Whidbey Island Confidential

Welcome to Whidbey Island

As I'm now living in a new place, I'm pleased to present Whidbey Island Confidential. Be sure to check out my new digs and see what island life is like. Of course, I'll be leaving in a few days for Geneva, so there won't be a lot to see. I'll be posting photos from Geneva here. Be sure to visit and see what I'm seeing.

P.S. Yes, you've probably seen the above photo before. I won't have time to get out and take new pictures before I leave, so this is a rerun from last winter.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid

Humboldt County Confidential

Trinidad Lighthouse and California Poppies : Humboldt County, CA
(Click image to enlarge)

Continuing northward, we stopped in the town of Trinidad, CA. Along the way, we saw some beautiful coastline. At one point, you have to turn inland because the coast road ends, but you end up driving through some beautiful redwood forests. We stopped briefly at Richardson Grove State Park, because I remembered camping there as a little kid, and took a few pictures of the giant redwoods. They're awesome!



Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

San Francisco Confidential

Ti Couz--which means The Old House--is one of San Francisco's
best restaurants in terms of food. The main fare: crepes made by chef Sylvia Le Mer
in the style of her hometown of Brittany in northwest France.

Today, we spent a few hours in Berzerkeley and Stan and Fran's Disco (that's Berkeley and San Francisco to the rest of you.) My long-time friend Thea Hillman lives in the former and is about to have a baby, so we popped in for a quick visit. After that, we braved traffic, crossed the Bay Bridge, and drove into San Francisco. The goal: Ti Couz. This is, hands down, the best restaurant in the universe. Seriously. One word: crepes. Yum.

We enjoyed smoked salmon with scallions and creme fraiche and shrimp and scallops with seafood sauce. To top it off, we split a dessert crepe with bananas, nutella, and vanilla ice cream. We each washed it down with a made-to-your-taste Citron Presse. That's just a fancy word for make-it-yourself lemonade!

Mission Dolores, named for a nearby creek,
the Arroyo de los Dolores--or the Creek of Sorrows.

Having filled our bellies, we then went for a walk in the Mission District and took photos of the Mission Dolores and the basilica. The mission is the oldest intact building in San Francisco and the only remaining chapel out of 21 mission chapels establish by Father Junipero Serra along the El Camino Real. Finishing up the evening, we drove out to Treasure Island and watched the last of the sunset behind Baghdad on the Bay (again, that's San Francisco. Sometimes, it's also called the Barbary Coast.)

A quick note of thanks to my friend Sid and his partner Toz for letting us stay with them at the last minute after our accommodation arrangements fell through elsewhere.

And now, it's time to head up the coast!



Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Yosemite Confidential

El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls across the Merced River
(Click image to enlarge)

I was born in California and, as an adult, I lived in the Bay Area for nearly eight years. In all that time, though, I never traveled to Yosemite. Rather than head straight for the coast when we left Bakersfield, we headed inland and up the Central Valley through the heart of California's agricultural center and into Yosemite. If you haven't been to this national park, it's a must! It was almost as awesome as the Grand Canyon. My recommendation: go in the spring before Tioga Pass opens and before the place is overcrowded with tourists and campers. There were a lot of people while we were there, but not nearly as many as there will be in a few weeks. I definitely plan to go back here.




Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Grand Canyon Confidential

Grand Canyon View

Despite growing up in Utah, I've never been to the Grand Canyon. Until today. One word to describe this natural wonder: Wow! The skies were hazy, which meant the canyon wasn't at its most spectacular, according to Maya, but I was still pretty happy to see this amazing place. Here are just a few photos.

Lipan Point : The Grand Canyon

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Sedona Confidential

Steamboat Rock : Sedona, AZ

Maya's parents had to go down to their house in Sedona to do some maintenance work, so we went along and played tourist with her mom while her dad worked on a few things. I've never been to Sedona, but I've always heard people rave about this place and now I know why. It's beautiful! In addition to the stunning natural formations all around us, we also went and visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. To see pictures of that, view the slideshow.



Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Two Things Challenge: Open / Road

On the open road in Sedona, AZ
(Click image to enlarge)

This week's Two Things Challenge (or last's, depending on who's keeping track) is Open / Road. The photo above is of one of the many sandstone formations surrounding the beautiful Arizona city of Sedona. I took this from the back seat of the car.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Sunset Crater Confidential

Sunset Crater National Monument in the
Coconino National Forest just outside of Flagstaff, AZ
(Click image to enlarge)

As we're in the area where Maya grew up, today we went to Sunset Crater National Monument and the Wupatki Pueblos. Sunset Crater is a cinder cone and lava fields created by volcanic eruptions over the last 6 million years. The crater is part of the San Francisco Volcanic Field in the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests. This area is riddled with hundreds of volcanoes and makes for some interesting geologic viewing. Here are just a few pictures.



Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

El Morro Confidential

Native American petroglyphs at El Morro National Monument

After Acoma/Sky City, we went to El Morro National Monument hoping to see some petroglyphs. Unfortunately, we arrived about 30 minutes before the park closes, so we were only able to hike the inscription trail. Still, it was a cool sight to visit and we did see one or two native petroglyphs among all of the Spanish and immigrant inscriptions carved into the sandstone walls.



Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Carlsbad Confidential

Carlsbad Caverns National Park: A Natural Wonder 700 feet beneath the earth!
(Click to enlarge)

First stop in New Mexico: Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The cavern is the second largest cave chamber in the world, where the Big Room alone is 4,000 feet in length, 625 feet wide, and 300 feet deep. In other words, it's really, really big! My photos didn't turn out the best, because I forgot to take my tripod in with me. Despite the poor pictures, I can tell you it was quite impressive.

Between Carlsbad and Santa Fe, we saw a couple of interesting sights including the grave of Smokey the Bear and the Valley of Fires--a geologic wonder full of solidified lava flows from lava vents in the valley floor. See the slideshow for more pictures from the caverns and to see these other sights along the way.



Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Hill Country Confidential

Contrary to popular belief, Texas isn't all flat or all urban sprawl
(Click image to enlarge)

One of my road trip goals was to visit the town my father's family came from. It's located in central western Texas, off the main roads. Originally, I was going to go through Dallas and stay with a friend there, but someone recommended the Hill Country to Maya so we decided to get off the interstate and check that out. Turns out, it was a good choice. Most of the roads were two lane and the towns few and far between, but the country was beautiful! If I lived in Texas, this is where I would live--between San Antonio and Coleman.

Hill Country--the beautiful part of Texas
(Click image to enlarge)

Fortunately, they've had a lot of rain recently, too, so everything is lush and green. Here are just a couple of pictures from the road, as well as some of the wildflowers we saw along the road side.




Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Oak Alley Confidential

Oak Alley Plantation--the South's most photographed plantation--derives its name
from 28 oak trees that lead from the Mississippi River to the front porch.
(Click image to enlarge.)

After New Orleans, we ventured out along the Great River Road and headed for Oak Alley Plantation. Located in Vacherie, Louisiana, Oak Alley is one of the most photographed plantations in the South. The plantation gets its name from 28 oak trees that were planted in a double row perpendicular to the Mississippi River in the early 1700s. These magnificent oaks--estimated to be more than 300 years old--provide the canopy and framework that makes Oak Alley picturesque. To learn more about this beautiful, old sugar cane plantation, go here and here. And a shout out to my sister for recommending this as a must-see.

Left: Alligator--breaded and fried in cornmeal. And no, it does not "taste like chicken"!
Right: Chicken and sausage gumbo--a Louisiana specialty.

For lunch, I had the fried alligator--a first for me--and the chicken and sausage gumbo. Yummy!




Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Birmingham Confidential

Japanese Tea Garden : Birmingham Botanical Gardens

(Click image to enlarge)

Arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, this evening where we are staying with the lovely and hilarious Virginia Jones of Birmingham Daily Photo and Paris Through My Eyes. If you ever want to meet a great photo blogger, make a trip to Birmingham and hang out with Virginia!

We arrived a little early, so took an hour or so to visit the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We were a little late in the season for cherry blossoms and azaleas, but still managed to capture a few decent photos of this beautiful public space.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Biltmore Confidential

The Biltmore House: The Gilded Age Home of George and Edith Vanderbilt
(Click image to enlarge)

Today's portion of the trip is brought to you by the Vanderbilt Family and the Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville, North Carolina. The use of the word "house" to describe this building is a laugh. The "house" is actually a castle and was built by George Washington Vanderbilt between 1888 and 1895. It contains what, at that time, were considered state of the art conveniences, like indoor plumbing. While most homes in America in 1895 didn't have indoor bathrooms, the Biltmore had 43 of them with deep cast iron tubs and flushing toilets.



The house contains 250 rooms and is the largest private residence in the United States to this day with 175,000 square feet and 8,000 acres of land. It is still owned by the Vanderbilt family and employs 1,800 individuals to maintain and show the home. Occasionally, the descendants of the Vanderbilts stay in the castle. The home is one of the finest examples of Gilded Age architecture in the U.S. and contains a 10,000 book library and fine art, including 16th century Flemish tapestries, woodcuts by Renoir, portraits by John Singer Sargent, a 1916 Skinner organ in the dining hall, and handloomed Jacquard wall coverings and draperies from Lyon, France.

Springtime means flowers and the gardens at the Biltmore are spectacular!
(Click image to enlarge.)

This time of year also features the Biltmore's annual Spring Flower Festival and the tulips were in glorious bloom all over. Definitely worth the price of admission to visit this beautiful home and its gardens.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Blossoms

Simple elegance

Last year, I went crazy and took a ton of pictures of the Cherry Blossom Festival. This year, I went a bit minimalist and focused on the blossoms themselves and the people visiting our fair city. Here are just a couple of examples of the beauty to be had in Washington in the springtime. Click on the images to enlarge them and see their detail and elegance.

Blossoms in bokeh

Springtime beauty

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential / Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Artist

C.J. paints one of Washington's iconic memorials framed by cherry blossoms.
(Click image to enlarge.)

Continuing the 100 Strangers challenge, went to see the cherry blossoms this weekend and came across this young lady who was painting the blossoms and the Jefferson Memorial. C.J. is a student at Georgetown Day School and, according to her mother, she'd been there most of the morning painting.

Beautiful weather + Cherry blossoms = Art

In other news, one week from today, I'll be leaving Washington, D.C., and moving to Washington State. I'll be living on Whidbey Island and will continue my photography and blogging from there. Starting on May 1, check out Whidbey Island Confidential. Between April 15 and May 1, I'll be blogging from the road, so be sure to visit D.C. Confidential for the second installment of U.S.A. Confidential. I'll continue to blog here as I pull pictures from my archives and as I make visits to D.C. throughout the year.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential / Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Badlands Confidential

The Badlands National Park : South Dakota

After enjoying a donut at Wall Drug, we climbed back in the car and headed up the road to see the dramatic geologic wonder known as the Badlands. If you haven't seen this phenomenon, it's like looking at a miniature version of the Grand Canyon. While it isn't nearly as awe-inspiring as the Grand Canyon, it certainly holds its own.

As Far As the Eye Can See : The Badlands

Cathedral : The Badlands

I wish we'd had a geologist along for the ride to explain the different strata to us, as well as the age of the rocks and formations and how they were formed. No doubt there are one or two of you out there who might be able to impart some geologic wisdom? In the mean time, here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Vermilion Strata : The Badlands

Tiered : The Badlands

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 03/09

Nice Snow Pictures

The Holly

In contrast to yesterday's ugly snow pictures, here are some pretty ones. Hopefully these will inspire thoughts of winter loveliness. Or something.

Left: Shadows and Patterns ... Center: Potted Winter ... Right: Snowcapped
(Click to enlarge)

On a different note, for the next week or so, D.C. Confidential will come to you from the road. I'll be visiting a hall of fame, a presidential library, a riverside city with a colorful religious history, a famous and familiar monument, a geologic phenomenon, some big sky, and the city where romance is sleepless. Come by tomorrow and the next day and the next and see where my travels have taken me!

Snow a la Tropica

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 03/09

601

The Aftermath: Slush, ice, and salt

Today's post is number 601. How I missed that yesterday's was 600 is beyond me, but there you have it!

Yellow snow...

It snowed here yesterday. In the city, we got six inches of lovely powder. Today, in a bit of snarky humor, I bring you the ugly aftermath: slush, salt, dirt, and a dog or two. Come back tomorrow and I'll give you the pretty snow pictures.

*****

Portrait of D.C. Confidential
Photographer: Bob Crowe, Saint Louis Daily Photo

In other news, yesterday evening I had the privilege of meeting Bob Crowe of Saint Louis Daily Photo and his friend and fellow photographer, Thom. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet Bob for a photo walk in my fair city, but I am pleased to feature Bob's portrait of me, taken later that evening over dinner at Jaleo. Thanks, Bob! It's a nice picture.

Photo copyrights: Snow pictures, D.C. Confidential, 03/09; Portrait, Bob Crowe, 03/09.

Crocuses

A sure sign of spring...

Crocuses are always a sure sign that spring is on the way. These macro images were just a few of the dozen or so I took of the hundreds of crocuses that were blooming in the middle of a vacant lot on my walk home from the bank yesterday.* I spent about 30 minutes taking various photos of these and really had fun doing it!

Pretty purple...

Here's to spring!

* That would constitute one of the worse run-on sentences I've written in a long time. Sorry!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 02/09