Landscape Galleries
National Park of
American Samoa
This visit put me at 100% of all 63 U.S. National Parks visited. The entire national park spans four different islands, so this was just a day trip through the main area of the park in the vicinity of Pago Pago on Tutuila Island including Vatia Bay on the north shore. Also encountered quite a few Samoa flying foxes, which was featured on the U.S. National Park quarter design.
Moorea
French Polynesia
A day trip on Moorea resulted in gold dust day gecko sightings (not native, they were introduced from Madagascar), tiny white crabs, and the view of Mount Rotui from Belvedere lookout point.
Tahiti
French Polynesia
With a full day to kill between getting off a cruise ship in the morning and flying out at midnight, we rented a car and did a lap around Tahiti. Stops included Arahurahu Marae, the Arahoho Blowhole, Maraa Grotto, Vaipahi Gardens, and the Faarumai Waterfall.
Bora Bora
French Polynesia
Photos from a snorkeling/sightseeing cruise around Bora Bora.
Mystery Island
Vanuatu
A day trip for beach time and drift snorkeling on Mystery Island, which isn't much more than a sandbar just off the coast of Aneityum, the southernmost island of Vanuatu.
Lautoka & Dravuni
Fiji
Not much here - the Lautoka stop was just a trip to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a botanical garden featuring a collection of orchids that once belonged to actor Raymond Burr. The stop at Dravuni was canceled due to high winds making cruise ship tender operations unsafe, so we were only able to look at the island from the ship.
Big Bend National Park
A quick 48 hours in Big Bend National Park in January. One day spent on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive that ends up at Santa Elena Canyon, and another half-day spent in the Rio Grande Village & Boquillas Canyon area.
Canada
Photos from a 10 day road trip through the Maritimes that started in Nova Scotia, went through New Brunswick, and then ended in Prince Edward Island. Lots of lighthouses, Kejimkujik National Park, and Fundy National Park.
U.S. Virgin Islands
A week-long trip to primarily St. John (including Virgin Islands National Park) and St. Croix, with just an overnight stop in St. Thomas. This was early 2019, a year and a half after Cat 5 Hurricane Maria rolled through, and St. Croix still had not fully recovered.
Machu Picchu
One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu was built in the 1400s for the Incan emperor Pachacuti but was abandoned in the 1500s during the Spanish Conquest (and the Spanish never found it). It remained hidden to foreigners until the early 1900s when a local guided American Hiram Bingham to the site.
Alaska
Visits to all 8 National Parks, split over two trips in the summers of 2018 and 2019. Lots of flying around in small 6-seater Cessnas, and a week-long cruise up the coast.
Antarctica
Cruising along the Antarctic Peninsula, which marked my seventh continent in 10 months.
Patagonia
Glacier trekking on Perito Moreno, cruising through Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, and killing time in Ushuaia prior to heading to Antarctica.
China
The Great Wall of China, the limestone karsts along the Li River, and the Longji rice terraces.
Australia
The Australian Outback, including Uluru and Kakadu National Park.
Cambodia
The Angkor Complex (Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm) and the surrounding area.
Iguazu Falls
Checking out the falls from the Brazilian side.
Yucatan Peninsula
Chichen Itza (one of the Seven Wonders of the World) and the 13th century Mayan ruins at Tulum.
Niagara Falls
The falls as seen from both the U.S. and Canadian sides.