Not far from my new home is a collapsed volcanic crater named Valles Caldera. Comprised of grasslands, peaks, rivers and hot springs, the landscape is striking.
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Visiting the Valles Caldera
The Valles Caldera from NM Road 4 Local fauna partake in the short grass of the Valles Caldera. Part of an elk skull hangs from a barbwire fence near the visitor center. Cerro La Jara, a lava dome, rises 250 feet from the caldera floor. A tree on the edge of Cerro La Jarra. A marker along the Cerro La Jara trail. New Mexico Cinquefoil. Western Blue Flag irises. Cattle graze in the Valles Caldera. Looking northwest over a pond in the Valles Caldera. The east fork of the Jemez River in the Valles Caldera. Walking back from the pond. The Valles Caldera Visitor Center can be seen just right of center. Horses in a meadow near Jemez Springs, NM. Battleship Rock, Jemez Springs. -
Testing out the Fuji X100 point and shoot
Yesterday, I received an X100 from LensRentals.com. The X100 has a fixed 35mm f/2.0 lens, goes up to ISO 12800, shoots RAW, and comes in rangefinder format. I ordered it to put it through the paces and see how well the image quality holds up in low light situations. These are some quick shots I took after dinner. ISO 3200 and 6400 look like ISO 800 and 1600 on my Canon S90 point and shoot. More to come later.
f5.6, 1/2000s, ISO 3200 
f5.6, 1/60s, ISO 3200 
F2, 1/450s, ISO 3200 
F2, 1/110s, ISO 3200 
F2, 1/750s, ISO 3200 
f2, 1/100s, ISO 6400 
f2, 1/40s, ISO 6400 
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Road Trip Days 4 – Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks
Entering Tetons National Park. 
The Tetons from the side of the road. 
The Tetons from Shwabacher's Landing. 
The Tetons from Jackson Lake. 
Free range bison. 
Tasty, tasty bison. 
A break in the fence posts to allow the wild life to go back and forth. 
At Old Faithful. 
The terrain around Old Faithful was like a cross between the moon surface, a volcano, and forest. 
Wait for it… Wait for it… 
RELEASE! 
The Tetons from Shwabacher's Landing. Totally worth the 1200 mile detour. -
Road Trip Day 3 – SLC to Jackson Hole
Left Salt Lake City after hitting up Moochie’s and the Epic Brewing Company. Quite surprised that there were parts of the country still under snow. In June.
On the Utah side of Bear Lake looking North. 
Detail of young trees along the southern edge of Bear Lake with the Caribou Range in the background. 
A barn near Ideal Beach, Utah. 
Springtime in Fish Haven, Idaho. 
Impressive building in St. Charles, Idaho. 
View of the Salt River Pass in Wyoming. 
Detail of pine tree along the Salt River Pass, Wyoming. 
World's largest elk horn arch. Afton, Wyoming. 
Horses graze on meadowlands near Afton, Wyoming. 
A peak of the Salt River Range north of Afton, Wyoming. 
Storm clouds surround a grove of trees near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 
Welcoming committee, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. -
Road Trip Day 2 – The Hoover Dam
Day 2 was mostly driving from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, about an 8 hour trip. But before heading to Utah, we stopped at the Hoover Dam to check it out. I’m proud that for two Mexicans driving around the Southwest, we managed to avoid spending all but 30 minutes in Arizona.
