“They’re driving right by, they don’t even know what they’re missing.” Lightning McQueen, Cars
Ah, Road trips. Freedom. Red eyes. dirty bathrooms. Broken chargers. Unique memories. Road trips cover a huge range of memories and emotions. Some of my earliest memories are in a late 60s Chevy station wagon. There was not any AC in it because AC cost extra to order then. My dad had paper maps spread out trying to work out where we were and where we needed to go. There run down gas stations in the middle of nowhere. We found underground caverns to visit. There were forests to walk through with amazing vistas. There were long, long stretches of highways. And there was amazing displays of weather.
Taken with my iPhone at a rest stop in Utah on highway 70
Road trips offer a perfect excuse to get out the camera or smart phone and have some serious fun. The trick is balancing the use of the camera with actually seeing where you are and what’s around you. Too many folks focus on trying to get that perfect shot. As a result, they end up missing quite a lot of the trip. Some of my favorite shots are from roadside rest stops. Others are captured through a window on the moving car. It’s not always the “instagram” moment or technically perfect. It does capture a feeling or emotion of a particular moment.
Another road tripper fun killer is the inability to stop along the route to explore. Do not be so focused on the getting from point A to B that you miss everything in between. The movie Cars really touches on this. It explains how the town and its quirks were left behind when the major highway went in and bypassed them. Everyone became caught up in “the getting” and not the “journey” of getting there. Dont be afraid to stop. These stops can provide amazing opportunities for making memories and getting those “keeper” pictures.
Did you know there is a Redwood Grove in a regional park in the town of Brea CA? I did not know this until I looked on a map and saw a note about it. I stopped and paid my 5 USD to park and had a great time on a short hike.
I was driving across Colorado and found a very cool dinosaur museum in Fruita, CO. There is just a small sign says anything about it on the highway. I found it researching the route. It is a working museum and has some amazing displays. The staff is very friendly and it is very easy to drop off the highway and visit. I found one of the best T shirts from the trip there.
On a road trip, remember to try and do things you normally would not attempt. I was in Sedona, AZ and I took a glass blowing class. I had never attempted glass blowing before. And since Sedona has a strong arts and crafts influence, I felt it was the right place to learn something new. And I was right. I was able to book an afternoon class at “The Melting Point” studio. I had a great time making my vase at “The Melting Point”. I have great pictures and a favorite memento now. Do a little research about the places you are driving through and you can be pleasantly surprised.
So do your research on the routes and possible stops. Do not be afraid to stop at rest stops and take a look around. Some are pretty amazing in their own rights. This final iphone picture was taken at Glennwood Springs rest stop on highway 70 in Utah. It has killer views. It also has bike trails. You can sometimes catch the train as it goes by hugging the canyon wall.
This final image was taken with an iphone 13. I processed the image in Lightroom Mobile. This image was created in an homage to Ansel Adams and the black and white scenic landscapes he created.
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