Looking for your next destination? This page has my recommendations for great Hikes and Nature, and interesting Architecture.
Hikes and Nature
Recommended places to hike, explore nature, and photograph wildlife. Fortunately, great hikes usually provide photography opportunities. Allow your feet to learn from the earth. Get out of your car and off the sidewalk. You will be glad you did.
Corcovado National Park - Located on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, this Park has several hikes and a beautiful coast. Start from Carate and hike to the Serena Ranger Station (or reverse). Abundant birds, wildlife, including whales. Avoid Corcovado in the rainy season.
Tenorio and Arenal National Parks in Costa Rica are also excellent for day hikes, wildlife, and photography, including the Blue Waterfall of Tenorio.
Rincon National Park - Hike to La Congreja Waterfall and you will likely see birds, monkeys, and enormous ficus trees.
Tenorio and Arenal National Parks in Costa Rica are also excellent for day hikes, wildlife, and photography, including the Blue Waterfall of Tenorio.
Rincon National Park - Hike to La Congreja Waterfall and you will likely see birds, monkeys, and enormous ficus trees.
Zion National Park - Plenty of hikes in this southwestern park. The Narrows is a magnificent slot canyon where you walk through waters of the Virgin River. The canyon is closed when water levels reach a dangerous height, so monitor the weather. Fall is best.
Glacier National Park - Beautiful park with many hikes. You can combine a hike with a boat trip across one of the lakes. The Highline Trail is a favorite hike. Mountains goats, bighorn, marmots, and birds can be viewed on this trail.
South West Coast Path England, right - Dramatic coastal scenery in southwest England. Hike along cliffs that drop into The Atlantic Ocean, often through small villages, farms, or cities like Plymouth or Penzance. The trail is over 600 miles long, so select specific areas like Porthcurno Beach, Land's End, Lizard Point.
Old Rag Mountain - Shenandoah National Park has numerous trails, including the famous Appalachian, but White Oak Canyon and Old Rag are my favorites. Old Rag is a unique with rock scrambles that will have you climbing under, over, and around boulders, including a boulder that seems to defy gravity. Named for its ragged appearance, the mountain has a distinct silhouette along the Blue Ridge.
Old Rag Mountain - Shenandoah National Park has numerous trails, including the famous Appalachian, but White Oak Canyon and Old Rag are my favorites. Old Rag is a unique with rock scrambles that will have you climbing under, over, and around boulders, including a boulder that seems to defy gravity. Named for its ragged appearance, the mountain has a distinct silhouette along the Blue Ridge.
Wengen, Switzerland - Several hikes in this area provide stunning views of the Alps, including Jungfrau. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is the gateway to this area. Tens of waterfalls can be viewed in the valley, and you can hike under or through some of them, like Trummelbach. The best hikes are Kleine Scheidegg and Mannlichen. Combine a hike with a high-altitude train ride to Jungfrau, or take the ski lift to Mannlichen.
Bears, snakes, ticks, crocodiles, and in some places, old mines are a risk in the backcountry. Be careful out there.
Alaska - Land of superlatives. The Chugach Mountains near Anchorage offer good hiking and wildlife, especially moose. Crow Creek Pass is a favorite. Denali National Park has numerous trails for scenery and wildlife. Try the Mt. Healy Overlook Trail near the Visitor Center. Definitely plan to take the bus 90 miles to Kantishna to see bear, moose, caribou, sheep. (Note that the road was partially closed in 2024, so check with the Park Service.) Near Kantishna, hike Blueberry Hill and view Denali from Wonder Lake, right. On clear days the Eielson Visitor has views of Denali.
Arches National Park - Desert hiking can be challenging so try the colder months. In addition to arches, a great many interesting geological formations beg to be photographed, like Park Avenue area. If the arches are not enough to satisfy your wanderlust, then wait for the night sky. (This is true at nearby Canyonlands, too.) Enjoy the stars, and watch the Milky Way rise under one of the arches, right.
Acadia National Park - Beautiful forests along a rocky coast with carriage roads for biking, trails for hiking, and granite cliffs for climbers. Great place to kayak and look for marine life.
The Ocean Path is an easy, family-friendly trail on flat terrain with a great views of Frenchman's Bay. Take the path to Otter Point, which is popular with climbers. Sit on the boulders and watch the wave action!
Precipice Trail - Acadia National Park. A short trail with vertical climbs using iron hand/footholds for an upper body challenge. For this reason, it is unique and provides nice views. This trail is popular, so arrive early. Peregrine Falcons often nest here, so parts of the trail may be closed.
The Ocean Path is an easy, family-friendly trail on flat terrain with a great views of Frenchman's Bay. Take the path to Otter Point, which is popular with climbers. Sit on the boulders and watch the wave action!
Precipice Trail - Acadia National Park. A short trail with vertical climbs using iron hand/footholds for an upper body challenge. For this reason, it is unique and provides nice views. This trail is popular, so arrive early. Peregrine Falcons often nest here, so parts of the trail may be closed.
Architecture
Europe possesses architecture from almost every period of human history. Designs vary widely from ancient Greek ruins in the far southeastern tip of Europe, west to the Iberian Peninsula, where Moorish influences changed architectural style for centuries, and north to France, Germany and Great Britain, where Gothic architecture emerged as Europe struggled to exit the Dark Ages.
Larger cities like Paris, London, and Rome all have fabulous architecture, but don't overlook other destinations, like Vienna or Florence. For 600 years, Vienna was the seat of the Habsburg Dynasty. Colorful, ornate buildings are throughout Vienna. Indeed, every neighborhood, even modern apartment buildings, have decorative architecture. My favorite cities for photographing are the smaller ones like Bath, England and Salzburg, Austria.
Peterskirche, left, was constructed in the early 1700s.
Peterskirche, left, was constructed in the early 1700s.
The most interesting architecture combines influences from different periods or even different cultures. The Saxons, Normans, Goths, Vandals, and others criss-crossed Europe, bringing their culture and architecture with them. Venice and the former Venetian Empire of the Adriatic has the most interesting architecture because it combines Gothic, Renaissance, and Byzantine. Doges Palace, right.
Castles and palaces were built to convey power and impress visitors. But not all architecture is grand and overwhelming. I love finding the exquisite carvings crafted centuries ago. The Rector's Palace in Dubrovnik, left, is an example. This scene basically says, "We are Dubrovnik and we are all about commerce."
In addition to Vienna and The Adriatic, below are some of my favorite locations for photographing architecture, and just generally fun places to explore.
Lisbon, Portugal. Bartizan turret on Belem Castle guards the entrance to the Tagus River outside Lisbon. This was the last thing Portuguese explorers saw when leaving on their long voyages. The Moorish Castles, Sintra, and Tomar are must see locations, all close to Lisbon.
Petra, Jordan. The Treasury (El Khazneh) built in the 1st Century CE by the Nabataeans. Their prosperous trade network allowed them to carve cities from the sandstone mountains. They borrowed Greek, Hebrew, and Egyptian designs. You can spend two days walking the Petra site, and not see everything.
London, England. Rich with history and architecture from medieval to contemporary. Below is St. Paul's Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. London has a lot to offer photographers: Westminster Abby, Parliament, Temple Church, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Eye, and many more.
Morocco - Moorish architecture of Morocco, especially Marrakech and Fez. Venture into the Atlas Mountains to visit smaller cities like Ait Ben Haddou. Moorish architecture crossed the Mediterranean where it is known as Andalusian. As Islam forbids artwork that emulate humans and animal life, geometry and calligraphy were used to accessorize many palaces, homes, and madrasas. Saadian Tombs of Marrakech are richly decorated with columns, mosaics, and ornate tombs, right.
Universities have some excellent architecture. Old Queens, left, is a stone structure built in 1809 at Rutgers University, my alma mater. The 1902 iron gate was a gift from that year's alumni. Do not overlook the magnificent trees on university grounds. Plantings help soften the straight lines and add warmth to the masonry. During the holidays, you may have the grounds to yourself.