Under the Night Sky - Travel

This past weekend, Ryan took me to his childhood camping spot at Trinity Lake. We set up camp on a cliff overlooking the lake. It was the most beautiful view to wake up and fall asleep to. The first night, we all laid under the star-blanketed sky and counted the shooting stars. I've never seen anything like it in my life. I wasn't planning on photographing the stars, but the sky was clear and there was no moon (and I had Internet on my phone to read a tutorial). It was perfect.

Lassen Volcanic National Park - Travel

Bumpass Hell

Bumpass Hell trail is a 1.5 mile hike to Lassen's sulfur works. Elevated at 8,000 feet you get a view like no other. There are perfect spots you can plop on a rock and enjoy the scenery.



Sulfur Works

About a mile into the hike, you begin to smell the stench of the sulfur holes. You get to enjoy this for another 20 minutes until you actually reach them. The sulfur holes are big pits in the ground spewing out clouds of sulfur gas. There are also a bunch of pools and small creeks of water that are boiling hot. Many pools are literally bubbling from the heat.

Lake Helen - Travel

Standing above Lake Helen, you are blown away by the crystal clear, aqua blue water and the mountains and trees that surround it. There was still some snow left over from the winter and boys being boys, Ryan and his brother felt the need to swim in the icy cold water. Probably the coldest water they've ever swam in, they didn't stay in long. While they stood there feeling proud of conquering the lake, a German woman who must have been at least in her 70's came down and asked us how the water was. After telling her it was super cold, she got in and said "Oh, this is nice!" as she slowly paddled around. Pro.

Burney Falls - Travel

Burney Falls was only a 10 minute walk away from our cabin, but to see the bottom and top of the falls required a short hike. We followed a 3 mile trail that looped around the falls, and then back from the start. The hike is pretty easy with some incline and plenty of shade. September might just be the perfect month to come; the days are hot (but not scorching) and the nights are cool (but not freezing) - plus, there aren't too many people because everyone's back in school. It's an amazing site, and worth coming any time of the year though. I visited the falls 5 times (before sunrise, early afternoon, and at sunset)! The view changes depending on the time of day you come. The picture above was taken before sunrise (long exposure) and the picture below was taken early afternoon.

Cabin in the Woods - Travel

Ryan's mom was so wonderful to invite me on their family vacation to Burney Falls. For 3 nights we stayed in a cabin in the middle of the woods. It was so quiet and so dark, I was actually a bit anxious the first night. But by the second and third night, I really came to appreciate everything around me. I needed this. I think everyone needs to get away from the city every now and then. I saw the most beautiful places - I mean breathtaking places. If you love camping, this is where you need to go! Our cabin was only a 5 minute walk away from Burney Falls and a 1 minute drive away from the lake (where you can swim, kayak, or paddle boat). I'm hoping to make another trip during the winter when it's covered in snow :)

Paris, France (day 1) - Travel

This blog is our special keepsake of Europe, so we can remember each day as we spent it and relive it every time we read it. But we also want to share our adventures with our family and friends and hopefully bring a part of Europe to them :) Since I took about 300-600 pictures a day, for 30 days, I decided to give each day its own post with frequent updates. So keep checking in for updated posts. Here it goes!

It was an 11 hour flight from Los Angeles to Paris. We slept most of the way, so once we arrived at 9am Paris time, we were ready to take on our first day in Europe. We were staying with my dad's relatives, so our first stop was our new home away from home in Neuilly-Plaisance. On our way, it really didn't feel like we were in France. The freeways and buildings looked just the same as home, but once we hit town, it all changed. Narrow streets, small cars, and small houses, something you don't see in Orange County.

Once at home, we were greeted with home-cooked Croque-Monsieur sandwiches, a very typical French meal. That's when we learned just how serious the French are about their food. Everything is bought fresh and daily from their local bakery and food market. Mealtime is especially important in France (and Europe in general). It's a time to relax and socialize with friends and family. Typically, lunch and dinner in France can take several hours. Unlike the states, workers here are able to request 2 hours for lunch!

And after lunch (and every other meal), a cup of cappuccino or tea.

San Francisco: The Wong House | Travel

Welcome to the Wong House! Ryan's uncle and his family are very involved in the arts, so their house is a photographer's playground. Everywhere you looked there was something interesting to capture. I wanted to show just a bit of their house, but there is so much more!

For those of you still waiting for my Europe pictures, I am so sorry for the delay. I've been trying to keep my blog updated with current events, so I keep pushing Europe back. And now I'm even behind in doing that. I still have other S.F. pictures AND 4th of July to work on, so please bear with me.

San Francisco: Busing Around | Travel

What I love most about cities...public transportation! It's such an easy way to get around and takes away the stress from traffic. Walking or busing were our only form of transportation in San Francisco (parking was $3 for every 20 minutes!) It reminded me a lot of Europe. For whatever reason, I find buses and metros a really interesting place to shoot...you see all sorts of people. I was too shy to shoot strangers, but I got tons of shots of friends :P More pictures of other S.F. things to come.

San Francisco | Travel

Every July I go up to Sacramento to spend a week with Ryan and his family. This year, we decided to take a mini trip to San Francisco. I haven't been there since maybe...9? but it was still as if I was experiencing it for the first time. I love everything about this city. The streets are always crowded with the most interesting people. I could people watch forever. Two nights were definitely not enough to see everything. I have to make my way back before the year ends.

Up In The Air | Travel

It was an 11 hour flight from Los Angeles to Paris. I slept during most of the flight - thank goodness - but still managed to wake up every now and then to get some shots out my window. Top left: LA; top right: Grand Canyon; bottom left: awesome clouds; bottom right: France.