When we planned our trip to France for July 2018, we never could have planned on France winning the World Cup while we were in Paris! Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
We watched the match from our apartment, with our balcony doors wide open to hear every cheer from the rolicking streets below.
When the game ended with 4-2 French victory over Croatia, we walked, with thousands of our new friends, from our apartment to the Arc de Triomphe – a very appropriately named location for all of Paris to gather and celebrate!
OK, you’re just going to have to indulge me with this post. This was SO MUCH FUN!
It all began innocently enough at our local brewery (shout-out to Witch’s Hat) while I was scrolling through my email and came across one from MiniUSA. No, I guess it really began last October when I traded in my first Mini Cooper for my second Mini Cooper and ended up on the company email list. Anyway, I got an email about this event called Mini on the Mack, an attempt to break the world record for the most Mini Coopers in parade formation, crossing Michigan’s own Mackinac Bridge.
By the time I received the email, the event was just a week away. I looked up and asked Justin if he wanted to do it. He did. So I sat there, sipped my beer, registered my Mini for the event, and booked us a hotel in Mackinaw City for the following weekend.
One week later, we found ourselves in St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula in a huge line of Minis, all on our way to the rally. It was the friendliest and funnest traffic I’ve ever been stuck in!
Justin hopped out and grabbed a shot of the line. My Mini is the fifth one from the right.
Minis traveled from 32 states and three provinces to participate, and we all eagerly awaited the call to start our engines.
When they announced it was time to go, we all hopped in and hit our horns. I had that goofy grin pasted on my face all day!
As late arrivers, we waited a whole hour before it was our turn to take off, but we had a blast watching the parade of Minis go by!
Finally, it was our turn! I let Justin take over as driver so I could get some shots with my DSLR, and wave to all the people watching the parade from the roadside.
The course called for us to cross the Mackinac Bridge twice, so we encountered some other Minis on the way. I got a huge kick out of seeing some original Minis cruising along with the modern Minis! When we arrived back in St. Ignace, a checkered flag waved us into a “Minis Only” lane at the toll booth.
We parked again to await the announcement of the official count. There were hundreds and hundreds of Minis, and they all were unique!
Everyone listened anxiously to learn if we had set a new world record. But alas, they broke our collective hearts when they told us we didn’t break the record.
The official count for Mini on the Mack 2017 was 1,328, well short of the world record of 1,450.
While I was disappointed that we didn’t break the record, I recovered quickly when they announced that we’d have another chance in two years. So, Mini on the Mack, see you in 2019!
The second stop on this year’s Southwest Adventure was Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Justin visited the park a number of years ago and was eager to return. My interest was sparked when I discovered that it’s registered as a Dark Sky Park, so I knew it would be a great spot to do some Milky Way photography. Seeing an opportunity, my darling Justin talked me into camping, in a tent, in bear country.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the steepest and narrowest canyons in the North America. Parts of it lie in almost perpetual shadow and darkness, which is how it earned the “Black Canyon” moniker. It’s a pretty impressive sight, and a very vertigo-inducing one.
Every time we stopped at a lookout, I said the same thing. “Wow!” And, “Wow!” Then another, “Wow!” And, “I know I’ve said this already, but, wow!”
Many of the Black Canyon’s cliffs are just sheer walls of rock, Colorado’s version of The Cliffs of Insanity.
This shot is called “Where are my dragons?” Game of Thrones fans will understand…
After a long day of hiking, we were ready to relax in our rustic digs. Ah, tent, sweet, tent.
As I mentioned, the primary reason I agreed to camp was to have easy access to the Black Canyon’s dark sky properties. So, I set an alarm for 2:30am so I could get up and experience that dark sky in all its glory!
I won’t lie: every little noise I heard had me scared. Out. Of. My. Mind. Scared. Night photography in bear country is definitely not for the faint of heart!
But, it was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I was brave enough to give it a shot. And, I got some cool shots!
We kicked off our third annual trip to the Southwest in Estes Park, Colorado. (We probably should have kicked it off by spending a night in Denver, as recommended, to adjust to the altitude, but hindsight is 20/20…) Aside from the mild altitude sickness I experienced, I really liked Estes Park. The cute little town, full of cute giant elk, is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
This year, the Rockies received an unseasonal three feet of snow in late May. Most of it had melted by the time we arrived, but we decided to hike around in one of the spots where it was still thawing, because apparently, it’s my secret desire to fall down in all 50 states. After slipping and sliding along on the trail, I was relieved to make it to Nymph Lake in one piece.
After leaving Nymph Lake, we continued along the trail to Dream Lake. Every so often, we stopped to rest and admire the incredible views, and pose for photos.
Dream Lake welcomed us with all the glory of an alpine paradise. At 9,905 feet above sea level, you lose your breath from the altitude and the beauty of it all. We were light-headed and giddy, but in the most wonderful way in the most spectacular place.
tresamusantephoto.com 