The other weekend I was heading back to Portland from a trip down south. I took a new route in hopes of saving some time. As I was driving through the back roads of Tillamook, I saw a small state park sign advertising Munson Creek Falls. Seeing as how the weather was overcast and rainy, maybe I could snag a few forest shots in this obscure locale?
There’s so much to be said for the Columbia River Gorge. And yet, I’ve seen so little of it. Thankfully, this time I was given a chance to follow a friend to one of his preferred hikes, the Eagle Creek Trail in Bonneville, Oregon.
Coming off my high from the swamp walk I had the week before at Sweetwater Strand. I decided I would do a mix hike/swamp walk and tackle the infamous Gator Hook Trail out on Loop Road. This roughly five mile trek can be either adventurous or very adventurous depending on how “deep” you want to get. I was all geared up for the long haul, so extra deep it is.
I’ve recently arrived to my new home in Portland, Oregon and the first free weekend I get I take my car to the coast in order to gaze across the mighty Pacific. However, things were not the same as they were in Portland. Instead of a blue horizon, I am greeted with a heavy fog. I thought all was awash (wish I had a better pun for this) until I drove a little ways north and past the rock formations near Crab Harbor.
After my tiny taste of swamp walking back in the Okaloacoochee Slough, I was itching to get some serious swamping in. Having passed by the location once before, I decided my first real swamp walk was to be held in the Sweetwater Strand off of Loop Road.
Early one morning, trying to figure out where I should go shooting, I decided I would head down to Marco Island and check out Tigertail Beach. Growing up as a kid on Marco Island, I spent a lot of time at Tigertail. And from what I remembered about the beach, it had some interesting shoreline and waterways. Perfect conditions for shorebirds and wading birds.
Early one Sunday morning I packed up the gear and set my sights on kayaking from Rookery Bay all the way up to Sand Hill Bay and back. With cameras in tow, here are the images I was able to capture.
More photos of shore and wading birds from the lovely Naples, Florida.
At the time of this post I live in Downtown Naples, FL. With all the redevelopment, it’s not very historic any more. However, there are still a few alleys headed down to the beach that hold a bit of history. Every now and then I take the time to walk down these alleys and enjoy the unseen quaintness they have to offer. This gallery is a collection of my favorite photos (converted to black and white) from these back alleys and associated side streets.
One of the kayaking gems of South West Florida, Estero River. Join me as I kayak all the way up the river and then head back out into the Gulf of Mexico and loop around Mound Key Archaeological State Park. Wow, that really sounded like I was introducing a TV spot. Ok, let’s get back to the Yakin!
For my birthday I wanted to hop in the yak and head down to Keewaydin for some early morning photography and beach combing.
Last fall I decided to pack up the kayak and spend a weekend camping in Myakka River State Park. I remember spending a few Easters up there with the family and figured I would see how things have changed in the past 20 years since I last visited.
As a child, I remember my family taking me to Collier Seminole State Park on a few occasions. One visit my Father rented a canoe and we paddled down Blackwater River as far as Mud Bay before it was time to turn around. That was so long ago, so I don’t really remember much past that.
Here is what one of the park websites have to say about the State Park:
“The park overlaps the northern edge of the great mangrove swamp of southwestern Florida, and the southern edge of the Big Cypress Swamp. The park is the meeting place of the land and the sea, fresh water and salt water, and tropical and temperate zone vegetation. Because of this blending, a great diversity of plants and interesting wildlife are found here.”
– www.explorenaples.com
Having already documented the parks three walking trails, I figured it was about time to load up the yak and see how the ole canoe trail was holding up.
I launched my Kayak from beaches of Port Royal and headed south, once again, to the barrier island of Keewaydin.
Takachiho Gorge (高千穂峡)
Nestled in the center of the Kyushu mountains (northwestern part of the Miyazaki Prefecture) lies the Takachiho Gorge. “Takachiho” roughly translates to “thousand rice ears at the peak”.
Located in Southern Oregon, in the Umpqua National Forest, Crater Lake National Park is said to be one of the country’s crown jewels. The crater, now filled with water, is the second deepest lake (1,932 ft) in North America, it is 6 mi wide and lies 6,164 ft above sea level. There is a road that runs around the entire lake, however, it is only open during summer months.
A few shore birds from one of my visits down to the beach during sunset. This Tri-colored Heron hunts for minnows on the shore break.
Located off of US 101, about 13 mi. South West of Coos Bay is Shore Acres State Park.
Most of the coastline consists of sandstone cliffs with the occasional secluded cove tucked in. One of the best things about this State Park is that there is a trail that skirts along the cliffs edge, enabling you to get some rather remarkable views. Unfortunately, our day was a little rainy, but we still made the best of it.
Located in Oregon, North of Florence and south of Yachats, is Heceta Head State Park (which includes Devils Elbow State Park). Devil’s Elbow Cove is easily accessible from the 101 and offers tremendous views, lighthouses and trails.
Having finally scored a Hobie Mirage Outback SUV kayak off of CraigsList, and equipped my car with Yakima roof rack system, I woke up at the but-crack of dawn and set out for Rookery Bay.
If you have lived any portion of your life in Florida, chances are you have been canoeing or kayaking. It is without a doubt on of the most relaxing and rewarding ways to get in touch with mother nature. The ability to to work as a team and slip stealthy down the waterway brings all of your surroundings that much closer.
I grew up as a Boy Scout, attended summer camps (focusing on nature and marine biology), and even has a family who demanded every Sunday be…well…family day. And those days were usually spent exploring the vast wildernesses of Florida. Needless to say, I have done my fair share of canoeing. However, it had been far too long since my last dip into the Florida streams.
Last month I took a kayak trip out to one of the barrier islands here in Naples, Florida called Keewaydin. I was able to get out there shortly after sunrise and find some decent shots. The warm light and high contrast made for some lovely black and white imagery.
There were an amazing amount of birds on the beach this day. This was shot with the 70-200 L. Take a look and let me know what you think!
Charleston Marina lies in Coos Bay off the southern coast of Oregon.
I spent a month down in Kobayashi, Miyazaki, Kyushu, Japan. It was an amazing experience, one I will never forget. Click the link for an assortment of black and white shots from that region.
I had never really seen snow before. Sure it snowed in Tokyo, and yeah I saw some dirty snow in Boston once. So when I was given the opportunity to go snowboarding in Nagano Japan, I always jumped at the chance. Check the link for more snow bound photography! Read More
Living alone in Tokyo can get kind of boring late at night, especially after you have been there a while. I used to walk around at 2am and look for interesting shots to convert into black and white photos. Not all of these shots were taken late at night, a lot were also taken along my trips home from the office, or in between izakayas. Click the link for more photos!
Infertility or the inability to have a babies plagues a lot of couples.
In Japan…they have an answer to that problem. And its name is Inyoseki!
Pronounced “Bochi” or “o-haka”, Japanese cemeteries can be found from the countrysides all the way to the heart of Tokyo.
In an effort to rebuild my blog, I am starting to repost the Nihon no Jinsei series. I am looking to see if some of my family still has the text that went along with these photos. So until then, please enjoy the photos alone.
This installment was my hiking journey up the Kirishima Volcano in Ebino Japan. One of the most memorable experiences I had while in Japan.
© 2024 Nick Botner.
