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Grand Canyon Arrived at the Canyon after 8 hours of solid driving from LA. After a quick check-in at the hotel in Tusayan, made a quick visit to the Canyon to catch the sunset ... and it was worth it!
Other versions: Medium size (164kb) Large size (669kb). Technical details: 3 images, hand-held, 28mm, landscape orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 99 degrees. Rectilinear projection. The following day, another big storm came through, and I was able to capture this shot of the rain falling into the Canyon, with hints of blue sky still visible in the sky!
Other versions: Large size (650kb). Technical details: 1image, hand-held, 45mm, landscape orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. More notes on the Grand Canyon to follow ... |
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Bryce Canyon Arrived at Bryce Canyon in the early evening, in time to take a quick look at the Canyon. Arrived at 'Sunset Point' at around 6pm, but there were too many clouds for a decent sunset. This was the scene we saw (you really need to look at the larger versions, and pan around to appreciate the view!):
Other versions: Medium size (347kb) Large size (2.4Mb). Technical details: 6 images (6x1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 162 degrees. Cylindrical projection. The next day, went to Bryce Point for what is perhaps the most cliassic of all Bryce views. It was hot, clear, sunny.
Other versions: Medium size (307kb) Large size (2.9Mb). Technical details: 13 images (6x2, plus 1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 214 degrees (before heavy cropping). Equirectaongular projection. Later that day, the clouds came back, and a major storm passed through, and after that, some pretty heavy cloud cover which offered some shade for a walk on the trail descending to the base of the hoodoos. This is the 'view from below':
Other versions: Medium size (280kb) Large size (967kb). Technical details: 3 images (1x3) - middle picture not used, panosaurus tripod head (?), 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 109 (vert) degrees. Cylindrical projection, produced on it's side. As you approach the end of the trail down amonst the hoodoos, you ascend a very steep path aptly named 'wall street'. This is the view from about half-way up, looking back down:
Other versions: Medium size (220kb) Large size (2.4Mb). Technical details: 13 images (3x4, +1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended by enblend. Final FOV: 154 degrees. Equirectangular projection. To view a 360 interactive panorama of Bryce Canyon, click here. A larger version is here, but you will likely need to set '-Xmx196M' in your java plugin, advanced tab, java runtime parameters, in order to view it |
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Zion After a couple of nights in Bryce, it was on to Las Vegas. But one of the few routes to Las Vegas passes through Zion National Park, and that was an irresistable side-trip. So Zion was the next stop, and proved to be a great detour. Soon after entry into the park, the images come thick and fast. Here's a typical view from the road:
Other versions: Medium size (347kb) Large size (2.5Mb). Technical details: 4images (4x1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 135 degrees. Equirectaongular projection. The beauty of Zion is in the color of the rocks, and the combination of the rocks and trees. This is a typical rock formation:
Other versions: Large size (895kb). Technical details: 1 image, 200mm, landscape orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Another interesting formation:
Other versions: Large size (872kb). Technical details: 1 image, 128mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. After entering Zion from the east, you soon pass through a rather amazing tunnel. The building of this tunnel was, in it's day, a rather amazing feat. To speed up it's construction, crews started from the center as well as each end, and as a result, there are interesting 'windows' cut into the tunnel. Immediately after exiting the tunnel, you start descending through the 'switchbacks' - an aptly named section of road that quickly drops you through several thousand feet. From the switchbacks, you can see this sight (the upper road is visible at the far left, and the lower road is visible left of center):
Other versions: Medium size (317kb) Large size (2.2Mb). Technical details: 12 images (6x2), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended by enblend. Final FOV: 197 degrees (before significant cropping). Equirectangular projection. Once you descend to the valley floor, the road settles down and you are able to enjoy the immense rock formations once again. This was seen near the viistor center.
Other versions: Medium size (333kb) Large size (1.6Mb). Technical details: 4 images (4x1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 134 degrees. Cylindrical projection. You are no longer allowed to drive up the main park road (at least, not in the summer). You must park at the visitor center, and take a shuttle. The whole system is very smooth. The visitor center is clean, spacious, pleasant. You park your car, and almost immediately get on a shuttle bus. It was about 110 (?) degrees at this point ... a bit worrying as we were planning to hike! At the very end of the road (the last shuttle bus stop), you can walk on an easy trail that takes you into a canyon. After a while, the foot-trail ends, but you can proceed further into the canyon by removing your shoes and ... hiking in the river! This is the scene at the end of the foot trail, where people are starting to hike in the river:
Other versions: Medium size (215kb) Large size (2.3Mb). Technical details: 9 images (3x3), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 113 degrees. Equirectangular projection.
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Las Vegas Arrived in Las Vegas after an easy drive from Zion. Temperature was around 115 degrees, and it was strange to see the skyscrapers after traveling through all that barren desert. As always, the casino parking lots are way, way in the back, and you have to walk a long way in the heat, wearing your grubby traveling clothes, ending up in the smokey, crowded, bustling casino. Check-in was a nightmare, over 40 minutes in line for no particular reason. Once checked in, it was out again to experience the night lights. This is the facade of Belagio, the fanciest casino in Las Vegas:
This shot was taken inside the Venetian casino, one of the newest and most elaborate:
Other versions: Medium size (271kb). Technical details: 9 images (3x3) - middle row not used, panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched and color balanced by PTA, blended in PS. Final FOV: 142 (vert) degrees. Equirectangular projection, produced on it's side. In the morning, everything looks a bit less inviting ... this is the view from the hotel window ... endless construction ...
Other versions: Full size (1.4Mb). Technical details: 3 images (3x1), hand-held, 28mm, landscape orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended by enblend. Final FOV: 91 degrees. Rectilinear projection. |
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Death Valley After just one crazy evening in Las Vegas, it was off on the road again, this time to Death Valley. The drive was interesting, through lots of pretty bland desert landscape, but there were always hills or mountains around to keep things interesting. Passed through several non-descript towns, most notably Pahrump, Nevada. First stop was 'Badwater', approached on a near-deserted road. Watching the temperature rise steadily (rising from 110 in Las Vegas!), on a near-deserted road, one's mind wandered to flat tires and overheated engines (encouraged by the frequent 'radiator water' stops along the way!). No cell phone reception here ... Badwater is an interesting sight - a small 'visitor area' with information signs and rather pungent toilets, and a boardwalk out onto the salt flats, where water can be seen - water in the hottest place on earth (124 degrees F (50 C) as indicated by the car sensor, which seemed to be pretty accurate). After 20 minutes of picture-taking, it was too hot to bear, and it was back to the car for a drive to 'Artist's Palette', then on to 'Zabriski Point' and Dante's Peak. On the road up to Dante's Peak, we stopped off at 'Zabriski Point', a viewing area for a particularly unusual set of formations. What you are looking at is not sand dunes, but rather some form of solid rock that has a gentle, smooth surface. There were a few other brave souls at this location, taking in the view - but no one hangs out for long, with the temperature being what it was (about 115-120 degrees) at this point!
Other versions: Medium size (234kb) Large size (1.4Mb). Leaving Zabriski Point, we continued on a steadily rising road, then take a side-road that rises steeply up the mountainside to reach Dante's Peak at over 5,000 feet (Badwater was at 282 feet below sea level). The temperature at the top was a relatively mild 90 degrees F - positively pleasant after Badwater! This is the view from Dante's Peak. The white seen on the valley floor is salt, left after water evaporates.
Other versions: Medium size (1.2Mb). After Dante's Peak, it was time to head out of the park, after a brief stop at the well-stocked general store at Furnace Creek, where a casual bar and restaurant looked pretty inviting. The temperature remained above 110 F, despite the late hour. The last sight before exiting the park was of a cluster of sand dunes, conveniently sitting near the roadside.
Other versions: Medium size (350kb) Large size (2.2Mb).
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Eastern Sierras Leaving Death Valley, which is one of the lowest points in the world, you see the Sierra Nevada range from the eastern side. The Sierras include the tallest mountain in the continental United States (that is, excluding Alaska!) - Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet. The sun was setting over the mountains, and beautiful clouds filled the sky ... and the temperature finaly dropped to the low 90s!
Other versions: Medium size (94kb) Large size (312kb). Technical details: 3images (3x1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in photoshop. Final FOV: 94 degrees. Rectilinear projection.
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Yosemite After a night in Bishop (elevation 4,147 ft), on the eastern edge of the Sierras, it was on to Yosemite, entering the park from the east on Tioga Pass (peaking at 9,941 feet). After travelling through Death Valley and the hot desert, it was a relief to see green grass, lakes, and trees - though also slightly boring! This is a typical scene soon after entry to the park - water, gray granite rocks, and trees
Other versions: Medium size (215kb) Large size (1.31Mb). Technical details: 5images (5x1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended with Enblend. Final FOV: 176 degrees. Cylindrical projection. After descending down steadily to 4,000 feet, you pass through a tunnel, then get a first glimps of the valley floor:
Other versions: Large size (250kb). Technical details: 6 images (3x2), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended with Enblend. Final FOV: 129 degrees (before heavy cropping). Cylindrical projection. Soon after the view above, we entered the most visited part of
the park, the 'Yosemite Valley'. Such crowds! Cars everywhere, parking
lots full, crowded, hot - not a great experience after the refreshing
spaciousness of Zion. This is a typical scene on the valley floor,
though - pretty impressive! Other versions: Medium size (251kb) Large size (1.9Mb). Technical details: 4 images (4x1), panosaurus tripod head, 28mm, portrait orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended with Enblend. Final FOV: 85 degrees. Cylindrical projection. Here's a classic view of the valley:
Other versions: Medium size (265kb) Large size (1.12Mb). Technical details: 4 images (4x1), hand held, 30mm, landscape orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended with Enblend. Final FOV: 123 degrees (before crop). Cylindrical projection. After a day of walking around in the valley floor, it was time to leave for Mariposa, a small town just outside the park where our motel was located. On the way out of the park, with the sun sitting lower in the sky, the following scene came into view:
Other versions: Medium size (168kb) Large size (670kb). Technical details: 2 images (2x1), hand-held, 34mm, landscape orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Stitched by PTA, blended in Photoshop. Final FOV: 89 degrees (before crop). Cylindrical projection. |
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California Coast After a night in Mariposa, just outside Yosemite, we drove across the inland desert to the California coast - Cambria - as small town about half-way between San Francisco and LA. This is the first view of the coastline; weather was crisp, clear, breezy, and decidedly chilly after a week in temperatures that hardly fell below 90 degrees!
Other versions: Large size (577kb). Technical details: 1 image, 28mm, landscape orientation. Minolta Dimage 7Hi. I've been to Cambria several times, and no matter when I go, I always see old British sports cars. Today was no exception; I would guess there was a club meeting somewhere nearby, as there were perhaps a dozen MGs, Morrgans, and other similar cars, all in perfect condition, driving around town. Here are two good examples:
After a night in Cambria, it was on up the coast to Carmel. Sadly, it was a foggy day, which tends to dampen the spirits, mask the true beauty of the coast, and leads to less colorful pictures! Here's a couple, though, that show some of the beauty of the coast - secluded beaches, and a road perched on the edge of steep cliffs, with some attractive bridges along the way.
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