Miles Traveled in 2019
32 flights, 12 road trips, 8 states, 3 countries, and 9 national parks; that’s 34,500 miles in the air but add another 6,000 miles or so for all the adventures on land. 2019 was no doubt the year I traveled and saw the most. Out of the eight states I traveled to, Idaho, New Mexico, and Tennessee were new. Out of the three countries visited, Portugal was one I haven’t been to before. Out of the 9 national parks, four were first-timers: Death Valley, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, and White Sands (the newest member of the NPS family!).
I know we’re a month into 2020, but I’ve been meaning to do a-year-in-review post and have something to look back on years down the road. So below are my most memorable moments from the epic adventures and amazing landscapes I saw in 2019, in chronological order!
Alabama Hills
To say this place is magical is an understatement. Massive snow-capped mountain peaks ahead, numerous dirt roads & turnouts to explore, secluded and yet comforting somehow. Even though it’s a bit of a drive from the Bay (especially in the winter when Tioga Pass is closed), Alabama Hills is easily one of my favorite places I’ve been to.
We shot two sunrises here back-to-back and astrophotography during the night in between. Both mornings, although windy & cold, presented beautiful colors & views — the soft pink & purple pastels above the jagged & dusted peaks were really something else. Alabama Hills is one of the those places that make you feel small but at the same time, like you can touch the mountain range ahead of you if you reach far enough.
Firefall, Yosemite
Firefall holds a special place in my heart because not only is it in my favorite place in California, it is also one of the wildest experiences I’ve ever had. Those who’ve met me have heard me talk about my 2019 Firefall mission at least once and know why it was insane. If you don’t know what I’m talking about right now, I did dedicate an entire blog post to it last year— so there’s your queue to go read it. [; Besides, Firefall season is upon us so what perfect timing!
The sight of Firefall was stunning and surreal, but even more unbelievable was how we managed to witness this natural phenomenon after a very last minute decision and some very crude planning. If any of the steps it took to get into the park fell through, it would have been impossible to make it to Yosemite on time, let alone have a chance at seeing Firefall. This whole mission was full of uncertainty — I was hopeful and doubtful at the same time — so it was truly a miracle that we got to experience it.
Bryce Canyon & Zion National Parks
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear Bryce & Zion is how COLD it was when we visited. It was late-February, after a week of storms & blizzards, and the temperature… oh, the temperature was WAY below freezing. As we drove further east towards Bryce Canyon (we flew into Las Vegas and got a rental car), the temperature on the dash kept dropping & dropping. At one point, it was -13°F (-25°C). Now that I think about it, I’m surprised the car was still able to run. When we got out of the car at sunrise, it wasn’t any better: -2°F (-19°C).
Besides my friend & me, there were about a dozen people at the viewpoint, which was the only accessible spot in the park due to the recent storm. The wind constantly stung our faces, and the cold made our fingers & toes numb and almost lose the sense of touch — I couldn’t feel my fingers clicking the shutter (even while wearing two pairs of gloves). We were outside for no more than 20 minutes, but it took an eternity to warm up to normal body temperature afterwards. It definitely wasn’t the most pleasant experience (okay, it was pretty unbearable), but the red hoodoos covered in snow were still a sight to see.
Mt. Shasta
Mt. Shasta & the surrounding Shasta-Trinity National Forest are so underrated. Imagine Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park combined — that’s Shasta. There are just as many waterfalls and lush vegetation in Shasta as there are in Yosemite. In addition, with the many (but smaller) lakes in the area and Shasta Ski Park, you’ll feel as if you’re at North Shore or Diamond Peak in Tahoe.
On this trip, my friends and I wanted a specific reflection shot, so we woke up ~2.5 hours before sunrise, ready to hike up to one of the nearby lakes. When we got to the trailhead, we couldn’t find the different, larger lake, whose perimeter we were supposed to follow for the first half of the trail. It wasn’t until 10 minutes in that we realized the larger lake is right next to us — it’s just frozen. I couldn’t believe it; the possibility of the lake being frozen never crossed any of our minds. This was the last weekend of April — who would have guessed that the lake hasn’t thawed, let alone cold enough to freeze??? The smaller lake for the shot was at a higher elevation and, needless to say, frozen as well. None of us got the shot we wanted, but hey, we got to walk on a frozen lake!
Shasta is truly a hidden gem: It’s got one of the most scenic roads I’ve driven on, gorgeous & unique waterfalls, and the mountain itself is a potentially active volcano full of glaciers. This was my first & only time in Shasta, but you bet I’m going again this year—and getting that reflection shot.
Oregon Roadtrip 1: Waterfalls
Waterfall-ed out. Never would I have thought it was possible to have too many shots of waterfalls, but that was indeed how we felt. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy exploring and photographing waterfalls — long exposure of water is one of the coolest things you can capture — but we saw too many to count on our 4-day trip. We did throw in a couple other locations without waterfalls, and I very much appreciated the variety of photos when I went through them later.
From my memory bank, the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park and, of course, Toketee & Multnomah Falls stood out. Although a scramble to get down, Toketee Falls was a fun spot that offered many compositions. Multnomah Falls, well, that waterfall is just something else. With a huge line to the parking lot, a visitor center, a restaurant, and hundreds of people, it could have been a theme park for all you know. The only difference was that they didn’t (and I hope they don’t) collect fees for entering or parking. Another favorite part of this trip was the drive along the Columbia River Gorge — they don’t call it the National Scenic Area for no reason! It was one of the most gorgeous views I’ve ever seen, and there was just something calming and enchanting about it. It felt as if I were in a fantasy novel setting, in some magical kingdom where mythical creatures and fairies roam around.
Death Valley
Remember the coldest temperature I’ve been in at Bryce Canyon earlier? Well, with Death Valley National Park, I set another record on the other end of the spectrum. If you didn’t know, Death Valley has not only highest temperature recorded on Earth (134°F / 57°C) but also the lowest point of elevation at Badwater Basin (282 ft / 82m below sea level). My friends and I visited the park during the Fourth of July holiday, and the highest temperature was 120°F (49°C) — which is now the hottest temperature I’ve been in. The entire time, you feel as if there was a very warm blanket draped around you, and no matter what you do, you can’t get it off. We thought it would be much better at night, but no — when we woke up a couple hours before sunrise, it was 92°F (33°C). What is it about me & extreme temperatures?
Despite the scorching heat, which was much better than the below freezing temperatures for me, this national park had many many unique landscapes I’d never seen before. From the sand dunes to the salt flats to the mud cracks to the colorful rocks, Death Valley will make you feel as if you’re walking on another planet. One word of advice: just don’t go during the summer months.
Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks
Ahh this trip! The iconic yet insane views here, our luck with almost perfect conditions, and good company with my good friends Wes & Cody — this entire trip was one of the best of 2019 (minus the fact that I got sick two days before we departed and was sick throughout the trip). We were blessed by the weather gods the moment we landed in Salt Lake City. On our night drive to Wyoming, a prominent thunderstorm developed south of us, and naturally, we had to stop. This was my first and only time shooting lightning, and without a doubt, one of the coolest experiences in landscape photography. It is SO satisfying to see a properly exposed & nicely framed shot of flashing bolts pop up in your viewfinder. I encourage every landscape photographer to try shooting lightning (safely, of course) at least once.
Then, at sunrise, colors exploded across the sky and alpen glow dawned on the mountain peaks — a rainbow even appeared not long after! This was one of the best sunrises I’ve had on a trip, simply the best reward after a full night of driving & very little sleep. That same afternoon, we were greeted by some of the most epic light rays I’ve ever seen. The next day, we drove further into Wyoming to Yellowstone, home of many geysers and other geothermal elements. Although we didn’t get to see as much wildlife as we’d like, we did get to see a couple herds of bison up close — that made me want to go on a safari and become a wildlife photographer.
Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival & New Mexico
This trip consisted of the biggest adventure crew: there were 10 of us in total, including our Albuquerque-based friend, Ian, who showed as around the International Balloon Fiesta and White Sands (which wasn’t yet a national park at the time of our visit). Surprisingly, New Mexico (my first time!) wins the best-food-on-road-trips award in my book so far — besides the last meal we had because I got food poisoning the next day…
Seeing the hot air balloons was magical, especially during the mass ascension at dawn, when hundreds of balloons rose and floated to all corners of the sky. At White Sands, hills upon hills of sand dunes surrounded us. The white sand was finer, colder, and less soft than I had imagined, but the entire landscape was still fun to explore. (And really, the color of the sand was white.) Last but not least, my favorite spot from this trip has to be Shiprock. Massive, mysterious, and majestic, there is just something so special about it. It’s one of those places that magically appeared out of nowhere, where you can hear the sound of silence, and makes you feel as if you’re on another planet. Photos and words don’t do this place justice, you have to go see it for yourself.
Oregon Roadtrip 2: Fall Colors
This was the second weekend trip I had in October, and the most spontaneous one: I bought my plane tickets 3 minutes before the sale ended (talk about getting things done!), and I am so glad I did. We very luckily timed our trip right and arrived just at the beginning of the peak fall colors season. What was unlucky, though, was that it rained on & off during that weekend, so we were limited to where and how much we could shoot sunrise and sunset. Nevertheless, Oregon in the fall surpassed all my expectations. Right from the moment we stepped outside of the Portland airport, deep reds and oranges greeted us in every direction. The rest of the trip was even better: every road was adorned with some sort of maple tree, and every hill was covered in beautiful fall colors.
This trip was also the first time I collaborated with Airbnb hosts through a third party. Superhost Stephanie hosted my friend and me in the cozy Hummingbird Lodge near Mt. Hood. We had the entire cabin + the acres of land around it all to ourselves. It was a nice getaway, and the lodge was just a warm, sweet place to come back to at the end of the day. Even though it was my second time in Oregon last year, all the places we visited on this trip were new. The only exception was Multnomah Falls, but oh, do I so encourage everyone to see this waterfall in the fall. Sitting under overcast skies and shrouded in the misty rain (not to mention with the steam coming out of the chimney of that restaurant), Multnomah Falls seemed like a scene from Hogwarts. The only things missing were warm butterbeer and people flying on broomsticks. I still have many unedited photos from this trip, but enjoy the ones that are done for now!
Great Smoky Mountains
Three weekends of traveling in a row, whoo!!! My third trip in October, this time to a different state and another new national park. (Fun fact: Did you know the Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the U.S.? I was shocked when I heard that. You’d think it’d be Yosemite or Yellowstone, but GSMNP takes first place because there is no entrance fee, hah.) My good friend Wes & I decided to come here for fall colors. You might be thinking “Wait, didn’t you just go for fall colors in Oregon?” Yes, we did — but this trip had been planned way ahead of Oregon fall colors (remember my last-minute ticket purchasing?), and the fall colors in Tennessee & this region are different from those in the PNW. For example, there were no maple trees here and some of the leaves were purple or magenta!
I was also able to collaborate with another Airbnb property: superhost Caroline let us stay in the charming & fun River Rest Cabin right outside of the Great Smoky Mountains. Since there is also a dedicated page under Clients for this cabin, feel free to read about my stay there. We also got rained on during our time in Tennessee, but it gave us both sunny blue skies and gray overcast conditions to shoot in. It also made the trip more memorable and the shots we got much more worthwhile.
Page, Arizona & the Canyons
The final photography trip of the year, woot woot! And with this trip, I officially checked off the final spot on my list of places I wanted to visit in 2019: Horseshoe Bend. On the way to Page (we flew into Vegas and drove east again), we stopped at Grand Canyon National Park, making it the twelfth national park out of the 62 that I’ve visited.
Horseshoe Bend was massive, like in-your-face massive. It would be really hard to photograph this view without a wide angle lens or a full-frame camera. My widest length was 24mm, and even with that I had to stitch four different frames together to get it all in one photo. We also explored Lower Antelope Canyon and drove ~2 hours east to Monument Valley for sunrise, two days in a row because there were just so many different & awesome compositions! All the deep red, orange & brown colors plus interesting canyon/rock erosions & formations were definitely a signature of the Southwest desert. I didn’t realize I’d enjoy these landscapes so much, but they were all so much fun to explore and shoot. More importantly, they all seemed to carry a lot of history of the Earth, the untold stories & secrets through time.
Fog Chases in the Bay & Other Trips
So those were all the major photography trips I went on last year. I know, there was a lot. If you’ve read until this point and are still reading, wow! Go you! Leave a comment below or on my most recent post on Instagram so I can thank you! There were a few one-day sends that I didn’t include mainly because I’ve been to these places before, but they were all just as fun: Big Sur for the Key Hole Rock light rays, Avenue of Giants (my first time!), Big Basin Redwood States Park (first time as well & need to go back), a seasonal Sonoma Coast waterfall, Lake Tahoe (north & east shores), and the many drives to Mt. Tam or the Golden Gate Bridge area for low fog chases. After last year, I would say low fog is probably my favorite thing to shoot in the Bay. Depending on the height and density of the fog, there are so many spots to shoot from, and none of them are bad choices. (I can probably write another post on where to and the technicalities of how to shoot fog — thoughts?)
In addition to these local adventures, I also had the opportunity to travel abroad with my family. We were in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a weekend in the summer (gosh, was it humid) and spent the Christmas holidays in Nice, France and Lisbon, Portugal. Out of the three , Lisbon was my favorite. In many ways, the city reminds me a lot of the Bay Area — the vibe, the diversity, their Golden Gate Bridge look-alike + the surrounding piers & ports, some of the streets, the proximity to nature, and the people. Oh, and don’t even get started on the food! Portuguese natas and just about every pastry are the dream— my stomach rumbles and my mouth waters just typing it out. It is definitely more difficult to do landscape photography when I’m on a trip with non-photographers. However, that taught me how to work with less optimal conditions (i.e. harsh light, crowds of people, unfamiliarity with the location) and reminded me that it’s okay to put down my camera sometimes, to just enjoy the moment and take it all in.
Final Thoughts
From stunning Alabama Hills to a last-minute Firefall mission, to the coldest temperatures EVER in Bryce & Zion, to Avenue of Giants to Shasta for the first time, to a gazillion waterfalls in Oregon, to burning temperatures in Death Valley, to beautiful Grand Tetons & Yellowstone, to Albuquerque for the Hot Air Balloon fiesta, to Oregon again for fall colors, to more fall colors in Tennessee, and finally to Arizona for colorful canyons, plus all the low fog chases in the Bay in between — 2019 was the best year yet of my adventures and journey in photography. Despite several big changes for me last year — a new camera (YAY Sony!), a new car, a new job, and a new roommate — 2019 was probably my best year yet in my personal life as well. I remember worrying about all four things earlier in the year, but everything gradually fell into place and I couldn’t be happier with how 2019 turned out & ended for me. [:
So many amazing places visited, beautiful photos captured, and epic adventures shared with some of my favorite people, plus all the hilarious inside jokes, memorable stories, and closer friendships made in between. 2019 was a blast and truly blessed. 2020 has large shoes to fill, but I’m excited and can’t wait to see what this year brings!
If you’re still here, I APPRECIATE YOU and want to give you a big hug! Hopefully you were able to learn a couple things about the places I visited and the best time to visit them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask below or DM me on Instagram. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you on the next post!