At one with the power of the American landscape, and renowned for the patient skill and timeless beauty of his work, photographer Ansel Adams has been a visionary in his efforts to preserve this country’s wild and scenic areas, both on film and on Earth. Drawn to the beauty of nature’s monuments, he is regarded by environmentalists as a monument himself, and by photographers as a national institution. It is through his foresight and fortitude that so much of America has been saved for future Americans.”

-President James E. Carter
Presenting Ansel Adams (Photographer & Preservationist) with the Presidential Medal of Freedom

 

This post is dedicated to Eddie, who is out right now at a State Park in Ohio as I sit behind my computer in Greensboro, NC…

After meeting Eddie and realizing that there was a world outside of North Carolina, we decided to start our own Annual trip. Once a year we would go to a part of the country we had never been and try and go to as many National Parks as possible. The idea to me at first was “ok, whatever, sounds fun I guess.” I mean…I am used to going to the beach and doing NOTHING ALL DAY LONG! When I started searching online for the National Parks we would be visiting, the majority of the photographs were by Ansel Adams.

Ansel took these dark but highly contrasted black & white photographs of the Parks. Without Ansel Adams I would have no idea what these places are. His photography of the National Parks are beautiful and are really the only photographs I have ever seen that attempt to capture the parks’ souls. I will say – nothing is like ACTUALLY being there.

I honestly felt a challenge after seeing his photographs. You know…like….I could go there! I could take some awesome pictures too! So we packed our bags and headed to the Good Ol’ West. Our trip consisted of Flying into Jackson Hole, Wyoming driving through the Grand Tetons National Park and heading to Yellowstone National Park  in  Montana. After a few days in beautiful Yellowstone we headed to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. We also saw Devils Tower and the adorable prairie dogs that surrounded them and Mt Rushmore.

A year later we still mention that trip about once a week and miss the adventure and the feeling of discovering a new part of the world. Eddie tends to remember the beautiful landscapes. I tend to remember the Bison, Ground Squirrels, Bears, Antelope, and Prarie Dogs that constantly reminded me that these are not MY parks – it’s THEIRS.

This year we are going to Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Death Valley National Park and a few places in between. One place I want to to go (haven’t mentioned this to Eddie yet) is the Ansel Adams gallery in Yosemite.

Thank you Ansel Adams for showing me what I COULD be exploring and inspiring me to actually go. And thank you Eddie for actually making it happen! So for my readers here are the places I have been and the places I will go….through Ansel Adams’ lense.

Grand Tetons National Park

Waterfall Yellowstone

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone (My Favorite Spot)

El Capitan, Yosemite (People climb this thing)

Cathedral Peak, Yosemite

Sequoia National Park

Have a great Saturday….get out of the house. I know I will!