Hazy, hot, humid. The Mississippi River at flood stage with St. Louis in the distance.

The structure is one of two water intakes for some local municipality’s water supply. Possibly St. Louis, possibly not.

The viewpoint is from somewhere out on the Chain of Rocks Bridge, an old car bridge from the late 1920’s which was where Route 66 crossed the Mississippi River.  It’s now part of a trail system along the Mississippi for hiking and biking, strictly pedestrian traffic only.

If I lived in the St. Louis area, I suspect I would be hiking and biking a lot of those trails.

Today’s adventure was a day trip up the coast to Solvang. It was my first visit.

A cute little tourist trap town based on the Danish architecture of its early founders and settlers.

Lots of interesting shops (we found and bought some neat things) and, on the Sunday of a three-day holiday weekend with gorgeous weather, way too little parking. (This is my surprised face.)

Driving up through the mountains the views were stunning and the California wildflowers were blooming. I didn’t stop to take pictures of those, but they’re worth another trip.

It was an adventure, so I was wearing my adventure hat. Hans Christian Andersen was wearing something more formal. I claimed the win based on not being bronze and not being dead.

I’m a sucker for taking pictures of statues, and god knows there were enough of them on this day. Lots of Native Americans, wilderness dudes, cowboys, and so on. But this one of the spouting seal and child was the one that tickled my fancy the most.

Denver, there for Worldcon, fifteen years ago in August, somewhere near the capitol building and US Mint.

Established facts and fundamental truths:

1. I take a LOT of pictures
2. I love to travel
3. I REALLY take a LOT of pictures when traveling!

The trip to San Antonio last week was no different. However, one thing surprised me. All of the photos and videos I took, 100% of them, were using my iPhone.

I had the two DSLRs with me, one with a normal 18-35mm zoom lens, one with the telephoto 75-300mm zoom lens. (I left the light bucket 11-16mm wide angle lens at home because as much as I love it, it weighs about two pounds.) I had my great little Sony palm-sized video camera.

Not one of them got used for a single picture. It was all the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

There’s no doubt in my mind that in the future I’ll continue to take along my “good” cameras when travelling, especially if I’m expecting to take a lot of “serious” pictures or videos. In 2024, for example, I’ll be going to view the next “Great American” solar eclipse. There’s no question I’ll take every camera I have for that. And even just on a trip to someplace new, like a possible trip to Memphis early in 2023, I’m sure on the ground and seeing the city for the first time I’ll be using the better quality equipment.

But a simple tip for a family gathering, where I’m more focused on the event and the family than on the photography? That newer iPhone is pretty sweet for keeping it simple, yet still being able to easily get some great results.

It’s been said that the best camera is the one in your hand when you see something you want to photograph. It’s work to carry around a backpack of cameras and be switching between them, where it takes two seconds to whip out that phone and be recording.

It was an interesting revelation.

Flying back on Monday, over New Mexico, near sunset, snow covered landscape and I see this odd formation near the bottom of the picture.

A crater of some sort, with two large hills or mounds near the top, sorta looks like big eyes with a gaping mouth…

Maybe it’s just me.

Tracking the location down, I think this is part of the Chain of Craters Wilderness Study Area  at 34.727060, -108.356174. I do wonder what made all of those craters. Probably volcanic, I’m guessing?

That one still looks like our blue, googly-eyed friend.

Or a wedding ring, maybe.