Devils Tower at Sunset - Devils Tower National Monument: File# 1130296 Link To Original Image Where to begin on this second part of my photographic milestones of 2011. You see starting at the end of September it was one gigantic photographic event after another. I'm not quite sure I planned it just that way. It just seemed to happen. Or, maybe I'm just inclined to shoot during my favorite time of the year, the fall. Who knows. The only sure thing was I went all over the last three months of 2011 and have pictures to prove it. The first major event was my Epic Ride to Maine beginning the middle of September. The route took me from Alamogordo straight north to Devils Tower in Wyoming (no close encounters there though I did have a great camping experience on my birthday). I then shot straight across the northen portion of the country to see my sister in Michigan.

Sunrise in Farm Field

Despite relatively good planning and navigation ability on my part--I was a navigator professionally after all--I somehow missed a whole state on my travels to Vicki's house. I missed Michigan is not connected to Minnesota. There's the whole state of Wisconsin between them. No big deal except it delayed my arrival into her house a whole day. I'm not sure how I did that.

In these northern reaches, the leaves were turning and soon would be full colored. By far he most colorful leaves were found in Michigan though Maine was just beginning to show its brilliance by the time I departed there.

Epic Ride To Maine 2011

Walden Pond - Walden Pond State Park, Concord Massachusetts

Okay this image isn't directly a nature image. I just happened to be running around the trail surrounding Walden Pond with a high school classmate living in the area. The nature spin of this image is Thoreau, a return to nature and the basics 19th century philosopher. Since I was running, which is a back to nature thing for me, in low profile shoes. I rode up to Maine on my motorcycle, the most economical method I could think of with the time I had. And, I was shooting minimalist style with my iPhone and or P&S style, I thought running around Thoreau's old stomping grounds were appropro. Okay, he probably wouldn't have embraced the high tech I was using or even the motorcycle I had but it sure beat the large truck, camper, and heavy professional camera I otherwise would've used. For me at least, I was pointing in Thoreau's direction which makes the run that much more connected to his spirit.

Epic Ride To Maine 2011

Sunset on Cadillac Mountain - Acadia National Park: File# 1130643 Link To Original Image Maine was my last state. When I rode into Maine on the day this image was taken it was the 50th I'd ever stepped foot into. I'd never been there let alone had any knowledge of where to shoot. I followed friends advice and setup camp at a awesomely forested/rustic camp site just out of Acadia National Park, but I had no idea where to shoot the coming sunset. All I did after picking a site was rush to the park and hope for the best. With nothing else to guide me I followed what I normally do in such situations, seek the high ground. There is no higher ground in this park than Cadillac Mountain. I didn't even make it to the summit. I was diverted by the view off an impossibly grounded turn-out up the mountain. Good thing I stopped because the sunset was wonderful. Not only that, the tiny little camera I had did a great job with rendering the moment. Sometimes fortune happens to those that don't plan. It sure did for me on this day.

Trail Running - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Of course I took many many pictures on this trip. I even shot with more than just my phone like I did on my last epic trip last year. As I've found sometimes the best camera is the phone in your pocket which was the case here when I lagged behind my sister and another runner (they much faster than I am) as we made it under a bridge during a trail run.

Just having a camera ready to capture the moment can make or break how good your story is. As I've found before, my iPhone does just fine capturing the critical instant.

Home Again - Alamogordo, New Mexico

I captured this same image last year after my first epic trip east. Once again it's symbolic of the end of the road. This Epic Trip to Maine covered 7100 miles and 16 states. I was on the road 19 nights of which I stayed with friends/family seven nights. I stayed in hotels five nights (four of those were associated with a business trip I did on the road). The rest were spent in the comfort of my tent--which is quite comfy if you're wondering.

All in all it was a fantastic trip. I can't wait for my next epic trip somewhere.

This was not the end of my 2011 photographic adventures. More in Part 3 of this saga.