
“We see the world through the lens of all our experiences;
that is a fundamental part of the human condition.”
I thought I would share an eclectic sampling of several of our favorite – did we get the shot – photos as we traveled our 8,000-mile See the USA road trip.

Sun through Chihuly Glass – Phoenix Botanical Garden – Phoenix, AZ

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

There are those conspiracy theorists who believe a second assassin may have stood behind this fence to take aim at the president. JFK Memorial – Dallas, TX

Ruins at Dripping Springs National Recreation Trail – Las Cruces, NM

Tales of long ago – Dripping Springs Recreational Trail – Las Cruces, NM

Where the clouds settle on the dunes – White Sands National Park, Las Cruces, NM

Reflection – Clinton Presidential Center – Little Rock, AR

Spacial illusions – Clinton Presidential Center – Little Rock, AR

Just for fun – self-portrait – New Orleans, LA

Architectural details in the French Quarter – New Orleans, LA

Wrought iron fence of cornstalks – Garden District – New Orleans, LA

Fern moss growing on the tree branches – New Orleans, LA

Unknown confederate soldier – McGavock confederate cemetery, Franklin, TN

Many claim this cradle still rocks – Concordia Cemetery – El Paso, TX

Lone swing – Texas White House – near Austin, TX

Veggie Art – Whole Foods flagship store – Austin, TX

The UnBirthday Cake – Whole Foods flagship store – Austin, TX

Because in Texas, everything is bigger. Allen’s Boots – Austin, TX

One man’s career – The Johnny Cash Museum – Nashville, TN

Ferocactus – Oro Valley near Tucson, AZ

Metro Station – Washington, D.C.
So, what do you think? Did we get the shot? Which one is your favorite?! Don’t be shy, you can tell us! 😉
They’re all beautiful, Patti. IMO, perspective is as important as skill.
Marcia recently posted…Rum Punch
Thanks so much, Marcia, greatly appreciated!
You captured some very interesting images! My favorite is the one lone swing taken at the Texas White House.
Thanks for stopping by Debbra. When we visited the Texas White House and I saw the swing, I couldn’t help but wonder about the stories that swing could tell.
these are wonderful . i love the picket fence and the few below it . keep shooting !!!! you are doing very well

natasha recently posted…Addicted to the Garden
Thanks Tasha! I’ll say the same to you as you’ve been getting some great shots from the attic!
These are all excellent captures. You have an eye for patterns. For some reason I find the unknown soldier shot very moving.

Gaelyn recently posted…Light on the temples shadows on the walls
Thank you! The unknown soldier. There’s a very interesting story behind his marker and hundreds of others. The land was donated by the McGavock family on the Carnton Plantation in Franklin, TN, and the bodies from the Battle of Franklin were placed in the cemetery as a remembrance to all who had fallen. (that’s a very short version)
I love the Chihuly glass and kick myself that I didn’t get the shot in Seattle.

Dripping Sands, in great contrast, is my second fave. Thanks for sharing. Love the photoessay.
Lisa Richardson recently posted…A Positive High School Memory
Thank you, Lisa. The Chihuly glass was really something – we had never seen anything like it before and to see it in the desert setting was quite special.
I say you got some great shots! I take a ton of pictures, too. Although I’m certainly not a professional photographer, I aim to take the best pics I can, but glad to have even those that don’t turn out so well for the memories. And it’s an extra special treat when you really hit the mark.

Cathy Sweeney recently posted…Halifax Highlights: Old, New, and Déjà Vu
Thanks, Cathy, that’s exactly how we feel about our photos as well. 😉
A great mix of pictures and, you may call yourselves amateurs but you both have an eye for terrific photos. My favorite was the Lone swing – Texas White House. The photo can express so many different emotions …

Anita @ No Particular Place To Go recently posted…The Beautiful Place: Bonita Lugar
Thank you, Anita, we try! I love our photos for the sake of keeping memories, but I’m always extra pleased when we discover a really good shot.
These photos are a great cross-section from your USA road trip. For some reason, I’m drawn to the circle of barbed wire at Dripping Springs National Recreational Trail, although the Chihuly piece is my favourite. I visited the exhibit at Phoenix Botanical Garden several times this winter and never tired of it.

Donna Janke recently posted…Chocolatour Book Tour: Exploring the Many Flavours of Chocolate
Thank you Donna! Yes, the circle of barbed wire really spoke to me – it just seemed to have so much history and so many stories to tell.
These were all fantastic, Patti 🙂 My favs were the JFK Memorial, Clinton Prez Center and the kitty self potrait. Nice story through photos in your travels! 🙂

Mike recently posted…Cancer Free Contest Winners!
Thanks, Mike! I think the cat in the window was classic. I mean, what are the odds?! And if you ever get the chance to visit the Clinton Library, it’s really quite something, as is the JFK Memorial.
I think your photos have heart and they are certainly lovely to see. If I had to pick: I especially liked The Texas White House and The Ferocactus. I am not a pro either and always wonder what someone with lots of experience thinks when they view my photos. Yours are terrific and you have been to some amazing places!

Suzanne Stavert recently posted…When is the best time to visit Napa Valley?
Thank you, Suzanne, for thinking our photos have heart, as that is exactly what we aim for. The story/heart behind the view is what we try to capture.
Lovely array of photos! We are so fortunate to have the freedom to travel and stop wherever and whenever we like to photograph obscure things. It is certainly not like in many other parts of the world.

Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…a profile of Executive Chef Hubert Des Marais IV
So true Doreen, and it’s one of my absolute favorite things about a road trip, you can just STOP when you see something that peeks your curiosity.
I agree with Linda. The collection shows the breadth and depth of your travels—all without leaving your home country. My favorite is the one of the dunes and sky at Las Cruces—1) it taught me something new and 2) it captures a mood.

Suzanne Fluhr recently posted…“You went where?” – A Visit to Luang Prabang, Laos
Thank you Suzanne. White Sands National Park was something surreal at best, the pure white sands were incredible, but I was fascinated by the sky that day and I took an equal number of photos of the sky as I did the dunes. It wasn’t eery, but there was definitely something in the moment that captured us.
I think you got the shot quite a few times!

Favourite? Sun through Chihuly Glass is a winner, and I love the Metro Station –
But more than anything I love the story that these photos collectively tell, which from this account, was a wonderful trip! 🙂
Linda ~ Journey Jottings recently posted…Do You Realize How Often You Already Use Pictogram Symbols?
If you found the stories behind the photos, then I definitely got the shot! And it was indeed a wonderful trip!
I feel photography should be about how your pictures make you feel and the memories that they envoke. I really love the last photo in the DC subway system 🙂

Chanel | Cultural Xplorer recently posted…Shooting the Bean: A Photo Essay
Agreed! I want to enjoy the experience, not have my face stuck behind a camera! I’m always impressed by some of the D.C. Metro stations so we usually snap a few photos to try and capture different moments. Thanks for stopping by!
I like the cat in the window watching the cat paint his self portrait. All are good.
I know, right?! At first I walked by him/her and didn’t realize what I had seen, so I backed up and took a closer look. It just made me smile – as if the cat is supervising the artist cat.
The fence at the JFK Memorial and the doorway at Dripping Springs are my favorites. i think you should find a contest and enter Patti:)

Tracey recently posted…“Where You Stay” Can Help You Save On Travel
Ah, thanks, Tracey, for the vote of confidence!
So nice to see kindred spirits! We, too, don’t carry mounds of photography equipment, but prefer to travel and capture images that our readers can capture on their travels as well. Seeing your photos make us feel you are on the right track – there is such feeling behind each of them. Kudos!

The GypsyNesters recently posted…By Popular Demand – How We Became Travel Bloggers
Thank you so much! I want to spend my time enjoying the experience rather than have my face behind a camera. That, and I don’t have the patience to set up the perfect shot every time. It’s always a surprise when I/we discover we captured something special.
Some great shots here and I bit of information for me- I didn’t know about Dripping Springs- will have to check it out next time we head south.

santafetraveler recently posted…Tidbits: Santa Fe art and music
Billie, we really enjoyed our Dripping Springs trek – and it’s a fairly easy/moderate hike. Well-worth the effort when you reach the ruins.
A very evocative photo essay – I especially love the shots of Dripping Springs Park.

Michele Peterson recently posted…Q & A with Chocolatour
Thanks so much for browsing our photos!
I love the picture of the DC metro station!

Irene S. Levine recently posted…Market visit: Carnot Market in Lyon, France
Yep! The D.C. metro has some really interesting stations. Some of the escalators are so steep, it’s pretty surreal.
There are several very good pictures, my favourites are the Chihuly because the light coming through is gorgeous and the cradle because you captured its creepiness 😉

A Cook Not Mad (Nat) recently posted…King of the slow cookers
The cradle was pretty creepy, yet somehow very innocent. The security guard told us that many people swear the cradle rocks. I tried, it is super heavy, can’t be budged, so pretty interesting ghost story!
All of these are great. My favorite it the reflection at the Clinton Presidential Center 🙂

Nancie (@Ladyexpat) recently posted…Travel Photo Thursday — 6/26/14 — Shopping Nova Scotia Style
That shot was a nice surprise! I was aiming for the abandoned bridge and when I saw the photo I realized I had captured the reflection.
Maybe you should enter a photography contest. Your photos are all really good! I enjoyed them all. How wonderful that you did a road trip across the country. I bet it was incredible.

Michelle recently posted…My Alaska Cruise Ports of Call – Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan
Thanks so much Michelle! I think I don’t have any real motivation to enter contests. 😉
It’s always fun to explore and capture all the cool little details, I enjoyed the visit and tour.

noel recently posted…Visiting Point Reyes Station – Travel Photo Mondays
Thanks Noel!