weeks, I've gotten some of the most spectacular sunsets, with beautiful, wisping clouds running across the sky.  So I told myself, "you know what?  As they always say, the best camera is the one that's with you," so I started bringing my old trusty camera to work just to shoot some skies on the drive~

I advise no one else to try this, AHAHHAHA...  It could get dangerous, but I made sure that it never diverted my attention away from the road.  The camera sat, preset by me beforehand with settings I thought might be most useful sat shotgun with me, easily accessible.  Also, instead of trying to actually get the shots I wanted, I took more of a "spray and pray" approach, where you turn on the rapid fire shooting mode, shoot blindly and hope something comes out good~~  Luckily, I got a few I enjoy~

The first two below were taken during a crazy traffic jam on the way back that delayed my time by over 45 minutes.

Faraway Places Just Down The Street

Yesterday was the last day of my weekend after an exhausting work week.  Not having really gone anywhere all weekend, I wanted to get out a bit and take some photos.  So I decided on the beach, even though I seem to always be there~  But as I arrived on the Pacific Coast Highway, ready to take a right turn to go to my usual spot, I ended up turning left!  Let's go somewhere new!!  I ended up driving all the way down to Crystal Cove State Park and spent fifteen minutes or so winding around mountain roads in ritzy Newport Beach/Laguna Beach neighborhoods.  But on the way back home, I came across a nice looking lagoony type place, so I quickly turned in, made my way around and into it.

Boy, was I surprised~  I was driving along, and all of a sudden, the road before me became one lane wide, with a bike lane to my left.  It was a lovely scenic drive around these wetlands.  After I got back home, I figured out the name of the place is the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.  All along the route, there were these signs prohibiting people from passing.  But who can blame them though, right?  Its a nature preserve afterall~

I saw all sorts of creatures from crabs, to these lil crustacean things, to lizards~  There were tonnes of nice plants around, too!

And I rarely take portraits of my beloved car, so here are a few~  She never lets me down~

And last, and certainly least, is a self-portrait~  I guess the lesson is that sometimes, you gotta get lost to figure out where the heck you're going!

Dean's Mini Adventure ~ Aliso\Woods Canyon & The Dripping Cave

So yesterday, after my refreshing yet exhausting hike in Whiting Ranch and the Red Rocks the day before, I decided to let the adventuring continue!  And after a suggestion from a friend who hikes regularly, I picked Aliso & Woods Canyon and the Dripping Cave Trail!

STAY ON TRAIL!!  I gotta admit, this trail doesn't start out quite as lushly as yesterday's hike.  For over two and a half miles, you're walking along the side of a paved road.  Now it makes so much sense why there were so many bikers...  But truth be told, the sights and the hills and the plants that you experience along the road are truly fantastic!  Rolling hills everywhere, wide, open fields, all manners of critters and bugs, even some sort of veggie growing along the trail; the images keep you entertained for the long journey.

As soon as you get off the blacktop trail, things get interesting.  All these little side trails start popping up!  I would have taken some of them, though, my goal was still quite a ways a way, and the day was getting late.  The first one, I believe, is the meadows trail.  Definitely sounds like a lovely place to take photos, if you have people to take photos of.  A little bit after, were these signs for the Cave Rock trail.  I was really curious, and though time was tight, they had a neat little sample of the said cave rock right along the trail!  Didn't have to stray far at all, really.  How lovely~  My imagination kept putting bobcats, or a similar manner of ferocious beast in the cave.

Another quarter of a mile or so away, I finally reached my destination!  The Dripping Cave!  Sounds mysterious, no?  The sun was already hiding behind the towering canyon walls, but there was still plenty of light out, which is good, because I'm walking into a cave, for crying out loud!  True, it doesn't go in deep at all, but still.  The sign out front also sent a bit of a chill and a thrill down the spine of this lone hiker.  You can see the sign at the top of this post, the very first picture.  But yes, robbers, and thieves, and bandits, OH MY!!!  The cover that the cave provided, almost like an awning was simply beautiful!  The rocks were well shaped, and there even seemed to be natural shelving within.

But alas, it was getting late, so its time to head back.  Back the way I came, walking miles and miles that went on and on until the muscles in my legs tired and the sweat from my brow dripped like a waterfall.  Another fantastic adventure~  Now...  If only I could remember which way in this fork I came in from...  HAHAH!!  Lucky enough for me, I got it right.

Dean's Mini Adventure ~ Borrego/Red Rock Trail Hike

Earlier today, I was feeling the urge to go someplace new, take photos, explore, go on an adventure somewhere I haven't been before.  I opened up Google Maps and scoured the nearby area until I spotted it: Whiting Ranch and the Red Rock Trail!  After a quick bit of research and looking at some pictures, I decided, "This is it!!  This is where I wanna go!"  A few hours later, I was on my way.  It was thirty or so minutes away.  Not bad at all~

I got there, parked at the Ralph's as several reviewers on Yelp suggested, and marched off!  Accending a hill for five or so minutes, up perhaps seventy feet in elevation, I thought to myself, "Wow, this is a pretty nice place!!  There was even a cute bunny hopping along the path already, and I just started~"  I got to the top and what do I find; a park full of kids playing soccer, and the school behind it...  I went completely the wrong way...  I asked a local about my intended destination and they pointed me in the right direction, back down the hill, and a little further up.  The monument above greets visitors and towers over near the entrance.  All around, I found signs like this; CAUTION, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY!!  HAHAHA!!  The simultaneous emotions of thrill and of fear sunk in for a moment; this is an adventure!!

Every little bush that rustled, every slight movement in the distance, the warning signs triggered an awareness in me, alert to everything.  However, it soon became apparent, I'm not seeing any mountain lions here!  Bikers whizzed by at almost regular intervals, hikers were all over the place!  Meh, still fun~

I came across a pair of prints, they must be deer prints~  Though, I'm not skilled at this sort of thing in the least, they could be anything, really.  Along, the hike continued.

The native flora and fauna are truly beautful, coloring the environment in a warm palette of hues.  Trees, cacti, grasses, flowers loomed all around as birds chirped, flies whizzed by, bugs crawled around, and rabbits hopped along.  I also loved the shapes the path before me created~  Such nice lines~

After a mile or so, I came across a fork in the road.  There was a big directory with some seating area, but instead of consulting its map, a couple of friendly, resting bikers offered directions.  Which way is the Red Rock Trail?  Why, just over to the right, follow the sign, you can't miss it~  I eventually arrived in the canyon, and sights were simply stunning!  The sands below my feet gradually turned a shade of red, and the formations of the rock walls created new, wondrous shapes~  Simply beautiful~  But you know what?  My phone was about to die, the last people I saw (those two bikers) were over half a mile away, and the sun was quickly setting, meaning light was soon to become scarce!  So instead of venturing further in, I took in my surroundings one last time, breathed a deep breath, adjusted my persperation-drenched shirt, and turned around.

I got the rest of these shots on the return hike.  You know, on the way there, it was really kicking my butt, but heading back, I found myself just a bit more energetic, even though my leg was getting sore.  And as a tip to the photographing hiker; turn around once in a while.  Sure, looking ahead at all the beautiful things in front of you is really nice, but oftentimes, its just as nice facing the other direction, and looks completely different than the scene you had just passed by.