Good morning! We're getting ready to launch the RV on the water!

Ok not really. But there's a lot of small RV parks along the Oregon
coast and even though it's beautiful, it's really hard to appreciate -
you have to see it first! We drove about a hundred miles up along the
coast before we actually saw a *glimpse* of it. We couldn't help but
compare it (as we oftentimes do with almost anything wherever we are)
to California's ruggedly beautiful -not to mention mosty accessible-
coast.

So last night we stayed at one of the parks at Rockaway Beach along
HW101. We paid 25 bucks just for an over-nighter and we didn't even
bother to hook up.

The Oregon Coast, along highway 101

This is how we camp. (Aka "Who's trailer trash now?")

High on top of the hills of Wyoming, we parked the RV on a secluded
spot with a dead-on view of the Grand Teton.

"I don't know anyone who camps like us", Chris says. I agree. We
visited the RV parks and designated camping spots inside the Grand
Teton National Park yesterday and sure enough we were greeted with RVs
by the hundreds parked one after the other. This isn't camping, this
is an outdoor mall.

So, like we often do, we steered as far away as possible from the
chaos in search of forest roads where we can settle and be one with
nature, without the hoards of tourist-campers.

This morning I woke up with a majestic sunrise view of the Tetons from
our king sized bed. I didn't even need to lift my head to see it.

"Roughing it" has never been this fun.

Racing with a storm cloud in Bismarck

Thunder, lightning and hail greeted us in Bismarck, North Dakota. It
was strong, loud, and scary. Good thing we are driving away from the
storm.

North Dakota! Theodore Roosevelt National Park

At the Badlands Overlook

The 10PM sunset in Montana/North Dakota border.

In a big country dreams stay with you. Beautiful Big Sky Country, Montana.

Rolling hills, pasture lands with clouds parading across the wide open
sky. Interstate 90 across Montana.

The Golden Hour - Sunset at Birch Bay, WA

Nov. 24, 2008 - about 470 photos taken every 5 seconds for a total of 48 minutes on the beach at Birch Bay Drive and Alderson Road in Birch Bay, Washington.

I didn't have enough time to set up, the horizon was a little off and the aperture should have been constant to eliminate those flashes, but it's still not bad. I've taken dramatic sunsets here lately, and since my video cam is broken, I thought I'd do a time lapse (a series of photographs placed on a time line to create a video) to capture the beautiful sunsets I see almost everyday here in our new home. I hope you enjoy!

Back In Bridgetown: Portland, Oregon

Sure, this time of the year is a little gray, a little wet, maybe even a little too cold in Portland. Yet, I still love this city. In fact, a little more than before.

Portland has many names, and one of them is "Bridgetown."

With two rivers, one on the north separating it from Washington State (the Columbia River) and its tributary dividing the city lengthwise (the Willamette River), it's no surprise that the city has all together, 14 bridges(!)

During this season, one can hardly see the sun in the sky. It's a shame especially with these bright fall colors all around. On the other hand, to a photographer it becomes blessing (cloudy days are best for taking portraits) or a challenge.

As you can see, I've taken these photos around sunset (there was sun?!??) until dusk, and early evening. I love bridges, not only for their symbolical meaning, but also for the opportunity of travel they present.

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* All photos and content, unless otherwise stated, copyright 2008 J. Reque and C. Foley.

Accidental Whale Watching in Pacifica

I just couldn't pass this one up. Our blog silence may have been an indication of our busy, erratic lifestyle, but all work and no play makes Julius a dull boy.

We're in Pacifica, CA, just 10-15 minutes south of San Francisco. I'll give more background next time, for those of you who are not from the Bay Area or the US. One of the nicest things here - other than having a fantastic view of the great Pacific Ocean - is regular sightings of the ocean's giant inhabitants: Whales!

I saw them through my window. The second I realized what they were, a surge of excitement rushed through me. My first reaction of course, was to grab the camera. :)

It was great seeing something so out-of-the-ordinary. I've forgotten how such occurrences can inspire me and bring zest to my "ordinary" day. The big lesson is, they're always there... I just don't notice them.

Some things in life do not have to be phenomenal in order to be special.

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You only need to do it once and it's FREE!

* All photos and content, unless otherwise stated, copyright 2008 J. Reque and C. Foley.