A Hike Through the Utah Backcountry

Before heading back to California, we decided to go on a little hike through the backcountry. I had planned to climb to the top of a ridge to take a photo of the surrounding landscape... however, the snow was much too deep and I did not have proper equipment (needed snowshoes and pants!). Therefore, I was limited to taking photos from the trail. Next time I will plan better. Utah has a very beautiful landscape!

An "Eery" Skyline

I like how this photo of the Chicago skyline came out... makes it feel dark and mysterious where I'm standing... while the safety and bright lights of the city shine in the background. The wind was blowing hard this night... and the moving branches created a "blurred" effect as I took the photo. 

Hideaway Beach Resort - Dominican Republic

Hideaway Beach Resort - the grounds

When I first started looking for a place to go during the Thanksgiving Holiday, I did a google search for "best place to surf November". A lot of the options were far away (Fiji, Morocco, Indonesia) or during the midst of their cold season (France, Northern California, Ireland). However, one search result I kept coming across was Puerto Rico. I had already been there and had a good time... but many of the breaks were rather crowded. Therefore, I wanted to try something different and I knew that the Dominican Republic picked up the same swell as Puerto Rico. I did a bit of research on the various surf spots on the north side of the island and found a little condo resort on the beach that looked nice: Hideaway Beach Resort. I wasn't too sure where it was (google maps had it in the wrong location), but I thought it was relatively close to one of the surf spots: Playa Encuentro.

I arrived at the resort very late at night (took about 20 hours of total travel time to get there from Santa Barbara) and could hear the surf pounding in the background. After getting the luggage in the room, I almost immediately passed out... and when I woke up the next morning, this is what I saw!! (see 2nd picture) I really couldn't have gotten more lucky... the resort was literally right in front of one of the best waves on the Dominican coast.

The resort itself was very nice... beautiful surroundings, good food, and friendly people. However, the only issue is that the power would occasionally go out and the sink in my bathroom kind of exploded and almost flooded the condo... but these are the kind of things you expect when traveling in the Dominican. You just have to accept them and think of it as part of the adventure!

View from the condo... looking at one of the best waves on the Dominican Coast.

Careful for the coconuts!

I loved the texture on that tree

The resort pool and the bar/restaurant. Serving ice cold Presidentes all day! (and they had some decent wines as well).

A Confused Tree

A Walk Through the Muir Woods

On past trips to San Francisco and Northern California, I had never really thought about going to see the redwoods in Muir Woods... after all, how impressive could a bunch of trees be? Nonetheless, I had several friends (and my mom) recommend the place to me... and as I was on my way to surf a spot in Marin County, I happened to drive past a sign pointing to Muir Woods. I made a mental note of the location and on my way back from surfing, decided to check it out. I was really impressed (wish I had brought my good camera with me... all of these are Galaxy SII images). The trees are so massive that they almost look "cartoon-like" in stature. In many cases, the leaves or branches don't even start until about 100 feet up and many of the trees have been here for over 1000 years. Apparently, the redwoods in this forest are considered to be "coastal redwoods" (which are smaller in size)... the really big redwoods are further north by the Oregon border.

If you have a bit of time while in San Francisco, I recommend taking the short drive over the bridge to see the Muir Woods. There are also a bunch of shuttle buses that will take you from the city.

Spring Time on Comm Ave

A Canopy of Flowers

A canopy of flowers at the Boston Public Gardens. 

Float On

I really liked the perspective and lighting of this photo... was actually rather surprised when I first saw it. The cherry blossoms looked like they were floating. 

Flower Filter

Flowers partially block the view of the Arlington Street Church in Boston's Back Bay. Photo taken from Boston Public Gardens. 

"In Bloom" at Comm Ave Mall

The Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Boston's Back Bay is a great place to go for a stroll during the spring or fall months. The "Mall" acts as a median between two streams of traffic and has a pathway that goes through the middle of it. Both sides of the pathway are lined with beautifully constructed buildings. Yes, they don't have parking, have small rooms, poor plumbing, floors that "creak", were built over 100 years ago, and are extremely expensive... but their character & history makes it worth it. Outside of the buildings are trees that have probably been there for almost as long as the buildings themselves... and during the spring each year, giant flowers bloom from their branches. These are a few pictures I took while going for a walk.

Spring Love

Spring is the time of year for new beginnings and fresh starts. In this particular image, it looks like a new couple is going for a stroll along the Charles River Esplanade. The cherry blossoms shade their path. 

"In Bloom" at Boston's Public Gardens

Cherry Blossoms on the Esplanade

You know it's spring time in Boston when you see two things: cherry blossoms and sailboats on the Charles River. In this particular photo, I tried to capture both (although, the sailboats aren't the main subject).

Puddle of Leaves

As I was walking along the Charles River, I noticed a puddle of leaves under one of the trees. I loved all of the colors mixed together and the light shining down upon it. Thought it looked pretty cool.

The Prudential Glows

A late afternoon around Fenway. I looked up and there was this big ray of light reflecting against the Prudential Building. I thought it was pretty cool.
(photo taken a few weeks ago)

Sci-Fi Sunset

To me, this picture resembles a scene from a sci-fi movie... the barren tree branch resembles a claw of some alien creature that's coming to attack me. I chose to focus on the end of the branch and the sharp points. In the background was a beautiful sunset.

This photo was taken at JFK Park in Cambridge (next to Harvard).

Chicago Architecture

View from hotel room at Affinia (if you look really close, you can see me in the building reflection). It's kind of crazy to think that even though I'm on the 29th floor, I'm still surrounded by buildings twice as tall.

So... I meant to walk around the city of Chicago on Friday to do some shopping and take some pictures... but it was black Friday and the streets were INSANELY packed with shoppers, protesters, religious preachers, and street performers. I didn't make it out of a two block radius. Nonetheless, I still think I managed to capture some interesting pictures. Enjoy!

Red Leaf

Sunset along the Charles illuminating one of the few red leaves left on the tree.

Late Autumn Sunset

We had a lovely Sunday in Boston... temperature was above 60 degrees. However, even with the warmth, you're reminded that winter is rapidly approaching. All the trees are now barren and the sun goes down earlier and earlier each day. These are a couple images I took right before the sun vanished.

Red Leaves, Blue Skies, Can't Lose

I was really happy how this picture came out... bright red leaves in the foreground, bright blue sky in the background, and some leaves/branches out of focus in between. It's definitely a bit more "artsy" than most of my photos.