Surprise, surprise!

It's kind of funny, but the other day when I was picking some photo's to add to my post about Graceland, I was very shocked to see how well the photos taken with my old Ricoh RDC-300 digital camera stood up against the ones from later digital cameras. The size is limited to 640x480, but the image quality is excellent for an early digital photo, IMO. The one at the right was taken at Wall Drug in South Dakota on our trip out west about 13 years ago. I've gained a little weight and lost more hair since then, but I'll bet this girl would still be attracted to me! As pale as she is, she may no longer be with us on second thought...

One of the many highlights of that trip was our stop at the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, also in South Dakota. On our upcoming trip in June, these two places will also be stops, so I hope to get some even better pictures. I plan to take along a tripod and possibly a monopod to aid in taking some much better pictures. I found a nice monopod at NewEgg for less than $18, which I plan to purchase. Between the two, I should be able to get a stable shot in most any situation, using either of my current cameras.

Of course no trip would be complete without photos of your traveling companions, and so here we see my mother standing at one of the many roadside pull off spots along the route. This trip was a very spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, and I was happy to have someone along for the journey. The upcoming trip will be even better with 3 traveling buddys. And with them being closer to my age, that should add a lot to the enjoyment I'm sure. Not that mom wasn't a good traveling companion, but I just wasn't into the same things as she was, which is only natural.

No trip out west would be complete without going through Yellowstone National Park and seeing Old Faithful. Hopefully this new trip will have an unobscured photo of the geyser, but if nothing else, maybe at least the heads in the shot might be of someone I know! One of the things I regret the first time was not taking enough time to enjoy the surroundings, but I think the people I'm with this time feel the same way, so perhaps we can really soak up some of the true ambience from our journey. This time around the whole limited time thing won't be a big problem, so look out people of the wild, wild west, we will be headed your way before you know it!

This view of the Grand Tetons was truly breath-taking live and in person. I'm hoping to get a little closer this time around as these mountains are very special indeed. Mostly because they are magnificent, but partly because the origin of the name means large teat in French. Come to think of it, I may have a hard time convincing my sister's that the real reason I want a closer look is strictly because of their beauty. If you all are reading this, I really do want a closer look so I can better appreciate their beauty, not because I'm a pervert. Really!

Hoover dam won't be a part of the trip at this time as we plan to go through Salt Lake City and see the salt flats and Reno, NV on the way out. We do plan to see it on the return trip though when we stay in Las Vegas, NV. I do hope to get some better pictures this time also as the ones I have are not that good. I guess it depends on the shape I'm in though after a night or two in Vegas. But then what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, so you all may never know. I'll leave the gambling to my siblings though, I don't have the stomach for that. Playing the stock market is all the gambling I plan to do here on in, and the way it's going, that may not be for long!

Sadly, this is one site we won't get to see on this trip. This is my friend Dan, who I met through a mutual interest in computers and corresponded with for many, many years. Dan was the primary reason for my trip out west the first time. Although we wrote letters back and forth and spoke on the phone a number of times, I only met him in person this one time and we ate the lasagna he fixed for my visit. He gave my mother the recipe for that dish and so I have had his lasagna many times since, but sadly we no longer correspond. Dan passed away a few years after this photo was taken. I miss you Dan, RIP.