Blog

November can be a treacherous month on the waters of the Great Lakes. Storms and hurricane force winds often visit the lakes. On November 10, 1975, The Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter measuring 729 feet long and weighing over 13,000 tons ,loaded with iron ore, wrecked killing all 29 men on board.The storm that day is reported to have whipped up 35 foot waves and 100 MPH winds on Lake Superior. The Captain of the ship contacted the Coast Guard in Sault Ste Marie at 7pm to say they were taking on water. Nothing else was heard from the Captain and crew after 7:15 pm that day. The ship was approximately 15 miles north of Whitefish Point, Michigan when it went down. The Edmund Fitzgerald was later found at the depth of 535 down in two pieces. In 1995 a pair of divers retrieved the bell that was on the ship which is kept at the Great Lakes Shipwrecked Museum along with the memorial posted very close to the shores of Lake Superior where I took these photos. I have to be honest to say that just standing there and looking out towards the lake, I became very emotional. The day I was there was windy but probably only like 10 mph winds. I could not image hurricane force winds out on that lake. Tears streamed down my cheek as I stood quietly to honor those 29 men who lost their lives. These photos posted are special to me. You see, the story I grew up singing along with about the Edmund Fitzgerald stuck with me to this day. RIP to the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and to their families I send my condolences. To Gordon Lightfoot, thank you for writing and singing the song " The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". I was only about 10 years old when I first heard it and it helped me to understand how precious life is.

Four Days in Sedona
Let me start off by saying that Sedona Arizona has found herself on my list of most beautiful places that this gypsy has ever visited. This planning for this four day trip into the northern Verde Valley region of Arizona began the month before. As usual, I combed through travel guides, googled travel sites and called the National Park Ranger stations in the area to compile a list of “ things to do”. Photography is the focus of my adventures, so picturesque locations are a must. Historical sites and tours also make the adventure list. This trip to Sedona would have to be done in four days only and it quickly became evident that Sedona might be a repeat trip since I still work a “regular” job and only have so many days off. My compadre Natalie would accompany me on this trip and together we prepared for departure on a Thursday after our work day was over. The nonstop flight on Delta into Phoenix was trouble free and enjoyable as air travel goes. Here is my pitch for Delta Airlines, they are ready when you are with free WIFI, movies and the most delicious almonds I have ever eaten. Comfortable seats and pleasant attendants made Delta my new favorite airline.
Once we landed and shuttled over to the car rental depot, we were upgraded to my personal favorite traveling vehicle, a van. Traveling around with camera gear and backpacks can be cumbersome on these adventures so having the space of the van makes the Gypsy From Nowhere Photography travel adventures much easier. That makes me question why I am driving a Volkswagen Jetta for my personal car.
Our first night was spent in Phoenix and the alarm came early. It is a good thing that the two of us girls are pretty low maintenance and require very little prep for the activities scheduled. We grabbed our Starbucks coffee then departed on the Black Canyon Highway heading north on I-17 by eight o’clock am with smiles on our faces as the desert sun and blue sky overhead made for a beautiful drive towards our first stop in Camp Verde, Arizona. We spent time at the Montezuma’s Castle National Monument in the crisp morning air walking amongst the limestone cliff dwellings. This dwelling site which is estimated to be around 20 rooms and tells the story of the Sinagua culture between approximately 1100 and 1425 AD. It is apparent that the ingenious people had enduring survival skills in this terrain . The sycamore trees in the park and Beaver Creek running adjacent to the cliff dwelling area provided a very peaceful and serene shaded area. I can understand why this was an ideal place to settle.
Next we traveled just a few miles further up the highway to explore the Montezuma Well . The trail at took us around a large “ pond like” well which is actually a natural limestone sinkhole near the town of Rimrock, Arizona. This well measures around 386 feet in diameter and contains turquoise water, reminding me of the geyser basin in Yellowstone. The water comes from an underground spring and has a natural drainage system down to the Beaver Creek. Upon entering the shaded forest, the temperatures dropped significantly and the coolness settled between sharp boulders and the irrigation trenches . I actually enjoyed this site more than the Montezuma Castle site, maybe due to the fact, the forested trail and the little stream of natural irrigation water flowing had amazing yellow and purple wildflowers blanketing the ground. Naturally this type of scenery is perfect for this photographer. Our next stop was at the V Bar V Heritage where the largest known petroglyph site in the Verde Valley is located . There we took a short easy stroll to a rock art site and photographed a rock wall with over 1000 petroglyphs. That was surely a WOW moment !
The afternoon found us girls in Jerome, Arizona. This quirky old mining town was incorporated in 1899, and was considered to be one of the richest copper mining camps in the world, nick named the” Billion Dollar Copper Camp “. The Jerome Grand Hotel sits above the valley floor in the shadow of Cleopatra hill, overlooking the town. The red rocks of Sedona in the distance provides just the right amount of wonder and awe for tourist. The back story and there are many, offer a peak into the past history of what was once was called the “wickedest town in the west”. The Jerome Grand Hotel has had some strange “ghostly” encounters according to legend. It was originally a hospital, built on a steep hill above the town. The name of the restaurant that we chose to grab a bite to eat, is called “The Asylum” and it definitely had an ominous look and feel as you walk up to the front steps. However, the food was delicious and I have to say that it was the best meal I had on this trip. So if you visit Jerome, Arizona, plan on dining at the Jerome Grand Hotel in the ‘Asylum”. After lunch, it was time to take in the “Gold King Mine Ghost Town”. A bargain at just a $ 5.00 fee, one can walk among old classic trucks and lots of rusty mining tools, out buildings and a little barn with goats, cows and chickens. This was a perfect location for taking stock images so I did just that. By 3 pm , our drive took us down the curvy two lane road to the Verde Valley driving towards Sedona as the sun dipped lower in the turquoise blue sky.
Our next adventure was to park at the Sedona’s Airport Mesa Overlook for sunset photos. The wind was whipping pretty good and it was chilly making it difficult at times to steady my tripod. Watching the sun ease downward casting it’s warm glow across the red rocks was breathtaking. The artsy town of Sedona rested at the base of the surrounding mountains. Using the wide angle lens was helpful to be able to capture the entire scene laid out before me. The overlook was busy with tourist and cameras on tripods with hopeful photographers like myself. I found myself ease dropping on a family of 6 trying to take family photos nearby. It was quite humorous watching the mother trying to get all four of her young children to stand still and smile for the camera. The pre-teens were making goofy faces and the toddler kept trying to bolt out of the frame. I tried not to laugh out loud at them because the dad was starting to become very annoyed. Ah, family vacations. I just wanted to tell that father and mother to cherish this moment. One day they would be standing at an overlook with no small children and might wish for those days again.
The first day was very engaging and memorable and as we returned to our hotel in Camp Verde we knew that the next day would be even better. So it was, on day 2 we headed out to drive around the red rock country and photograph all day. Looking for rattlesnakes along the trails we hiked the Mystic and Hogwash trails next to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Across rocks, limestone, and next to some amazing cactus, we spent the morning basking in the warm sun and enjoying the fresh air. It is a wonder that I ever make it down a trail with all the stopping to frame up a shot. My eyes are constantly scanning the horizon near and far and in my mind’s eye seeking out a composition that I like. For me, the joy and excitement of what is ahead and what is behind keeps my head on swivel. There is always a photo opportunity and I am always ready to take it. This particular morning was so clear and not a cloud in the sky, that I really had to underexpose my images and also pull out my ND filter at times. I explained to Natalie that these filters are like sunglasses for my lens. She could relate to that. The filters make the colors really pop and cut down on the haze that our eyes don’t even notice. With this being said, we hiked several trails on day 2 and explored the Bell Rock and the Courthouse Butte area. Fun trails with lots of rock jumping and climbing. The red rocks were surprising easy to climb with our Merrell hiking shoes. We dined for lunch in the “Tlaquepaque Arts & Craft Village”. In the ancient language of the natives, this means the “best of everything.” Bring your money if you shop here in what is called “the heart of Sedona” being that all the shops are very high end and pricey. I honestly felt as if I had clicked my heels and landed in old Mexico. This place is very beautiful and lunch at the El Rincon Mexican restaurant gave us the energy to continue on our adventure.
The afternoon was spent at the Red Rock Crossing, Crescent Moon Picnic area photographing the Cathedral Rock as the last of the evening sun hit the famous red formation. I had studied the area online prior to our visit and knew where and what time to be in which location. The one element that I did not plan for , were the amount of people in this popular tourist area. I was not successful in getting the shots I had envisioned beforehand but all in all I did come away with several satisfactory shots. I preferred this location for the sunset shot more than the Sedona Airport Mesa overlook. The Red Rock Crossing had a peaceful and calming feel to it and was a place you felt like you never wanted to leave, almost fairy tale like. The creek that runs in front of the rock makes for the perfect post card photo. Definitely I will return again one day to this incredible location to shoot but the next attempt will be on a week day when school is still in session and not during “spring break” boost my chances for better compositions for my images.
For our dinner we stopped off at the “Cowboy Club Grille and Spirits”, in downtown Sedona where they have been providing more than 50 years of old west traditions and hospitality. The menu is a hoot to read with the Cactus fries, buffalo skewers, rattlesnake sausage, prickly pear sauce on a grilled prickly pear cactus pads. I ordered a cheese burger satisfied my taste buds. Bragging rights have belonged to this restaurant for 6 consecutive years for serving the “ Best Steak in Sedona”. Thinking back now, I should have ordered the steak. On a side note, more than 50 movies were filmed in Sedona . It is said that John Wayne, Ray Milland, Burt Lancaster, Jane Wyman, George Montgomery, Dick Powell, Agnes Moorehead, Burl Ives, Maureen O’Hara, Robert Mitchum, Hedy Lamarr, Glenn Ford, James Stewart, Rock Hudson, Donna Reed, Gene Autry, Joan Crawford, and others were known to enjoy the warm fire and spirits at the Cowboy Club which was then known as the “Oak Creek Tavern”. Could it be that maybe I sat in the same spot where John Wayne ate a meal, that makes me smile.
Day 3 of our travels was probably one of our best adventures to date. We rose out of bed early to meet the guide of the Pink Jeep Adventure Tours for our 2 hour off road trip on the “Broken Arrow Trail”. Now this tour was well worth the money we paid and the scenic views were jaw dropping. When visiting Sedona, you hear talk of the vortex energy everywhere and so every time we felt a surge of “wow” or a “take your breath away” moment, we would blurt out, “it must be the vortexes”. I got a good laugh when someone announced on the tour that the lady who came up with the idea of the vortex having mystical powers was “psycho”. Those are probably fighting words around with the local Sedonians and natives in the area however. Well to each his own, never the less ,I did capture some interesting colored rainbow halos around the landscape images from my cell phone. Who knows, it could have been those special vortex energy vibes. The Broken Arrow Trail was magnificent and taking it in a pink jeep was the icing on the cake. A little warning, if you go make sure you sit closer to the front of the jeep or your will definitely realign your spine. It is very bumpy and wild but you will feel like a kid again during the rock and summit climbing. After the jeep tour was over, Natalie and I checked out the gift shops in the downtown area and then drove north into the Oak Creek Canyon scenic drive towards Flagstaff, Arizona. Now, I have hiked many trails in my life and I must add that the West Fork Trail was in the top 3 hiking trails that I have ever done. As we made our way to the trailhead, we passed by an apple orchid full of aromatic pink and white blooms , pass some old stone ruins which was once a place where movie stars used to frequent back in the days when Sedona was a hot spot for movie filming. The history was very interesting and it makes sense that this location next to Oak Creek with the tall red canyon walls would be a getaway for the stars. This trail was worth the hike indeed. The views changed at every turn and the 8 mile roundtrip hike with its 13 creek crossings forced us to keep focused and alert so not to fall over downed trees, roots and slip on the boulders we scampered over or take a unwanted dip in the creek. Both of us girls came out of the canyon with wet feet however and felt like we just completed an iron man competition. Speaking of coming out of the canyon at the end of the hike, we both got a good laugh. We were exhausted and found it hard to put one foot in front of the other towards the end. The best moment was when we started laughing hysterically at each other as we waddled into the restaurant in Flagstaff to eat a few hours later. We looked like two broke down crippled horses. It was worth it all and I would do it again.
The next morning on day 4, after a short visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross, we traveled back to Phoenix and flew home. Both of us hated to leave Sedona and the enchantment offered around those towering red rocks. We both vowed to return and do it all over again. My best images will be posted on my Instagram, Zenfolio website and my “Gypsyfromnowhere Images” Facebook page. I hope to sort them out and pick out a couple of them to enter into photo competitions and maybe for editorial work. I am working on getting my work out there and would love for you to follow me on social media. Travel photography is my passion now and will start looking for a new adventure up the road. Any suggestions are welcomed and all comments are read and responded to. Until next time Gypsy on!