Description: Scenic Zion - Mount Carmel Highway Drive 8 by Debra Martz The Zion - Mount Carmel Highway aka HWY 9 is magical and different around every turn. This portion of Zion can be toured from the comfort of your own vehicle while Canyon Junction requires you to ride the park shuttles. Along this highway you will find a number of small pullouts, and if you start your day early morning, you will find enough room to stop and get out to explore each of these stops. Copyright by Debra Martz 20180821-DSC_3871.et
Description: Pink Beauty - Roseate Skimmer by Debra Martz So many of these beauties were flying around Paradise Pond in Port Aransas, TX on a warm November day. I don't know the IDs of dragonflies but the little research I did it appears this one might be a Roseate Skimmer. If you know, drop in a comment. Copyright Debra Martz 20181105-DSC_0184.N
Description: Scenic Zion - Mount Carmel Highway Drive 5 by Debra Martz The colors and scenery of Zion National Park are ever changing and the patterns of the rock are amazing! The Zion - Mount Carmel Highway aka HWY 9 is magical and different around every turn. This portion of Zion can be toured from the comfort of your own vehicle while Canyon Junction requires you to ride the park shuttles. Along this highway you will find a number of small pullouts, and if you start your day early morning, you will find enough room to stop and get out to explore each of these stops. Copyright by Debra Martz 20180821-DSC_3885.N
Description: Scenic Zion - Mount Carmel Highway Drive by Debra Martz The colors and scenery of Zion National Park are ever changing along the "Zion - Mount Carmel Highway" aka HWY 9. This portion of Zion can be toured from the comfort of your own vehicle while Canyon Junction requires you to ride the park shuttles. Along this highway you will find a number of small pullouts, and if you start your day early morning, you will find enough room to stop and get out to explore each stop. Copyright Debra Martz 20180821-DSC_3606.N
Description: Cowboy Capital - Bandera - Texas by Debra Martz One cannot walk nor roam around Bandera, Texas without noticing the western feel of the town. From horse art to boots to western murals, you'll find it here. You will, also, see a sign on the edge of town "Welcome to Bandera, Texas, Est.1853, Cowboy Capital of the World" and taking a stroll around the courthouse you will find the Monument honoring the Cowboy Champions of Bandera County. This bronze sits atop that monument with the watertower in the distance. Copyright Debra Martz 20180808-DSC_3266-E2T
Description: The Narrows Begin by Debra Martz At the end of the Riverwalk Trail in Zion, the Narrows trail begins where much of the trail is hiked through water of the Virgin River. I did not continue onward through the narrows, but could only imagine what the sights would be when looking upward, as in this photo, to find the mountains and canyon walls closing in closer and closer. Copyright Debra Martz 20180823-DSC_4377.N
Description: Scenic Zion - Mount Carmel Highway Drive 2 by Debra Martz The colors and scenery of Zion National Park are ever changing. The Zion - Mount Carmel Highway aka HWY 9 is magical and ever changing. This portion of Zion can be toured from the comfort of your own vehicle while Canyon Junction requires you to ride the park shuttles. Along this highway you will find a number of small pullouts, and if you start your day early morning, you will find enough room to stop and get out to explore each stop. And yes, those clouds later built to the point of bringing heavy rains and closing most trails in Zion due to flash flooding! Copyright Debra Martz 20180821-DSC_3615.N
Description: Weeping Rock by Debra Martz One of my favorite short hikes was the Weeping Rock Trail; only 1/2 mile round trip but with a moderately steep climb to the Alcove. It begins in a surround of cottonwood, ash and maple trees but can become slippery at the top as there is moss on the rocks and walkway from the dripping springs. You soon find yourself in a large eroded carved out area, an alcove, with hanging gardens. Copyright of Debra Martz 20180823-DSC_4469.N
Description: Scenic Zion - Mount Carmel Highway Drive 4 by Debra Martz The colors and scenery of Zion National Park are ever changing. The Zion - Mount Carmel Highway aka HWY 9 is magical and ever changing. This portion of Zion can be toured from the comfort of your own vehicle while Canyon Junction requires you to ride the park shuttles. Along this highway you will find a number of small pullouts, and if you start your day early morning, you will find enough room to stop and get out to explore each stop. And yes, those clouds later built to the point of bringing heavy rains and closing most trails in Zion due to flash flooding! Copyright Debra Martz 20180821-DSC_3689-ET
Description: Scenic Zion - Mount Carmel Highway Drive 3 by Debra Martz The colors and scenery of Zion National Park are ever changing. The Zion - Mount Carmel Highway aka HWY 9 is magical and ever changing. This portion of Zion can be toured from the comfort of your own vehicle while Canyon Junction requires you to ride the park shuttles. Along this highway you will find a number of small pullouts, and if you start your day early morning, you will find enough room to stop and get out to explore each stop. And yes, those clouds later built to the point of bringing heavy rains and closing most trails in Zion due to flash flooding! Copyright Debra Martz 20180821-DSC_3617.N
Description: Bikers Burgers and Beds - Hatch - Utah Signage by Debra Martz Well, I'm not a biker, wasn't hungry and didn't need a bed. But the sign intrigued me enough to ask the hubby to stop the truck!!! I need a picture of that sign!! Textures and colors added in post edits Copyright Debra Martz 20180824-DSC_5084-EEET
Description: Six Shooter Gunslinger by Debra Martz And then while in Utah, we drove into Kanab one day right as a parade was coming to an end. Kanab’s Western Legends Roundup parade. Spotted this guy riding away with his six shooter strapped on his hip. Sure wish we had known of the parade; I would have been there for it all. Copyright Debra Martz 20180825-DSC_5091.EET
Description: Blue Dasher Dragonfly by Debra Martz Well, the purpose of this November day's outside adventure was for bird watching. But what the heck, the dragonflies outnumbered the birds a ton! So I settle in to watching and capturing several different varieties of dragonflies at Paradise Pond in Port Aransas, Texas. Copyright by Debra Martz 20181105-DSC_0193.NEF
Description: Scenic Zion - Mount Carmel Highway Drive 7 by Debra Martz The colors and scenery of Zion National Park are ever changing. The Zion - Mount Carmel Highway aka HWY 9 is magical and different around every turn. This portion of Zion can be toured from the comfort of your own vehicle while Canyon Junction requires you to ride the park shuttles. Along this highway you will find a number of small pullouts, and if you start your day early morning, you will find enough room to stop and get out to explore each of these stops. Copyright by Debra Martz 20180821-DSC_3730.N
Description: Gold in Taos by Debra Martz It was late summer and the early fall blooming Rubber Rabbit Brush, aka Chamiso, was already blooming everywhere in and around Taos, New Mexico. Wilson's Warblers were in golden heaven as these plants attract a large variety of insects on which they feed. this particular warbler stays mostly in the underbrush, snatching insects but on occasion would come to the top for a brief moment! Copyright Debra Martz 20180910-DSC_8085.N
Description: Raven Welcoming Crew at the Ponderosa by Debra Martz There were a number of large Common Ravens at the Ponderosa Point overlook in Bryce Canyon National Park. Interesting how close they will let you get to them. Perhaps they wanted something! Copyright Debra Martz 20180824-DSC_4730.N
Description: Brian Head Peak - CCC Lookout- Cedar Breaks - Utah From the signage: "Brian Head Peak. Elevation 11,307 Feet. The structure before you was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). From this location you can see parts of Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Renovation project conducted by the 1995 Siearra Club Southwest Service Trip." The views from this lookout were expansive and beautiful!! I've added an overlay which enhanced the light on the structure and texture of the sky. Copyright Debra Martz 20180822-DSC_4194.N
Description: Show Us Your Boots - Bandera - Texas by Debra Martz One cannot walk nor roam around Bandera, Texas without noticing the western feel of the town. From horse art to boots to western murals, you'll find it here. This mural is located on the side of the Western Trails Antiques and Marketplace shop. I've added a mosaic type overlay to give more definition to the brick wall on which the mural is painted. Copyright Debra Martz
Description: Oyster Boats - Fulton Harbor - Texas No2 by Debra Martz Taking a backroad drive home from Houston after Father's Day 2018, brought us along the Fulton Bay of the Gulf of Mexico coastal region. A very large part of this area was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017. Many boats either sunk or were tossed completely out of the water and piled upon one another or maybe even found across town. So this was such a lovely sight to behold when we saw how many, within just 10 months, were already cleaned, repaired and back in the marina ready for use in the coming season. This is not to say that all of the Fulton/Rockport area has been rebuilt but hard work and perseverance by the people has shown us that they are strong and will not st...
Description: Orchid Tree Bloom by Debra Martz Throughout the tropical zone of Estero Llano Grande State Park, there are a number of very large Orchid Trees. There you will find the purple variety, like this one, and the white variety. The park is located in south Texas in the town of Weslaco.
Description: Nature's Tapestry by Debra Martz Along the Riverwalk Trail in Zion National Park, one will find several areas where the lower canyon walls weep. They weep from dripping springs which in turn create gardens on the walls. After a heavy rain or during spring runoff, the canyon walls may be streaming with falling water. Some of Zion's waterfalls are spectacular but mostly ephemeral; some last only minutes. Yet their tracks remain visible. Due to desert minerals, the falls leave black streaks where the water evaporates. Those mineral "tapestries" can be seen in many areas of the park. Copyright Debra Martz 20180823-DSC_4387.N
Description: Atlantic Rose Hong Kong Ship by Debra Martz The Atlantic Rose from Hong Kong coming by Port Aransas, Texas in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. I was actually out bird watching and had my 150-600mm lens which at 150mm could only get sections of the ship. So I shot 3 images and stitched together in Lightroom using Photo Merge Panorama. ©Debra Martz In My Galleries/Collections "Coastal" "Texas" 20190417-DSC_4690-Pano
Description: Tropical Zone Pathway by Debra Martz Upon arrival at Estero LLano Grande State Park you are "greeted" with this beautiful sight. This is the starting point into the area referred to as the Tropical Zone in the park. The pink in the distance is a very large bougainvillea. In this area you will find Palm Trees, a big Banyan Tree, Orchid Trees and many fruit trees and much more. It is a wonderful place to enjoy watching for birds, butterflies, dragonflies and other insects that thrive in this beautiful nature setting. This is a state park of Texas located in Weslaco near the border of Mexico.
Description: Checkerboard Mesa - Zion National Park by Debra Martz If you enter Zion from the eastern entrance, you will soon have the sight of Checkerboard Mesa right in front of you. The massive hill with its colorful display of orange, brown and white slickrock is one of the parks landmarks towering 900 feet above the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway which resembles an ongoing chess or checkerboard pattern. And arriving with the early morning light, the colors shine brilliantly. This landmark was once known as Rock Candy Mountain, but in 1938 the park superintendent gave it the name used still today. Copyright of Debra Martz 20180823-DSC_4268.NEF
Description: Old Wine on Vintage Chevy by Debra Martz A drive through Sisterdale, TX is like a throw-back in time. It's a small little town, so stop and walk around to appreciate the vintage finds! This old Chevy truck with the old wine barrels (think there is any old wine in them) marks the location of the Sister Creek Vineyards.
Description: Blue Dragonfly by Debra Martz I was on one of my regular bird watching outings but not many birds to bee seen on this particular day. As I was leaving a place called Paradise Pond in Port Aransas, TX I spotted this beautiful dragonfly on this single stem rising above the water. I'm not sure which type it is, maybe a Blue Dasher. If you know its ID, please note in the comments. Thank you for looking!
