Trip of a lifetime - advice please

[marcr1230]

Ok , so my company is laying me off. The good news is there is some severance pay involved so I can afford to take a couple months off between jobs. I've been working for over 20 years with no more than 9-10 day long vacations from time to time.

My plan is to do a grand tour of the western united states, particularly the national parks. I'm going to combine a number of interests including photography, camping, running, driving (off road and on) , ham radio (new hobby) and of course family.

The general route is:
Chicago
Badlands natl park - south Dakota
Yellowstone - Wyoming
Grand Tetons - Wyoming
Arches - Moab , Utah
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Zion, Utah

Will possibly stop in San Francisco and L.A. To see family
Could go to Yosemite , Death Valley, and the Rubicon Trail in Calif


I start in beginning of sept. and have at least 2 months.
My wife will join me for some long weekends, but someone has to bring home the bacon and keep my teenage son from either starving to death or burning down the house.

I may fly back a couple times (leaving my Jeep out west) for weekends and a family event

Photo wise I will bring multiple film and digital cameras, tripod etc.

So the questions

1. Any guidance with respect to must see places along the way?
2. Photo tips - traveling with gear, what types shots will resonate and be remembered, silly to try to out do Ansel Adams
3. Admonitions and warnings? Danergerous situations and places to avoid
4. General thoughts and suggestions
5. Weather issues and camping gear suggestions for the season

[kmallick]

You have chosen and listed the best places to visit in the western US. This got to be a trip of a lifetime. I am glad you could turn your layoff into such a positive experience.

If you are so close to the Badlands in SD, you might as well visit the national monument of the Mount Rushmore. The Devil's tower in Wyoming is also not that far.

The Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zions are fantastic. You will be close to Rocky Mountain National Park if you are driving from Utah to Arizona.

If you are going to visit San Francisco, try to hit Lassen Volcanic National Park. I highly recommend it.

Just make sure you have plenty of water. Its very dry here in the western US.

Have fun. You are in for a treat.

[icebear]

Sorry that you lost your job but congrats to your plans for the trip.

Make sure you don't just snap a gazillion of shots only to revisit your trip on the monitor later.

Take your time to really soak in a few places. I had an experience once at Yosemite N.P. on a guided bus tour (very touristy, yeah I know). Staring from a parking lot over to half dome and having a flashback to Ansel Adams pictures, who must have been a very similar spot with his huge equipment. That was very strange and majestic at the same time. I almost couldn't take any pictures and the bus started w/o me noticing it. Luckily someone told the driver that someone was still missing.

Make sure you have a working car charger for your batteries or sufficient back up.

[Vics]

Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. Slot Canyons on the Navaho reservation near Page, AZ. Death Valley incl. Zabrisky Point. (terrific dunes). I've never seen it, but Monument Valley...

[porktaco]

don't forget kings canyon and the kaibab.

[Aristophanes]

Devil's Tower is pretty cool, and if you're going to Badlands then the Black Hills are worth the visit; the Needles Highway is lovely.

The Buffalo Bill museum in Cody is very well done and right at the entrance to Yellowstone.

[KenR]

It may be cool enough towards the end to "enjoy" Death Valley. I would like to plug Glacier in northern Montana as I think that it has the best scenery and best hiking of any National Park that I have been to. Went back a second time as I enjoyed it so much and found it even better the second time around.

[Don Parsons]

Take and drink lots of water, have fun, Arches is great and be sure to post some of your shots here. I wish you great success in your adventure and in finding a job afterwards!

don

[marcr1230]

Thanks for the advice so far, I thought about Glacier, it is a little off the main route and might be cold in sept but I have time to review and refine

[mfogiel]

I think, you should just take a couple of bodies, one with a 28mm, the other with the 50mm, and maybe take a 90mm lens for the odd tele opportunity. I would avoid bringing redundant stuff - if you like postcards, you can always buy them along the way. Take the kind of photos you are used to take, and maybe some environmental portraits of your family. It's not that when you go for a day to Yosemite, you can become the new Ansel Adams, just take it easy... I remember Ralph Gibson saying, that his photos were always looking the same, no matter if he took them in NY, Tokyo or Rio...

[raid]

I would say to drop the RF equipment and use SLR with possible a MF camera too.
Have fun.

Be careful about speeding when driving on Navajo reservation land. There will be a huge ticket given to you if you speed (in no man's land).

Have extra film with you, and spare batteries.

A compass is useful for finding best spots for sunrise and sunset.

Go where tourists don't want to go.

Ask the motel manager for photography location tips. He/she knows.

If the Lower Antelope Canyon is still accessible to visitors, enjoy photography of the red sandstone slot canyons in Utah.

Try avoiding to do too much planning for such a trip. Enjoy a relaxed trip to a few selected places.

[JMQ]

Insure your gear.

[Tin]

Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado. If you go, make sure that you visit the same spot at different times of the day. The colour of the rock changes with different lighting. There is ahiking trail that will take you down to the bottom of the canyon. I don't know if it is still open, but it did many years ago. That is a very steep trail. If I remember correctly, it is 2000 ft. elevation difference for the one mile trail.

[hendriphile]

For our honeymoon 20 yrs ago we did what's been subsquently called the "Great Circle" tour of NP's including some of the ones you're planning to visit. I took my Pentax 67, she took a panoramic "disposable" film camera. I'd second the suggestion of taking along a MF camera if you can manage it, also to consider Monument Valley if you're a fan of Westerns (as it's not too far from Arches). If you're near Flagstaff, there's Sunset Crater - an unusual chance to visit a dormant cinder cone volcano. There are so many opportunities in the S.W. you'll wish you'd taken a full month off!

[marcr1230]

Originally Posted by hendriphile

For our honeymoon 20 yrs ago we did what's been subsquently called the "Great Circle" tour of NP's including some of the ones you're planning to visit. I took my Pentax 67, she took a panoramic "disposable" film camera. I'd second the suggestion of taking along a MF camera if you can manage it, also to consider Monument Valley if you're a fan of Westerns (as it's not too far from Arches). If you're near Flagstaff, there's Sunset Crater - an unusual chance to visit a dormant cinder cone volcano. There are so many opportunities in the S.W. you'll wish you'd taken a full month off!

I can really take as long as I want, 2 months even.
Wife would have to fly in for long weekends or a full week, But will be at home generally

[dbarnes]

Two months will soak up that itinerary very easily, especially if you get off the freeways.

By starting in September, I think you stand a good chance of finding camping spots in the national parks, but a lot of those places are at high altitude and cold at that time of year. It will be rugged sometimes.

Wildlife photography? SLR. Landscape? MF. People along the way? RF.

There are phone and tablet apps that will give you local sunrise and sunset times and angles. Pretty sure this is the one that my brother-in-law swears by: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-p...is/id366195670

Have a great time planning and going!

[raid]

This should be an awesome trip.

[FrankS]

If you are driving, you can take as much gear as you like.

Depends on your preference/style. On a car trip where one doesn't have to carry everything by hand, I prefer to have a range of gear to choose from in order to match the gear to the task at hand. I would take a medium format kit (Hasselblad in my case) for landscapes, RF for people shots, and SLR for when that mood strikes me.

Others may want just a single camera with a lens or 2. Minimal gear like this would be just as wrong for me as my big load would be for others. There is no general correct answer. It depends (thanks BM) on your own preference.

[Beemermark]

Having lived and traveled extensively between NE Iowa, AZ and CA with everything in between by motorcycle my advice is to avoid the main highways and interstates. Many of the small towns in states like Nebraska and the Dakotas (heck, a big town is one with more than 100 people) you can camp for free in city park. While the national parks are great the in between places are fantastic.

I still remember finding the last hotel in a small town in western Nebraska (next town was about 100 miles west in Colorado) and I joined some road construction workers drinking beer on a picnic table. A huge crowd was gathering across the street. People were coming from miles around. The local fire department was burning down an old house so everyone for at least 50 miles around was coming to see the big event. You just can't beat that kind of excitement.

[tstermitz]

At the national parks get up VERY early in order to miss the crowds: Mesa Verde, Arches, Canyonlands, RMNP etc. At RMNP, you can't find parking unless you arrive the night before and car camp in the parking lot, otherwise, arrive for the first shuttle bus. But, whenever possible, try to beat the crowds.

Camping can be extremely difficult at some of these locations, unless you are strategic. It helps that you are going in September. Car camping can often be done in pull-offs or side roads across the West.

You will not be able to find a campsite inside Arches without reserving a LOOONG time in advance. At Great Sand Dunes (highly recommended for photographers) or Canyonlands, camping sites in the park can be pretty easy if you arrive by midday. The truth is somewhere in-between in the other national parks.

Fall color in Colorado means the month of October, with early aspen about 2nd week and Cottonwood and gamble oak peaking toward the end of the month. Colors may be earlier in Yellowstone or Tetons. See Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers for an active forum with lots of friendly advice and examples.

Best mountains for photography in Colorado are the San Juans in the SW part of the state. [cough]Better than the Tetons![/cough]

[lynnb]

I did a similar trip many, many years ago. Apart from the great places already mentioned, one standout memory was hiking down to camp in the Hapasupai reservation in the Grand Canyon. You need to book a camping permit long in advance, but it was memorable.
http://www.havasupaitribe.com/

Sorry to hear about your job, but I'm glad you're doing something very special with your time. Happy photographing!

[Jobin]

Visit the best place in the united states. California.

[PhotoMat]

With the exception of Chicago , I've been to every place on your list. I live in Montana (approximately 50 miles north of Yellowstone Natl. Park) and have spent a considerable amount of time in the Southwest. A few points to consider:

Some of the most popular national parks will have a shuttle system during the high season -- Grand Canyon, parts of Zion and Yosemite. This may be an issue if you're the type who likes to be on location before sunrise and after sunset.

If you want to see wildlife, Yellowstone is tough to beat. If scenery is more to your taste, Glacier National Park is a better choice than Yellowstone, IMHO. (But Glacier is definitely more of a detour from your intended route.)

Moab and the surrounding area is a good place to set up base. Arches N.P. is right out of town and Canyonlands (Island in the Sky unit) is only 33 miles away. Campsites within Arches will be scarce. You can either stay in a commercial campground in Moab or you may have better luck in finding a campsite in Dead Horse state park or in Canyonlands. From Moab, you can head south toward Monument Valley and take detours to areas like Mesa Verde or Chaco Canyon, if desired. Then cut across northern AZ toward Page and hit Antelope Canyon (upper and lower). The slots are best at midday, which is great since the light is crappy for any other shooting at this time.

The areas mentioned will be busy. Yes, while it is great to get off the beaten path, since this is your first time out west, you just need to deal with the other park visitors and see these areas. You'll then know the areas you will want to revisit on your next trip.

Regarding equipment, I think that you will probably benefit the most from a DSLR kit, and if shooting film, some medium format gear. I utilize both large and medium format film cameras for my landscape work. When mobility or time constraints are an issue, I have found my Mamiya 7II kit invaluable and this is often my "go to" camera.

Since you will be car camping, you won't have to skimp on comfort. Forget the thin, lightweight sleeping pads for backpacking. Go for something cushy. I have an LL Bean self-inflating "camp futon" that feels simply luxurious. Sometimes I have a tough time rousting myself from my sleeping bag for those sunrise shots!

My last bit of advice is that which I often tell myself -- either cut your itinerary in half or double the time spent on your trip. There is so much to see and do and you will only scratch the surface! Enjoy your trip -- you're going to have a wonderful time!

Matt


P.S. Here's a few pics to whet your appetite:

[Bingley]

Originally Posted by mfogiel

I think, you should just take a couple of bodies, one with a 28mm, the other with the 50mm, and maybe take a 90mm lens for the odd tele opportunity. I would avoid bringing redundant stuff - if you like postcards, you can always buy them along the way. Take the kind of photos you are used to take, and maybe some environmental portraits of your family. It's not that when you go for a day to Yosemite, you can become the new Ansel Adams, just take it easy... I remember Ralph Gibson saying, that his photos were always looking the same, no matter if he took them in NY, Tokyo or Rio...

This is good advice. I keep coming back to the 50/28 combo of lenses for Yosemite and the High Sierra. Keep the gear simple and enjoy the trip.

[axiom]

- = t a g = -

Good references here
Will check back later