Caddo Lake.

I recently went to east Texas and took advantage of an opportunity to take a photo tour of Caddo Lake. I went in the early morning to catch the light of the sunrise; it being winter, I had to be creative, but I also plan on returning in the summer to catch the greenery - and the sunset. :)

Southeast Missouri in autumn.

I drove back down south last weekend, this time taking photos by myself, trying to catch some of that magic morning light and also the fall foliage which was by all reports in full swing. And while the trees seemed to have suffered from lack of rain in the week between making the decision to go and actually having the time to go, it was still a half-day well spent and I'm really glad I got to visit Alley Mill and Spring. I will be going back there plenty of times, for sure.

Sullivan Farms.

I went to a pumpkin patch last Saturday; the weather was as perfect as when I went last year, which was kind of odd but I guess good for the photos! Enjoy!

Berkeley Rose Garden.

I went to the Bay Area in May, July, and September and went to the Rose Garden each time. Each visit was just as awesome as the last; it's a beautiful place in an open amphitheatre or coliseum with the roses planted in rows like little spectators. Roses can't last forever, so the folks in charge do a great job of keeping the garden populated.

Natural Bridges State Beach.

Another Flickr find! This was such an amazing day; the drive to Santa Cruz was gorgeous and easy, and after my Ocean Beach experience I wasn't prepared to be able to enjoy such a perfectly warm day or the fantastic cliffs and coastline. The beach itself was lightly populated and everyone was friendly (even the couple I had to shoo out of my main photo opp) and everything was just...perfect. Plus, I love just getting in the car and driving; I know it's my goal ultimately to just drive from one end of the U.S. to another. This must happen!

Round Valley Regional Park.

I discovered this location while browsing Flickr, and since I had another trip to California coming up I made plans to escape one morning and take a hike. :) It's such a beautiful area, near Brentwood, CA, and I most love the sprawling vistas of yellow grasses, I've just never seen anything like it so far in my travels. My far-flung travels. :)

Southeast Missouri.

I had so much fun visiting my friends and tooling around rural Missouri; we visited Indian Trail State Park, Round Spring, Rocky Falls, and Blue Spring, all in one day. So it was a photo-snapping bonanza, let me tell you. But it is a beautiful part of the country and really unsung, sadly.