We have seen many different animals throughout our travels, some of them more interesting than others. As we prepare for our safari, we know that we will come home with many more animal photographs than what we even have today. We are always on the lookout for motion in the trees that surround us, the rustling of bushes, or even shadows moving across the ground so that we don’t miss out on a possible animal sighting. Many of the animals are cute and adorable, some colorful, and others perhaps a little strange or even dangerous. Taking photographs of animals can be tricky at times and sometimes it all comes down to a little bit of luck.
Llama in BoliviaBarbary Monkey in Gibraltar Anteater in a Tree in PanamaBig Horn Sheep in ColoradoMonkey on the Rocks of Halong Bay, VietnamThree-Toed Tree SlothPoisonous Frog in the Amazon
It obviously helps to have a telephoto lens, but that also comes with its own set of challenges. It can be difficult to go from the naked eye to the camera and get it to the location where you just sighted the animal. Another interesting thing that we found from several of our trips now is the trick of using binoculars and a cell phone to capture a photograph. The binocular acts as a telephoto lens for the camera on your phone and the images are often as good as those captured with a digital camera.
Agouti in Panama Friendly Donkey in South DakotaTurkey in the Bolivian JungleCamel at the Pyramids in EgyptUp Close and Personal with Monkeys in PanamaColorful Wire-Tailed Manakin in Ecuador
One thing that is clear is that you don’t have to go to exotic locations to captures photographs of animals in the wild. There are obviously birds of all different kinds wherever you travel, but it isn’t surprising to see snakes, lizards and other creatures as well. There are also places that have allowed the animals to remain in the wild at certain tourist locations like the monkeys in Gibraltar or even the wild donkeys in South Dakota. All it takes is a little patience and a willingness to take several photographs so that you just might get the one that you were looking for. Do you take photographs of animals in the wild?
Lizard Standing on a Rock in UtahTarantula Crawling Out of a Tree Bird Along the Trail to the Top of Gellért Hill in Budapest Colorful Details of a Hummingbird Moth in Our Backyard
We don’t make our way to southwestern Colorado as often as we should. Whenever we do take the time to go there, we always have a wonderful time. There are so many different reasons to make your way through the mountains and valleys, as there are definitely some beautiful locations throughout the area. Regardless of whether you want to get into the mountains and go hiking, see some locations of geological interest, or visit ancient ruins, there is something that will appeal to everyone. We have been to each of these locations multiple times, but never in the same trip. It would actually make for a very interesting loop from Colorado Springs to go to all of these locations on a single trip with short stays along the way.
At the Base of the Sand DunesLike Walking on a Strange PlanetA SandboarderAncient Pueblo Petroglyph
Alamosa and the Great Sand Dunes National Park – If you head south from Colorado Springs and then go west once you reach Walsenburg, it is about a 3 hour trip to reach the town of Alamosa. At least for us, the main reason to visit this quaint town is to enjoy time in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, which is truly an amazing experience. It is also a great location to enjoy food of the southwest in one of the several restaurants located in Alamosa. There are some very interesting hiking trails in the area, even one that allows you to get up close to some petroglyphs.
Mesa VerdeAztec RuinsCliff DwellingKiva with Sapapu
Durango, Mesa Verde National Park, the “Four Corners”, and the Aztec National Ruins Monument in New Mexico – Located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, about 3 hours west of Alamosa, Durango is a great place to explore. The area is known as the four corners because it is where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona all come together in a single location. There is even a marker right where all four states come together and if you want, you can put one body part in each state by putting your hands and feet in different states all at the same time. Mesa Verde National Park is certainly spectacular to see and it worthwhile taking the time to go into New Mexico to visit the Aztec National Ruins Monument.
Mountain PeaksThe Main Street of TellurideTown of Telluride Seen from the GondolaSan Miguel River that Runs Through Telluride
Telluride and Ouray Colorado – After seeing the historic area of the four corners, you can continue north for about 2 hours to the town of Telluride where you can enjoy some upscale relaxation. There are many trails to hike for people of all ages as well as mountain biking and other outdoor activities. Since it is a resort town, there are more than enough food options for any type of meal or budget. Whether staying in the actual town of Telluride or staying in the Mountain Village, taking the gondola between the two provides incredible views without having to exert any energy. The mountain vistas are some of the most spectacular in Colorado, which makes Telluride a destination all on its own.
Dramatic SceneryMountain SummitPond with a Beaver Damn Just Outside of TellurideMore Aztec Ruins in New Mexico
After spending time in Telluride, it is about a 6 hour drive back to Colorado Springs, but the scenery is beautiful and varied as you go through valleys and mountain ranges. Any of these destinations are worthy visiting simply for their own reasons, but combining them into a single trip will provide you with a very unique experience since each location has something different to offer. There are obviously other locations along the way that can be added, so this route can be added to for those who have more time to spend on the road.
It doesn’t matter what part of the world that we travel to, we enjoy seeing the beautiful flowers of the area. Whether it is in the parks, on a trail, or just around the buildings downtown, there are always wonderful flowers or flowering plants around. In fact we have enjoyed taking photographs of the colorful flowers so much that we have put several posts out dedicated just to the images of the flowers that we have captured. Here a few of the posts that we have previously shared:
Colorful FlowersPurple Flowers
Colorful Flowers Around the World – We tried to share images of flowers from many different countries and continents to show the natural beauty that can be found all around the world. The variety of flowers is as diverse as the scenery in all of the different parts of the world where they exist.
Poinciana Tree as We Looked SkywardPretty Pink Flowers at a Temple Complex
The Flowers of Egypt – Egypt can be a harsh environment with desert covering much of the landscape, but that didn’t mean that we didn’t see some very colorful flowers during our time there. In contrast to the heat and sand, the bright flowers really stood out.
Purple WildflowersRugged Beauty
The Wildflowers of Colorado – We do quite a bit of hiking in Colorado and really enjoy seeing the different wildflowers. They can be found growing in some of the most rugged places and we are amazed to see them literally growing out of the sides of boulders.
Tropical FlowerFlowers in the Jungles of Ecuador
Seeing Tropical Flowers When Traveling – We have been to several tropical countries and have seen some of the most amazing flowers, but these exotic flowers can be found in many other places as well. The tropical climates certainly provide all of the conditions necessary to create some quite stunning flowers.
Flower in the Jungle of PanamaButterfly on a Flower
Some of Our Favorite Flower Photographs – The title of the post pretty much says it all. The focus here though was on individual flowers as opposed to beds of flowers or flowering bushes. Focusing in on a single flower often allows you to clearly see all of the beauty that the flower has to offer.
