12 Favs for 2012

A couple of my favorite landscape photographers recently posted their 12 favorite images of 2012 (Richard Bernabe and Jack Brauer).  What a great idea!  While my images pale by comparison, it was still fun to take a look back at all the places I had photographed this year.

After spending most of the past 8 months at home, I was actually surprised at how many different places I was able to see.  But yet, I tend to only pull the camera out when I’m traveling, so in 2013 I really hope to push myself to “see” and photograph more where ever I might happen to be.

Hope you all have a very happy new year! 

Now, on to the 12 favorite images…

These sandhill cranes at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico were my favorites for 2012.  If you enjoy seeing thousands of migratory birds, a winter stop at Bosque is an absolute must!

I didn’t get to do as much off-roading in my wonderful little yellow Tracker in 2012 as I had in 2011, but I drove a couple a fun trails in Arizona last winter around Quartzsite, Ajo, Patagonia, and Sedona.  This one was at the Kofa NWR just south of Quartzsite.

While living in Arizona the first three months of 2012, my mom decided to come out for a visit so we could take a quick vacation out to southern California to see friends.  On our way back, we happened to stop near the Mohave Desert Lily Sanctuary just as the sun was setting to this spectacular display of desert wildflowers!

Before leaving Tucson, I finally took a drive up Mt. Lemmon on the Catalina Highway.  What a spectacular way to see the sunset (and a great way to cool off too if the temps in Tucson get too warm!).

Our final week in Arizona was spent around the Sedona area. The drive between Oak Creek Village and Sedona was particularly stunning as the sun was setting on the brilliant red rocks.

I stopped at a few Route 66 attractions in the Texas panhandle on my drive back home, including this wonderfully restored Conoco gas station in Shamrock, Texas.

One of my favorite “little known” national parks is the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in southeast Missouri with their amazing natural springs.  This is my favorite, Alley Spring, with it’s beautiful red mill.

I spent a few weeks this summer revisiting a few of my favorite campgrounds up in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan.  This was my nighttime view from the banks of Cunard Lake in Wisconsin.  Loved listening to the loons sing us to sleep at night!

This lovely mushroom trail in the U.P. had not been so lovely just a few minutes before when it poured rain on Millie and me.  But I’d always prefer photographing a damp and misty forest than one that’s bone-dry!

 
The mushroom trail was near my all-time favorite campground, lovely Imp Lake, in the U.P.  I loved paddling around it’s little island, listening to the loons, and watching the sunsets from our large and peaceful lakefront campsite—heaven on earth!



This summer, I finally took the cruise of Lake Superior’s Pictured Rocks National Seashore near Munising, Michigan.  What a delightful “3-hour cruise” (and quite reasonably-priced too!).

 
And finally, 2012 wrapped up with a visit to my hometown, Kansas City, to see the Christmas lights at Country Club Plaza.

What amazing places did you discover in 2012?  Leave a comment below and give us all some ideas for future travels!  Better yet, post a link to some of your favorite pics of 2012!