Have you ever felt compelled to just go? I caught the wanderlust bug in May, 2016 and I have been steady traveling since then. My journey began with Europe, where I met a ton of wonderful people before I traveled back to the USA to make the first journey out west. I like to think of it as my Manifest Destiny and a necessary adventure to being creative for life. I keep pondering on how people stay relevant without seeing the world? I never could've dreamed this landscape into existence if I tried. The Northwest and Pacific coast is the type of place that could make the biggest person feel small and insignificant. The rolling hills and endless farmlands put my size in this universe into serious perspective. It is curious though how such a small life form could create any type of significant change to a planet so vast. I am interested in exploring the idea of "man's minisculity" even further with my photography work. During the trip I have tried to take exposures where people were not present at the time. I really have been enjoying this notion of ghostly landscapes such as cities that are generally thriving with life. I enjoyed shooting the scenery in downtown Denver, Colorado and even more so the vastness of Yellowstone National Park. Both of these areas are magnificent in their own respective way. Colorado has the Rocky Mountains, which appear purple in the sunset. Yellowstone is a giant volcano with smouldering hot springs that roil for years at a time. These scenes are way too fascinating to pass up when opportunity arrises. Although Yellowstone is a lot colder than I anticipated. With the average altitude for campgrounds being roughly 7000 ft to 9000 ft I found the 30 degree nights to be a little overwhelming given my lack of preparation. With that being said make sure you bring a few things with you on YOUR journey to the park.
1. A tough tent (bison may come knock it down.)
2. A tarp for under the tent so you don't feel the frozen ground at night.
3. An air mattress or a really comfortable bed roll. (I used a $7 bedroll from a local Walmart and It seemed to hold up well)
4. As many extra sleeping bags and blankets as you can fit in the car
5. A portable stove because the wind may blow 50 mph and the ground might be wet from the intermittent rains.
6. Bear spray for the potential interactions with a Grizzly Bear.
7. A sense of adventure and the right shoes to make sure you fulfill that need.
#yellowstone #roadtrip #adventure #montana #wyoming #idaho #northcarolina #canon5D