Day 319 of 365

A little fall left in Pittsburgh

A few trees and shrubs still held onto autumn, as seen from my sister-in-law's porch in Pittsburgh.

Day 295 of 365

Farview Trail off the Old Mine Road

On my third day of autumn road tripping, I explored the southern stretch of the Old Mine Road along the Delaware River for the first time. Looking for the remains of an old camp resort, I parked at the Farview trailhead on the east side of the road and walked an hour up the hill -- crossing the Appalachian Trail -- and back down. Only then did I finally figure out that the poorly written account I'd printed out from the internet was talking about the trails on the western side of the road -- which go no more than a few hundred feet before they reach the Delaware. And sure enough, there were concrete steps and sheds and other remnants of a long-gone riverside resort.

"Rocky Mountain stop," Colorado, May 2006

Stop for views

There's always that dichotomy in a visit to a national park -- at least those grand, expansive Western national parks that were established to preserve the vast wilderness. How much of the park are you truly experiencing if you don't get too far from the car?

When my former college roommate and I went out West on a weeklong road trip to mark our 30th birthdays, we devised a grand loop that began and ended in Denver and went as far north and west as Yellowstone and Idaho and as far east as Billings and Cheyenne and that little southwestern corner of Nebraska.

After spending the first two nights in Boulder, we drove through Rocky Mountain National Park on our way north into Wyoming. We stopped at parking areas and vistas, spent a little time walking along the ridges and gazing into the valleys, but we didn't truly leave the car behind and traipse down a mountain path to truly get a feel for the place, the way we did on a college trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

On the one hand, I would've preferred to spend more time -- more quiet time -- in the Rocky Mountain NP, but on the other, we wouldn't have been able to do and see as much as we did if we'd allotted more time for any of our stops. We would've had to cut something out of Boulder, Rocky Mountain NP, Jackson Hole (and the Tetons and Yellowstone), Little Bighorn National Monument, Cheyenne or our last night in Denver. As it was, we didn't get to actually enter Teton NP or detour to Devil's Tower (I definitely have to get back to that one).

But in the end, I think I'd rather spend a little time at more places on the first visit and come back a second time to experience a place more fully. And then someday, when I'm independently wealthy or comfortably retired, I'll simply be able to do whatever, wherever, whenever, for however long I'd like.

Or so I can dream...

Day 288 of 365

Soggy autumn day

I was hoping to spend one of my days off this week on another drive through northern New Jersey's rural highlands to take in the foliage, but the weather didn't cooperate. But I didn't want to miss the peak days of my favorite tree in the yard, so I opened the window next to it and shot from the dining room -- staying dry the whole time.

Day 249 of 365

Morimoto

The red curtains over the doorway to Morimoto at Chelsea Market on 10th Avenue.

Day 216 of 365

Window in the Village

target="DCP>Finally got the picture of the window that I wanted.

Day 172 of 365

Making the most of it

Pausing on the way home.

Day 162 of 365

Roses on the fence

The rain continues to hang over us, and with a late train today, I hustled to work with little time to stop and photograph the roses.

Day 89 of 365

Down the center

I was drawn to this building by the bottom window, with the books lined up on the window sill. If I had my SLR, I would've zoomed in on that window, because the books intrigued me. The apartment is probably lined with them, covering every available inch of shelf or other flat space, hence those lined up along the window.

That's my theory, anyway.

Day 79 of 365

Color me home

A two-pic panoramic on Greenwich St.

Day 77 of 365

Red wine, white linen

At Tabla.

"The man in red," Chicago, August 2007

The man in red

I first looked over the railing into the oblong stairwell at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art and took a photo of the concentric shapes descending to the koi pond. A moment later, a man in a red T-shirt appeared from beneath one of the levels, and I had an even better photo. Then I simply changed everything but the visitor to black and white for a more arty effect -- as befits the MCA.

It's a popular shot.