Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 08: Alaska Marine Highway on the MV Columbia.
Somewhere in British Columbia, Canada traveling from Bellingham, Washington to Haines, Alaska. The day started out foggy. During the night there was a bit of rain and wind. I felt sorry for the folks living rough on deck, but they seemed to be warm and cheerful once they moved under the covered Solarium. We saw a few Orcas during the day. Later in the afternoon, the sun came out and folks living rough moved their chairs back out on the open deck.
Lone Deck Chair on Misty Morning. Solarium Deck on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 50mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)Seagull Fishing with an Orca. Viewed from the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/8, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)Jonathan and Christine Sleeping in the Afternoon Sun. Solarium Deck on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D3 and 50mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)Christine Chimping on the Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and a 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 195 mm, f/8, 1/500 sec). (David J. Mathre)Silhouette, Shadow, and Sunburst on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway Between Bellingham, Washington and Haines, Alaska — Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia – Canada. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/22, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 07: Bellingham, Washington – Alaska Marine Highway on the MV Columbia.
Everyone boarded and we are on our way on the Alaska Marine Highway from Bellingham to Haines. My RV “White Ram” is in the hold, and I have a cabin on one of the upper decks. We had a Coast Guard escort as we left port. I was surprised to see how many folks would be camping out on deck for the trip to Alaska.
Leaving Bellingham to Alaska on the M/V Columbia – Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera. (David J. Mathre)US Coast Guard Escort for the Alaska Marine Highway MV Columbia leaving Bellingham Washington for Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7, 1/160 sec). (David J. Mathre)US Coast Guard Escort for the Alaska Marine Highway MV Columbia leaving Bellingham Washington for Alaska. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7, 1/160 sec). (David J. Mathre)“The Other Boleyn Girl” Solarium Deck on the MV Columbia Alaska Marine Highway. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 50 mm f/1.4D lens (ISO 1600, 50 mm, f/4, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
I picked up my new Road Trek RS Adventurous RV today at Campers Barn in Kingston, New York. The RV is built on a Dodge Sprinter body with a Mercedes diesel engine by the Road Trek folks in Canada. In nine days I start my “Gone to See America 2009” road trip. This trip will take me to by road to Bellingham Washington, to Alaska on the Alaska Marine Highway, on road again to Anchorage and Denali Alaska to take part in the Nikonians ANPAT 9, and then back via the Alaska-Canada highway.
White Ram. Road Trek RS Adventurous. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm lens (ISO 200, 18 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec)
During the day we heard that Michael Jackson had died. That evening while looking for dinner in San Francisco we saw that the Wax Museum already had a Michael Jackson display.
Michael Jackson Memorial at the San Francisco Wax Museum. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 16 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 1600, 16 mm, f/2.8, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with DxO 6.5, Capture One Pro, Topaz DeNoise, and Photoshop CS5.Andrew with the Gimme Some Chocolate Bear in front of Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop in San Francisco. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 16 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 1600, 16 mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec). Raw image processed with DxO Optics Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CS5.
Gone to See America 2009 Road Trip. Day 4: Crystal Geyser in Green River Utah.
Before leaving Green River for Cedar City, I made a stop at the nearby Crystal Geyser. The cold geyser is near an abandoned Air Force missile testing facility, and is right next to the Green River. The geyser is now accessible via a dirt road on Bureau of Land Management land. I was fortunate to arrive this time when the geyser erupted. The geyser is unique in that the water is cold, and powered by carbon dioxide — not heat. The geyser is the result of drilling for gas (petroleum) many years ago. When the place was under Air Force control, the geyser was off-limits for visits. The eruptions are irregular, and you need to be lucky or very patient to see an eruption happen. In this image there is someone meditating while the eruption occurred. The water coming out of the geyser rises over 20 feet in the air — and unlike Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, the water from Crystal Geyser is cold to the touch. The water is mineral rich, and deposits building the crystalline Travertine terrace as the water flows to the river.
Meditation at Crystal Geyser outside of Green River, Utah. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 35 mm f/2D lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/10, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)
