Thorpeland Photography

Gotta Go!

Recenly, Emily loans me several issues of a magazine called "National Geographic Adventure".  It's a magazine for the outdoors hiker, camper, canoe'r, rock climber and general explorer type of person.  The issues are filled with "how to's", "how to get there's" and "when to go's".  They are also filled with beautiful pictures of what you will see once at these destinations.  After reading almost all of the magazines in one weekend, I have come up with a list of places in the U.S. that are on my Must See list in the coming years. 
 
First  Stop: The Appalachain Trail.  This 2,174 mile "walking" trail winds from Northern Maine down into Georgia.  Now, I have no intensions to walk freakin two-thousand miles.  For those who accomplish this, it can take up to a year!  Id be happy to conquor 200 miles of this challanging trail.  For me, this is the most do'able quest.  Im an experienced camper and hiker, familiar with woodland survival skills and have most the equipment already.  After a quick call to my buddy Dan in Cali, he was on board with the idea too.  Plans for a March 2005 trip are slowly begining.  Stay tuned over the coming months as I update how planning progress'.  Odd's are, we'll pick up a third hiker to our party.  You know... someone to use as a human shield for the bears.  hahahaha
 
Second Stop: Alaska.  This place is a photographers dream!  Where else can you see glaciers, forrests and wild rivers?  Definatly not Texas.  No plans in the mix for this one, but it definatly wont be forgotten. 
 
Third Stop:  Hawaii.  How can I hit Alaska without going South to see the other remote US state?  For those that don't know, Hawaii was where most of Jurassic Park were filmed.  The mountains and giant waterfalls, lava fields and miles of beaches should make for another great photog location.  When I go there, it probably wont be in for form of wearing a backpack, boots and carrying a canteen.  Most likely I'll be in a colorful shirt, shorts with no shoe's laying on a beach with my shades.  Ha!  So much to see there.  Dan went there this past summer.  His pic's were really great.  Im sure I could talk him into going again. 
 
Forth Stop:  The Grand Canyon.  Not only do I want to drive up to the edge of this little "creek" and take pictures... I want to go down into it and ride one of those boats down the river.  Every picture I've seen of this place is incredible!  A mile across, thousands of feet deep... what an adventure!! 
 
Who know's how long it will take me to make it to all these places.  But they are on my check list and on my radar now.  It would be awesome to make it to all of them in the next 10 years.  We can only wait and see.