Italy 2018

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In August, we had a conference in Rome so Cheridy and I went early and had a few days to play around.
Here’s a quick video recap or our time in Venice and Rome:

 

8/3/19
A car, a bus, a plane, two trains and an upcoming boat ride. Almost there! The morning view of the alps out the plane window was spectacular!  After a day and a half of traveling, we finally made it to our room. Not too shabby!!

So, we get to Venice, and our very first stop on our walk and we run into uncle dale and aunt Jo Ann. We had no idea each other was here and we ran into each other in a church. In true Maskill style, we got kicked out for our joy in seeing each other.

Great afternoon out with Cheridy, walking around Venice with a quick dinner and some people watching in San Marco square.

This evening we met up with Dale and Jo Ann again did a sunset gondola ride. It was nice to be out on the water but our gondolier was either on the phone, yelling back and forth at the guy in the gondola in front of us or yelling at us to not shift our weight the wrong way. We had fun together though!!

8/4/19
This morning we woke up at 5:00am and wandered the empty streets of Venice. It was very peaceful.
It was 12 years ago the last time we were here and I can say that navigating the maze of streets is much easier when you have google maps in the palm of your hand.
By 7:30am Cheridy said that she had already hit her Fitbit steps for the day.

After spending two hours walking around very early this morning, we came back to the hotel and took a 3.5 hour nap. Then we headed back out again and spent another 4 hours wandering the streets and checking out the old churches and canals.
Our hotel is very interesting. It’s up on the 3rd floor of a 700 year old building. There are only 6 rooms and hotel overlooks the grand canal right by the Rialto bridge. I was shocked that a room was still available just a few days ago when I booked it. This first photo is the view from the hotel breakfast room which I took once in the morning and once in the evening to compare.
This afternoon we hired a water taxi to drive us around Venice. Personally, I enjoyed this ride much more than the gondola yesterday as we got to see a lot more.
We then had gelatos in San Marco square and then dinner along the grand canal.

8/5/19
We left Venice early this morning and are now blasting through the country at 150mph heading to Rome. Hoping for a bit of exploration time today before the conference starts tomorrow.

After checking in to our hotel this afternoon and saying hello to some friends, we headed out to the city.
Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Castle Sant’Angelo from the outside, Piazza San Pietro in front of the Vatican.
Unfortunately the Vatican closed 3 minutes before we got there so we have to go back.
The grand finale was the Colosseum at sunset with stormy skies…wow!!
After that we headed back to the hotel and mingled with lots of our fellow photographers and spouses.
The next two days will be filled with top notch education while Cheridy heads out around town.

8/6/19
With our friends from the conference we had a fantastic dinner overlooking the Vatican.
 

Colorado Road Trip 2019

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In September I had a short and sweet road trip around Colorado with my friend Ben before heading to a photography conference in Beaver Creek.
Here is a quick video slideshow that highlights our trip which includes some quick video clips:

 

9/11
Smooth flight. Met up with Ben at 5:30. It was too late to be able to catch the sunset anywhere good so we drove to Estes Park and found a hotel.
9/12
This morning we woke up at 5:00am and drive into Rocky Mountain national park. We went to Bear Lake and watched the morning light change the landscape.
It was VERY cold due to the high winds.
Next we drove to moraine meadows where we saw a herd of elk off in the distance and had a beautiful view over the mountains with a twisting stream.
We also past lots of elk right on the road or next to the road.
Unfortunately Old falls River Rd was closed so we then drove up Trail Ridge rd.
Forest canyon overlook on trail ridge rd. Was gorgeous. Up there it was 30 degrees and probably 10 degrees with the wind chill.
Then we drove to Adams falls near grand lake on the west side of the park. That was followed by Pine Beach on the shore of shadow mountain lake.
Next we headed to Idaho springs for an amazing lunch at the Main Street Restaurant.
There is not much to do out here and we had about 4 hours to kill so we went to our hotel to relax for a bit before heading up Mt Evans this evening.
Unfortunately we found out that the Mt Evans road is closed 5 miles from the top. Therefore we did not get the spectacular sunset that we were counting on.
However, I was still able to get a few fun images. The landscape looks very martian-like once you get above the tree line.
9/12
We woke up early and drove to Glenwood where we could catch a shuttle for the Hanging Lake hike. The hike is only a mile long but it’s 1200ft in elevation so it’s very steep the whole way. But wow…what a rewarding view. How is this even real?!?!
Next we drove to Snowmass Village where our next hotel is. We had some downtime in the afternoon and then went to Maroon Bells in the evening for sunset. It wasn’t very crowded there and it was very peaceful.
9/13
We started the morning at 5:00am to head back to Maroon Bells for sunrise. This was a different experience than last night. We arrived at 6:00am and the parking lot was already full. It was crazy. There were at least 40 photographers already there. They recently put up a rope fence which unfortunately limits the positions that are available to take pictures.
There was some great camaraderie as we all waited for the sunrise. It was 35 degrees outside but thankfully no wind.

The sunrise was beautiful.

 
Next we headed up independence pass which was 12095 for high. We could definitely feel the thinner air up here as we walked around.

We headed over the pass and back down to Twin Lakes where we found a peaceful scene just off the side of the road with the mountain reflections and a little log cabin.

From there it was on to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  We did a few of the lookouts on the south rim drive and then drove to the bottom of the canyon on East Portal Rd.

Next we drove to Grand Junction to our hotel which was going to be our home base for exploring Colorado National Monument.  Driving into the Monument from the south side was not impressive but eventually it became amazing!
We spent most of our time at the Grand View Lookout waiting for the sunset.  It was perfect weather with a comfortable temperature, no humidity and no wind so it was quiet and peaceful to just sit and enjoy the splendor.
 
The next morning we woke up well before sunrise and went back to the same location to capture the sunrise and it definitely did not disappoint!
 

 

Pacific Northwest 2019

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In May 2019, Prem went on an adventure to Oregon.
Here is a highlight video that really shows off the trip with still and videos including some drone footage:

5/15/19
Today was a very long day with some ups and downs. I flew out very early in the morning and landed in Portland around 10:00am.
I started my trip at the Japanese gardens in downtown Portland which is a very serene and beautiful location.

Next it was on to one of my favorite waterfalls, Multnomah Falls. Unfortunately views to the waterfall were closed off due to a controlled avalanche they were doing.
I then drove to Panther Creek Falls in Washington which was hard to find and even harder to get to the base of the Falls but totally worth it!
All day it was grey and rainy, but it wasn’t raining hard enough to keep me inside.

Next I drove back across the Columbia River Gorge into Oregon and planned to camp at Trillium Lake near Mt Hood but the roads were closed for the season.

Onward to Smith Rock State Park. The skies started to clear up and it was a beautiful evening!

4.5 hour flight and 7 hours in the car today but it was pretty good for the first day!

5/16/19

Well, it appears that I couldn’t have timed this trip any worse. Great weather the day before I got here. Rain everyday while I’m here, and then great weather scheduled for the day I leave.
I was really grateful for the break in the rain and the 30 minutes of blue sky at Crater Lake this morning.

All the other places I tried to go to had the roads closed for the season so I couldn’t get there, or they were rained out.
However, I ended my day driving through the Redwoods on one of the most amazing roads I’ve ever been on. It was pouring rain but that didn’t stop me getting some pictures under an umbrella.

5/17/19
The day started stormy clouds over the endless surf pounding the steep and rugged cliffs. What a beautiful coast!! I spent some time driving farther south into California.

I spent a lot of time exploring different sections of the Redwoods. The trees and plant life here are breathtaking and way better to photograph on a rainy day like today as opposed to a sunny day where you get lots of patchy light.

I don’t think I’ve hiked that much in a long time. From the redwood groves to the crashing waves, I had a blast. It rained on and off all day but it was mostly just sprinkles which allowed me to get out and do what I do.
See if you can spot me in the second photo which was taken in the Samuel Boardman State Corridor…amazing place!!

With the on/off rain, I was grateful to have a minivan where I could stretch out and take a nap and wait for the rain to stop. Also, when photographing sunrise and sunset, the days are very long so afternoon naps are a lifesaver!!

5/18
I had a beautiful morning along the Oregon coast. The day started with a rainbow on the horizon that looked like lava exploding from the ground.

I headed farther north to Bandon Beach which has some amazing rock formations.

Next stop was the Haceta Head Lighthouse which is a very famous lighthouse that I believe is one of the most photographed spots in America.

After that I headed farther up the coast to Thor’s Well which is basically a hole in the rocks on the coast where the surf fills up and drains out in a mesmerizing fashion. It was a beautiful location but I got a bit too close as the tide was coming in and got splashed pretty good!!

I then drove inland to visit some good friends I haven’t seen in many years (Eric and Shawna) who live in Sublimity, OR. The farms out there are so pretty!

5/20/19
Today was an absolutely beautiful day on the coast. Sunshine and puffy clouds. I know that Michigan has terrible weather forecasting but I’m pretty sure Oregon is worse because last I checked, it was 94% chance of rain today and I didn’t see a drop. After leaving Eric and Shawna, I drove back to the coast and started at the Devil’s Punchbowl Arch.

Next, I drove up to Cape Kiwanda and hiked around to different areas along the cliffs. The surf was pounding and spectacular.

After that, it was up to Cannon Beach for another few hours enjoying a beautiful evening. It was one of the best sunsets I’ve seen in a while.
The flat beach gave an amazing mirror reflection although when the surf came in, it chased me back a long way because it’s so flat.

5/21/19
Today was a nice slow day to wrap up my trip. It started with a spectacular sunrise at the coast at Ecola State Park. Next, I drove back to Multnomah Falls which thankfully was open this time.
That was followed by a visit with my friend Fundy who works in Portland. Then it was time for my flight home!

Portugal 2019

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In August 2019, Prem and Cheridy had an amazing getaway to Portugal.
Here is a highlight video that really shows off the trip:

7/31/2019
We are off to a great start! Our flight landed very early in the morning. Unfortunately we only had a couple hours of restless sleep on the plane but that didn’t stop us. When we landed, we got our rental car and headed for downtown Lisbon.
We first went to Castelo de S Jorge which has a beautiful view over the city with the bridge in the background (Golden Gate replica). The old castle was fascinating to walk around.

Next we went to Monesterio dos Jerónimos which was spectacular architecture. The detail carved in Stone was amazing.

Then we went to Belém tower and had lunch with a view of the tower.
We are quite exhausted so now it’s time to find a hotel and take a nap!!

Tonight we had a wonderful dinner at a beachside restaurant. After that we drove up to explore the nearby Pena Palace but the clouds rolled in and it was shrouded in fog so we will go back in the morning. We then went back to the coast for a pretty sunset.
Definitely looking forward to sleeping in a bed tonight as opposed to an airplane seat!!

8/1/19
This morning we had an amazing breakfast at our hotel and then we drove back to the Pena Palace near Sintra. The Palace is built on a hilltop on massive park grounds so we went for a really nice walk. It was hard to see and appreciate it from up close so we found a trail that led farther away and then rock scrambled up to get an amazing view over the tree tops. Low clouds passes over the top towers.

Then we drove inland to the walled city of Evora where there are some incredible Roman ruins among with an incredible old church.

We just made it down to Lagos on the south coast. It’s about 20 degrees cooler here than it was in Evora. Time for some dinner and relaxation!

8/2/19
This morning we did a whole lot of nothing. We slept in, had breakfast, took a nap, then drove down the coast to the farthest southwest point of Portugal.
There was a food truck called “last sausage before America”. Lol.
We spent the majority of the day today at our hotel. It was nice to have a day of rest. Our hotel is right on the Praia da Rocha which is one of the most popular beaches on the south coast of Portugal.
Losing our parking spot is one of the other reasons why we decided on a day of relaxing and doing nothing. Lol.
We went for dinner at one of the restaurants on the beach which was an interesting experience. We had a very drunk waiter and also witnessed a parade of some of the most bizarre swimwear we’ve ever seen.
But then we went for some gelato and that made up for it.

8/3/19
What a day!
We started on the south coast in Portimao with a boat tour of the caves and coastline. It was spectacular! Gorgeous weather, amazing caves, and a fun boat captain.
We then drove 3.5 hours north to Tomar and walked around the Convent of Christ which was a stronghold for the Knights Templar in the 12th century. Wow! There is some serious history here.
Next we drove another 2 hours north to the city of Porto.
So far, this is my favorite city in Portugal. We found a hotel with an amazing location and incredible view from the balcony for only 60 Euros per night. The city is built on the Duoro River and has incredible culture, history, and night life.

8/4/19
This morning started early with some walking around the city. We walked up to the highest point which is the 12th century Porto cathedral.
Next we went to the Livraria Lello which has to be one of the most famous bookstores in the world. Made famous by JK Rawlings who wrote the Harry Potter series who was inspired by this place. It now has a line two blocks long, all day long, just to get in and see it.
Next was the Clerigos tower and we also passed a beautiful old trolley, a VW beetle car convention, and a 5 story painting of a blue cat.

We then toured the Bolsa Palace and was amazed that much of the wood and stone in this place was fake. It was painted plaster that nobody would know the difference. There is also an Arabic room with carvings and writing all over the wall but it’s all meaningless because none of the artists involved in the project could speak Arabic so they made up words and letters.

Then we went for a boat cruise along the Duoro River to take in the sights of the city.
That was followed by lunch (they put eggs on EVERYTHING). Then we walked over the upper deck of the bridge and back to the hotel for a long nap.

For our last night in Porto, we had another spectacular dinner spot right on the river and got to watch the changing colors as it turned from day to night.
What’s better than any of the places that we are visiting is that we are doing it together.

8/5/19
This morning we started the day driving up towards Braga to see the Chapel at Bom Jesus Do Monte which is an incredible hilltop setting. However, we ended up in the wrong place and found another beautiful hilltop chapel at Santuário do Sameiro. Today was the first day that wasn’t too windy to fly my drone.
There was another gorgeous smaller chapel that we passed driving down the mountain.

Next we visited Guimarães Castle which is about as stereotypical medieval castle as you can get. One of the interesting things about Europe is that often towns were built right around these fortresses so you’ll have a new condo complex next to a 10th century castle.

From there we drove back down towards Lisbon and toured the Mafra Palace. It’s always interesting to see how the King and Queen used to live.
They had one of the most amazing chapels I’ve ever seen connected to the Palace. However, the only other thing that really blew me away was the Library hall which was probably the biggest I’ve ever seen. It was incredible seeing thousands of books dating back hundreds of years all in one room.

8/6/19
Time to head home!!

Muks out west 2019 (Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana)

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In July 2019 we had an amazing family trip out west.
Here is a short highlight video that really shows off the trip:

7/3/2019
We drove up and over the Alpine Loop rd and made our way to the Olympic Park where we got to watch some ski jumpers practice by jumping and flipping into a pool. We then got to meet up with our friends Emily and David and spend some time in downtown Salt Lake City. Emily showed us around the famous Temple Square and then we got to see their amazing photography studio a few blocks from there. Their kids and our kids are the same age so they got to hang out today too.
Here’s some iPhone shots from today. Thanks for the extra pics Emily!

This evening we went out to Saltair on the edge of the Great Salt Lake. It definitely lived up to the hype of being stinky and kind of gross with bugs everywhere.
The bonneville salt flats are a bit too far out of the way, so in lieu of that, the boys had an epic (not epic) race here.

7/4/2019
We started off with a long drive from Salt Lake City up to Bear Lake in Idaho. It’s just like Torch Lake in northern MI with the beautiful turquoise water.
Next we drive up past the Palisades Reservoir with a stop at Fall Creek Falls on the Snake River which is a gorgeous multi-tiered waterfall.

During the afternoon we drove a few hours from Bear Lake up to Yellowstone Bear World which is a drive through nature park where the animals walk right up to your car in some areas.
After that we went to check in to our hotel which I had prepaid through Hotwire. Unfortunately I had booked and prepaid for yesterday which we no-showed for and now the hotel was booked so that left us scrambling to find a new place at 8:00 at night in an area with limited options and high prices. Thankfully we found some cabins nearby. During that process we drove by signs for the rodeo which was a fun find. We had never been to one before so that was a unique experience for all of us!! Kole and Reid even got to run with lots of other kids to see who could pull a tag off of a running calf.

In the evening we ended up at a rodeo (Driggs, ID) with a backdrop of the Grand Tetons! The boys even got to go down and run around and chase a calf.

7/5/19
Today has been awesome. Absolutely perfect weather. We drove around the Tetons into Grand Teton National Park where we did a hike out to Taggert Lake. The cloudscapes today have been amazing.
One of the highlights was seeing a giant moose near the road.
The day hasn’t all been perfect though. We started the day leaving our cabin very early in the morning where I dropped our room key into the locked key box. About 30 seconds later, Cheridy got pooped on by a bird and she wanted to wash her hair but there was no way back in the room. Later in the afternoon, she left her phone inside the porta potty at the trailhead and we didn’t realize until many hours later. Thankfully it was still there when we went back!

So…this evening was incredible. We drove back into the park late on the day to catch the sunset and look for animals and we got both. We had a herd of buffalo crossing the highway so they were super close which was amazing. We also got to see some antelope way off in the distance but thanks to my iPhone on a digiscope, we got a nice closeup.
The sunset with the Tetons over the Snake River surely didn’t disappoint either!

7/6/19
Today we started out at Mormon Row which is one of the most iconic scenes from the Grand Tetons. We then made our way to Jenny Lake which is a really popular spot to start a hike.
We took the boat across to the other side of the lake and then hiked to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. It was an absolutely perfect morning for it.

This evening we started at the Jackson Lake Lodge where we had dinner. The panoramic view of the whole Teton range through the lobby windows is incredible!
After dinner, we headed out looking for animals again. A storm front blew over the mountains giving us some dramatic skies. We saw more buffalo tonight today along with a lot of horses.
The moody skies over the mountains made for an excellent sunset.

7/7/19
Made it to Yellowstone. The cheapest hotel we could get was $430 per night and it has zero amenities. Not even WiFi. I wish we would have stayed outside the park. We stayed inside because we wanted to be close to stuff but the park is so big, we are still an hour drive from a lot of the stuff.
We started our day with a relaxing sleep in day which felt fantastic. We then drove up to Yellowstone National Park. Our first stop was Old Faithful which we learned was not very faithful after all. It is supposed to blow every 70-90 minutes but ended up going off almost half an hour early which was then confusing for everyone because we didn’t know if it was the full eruption or just a quick spout. It was still neat to see.
The park was insanely crowded so we decided to just make our way up to the hotel and come out later in the evening.
We had a quick stop at Gibbon Falls and the Artist Paint Pots on the way. The Paint Pots has a bubbling mud pit which was really cool.
Our hotel is right by the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone so we took advantage of that and went to view the 300ft Lower Yellowstone Falls.

Our hotel was really close to Hayden Valley. We took advantage of that this evening. Hayden valley is known for having tons of animals. First we saw a grizzly bear from far away. Then it was a couple of bull Elks followed by herds of Buffalo with their calves and herds of elk as well. There were animals around every corner!!

7/8/19
Driving around Yellowstone during peak season in the middle of the day is not a fun experience. Some of the turnoffs you have to park half a mile down the road. So for our second day in the park, we woke up at 6:00am and went to some of the popular spots long before they got crowded. We started at the Grand Prismatic Spring. Unfortunately the weather was much colder and with the hot water coming from the ground and the cold air temperature, there was a lot more steam which was masking the color of the water. However, it did provide a dramatic backdrop for a silhouette picture of Cheridy and the boys walking together.
We then walked around the Bisquit Basin area followed by the Upper Geyser Basin which is where Old Faithful is.
After that, we started to loop back around and stopped at the mud volcanoes. There was a bubbling mud pit with a Buffalo sitting right next to it. There is nothing that says “Yellowstone” like a bubbling mud pit and a buffalo.

In the evening we drove up to mammoth hot springs for dinner. On the way, we saw multiple black bears which was amazing.
Reid yelled out “bear, I saw a bear!!” So we had to turn the car around and go back. What he thought was a bear was actually just a burned out tree stump. The crazy part is that near the burned out tree stump, there actually was a bear!
We then went into Lamar Valley and saw a coyote, antelope, and LOTS of buffalo.
Some of the photos and videos are not super clear because they were shot with my iPhone from 100+ yards away using a 60x spotting scope. Having my phone attached to the scope drew a crowd because the it was hard to see the bear from so far away but the scope brought it real close.

7/9/19
We headed out of the park to Bozeman. We’ve been spending so much time out in nature that it was time to mix things up for the boys.
Our hotel had an indoor pool so the kids got to do some swimming. We then went and watched the new Spiderman movie.
After that we met up with cousin Paige and her boyfriend Ryan for a yummy dinner followed by some time at the climbing gym for some bouldering. Paige and Ryan do a lot of mountain climbing so it was fun to be able to go with them to their local climbing gym.
Reid is like a spider monkey and really took to the walls well. Kole and Mayz has fun with it too.

7/10/19
Time to head home!

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