Yellowstone National Park A giant volcano sits underneath Yellowstone National Park I was fortunate to have visited Yellowstone National Park this year. I went in April. It was such a unique experience. This “Upper Geyser Basin” area of Yellowstone is where the majority of the world’s active geysers are located. You would be most familiar with the legendary Old […]
Taggart Lake Earthquakes over millions of years help create the mountain range In the northwest corner of Wyoming, at the southern end of Grand Teton National Park is picturesque Taggart Lake. It is accessible via a short hike. There is a “Taggart Lake Loop Trail” that takes a couple hours to complete if you are taking your […]
Shenandoah National Park The shape of this park is unique. It is narrow and long Shenandoah National Park is located in north-central Virginia. The park was created in 1926 and is known for amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park was formed from a conglomerate of private land, farms, and orchards. This was a unique way to […]
Cadillac Mountain This is a surreal feeling after hiking up the mountain From October 7th through March 6th this is the first place to see the sun rise in the United States. Cadillac Mountain is within Acadia National Park along the coast of Maine. The summit of Cadillac Mountain reaches 1,530 feet. You can hike or drive to […]
Zion National Park I was able to catch this beautiful sunset which was illuminating the red rocks The tiny community of Springdale, Utah sits just outside of Zion National Park in southwestern Utah. In the 2010 census, Springdale only reported 529 people. The town was originally settled as a farming community by Mormons who evacuated the flooding […]
Snowy Owl – Conservation Status: Vulnerable Back in 2022, I wrote about a snowy owl at sunset This photo was taken at Hampton Beach State Park in New Hampshire, a few minutes from where I live. I was lucky to have spotted a group of photographers as I was driving by. I pulled over and got to […]
Red-Tipped Sea Goddess – iNaturalist The impact of the red-tipped sea goddess within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is unknown Although this is a beautiful nudibranch, it is probably not from the area it was photographed (Florida Keys). The majority of the red-tipped sea goddess sightings are from the Pacific Ocean. However, it is believed they […]
Purple-Crowned Sea Goddess – iNaturalist Without the blue/purple rhinophores, it would be hard to know which end is the front and which is the back Nudibranchs are known for their wild colors and patterns, and this nudibranch is no exception. The purple-crowned sea goddess is the smallest nudibranchs I am writing about this month. This tiny nudibranch […]
Gold-Line Sea Goddess – iNaturalist In order to find nudibranchs, you must slowly search the bottom This ornate cryptic crawler is called a gold-line sea goddess. A gold-line sea goddess is a type of nudibranch. A nudibranch is a tiny sea slug. Just how tiny? Here is a photo of the gold-line sea goddess next to my finger. Being […]
Smooth Trunkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These odd shaped swimmers will grow to about a foot long This interesting tropical fish is called a smooth trunkfish. This photograph was taken in Key Largo, on a shallow inshore reef. Smooth trunkfish are commonly seen in these waters as well as throughout Florida and the Caribbean. They are […]