TRAVEL & ADVENTURE Archives - Page 6 of 10

Look Back – Is the Best Shot Behind You?

Posted on August 29, 2016September 28, 2023 by Tressie

On our Disney Cruise vacation, they announced that we would be arriving in Tortola (BVI) near sunrise, and the view of the ship pulling into port would be worth getting up for. I was the only one in my family interested (no surprise there).

Walking around on the upper deck with a handful of other passengers at shortly after 6am, I looked over the front of the ship as we approached the islands. The view was pretty, but not spectacular, mostly because the beautiful sunrise was behind the ship. The “approaching” shot I had envisioned was not there.

Growing bored, I turned and walked toward the back of the ship, and noticed immediately a better view was behind us. Adjusting my camera settings for the more intense light and stunning color, my next shots evoke an entirely different feeling and memory of that morning – and my images do not do it justice.

Once the sun rose high enough in the sky, I again moved toward the front of the ship to catch our final approach to Tortola. Was it worth getting up for? Absolutely – a beautiful beginning to the day.

These three very different images were taken in the span of 30 minutes or so. Lesson learned – sometimes it’s a good idea to look back…before facing forward once again.

Patriotic Palace – Abandoned Amusement Park in TN

Posted on March 15, 2016September 28, 2023 by Tressie

Abandoned places are some of my favorite photographic subjects, and the Patriotic Palace was not a disappointment. Through the dirt and neglect, you can usually imagine what a place used to be, but there seems to be more mystery surrounding this one, an I have so far been unable to reconstruct it’s history.

When my family and I passed this Abandoned Amusement park on our way to Chattanooga, we made a note to stop and visit it on our way home. The Patriotic Palace is located on Interstate 75, exit 141, a lonely and sad reminder of….what? I’m really not sure, as I have been unable to find any specific information regarding this amusement park.

And not that I spent a crap ton of time on google or anything, but the few searches I did on this lonely little “amusement park” turned up nothing but posts by other people who stopped to take photos, just as I did, or stories of the adjacent Fireworks Superstore burning down in 2014.

If anyone knows the history of the amusement park side of this place, I would love to hear it.In the mean time, here are several photos

Perfection in a Photograph?

Posted on March 1, 2016September 28, 2023 by Tressie

What defines perfection in a photograph?

It seems that the photos I am most proud of or cherish the most are never “technically” perfect – at least not in the conventional measurements of composition, focus, clarity, story, art or whatever. However, they are perfect in a way that those measurements could never describe.

This image of Multnomah Falls was taken on a whirlwind trip to Portland, Oregon to watch my daughters synchro team. Continue reading “Perfection in a Photograph?” →

Breathe Yoga Chelsea

Posted on February 15, 2016September 28, 2023 by Tressie

Recently I braved the frigid cold of Chelsea Michigan on a Saturday morning with an adventure pal of mine to take our first class at Breathe Yoga Chelsea. I say adventure pal, because this whole yoga thing is a stretch (pun intended) for two fluffy, non-bendy old ladies. We were not sure what to expect, and were a little nervous – were we wearing the right thing? Would we be faced with judgy flexible yoga people who were appalled that we could barely get our jackets off without breathing heavy, let alone touch our toes?

Walking in the front door, the immediate greeting from desk personnel was a warm smile and encouraging words, and I thought…this might be ok.

Matt was our instructor, and he assured us that there would be modified poses for those of us who were a little “challenged” by the moves in his class. He was kind, and very understanding of our limitations. Before class we discussed the alternate moves and what we could expect.

And then we got started!

Those who know me in person are most likely aware that I am an “out loud observer”. So throughout the class, I had an extremely difficult time listening, as I was expending so much energy simply trying to keep my mouth shut. Don’t judge, we all have traits we need to work on. I will proudly say, that only ONCE did a “yeah, sure we will” escape my filter in response to the instruction.

The class was certainly challenging, even in the modified poses – but I know that very often things that are difficult for me are things that I just need to practice more. And I definitely need more flexibility – in mind, body and life in general.

One thing my adventure pal and I agree on, is that we will arrive much earlier for our next class at Breathe Yoga Chelsea – because the only thing worse than being a fluffy, non-bendy old lady in a yoga class, is doing it in front of the rest of the class, right next to the instructor. (kind as Matt is, I’m pretty sure he didn’t enjoy my “yoga face”. Gah.)

Bottom line? Breathe Yoga Chelsea was a warm, inviting and challenging environment – exactly what this fluffy lady needed, and I can’t wait for round 2. Thank you for that Breathe Yoga staff!!

(Image by Burrill Strong, courtesy of Breathe Yoga Chelsea, used with permission)