Price Reduction – Alaska Bear and Puffin Tour!

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Lake Clark, Photos, Travel 2 Comments

Brown Bear Cub, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska.

Brown Bear Cub, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska.

Unfortunately we have had some unexpected cancellations for our all inclusive Alaska Bear and Puffin Photo Tour.  Because we are now getting late into the winter and I want to be sure to fill the tour and return deposits, we have decided to make a fairly substantial reduction to the price for this amazing photo tour.

If you haven’t spent time up close to large number of Grizzly / Brown Bears and or puffin, you are in for a real treat – this is truly a peak experience.  I could go on and on, but I already have here, so take a look:  Alaska Bear and Puffin Photo Tour.

Arizona Spring

Ron NiebruggeArizona, Phoenix, Photos, Travel 4 Comments

Tonto Natoinal Forest, Arizona.

Tonto National Forest, Arizona.

This was a cloudy evening late last week – I thought chances were good for a sunset, but it didn’t happen.   I intend to explore this area some more this week – I love the rocks!

Apache Trail

Ron NiebruggeArizona, Phoenix, Photos, Travel 8 Comments

Mountains along the Apache Trail, East of Phoenix, Arizona.

Mountains along the Apache Trail, East of Phoenix, Arizona.

Yesterday, photo blog reader Joni reiterated a prior recommendation for the Apache Trail – I figured I better heed her advice, so we drove out that way yesterday evening.  I wasn’t disappointed!  It is a beautiful area.  I’m looking forward to returning and driving a bit further, we didn’t make it too far past Tortilla Flat.  There are a few places with nice flowers, and lots of places that are very green!  I think the wildflowers should start looking nice in about a week.

Pink-Flower Hedgehog Cactus

Ron NiebruggeArizona, Phoenix, Photos, Travel 11 Comments

Pink-Flower Hedgog Cactus, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Pink-Flower Hedgehog Cactus, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale, Arizona.

During my photo workshops a few weeks ago I was reminded just how rich and colorful the desert looks during a rain storm.  So yesterday morning as I heard the rain pouring down – I couldn’t wait to get out with my camera.  I had my eye on a stunning Graham’s Nipple Cactus bloom that I spotted while running the day before, but evidently they don’t open on cloudy days.  So I had to “settle” for this Hedgehog cactus.

I find it fascinating that such a sharp, potentially painful plant can produce such a beautiful bloom!

Speaking of my workshop – as much fun as I had hosting them, I think the follow up emails and photo attachments from the participants may have been even more rewarding!

Most participants don’t have websites that I’m aware of, but a couple do and I would like to share them here.

First is Samatha – on this website of Samatha’s photos she writes about the workshop, some of the things we talked about and places we visited during the second weekend – it was a fun to relive the weekend through her images.

Greg Lato posted a couple photos of our group during the first weekend on his photo blog.  And be sure to check out his photo from Anza-Borrego.  It is fun to see the different interpretations of the the same area.

I have more photo tours coming up including one where we will be up close to grizzly bears all day!

Aria Hotel City Center

Ron NiebruggeLas Vegas, Nevada, Photos, Travel 5 Comments

Canoe art, City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Canoe art in the middle of City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

I’m trying to imagine the conversation:  “You see we are building a very high-end, 11 billion dollar resort in Las Vegas and think your old canoe would look perfect out front.”   Do you or your friends have anymore?”

It is a pretty cool statue, but seems more like something you would see in front of a resort in Jackson Hole or Whistler rather then Las Vegas.

Below are two of the new hotels in City Center.  The pool belongs to the non-gaming hotel called the Vdara.  Across the way is the much larger hotel and casino known as Aria.  It is a bit hard to imagine, but on any given night there could be far more people in this one hotel, then living within 100 miles of my Alaska home.  But then, that is one of the things that makes where we live so wonderful – and it is a place where you really can use a canoe!

The pool of the Vdara along with the Aria Hotel and Casino, City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

The pool of the Vdara along with the Aria Hotel and Casino, City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Crystals, City Center Las Vegas

Ron NiebruggeLas Vegas, Nevada, Photos, Travel 8 Comments

Crystals, City Center Las Vegas, Nevada.

Crystals, City Center Las Vegas, Nevada.

Crystals is the new retail center in the heart of City Center.  Something tells me this isn’t the place to pick up a new pair of Carharts or Xtratufs!  The top view is of City Center from Las Vegas Blvd “The Strip”.

Below is an inside view – the wooden structure is actually a restaurant!  A restaurant that I’m sorry I didn’t get the name of and will be extra sorry when I go to keyword!

Crystals, City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Crystals, City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.