A Day At The Lake And Art Fair In Coeur d'Alene Idaho

I've been hanging out in Eastern Washington State for a while and for the weekend I ventured with my friend Cat to Idaho to spend the day in Coeur d'Alene and attend the art festival they had over the weekend.

The city was jam packed with vendors and artists that stretched from the downtown area, through the parks and to the lake.  We browsed the artwork at each vendor and strolled along the grounds throughout the day.  The weather was beautiful and people were out to enjoy the day.  It was pretty crowded wherever we went and at one point, I wandered off to watch the kids on the pier playing and enjoying the day.

Usually I like to wander to people and things that seem interesting to me.  It's a good thing Cat knows this. She didn't have a problem with me darting in different directions to snap photographs of people and places that caught my eye.  I sat down by the pier for a while to capture kids having a good time, I took photographs of vendors that I found interesting and captured some of the activities going on at the time.

I love art and being in nature.  The festival had the best of both worlds.  I plan to spend a little more time here before I head out and I look forward to showing you more of what the area has to offer.  I love to photograph people in their element.  For more images of people in their habitat, click HERE.

The Beauty Of Yosemite

I love traveling to our National parks.  There is something about them that instantly relaxes me.  Just driving up to the gate fills me with excitement with the anticipation of what I'm going to see, especially if I haven't been there before.  This was my first visit to Yosemite and despite the crowds, it is truly a sight to see.  As with every park, there are places you can find to get lost or stay with people if you want to drive around the valley.

Since Max isn't allowed on the trails, I had to stay near the road and even doing so brought me to some amazing views.  One of the best investments I've made was purchasing a National Park Pass.  For $80, you can travel to all parks for a year without paying admission.  If you plan to visit several, it's well worth the price.

I plan to visit as many National Parks as possible this time around and I look forward to seeing many I haven't explored before.  This is the perfect time of year to dust off your tent and equipment, get in the car and take a road trip to see the most beautiful acres of property in this country.

A Few Days In A Cabin In The Woods

I am fortunate enough to have a friend that worked really hard to restore an old cabin in the woods and now Max and I get to enjoy it for a few days.  I love being in the forest.  It is so peaceful and gives me an urge to live like this full time.  The problem I have with it is that I have a hard time relaxing.  I am used to being on the go and moving constantly so sitting still takes some practice.

The cabin doesn't have electricity or water so it's like camping in a tent with a hard shell.  I have books and magazines but when the power was low on my computer and phone, panic started to set in.  It sounds crazy, I know.  To some, bliss is hanging out alone and reading a book.  I find it hard to sit still enough to enjoy it but I am trying.  I keep thinking of "what's next" and what I need to do to work on the projects I have in mind.  It's a good time to plan what I want to accomplish on this trip and perhaps plan a little more on where I will be headed next.  I still don't really know since I try and just plan it day by day.

I took Max on some walks in the forest, took a few pictures and kept imagining that a bear would come up to the house and have tea with us.  If not a bear, I would see sasquatch hunched over, running by.  I suppose it's a good thing I have my imagination to keep me company here when there is not a soul around. I keep my camera close by just in case those things actually happen.

So, the next stop is a mystery, but I like it that way.