Before you begin, however, you need to figure out the point-of-view you from which you will tell your story. Will it be first person from the one of your characters’ points of view? Or perhaps you prefer to tell it through the third person as an ousider. There are plenty of viewpoints you can use to tell your story. Regardless of what you pick, your decision will influence all elements your story.

Use Freytag’s Pyramid to Write Better Story Elements

Freytag’s Pyramid is a five-part dramatic structure showing the elements and flow of a story. It’s the brain child of 19th century playwright Gustav Freytag. He theorized that there are five key stages of a story that are used to conceptualize or write an engaging story from start to finish.

Below, we’ll go over each stage of Freytag’s Pyramid in detail. I’ll also share some real-world examples of Freytag’s Pyramid in action. Finally, we’ll use the example of climbing a mountain as the perfect metaphor to demonstrate Freytag’s Pyramid.

1. The Protagonist

One of the most important elements in your story, the protagonist is the main character, or good guy in your story. They’re the one who will be going on the journey that your story tells. While many stories have just a single protagonist, yours certainly doesn’t have to. You can have multiple protagonists, or a group of people that function as a single protagonist. For example, if you were telling the story of a trip you took with a tour group, the group would essentially function as a single protagonist.

In the context of travel stories, you (the traveler) are nearly always the protagonist. And since traveling is literally going on a journey, you should be able to pretty easily identify the parts of your journey and how they relate to the parts of stories we’ll cover below.

Interestingly, there is one notable exception, which you’ll find if you’re traveling for a cause, such as to do volunteer work. In that case, the protagonist is often the people or group that you’re helping with your volunteer work. However, you shouldn’t overlook the fact that volunteer work can have a profound impact on the volunteers as well. In that case, I encourage you to include yourself as a protagonist and share your side of the story. On the other hand, you can also re-tell the same story from your point of view. That can be a very powerful way to raise awareness to causes you’re passionate about back home.

2. The Antagonist

Sometimes referred to as the ”anti-protagonist”, the antagonist is the bad guy in your story. The antagonist actively opposes and provides resistance to your protagonist on their journey. One of the most famous protagonist/antagonist pairs is Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the Star Wars series.

In many stories, the antagonist is a person or a group of people. However, the antagonist can be anything that stands in the way of the protagonist accomplishing their goal. This is particularly true for telling stories about travel.

But Wait…Travel Stories Don’t Usually Have Clear Cut Good Guys and Bad Guys the Way Star Wars Does. How Do You Identify the Antagonist in Your Travel Stories?

Good question! For travel stories, antagonists don’t always take the traditional forms that they do in many Hollywood movies, or even in the world of news or sports. In fact, in some contexts, the antagonist can be one of the more difficult elements of your story to identify. Take solo travel as an example. You’re just out documenting your adventures, and having a blast doing it. How can there possibly be bad guys when you’re having so much fun?

It turns out that you’re right, in that there are physically no bad people getting in the way of you having fun. Instead, the antagonist takes on different forms. Often times, the travel itself – the act of going from Point A to Point B – is the antagonist. Here are just a few examples of possible sources of resistance, or antagonists, you may encounter while traveling.

• Traffic Jams
• Border Crossings
• Language Barriers
• Natural Barriers such as Mountains or Rivers
• Bad Weather
• Vehicle Breakdowns
• Missed Buses, Trains, or Flights

Interestingly, if you’re traveling for a cause and/or doing volunteer work, the antagonist is the hardship of the group you’re helping out. Some examples include poverty, hunger, war, disease, natural disasters, and much more.

3. A Conflict

We’ve all heard it a million times. Every story needs a conflict. You can’t have a story without one. Yes, it needs to be said. And no, I won’t beat that dead horse any more than I already have.

The conflict is where the protagonist and antagonist cross paths in your story. Remember, each side has opposite goals, so there is a natural conflict there. Your story can have a single conflict, or it can be comprised of a series of conflicts. That’s completely up to you.

How to Identify Conflicts in Your Travel Stories

Like antagonists, conflicts in travel stories don’t always come to life in traditional ways. Indeed, it’s no surprise that so many travel bloggers, photographers, and video storytellers struggle to find conflict in their story. It turns out that you may need to dig down to find the conflict, but it’s there.

If you’re having trouble identifying the conflict in your travel story, go back and re-read the previous section about the antagonist. Look at the bulleted list of examples of antagonists in travel stories and see if you can identify them in your story. Once you know who or what your antagonists are, finding your conflict is easy. Any time you run into or have direct interaction with those antagonists is where your conflict occurs.

Don’t Forget to Provide a Hook for Your Audience

Have you ever binge-watched a show on Netflix? I know I have. And do you know what makes a show bingeworthy? The hook. It’s one of the most critically important elements of your story. Bingeworthy shows are incredibly good at ”hooking” the audience in, leaving them not just wanting to see what happens in the next episode, but craving it. And introducing conflict is one of the best ways to ”hook” your audience.

The best audience hooks usually take the form of teasers, plot twists, secrets, and cliffhangers. Go back and watch one of the shows you’ve binge-watched in the past. Pay particular attention to how they end each episode. They often introduce a new conflict without providing any idea of how it will be resolved. And do you know when they’ll resolve it? In the next episode. That’s how they keep bringing their audience back. And you should try to do the same thing when you tell your stories. At the very least, it will make the story more engaging, dramatic, and gripping.

Finally, you should introduce the first three elements we discussed here (the first or primary protagonist, antagonist, and conflict) before your main character even sets off on their journey. Giving your audience the proper background to the context of your story will better engage them, and keep them coming back for more.

4. Rising Action

As soon as your protagonist sets off on their journey, the rising action begins. Throughout the rising action, each step of the protagonist’s journey should put them into more and more direct contact with the antagonist, as well as the conflict. As a result, there is an increasing escalation each step of the journey. By the end of the rising action, there should be a dramatic build-up to the climax. But don’t reveal too much. You don’t want to give anything away before the climax. Use powerful words, vivid imagery, and/or dramatic music in your final build-up to the climax.

Climbing a mountain is the perfect metaphor for the rising action. Your journey up the mountain starts out pretty easily. The weather’s nice, the terrain isn’t steep, and you feel good and fresh. As you make your way up the mountain, though, conditions begin to change. Not only does the terrain get steeper, but the weather starts to turn. Winds pick up and temperatures start to drop. Furthermore, there is less air to breathe at higher elevations, tiring you out that much quicker.

The most difficult part of the ascent is the final push to the summit. The terrain is treacherous, making for slow progress. Icy winds and heavy snow only compound the problem. Finally, the rarified air leaves you gasping for breath every step. But you keep pushing forward because you know there is an incredible reward at the summit. That’s exactly how the final build-up to the climax of your story should work.

Short Example of a Rising Action in Action

In the short video below, you’ll find an announcement video I made for the next chapter of my life and business. In the first 30 seconds of the clip, I go over my history and accomplishments as a still photographer. At the end of that rising action, you’ll see a build-up to the big reveal that I’m adding video to my arsenal of visual storytelling. Take special note of the music, imagery, and words being used. Notice how the tension and drama builds up a lot quicker right before the reveal than it does at the beginning.

5. Climax

This is the moment everyone’s been waiting for, and the most exciting of your story elements. Tension is high coming out of your rising action as the audience sits on the edge of their seats, eagerly waiting to see what happens. Then you make the big reveal.

The climax is the most pivotal and exciting part of the story. It’s the moment you reveal the resolution to your protagonist’s conflict. As the action of the story transitions towards the conclusion, you transition from the rising action to the falling action. You don’t want the climax right at the beginning of your story, but it can go anywhere in the middle or towards the end.

You should maximize tension, drama and emotion at the end of the rising action right before you reveal the resolution to the conflict. As a result, use your most vivid imagery and most powerful language to show your story’s climax. But your story isn’t quite over, yet. You’ll likely still have some loose ends to tie up, which you’ll take care of in the next section.

Going back to the metaphor of climbing a mountain, the climax occurs when you reach the summit. You can finally exhale, take a break, and soak in the spectacular views. It’s a well-earned reward after a grueling hike up the mountain. However, you shouldn’t relax too much. Your journey is only half-way done because you still have to get back down the mountain.

6. Dénouement or Falling Action

Now that you’ve unveiled the resolution of your story, it’s time to tie up those loose ends left over from the climax. Ironically, the word dénouement literally translates from French as ”the untying of the knot.” However, the context of dénouement refers to the conflict as a knot that you’re untying. Don’t confuse it with the fact that you’re also tying up loose ends in your story.

In addition to tying up loose ends, the dénouement should also begin to establish the main characters’ new normal. Reveal any last secrets or fates that were left over from the climax. The dénouement should not just end the story. It should validate it.

Unlike the rising action, tension, drama, and emotion should drop throughout the course of the dénouement, opposite to how it rose throughout the rising action. Using the mountain climbing metaphor, the dénouement is the descent back down the mountain after you summit. Just like the final push to the summit is the hardest part of the ascent, the first part of the descent is the hardest part of the way down. The descent gets easier as the further down you get. The terrain gets less difficult, the weather gets warmer, and there’s more air to breathe as you drop in elevation.

Finally, if you’re planning anything further, such as another chapter, episode, or sequel, plant the hook to that next segment at the end of the dénouement. Leave your audience quenching to come back and see what happens next.

7. The Characters’ Lives After This Journey

While many storytellers end their stories after the dénouement, I prefer to have one extra element, especially if there will not be any further chapters, episodes, or sequels. In this section, we dive in and fully immerse ourselves in the protagonist’s new day-to-day life. Bring the story full-circle and show your protagonist’s new normal and how the journey changed them.

• Did they learn a lesson from the experience?
• Do they have a new outlook on life? Why or why not?
• How else have they changed? What else are they doing differently?
• What, if anything, of relevance lies ahead for them?

Conclusion

Following Freytag’s Pyramid is one of the easiest and most effective ways to tell a story that engages, hooks, and even grips your audience. Without those elements, you really don’t have a story to tell. Storytelling is an art form, and it’s not uncommon to struggle with it, especially when you’re first starting out. But just remember, while telling is literally in the word storytelling, you want to show your audience, not tell them. And once you master the art of storytelling, it’s amazing the doors it will open for you.

Top Image: A Snow-Packed Road en Route to Grand Canyon
Flagstaff, Arizona – January, 2017

The post How to Use Freytag’s Pyramid Elements to Tell an Engaging, Gripping Story appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image Format. It’s a standard that defines the data or information related to any media you capture with a digital camera. It can include data such as:

• Image Size
• File Name and Location on Your Computer
• Camera and Lens Make/Model
• Exposure Settings (Aperture, Shutter, ISO, etc)
• Date and Time the Photo was Taken
• Location and Elevation Where the Photo was Taken
• Photographer’s Name and Contact Info
• Copyright Info
• Software Used to Post-Process the Image
• Much More

Why Do You Need to Edit EXIF Data?

Regardless of whether you need to add or remove EXIF data, there are plenty of reasons to edit it. In my nearly two decades doing photography, here are some of the more common reasons I’ve had to edit EXIF data.

• Strip out sensitive information when you post photos publicly on the web
• Add location data or geotag images for cameras that don’t have GPS
• Add or update titles, descriptions, and captions
• Rate, label, and tag images
• Add or update your contact info and/or copyright information

If you’re planning to sell your photography in any way, shape, or form, you better have fully populated EXIF data. For example, let’s consider stock photography websites. They use the EXIF data embedded in your images to return the most relevant images in search results. Without fully-populated EXIF data, your images won’t be returned in their searches, and you won’t make any sales as a result.

Available Tools to Bulk Edit EXIF Data

Thankfully, there are numerous tools available so you can edit your photos’ EXIF data. They all support bulk editing, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re updating one photo or a million.

• Photo editors and organizers such as Adobe Lightroom
• EXIF Editors are available for all operating systems, including iOS and Android. Many are free.
• Python

Do be aware that while many EXIF editors advertise themselves as free, they often come with heavy restrictions if you don’t want to pay for the full software. Because of these restrictions, Python is one of the few tools that can edit EXIF data both for free and without restrictions. In this tutorial, we’re going to use Python to add EXIF data to a series of images.

Python Image Libraries

In previous tutorials, we’ve used Python’s Pillow Library to do everything from editing and post-processing to removing noise from and adding location data to photos. And we’ll show in this tutorial that you can use Pillow to add, edit, and remove EXIF data. However, there’s a better Python tool to manage and edit your EXIF data: the exif library.

So what makes the exif library better than Pillow? For that, we have to look at how the computer stores and reads EXIF data. In the computer, EXIF parameters are stored as numeric codes instead of English words. For example, instead of “Camera Make”, the computer just sees 271. Likewise, the computer sees 36867 instead of “Date/Time Image Taken”.

To edit the EXIF data using Pillow, you need to know the numeric key for each field you want to edit. Considering that there are thousands of these numeric keys in use, you’ll spend an incredible amount of time just searching for they numeric keys you want. On the other hand, the exif library uses human-readable keys to edit the EXIF data. We’ll go over how to use both libraries, so you can decide which one you prefer.

Install the Pillow and Exif Libraries (If You Haven’t Already)

Before diving into EXIF data, you’ll need to install the Python Pillow and Exif libraries if you haven’t already. With pip, it’s a couple quick commands in a Terminal or Command Prompt.

pip3 install pillow
pip3 install exif

Import the Image Property from both the Pillow and Exif Libraries into Your Python Script

In order to run code from the Pillow and Exif libraries, you’ll need to import the Image property from each library into your Python script. To avoid name conflicts, we’ll call them ExifImage and PillowImage. From the Pillow library, we’ll also import the ExifTags property, which converts the numeric EXIF tags into human-readable tags.

from exif import Image as ExifImage
from PIL import Image as PillowImage
from PIL import ExifTags

Images for this Demo

I’ve included three images with this tutorial, but you can add as many of your own as you please. One set has the metadata intact, which we’ll use for reading the metadata. I stripped the EXIF data out of the other set, so we can add it with Python. I also took the images with three different cameras.

Back Up Your Images Before You Begin

Before you do anything with the Python code, make a copy of the folder containing your original images. You never know when something will go wrong. With a backup, you can always restore your images to their original state.

Reading EXIF Data with Python

First, we’ll loop through the images and extract the camera make and model, the date and time the image was taken, as well as the location data.

The steps to read the EXIF data from each image and output it to the terminal window are as follows.

1. Open the image
2. Extract the value of each metadata tag displayed in the table above
3. Print the human-readable tag and the value in the terminal window.

Define the Universal Parameters You’ll Use to Extract EXIF Data in the Python Script

In our Python script, the first thing we need to do is define the universal parameters we’ll use throughout the script. First, we’ll create a list of the image filenames.

images = ["baseball.jpg", "cape-cod.jpg", "stonehenge.jpg"]

Next, define the EXIF Tags for the Pillow library that will extract the data we want. Remember, that Pillow uses the EXIF numeric tags.

PILLOW_TAGS = [
    271,    # Camera Make
    272,    # Camera Model
    36867,  # Date/Time Photo Taken
    34853,  # GPS Info
]

Finally, create a variable to store the EXIF tags for the Exif library. The Exif library uses human-readable tags, so please consult their documentation for the full list of tags.

EXIF_TAGS = [
    "make",
    "model",
    "datetime_original",
    "gps_latitude",
    "gps_latitude_ref",
    "gps_longitude",
    "gps_longitude_ref",
    "gps_altitude",
]

Read EXIF Data with the Pillow Library

To extract the EXIF data from all of the images at once, we’ll loop through the images variable we defined above. We’ll print the image filename and then set the image path inside the with-metadata folder.

for img in images:
    print(img)
    image_path = "with-metadata/{}".format(img)

Next, open the image with Pillow and extract the EXIF data using the getexif() method.

pillow_img = PillowImage.open(image_path)
img_exif = pillow_img.getexif()

Now, we’ll loop through the tags. Pillow has a property called ExifTags that we’ll use to get the human-readable definition of each numeric tag. Do note that you’ll need to wrap it in a try/except block to skip properties that are not set. Without it, you’ll get an error and the script will crash if a property is not set. For example, the Cape Cod and Stonehenge images do not have GPS/location data. Finally, print the human-readable tag and the value to the Terminal window.

for tag in PILLOW_TAGS:
    try:
        english_tag = ExifTags.TAGS[tag]
        value = img_exif[tag]
    except:
        continue
    print("{}: {}".format(english_tag, value))

Final Pillow Code

Put it all together into nice, compact block of code.

for img in images:
    print(img)
    image_path = "with-metadata/{}".format(img)
    pillow_img = PillowImage.open(image_path)
    img_exif = pillow_img.getexif()
    
    for tag in PILLOW_TAGS:
        try:
            english_tag = ExifTags.TAGS[tag]
            value = img_exif[tag]
        except:
            continue
        print("{}: {}".format(english_tag, value))

When you run the script, it will output the info about each photo.

baseball.jpg
Make: samsung
Model: SM-G965F
DateTimeOriginal: 2019:03:25 18:06:05
GPSInfo: æ0: b'Øx02Øx02Øx00Øx00', 1: 'N', 2: (33.0, 25.0, 50.0), 3: 'W', 4: (111.0, 52.0, 53.0), 5: b'Øx00', 6: 347.0, 7: (1.0, 6.0, 0.0), 27: b'ASCIIØx00Øx00Øx00GPS', 29: '2019:03:26'å

cape-cod.jpg
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS R5
DateTimeOriginal: 2022:03:22 20:58:52

stonehenge.jpg
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D3000
DateTimeOriginal: 2022:02:16 21:36:08

A Quick Word on Interpreting the GPS Output

When you look at the GPS output, you’re probably wondering what the hell you’re looking at. To decipher it, let’s break it down and look at the important components. FYI, Pillow returns latitude and longitude coordinates as tuples of (degrees, minutes, seconds).

1: 'N', 
2: (33.0, 25.0, 50.0), 
3: 'W', 
4: (111.0, 52.0, 53.0),
6: 347.0,

Here’s what it all means.

1. 'N' indicates that the latitude coordinate is in the northern hemisphere. It returns 'S' for southern hemisphere latitudes.
2. (33.0, 25.0, 50.0) contains the degrees, minutes, and seconds of the latitude coordinates. In this case, it’s 33°25’50″N.
3. 'W' indicates that the longitude coordinate is in the western hemisphere. It returns 'E' for eastern hemisphere longitudes.
4. The (111.0, 52.0, 53.0) tuple contains the degrees, minutes, and seconds of the longitude coordinates. Here, it’s 111°52’53″W.
5. 347.0 is the altitude at which the photo was taken, in meters.

Remember, it’s the baseball picture that’s geotagged. If we plot those coordinates on a map, it should return the Chicago Cubs’ Spring Training ballpark in Mesa, Arizona. Indeed, it even correctly shows us sitting down the first base line.

Read EXIF Data with the Exif Library

Extracting EXIF data from your photos using the Exif library is very similar to the Pillow library. Again, we’ll start by printing the image filename and set the image path inside the with-metadata folder.

for img in images:
    print(img)
    image_path = "with-metadata/{}".format(img)

Next, we’ll read the image into the Exif library. However, unlike Pillow, the Exif library automatically extracts all the EXIF data when you instantiate the Image object. As a result, we do not need to call any additional methods or functions.

with open(image_path, "rb") as input_file:
    img = ExifImage(input_file)

Because the Exif library automatically extracts the EXIF data, all you need to do is just loop through the tags and extract each one with the get() method. And unlike the Pillow library, the Exif library also automatically handles instances where data points are missing. It won’t throw an error, so you don’t need to wrap it in a try/except block.

for tag in EXIF_TAGS:
    value = img.get(tag)
    print(“{}: {}”.format(tag, value))

Final Exif Library Code

When you put everything together, it’s even cleaner than using the Pillow library.

for img in images:
    print(img)
    image_path = “with-metadata/{}”.format(img)
    with open(image_pdaath, ”rb”) as input_file:
        img = ExifImage(img_file)

    for tag in EXIF_TAGS:
        value = img.get(tag)
        print(“{}: {}”.format(tag, value))

When you run the script, the output from the Exif library should be identical to the output from the Pillow library, with one exception. The Exif Library breaks down the GPS data into its components. You’ll still get the same tuples you do with the Pillow library, but it labels what each component of the GPS data is using English words instead of numeric codes.

baseball.jpg
make: samsung
model: SM-G965F
datetime_original: 2019:03:25 18:06:05
gps_latitude: (33.0, 25.0, 50.0)
gps_latitude_ref: N
gps_longitude: (111.0, 52.0, 53.0)
gps_longitude_ref: W
gps_altitude: 347.0

cape-cod.jpg
make: Canon
model: Canon EOS R5
datetime_original: 2022:03:22 20:58:52
gps_latitude: None
gps_latitude_ref: None
gps_longitude: None
gps_longitude_ref: None
gps_altitude: None

stonehenge.jpg
make: NIKON CORPORATION
model: NIKON D3000
datetime_original: 2022:02:16 21:36:08
gps_latitude: None
gps_latitude_ref: None
gps_longitude: None
gps_longitude_ref: None
gps_altitude: None

Writing, Editing, and Updating EXIF Data Using Python

To demonstrate how to write and edit EXIF data, we’re going to add a simple copyright message to the all three images. That message will simply say ”Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved.” We’ll also add your name to the EXIF data as the artist/photographer.

Universal Tags We’ll Use Throughout the Python Script

Just like we did when we read the EXIF data from the image, we’ll define the artist and copyright tags we’ll use to edit the EXIF data in each library. We’ll also store the values we’ll set the tags to in the VALUES variable.

PILLOW_TAGS = [
    315,     # Artist Name
    33432,   # Copyright Message
[

EXIF_TAGS = [
    “artist”,
    ”copyright”,
]

VALUES = [
    “Matthew Gove”,    # Artist Name
    ”Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.”  # Copyright Message
]

How to Edit EXIF Data with the Pillow Library

In order to edit the EXIF data, you need to open the image with the Pillow Library and load the EXIF data using the getexif() method. This code is identical to when we read the metadata. The only difference is that we’re loaded the image from the without-metadata folder.

for img in images:
    image_path = “without-metadata/{}”.format(img)
    pillow_image = PillowImage.open(image_path)
    img_exif = pillow_img.getexif()

Now, all we have to do is loop through the tags we want to set (which are in the PILLOW_TAGS variable) and set them to the corresponding values in VALUES.

for tag, value in zip(PILLOW_TAGS, VALUES):
    img_exif[tag] = value

Finally, just save the changes to your image. For the purposes of this tutorial, we are saving the final images separate from the originals. When you update your EXIF data, feel free to overwrite the original image. You can always restore from the backup we made if needed.

output_file = img
pillow_img.save(output_file, exif=img_exif)

That’s all there is to it. When you put it all together, you have a nice, efficient, and compact block of code.

for img in images:
    image_path = “without-metadata/{}”.format(img)
    pillow_image = PillowImage.open(image_path)
    img_exif = pillow_img.getexif()

    for tag, value in zip(PILLOW_TAGS, VALUES):
        img_exif[tag] = value

    output_file = img
    pillow_img.save(output_file, exif=img_exif)

How to Edit EXIF Data with the Exif Library

Editing EXIF data with the Exif library is even easier than it is using Pillow. We’ll start by loading the image without the metadata into the Exif library. You can cut and paste this code from the script that reads the EXIF data. Just don’t forget to change the with-metadata folder to without-metadata.

for img in images:
    image_path = “without-metadata/{}”.format(img)
    with open(image_path, ”rb”) as input_file:
        exif_img = ExifImage(input_file)

Here’s where it gets really easy to edit the EXIF data and set new values. If you have a lot of EXIF data to edit, by all means put everything into a loop. However, for simplicity, you also do this.

exif_img.artist = “Matthew Gove
exif_img.copyright = “Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.”

Then save the file. Like we did with the Pillow library, we’ll save everything to a new file for purposes of the tutorial. However, feel free to overwrite the images when you use it in the real world.

output_filepath = img
with open(output_filepath, ”wb”) as ofile:
    ofile.write(exif_img.get_file())

Put it all together and you can update and edit your EXIF data with just 10 lines of Python code.

for img in images:
    image_path = "without-metadata/{}".format(img)
    with open(image_path, "rb") as input_file:
        exif_img = ExifImage(input_file)
    
    exif_img.artist = "Matthew Gove"
    exif_img.copyright = "Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved."

    with open(img, "wb") as ofile:
        ofile.write(exif_img.get_file())

Confirming Your EXIF Edits Worked

The final step in editing your EXIF data is to confirm that the Python code actually worked. In the script, I copied logic from when we read the EXIF data to confirm that our edits were added and saved correctly. Indeed, when you run the script, you’ll see the following confirmation in the Terminal window. Alternatively, you can open the photo in any photo editor, such as Adobe Lightroom, to confirm that the new EXIF data has been added to it.

PILLOW
=======
baseball.jpg 
Artist: Matthew Gove
Copyright: Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.

cape-cod.jpg
Artist: Matthew Gove
Copyright: Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.

stonehenge.jpg
Artist: Matthew Gove
Copyright: Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.

################################

EXIF
======
baseball.jpg
artist: Matthew Gove
copyright: Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.

cape-cod.jpg
artist: Matthew Gove
copyright: Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.

stonehenge.jpg
artist: Matthew Gove
copyright: Copyright 2022 Matthew Gove. All Rights Reserved.

Download the Code in This Tutorial

You can download the code we wrote in this tutorial from our Bitbucket repository. Please feel free to play around with it and update it to suit your needs. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below.

Conclusion

Python is an incredibly powerful tool to update and edit your EXIF data. And best of all, it’s one of the few EXIF editing tools that is completely free, without any restrictions on what you can do with it. It’s fast, easy-to-use, and infintely scalable. EXIF metadata is not the sexiest aspect of photography by any means. But it is one of the most critical. When you don’t manage it correctly, you are literally costing yourself both time and money.

If you want help getting started with your EXIF data, please get in touch with us today. As experts in both photography and data science, there are not many people who know the ins and outs of EXIF data better than we do. Alternatively, if you would just like to see more tutorials, I invite you to please join our email list and subscribe to our YouTube channel. See you in the next tutorial.

The post How to Bulk Edit Your Photos’ EXIF Data with 10 Lines of Python appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

An Introduction to the Lightroom Map Area

Adobe Lightroom comes with a really nice map interface to browse, explore, and view your photos. Unfortunately, if your photos aren’t geotagged, the feature is worthless.

Lightroom’s map feature lets you browse, explore, and view your photos and videos on an interactive map. You can also easily edit and geotag your photos from the map, as well as create collections, tag keywords, and much more.

Are You One of the Many Travel Photographers Struggling to Geotag Your Photos in Lightroom Without a Built-in GPS?

If your photos and videos are already geotagged when you import them into Lightroom, the map gets set up automatically. However, many cameras still don’t have built-in GPS. You can buy a GPS adaptor to mount to the top of your camera, but they come with plenty of drawbacks. First, with a GPS mounted to the top of your camera, you won’t be able to mount a flash or a mic there. And what if you have multiple cameras? At $200-300 a pop, the cost of outfitting each camera with a GPS unit can snowball out of control incredibly fast.

Alternatively, you can use a smartphone app that your camera manufacturer makes. When you snap a picture, the app uses the GPS in your phone to record the location and sends it to your camera over bluetooth. While I have not used these apps much, be aware that smartphones usually disable the GPS when it’s not actively in use to conserve battery. Unfortunately, if you phone’s GPS goes into standby or sleep mode during a photo shoot, it will often send the last location the GPS registered, which may not necessarily be your current location. As a result, many people have complained that these apps are not accurate or reliable for geotagging photos and videos.

So where do you go from here? This is where my method comes in. This method is by no means anything bleeding edge or earth-shattering. In fact, a quick Google search will reveal that it’s widely used throughout the photography and filmmaking industries. And best of all, it only requires one GPS regardless of how many cameras you have. However, there are still a few places it can trip you up. As a result, I want to use my background in GIS and data science to make sure that you fully understand both what the data is and what you’re doing with it. You unfortunately won’t find that in many other tutorials.

How to Use Handheld GPS (or Smartphone) to Geotag Your Photos and Videos in Adobe Lightroom

The strategy to geotag photos in Adobe Lightroom without a built-in GPS is staggeringly simple. While you’re out on your photo or video shoot, use a handheld GPS to record your movement. Then, in post-production match the timestamp on the GPS track to the timestamp on your camera to get the latitude and longitude coordinates for the geotag. Once you add the latitude and longitude to the metadata, Lightroom will automatically look up and add the city, state/province, and country that correspond to those coordinates.

Software You’ll Need

The only software you need to geotag your photos without a built-in GPS is Adobe Lightroom itself. Additionally, depending on what GPS and computer models you’re using, you may need additional software to pull the track off the GPS. If you have a Garmin GPS, don’t worry. All of their software is available free of charge. For example, my handheld GPS uses Garmin’s Basecamp software to offload the track data. On the other hand, the GPS I use in the car mounts like an external hard drive, so I can copy the track to my local disk using the Finder or File Explorer.

The track files you pull off your GPS are stored in GPS Exchange, or GPX format. GPX is an open source, non-proprietary file that stores GPS data for software applications. Data is stored in XML format, which is light-weight and usable in both desktop and web-based applications. In addition to latitude/longitude coordinates and timestamps, GPX files can also store speed, elevation, waypoints, routes, points of interest, and much more.

You can view GPX files in numerous desktop and web-based applications, ranging from Google Maps to QGIS and ArcMap to even the Matt Gove Photo maps. However, for the purpose of geotagging photos, the easiest application to view your GPX files is actually Lightroom. You can preview your track right in the Lightroom map before you geotag your photos.

Sync the Clocks on Your GPS and Camera Before You Head Out in the Field

Before you head out for your shoot, your single most important task is to sync the clocks between your handheld GPS and each camera you’ll be using. If the clocks are not synced, your photos and videos will not be geotagged in the correct location.

If your travels keep you confined to a single time zone, feel free to sync everything to your local time zone. However, if your travels take you across multiple time zones, you should sync all of your devices to UTC. Also called Zulu Time, UTC is the modern standard that the world uses to regulate time. It differs from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), as GMT is based on the Earth’s rotation, while the more accurate UTC is based on the atomic measurements.

If your camera or GPS does not offer UTC as a time zone, set it to London (make sure daylight savings is off) or Iceland. In addition, Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is on UTC year-round.

Once you get out in the field where you’ll be shooting, simply turn on your handheld GPS and throw it in your bag, or put it somewhere that will be out of the way, but with you all day. Make sure the batteries are all charged at the beginning of the day. Finally, don’t forget to carry a spare set of batteries if you’re expecting a lengthy shoot.

Add Location Data in Post-Production in Adobe Lightroom

Now that your shoot is finished, it’s time to geotag your photos and videos in Lightroom. Before we get started, though, there’s another important note about time zones that if not done correctly, will result in your photos not being geotagged correctly.

A Word of Caution About Time Zones in GPX Data vs EXIF Camera Metadata

If you’ve synced your GPS and cameras to UTC, be aware of the difference in how GPX files handle time zones vs the camera’s EXIF metadata. GPX files have the time zone embedded in them. EXIF metadata records the time in the time zone that your camera is set to, but does not actually record the time zone itself in the metadata. In other words, the GPX file sees the time stamp as “2022-04-11 15:21 UTC”, while the EXIF metadata in the camera only sees “2022-04-11 15:21”.

Why is this important, you ask? Because when you offload the GPX file to your computer, your computer automatically converts its timestamp back to local time. For example, let’s say I’m on the east coast of the US, which is 4 hours behind UTC. The computer all of a sudden now sees the GPX timestamp as “2022-04-11 11:21 EDT”, while it still sees the EXIF metadata as “2022-04-11 15:21” (which it incorrectly assumes is also EDT because the EXIF data does not include the time zone). If you try to sync your photos to the GPX track, they’ll all be four hours off!

Thankfully, re-aligning the time zones is incredibly easy in Adobe Lightroom. When you load the GPX file into Lightroom, it will ask you if you want to correct the time zone. If you’ve synced your cameras to UTC, simply take the UTC offset of your local timezone and reverse the sign. For example, if you’re on the US east coast, which is UTC-4, set the time zone correction to +4 hours. This tells Lightroom to add 4 hours to the “2022-04-11 11:21 EDT” GPX timestamp, syncing it back up with the “2022-04-11 15:21” timestamp on the camera.

Still confused? If you don’t want to deal with having to adjust timezones in Lightroom, there’s an easy alternative. Simply set your computer’s time zone to UTC before you import anything into Lightroom. Once you’re finished geotagging your photos, set the time zone on your computer back to local time.

Import the GPX File and the Photos and Videos From Your Shoot into Lightroom

To import the GPX File into Lightroom, first open the map viewer. At the bottom of the window, you’ll see a bar to select the map style, a zoom slider, a lock, and a track button, which is circled in green below.

Click the track button and select “Load Tracklog” at the very top of the menu. Navigate to the tracklogs you just pulled off your GPS. Click OK to load them into Lightroom.

Now, you’ll set the time zone offset as we discussed in the previous section. If you’re working in your local time zone (or have set your computer’s time zone to UTC to match the camera and GPS), you don’t need to add any offset to the track. Remember, if you synced the camera and GPS to UTC, simply take the UTC offset of your local time zone and flip the sign. In other words, set the offset to +4 hours for Eastern Time (UTC-4) or +7 hours for Pacific Time (UTC-7). Click OK to confirm the time zone offset.

You should see the trackline from your adventure appear on the map. Do note that if Lightroom detects that your tracklog time zone does not appear to match the time zone of your photos, it will highlight the trackline log time in red. In that case, click the track button at the bottom and select “Set Time Zone Offset” to set the correct time zone.

Once you’ve confirmed that the track loaded correctly, then import your photos and videos just like you always have.

Geotag Your Photos in Lightroom with the Click of a Button

Now that both the track and your media are all in place, it’s time to geotag them in Lightroom. In the filmstrip at the bottom of the window, select the photos and videos you want to geotag. Then, click on the track button once again, and select “Auto-Tag XX Selected Photos”, where XX is the number of photos you selected.

You should see a bunch of points appear on your trackline. Hover over them and you’ll see your photos. If they’re not quite in the right position, you can drag them around to put them in the right place.

Don’t Have a Handheld GPS? Use a Smartphone Instead.

If you don’t have a handheld GPS, there are plenty of smartphone apps out there to generate a GPX file of your adventure. In the past I’ve always used the AllTrails app, which is available for free for both Apple and Android devices. AllTrails is designed for hiking and biking, but you can use it to track any activity. Here are directions to export your track from the AllTrails app. Make sure you export it as a GPX track, and not a GPX route.

Alternate Methods to Geotag Your Photos in Lightroom without a Built-in GPS

While geotagging photos and videos in Adobe Lightroom using a GPX track is by far the easiest and most accurate way to add location data to your images and videos, it’s not the only way.

First off, Lightroom offers several ways to add location data manually. You can directly edit the metadata of your images directly in Lightroom, or use the map interface to geotag your images. You can find plenty of tutorials for manual geotagging with a quick Google search. For more information, here is Adobe’s official documentation.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few drawbacks to geotagging your images manually. While it works fine for a few photos, it’s impossible to scale up to large photo albums, collections, and libraries, unless you have a serious amount of both time and will to put into it.

You can also geotag your photos using Python. We’ll cover this in a future tutorial, but you can use Python’s Pillow library to add location to your images’ metadata. You’ll need to loop through your image files, add the appropriate location metadata (lat/long coordinates or city/state/country), and then save the files. Be aware that this can get very complicated if you have a lot of photos taken in a lot of different locations. However, unlike manually adding location data, using Python is infinitely scalable, both up and down.

Conclusion

Geotagging photos is a critical part of both the workflow and staying organized as a landscape and travel photographer. With so many cameras still lacking built-in GPS functionalities, it becomes even more critical to know how to geotag photos in Adobe Lightroom without built-in GPS. Using GPX track files is by far the best alternative to built-in GPS that’s out there. Except for a few spots time zones can trip you up, the method is foolproof, accurate, reliable, and only requires one GPS, regardless of how many cameras you have. In my book, though, the benefits of having a geotagged library far outweigh the occasional hiccup from a mislabeled time zone.

Interested in more of these tutorials? I’n addition to the blog entries, I’ll be posting them to YouTube and sending them out via our email newsletter as well. Please subscribe to our email newsletter and our YouTube channel for the latest tutorials, and get exclusive deals to our online store that are not available anywhere else.

The post How to Geotag Your Photos in Adobe Lightroom Without a Built-in GPS appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

Today, we’ll be using these essential story elements to tell the story of the EF-5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma on 20 May, 2013. Even though we’ll be using maps and photography to tell the story, you could easily use a video, blog post, podcast, and much more, too.

Plan As Many Story Elements as You Can

It’s hard to tell a story if you don’t know the basic elements. As a result, you should plan out as many elements of your story as possible. If you’re planning a photo and video shoot, these elements of your story don’t need to be set in stone – there’s a lot if improvising in making travel videos, for example, especially if you’re going to be shooting in a location you’ve never been to before.

But you should have at least a general idea of how you’ll portray your story to your readers. Without that planning, you’ll likely miss shots while you’re out filming, and negatively impact the quality of your final presentation. Simply do your research and plan out your story before you go out on a photo or video shoot. This technique works, even for difficult-to-plan genres, such as travel videos.

1. Set the Stage in the Setting

At the beginning of your story, you have a very limited time to set the stage for your story. With video, you you need to both set the stage and hook your viewer in the first 10-15 seconds.

For the Moore tornado, the stage will be set on the morning of 20 May. It’s the third, and most dangerous day of a three-day tornado outbreak across the southern plains. The previous day had seen violent tornadoes in Oklahoma, including an EF-4 inside the Oklahoma City metro that carved a path from Norman to Shawnee. We’ll use the Day 1 SPC outlooks and discussions to set the stage (note the usage of the strong, long-track tornadoes wording), as well as storm reports from the 19th. Furthermore, when you stepped outside that morning, it just had “that felling” that something significant was about to happen.

2. Determine the Point of View From Which Your Story is Told

From whose point of view will you be telling your story? Consider a murder mystery. The story will have a very different feel being told from the murderer’s point of view vs the detectives’ point of view.

For an event like the Moore tornado, you could choose to tell it through the point of view of the news media. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, there is a much better way to tell the story. And that’s through the eyes of someone who was there when it happened. As a result, I’ll be sharing my firsthand account of my experience that day.

3. Introduce Your Characters

Before you begin telling your story, you should at the very least know who the main characters are. For the Moore tornado (and some of my travel videos), I am the main character. On the other hand, if you’re telling the story of a place or event with historical significance, you’ll need to transport your audience back in time. The people who lived through those historical events will be your main characters. But to fully immerse your audience in your story, try making them the main character. Tell your story in second person, and let your audience experience it.

If you’re planning the story of something that can’t be scripted – like travel videos or blogs – it’s perfectly okay to not know every single character. When you’re traveling, you never know the interesting people with colorful personalities you’ll meet along the way. This could be a random stranger you’re sitting next to at lunch or on the train. Maybe it’s the proprietor of an incredible hole-in-the-wall coffee shop you stopped at along the way. Or perhaps, it’s the local guide that you hired for that bucket-list experience. Once you get done filming your adventure, just make sure you know how every character works into your story. And if they don’t play a meaningful role in moving your story along, leave them out.

4. Every Story Needs a Hook

The hook is one of the most important elements of your story, if not the most important. As you set the stage for your story, you also need to dangle a “hook” to your reader or viewer. That hook is designed to draw them into the story. It shouldn’t leave them just yearning to see what happens next. It should leave them craving it. Have you ever binge-watched a show all at once? The writers of bingeable shows are incredibly gifted at creating effective hooks. Those hooks are what keeps you pushing forward to the next episode instead of turning off the TV and going to do something else.

A good hook gives a sneak peak of what’s coming, but doesn’t give the storyline away. It could be a review of the conflict, the resolution, or anything else in the story. For the Moore tornado, we can state what the tornado hit – two elementary schools and a hospital. Notice that we didn’t say how much damage was done or if there were any injuries or causalities. We could also show the radar and the tornado emergency that was issued for the City of Moore as the tornado barreled towards it.

5. The Plot

The plot is the most important of all story elements, by far. In fact, I could write an entire post (and I probably will) on how to structure your plot to keep your readers engaged and wanting to know what will happen next. Plots are broken into 5 elements, and we can use a Freytag’s Pyramid to illustrate those 5 stages.

Plot Elements for Your Story

1. Exposition. Set the stage for your story. Introduce your characters, give your audience the hook to draw them in, and begin to introduce the primary conflict.
2. Rising Action. In this stage, your protagonist addresses the primary conflict with a form of action. As you approach the climax, those actions should build and escalate tension, like approaching the top of a roller coaster.
3. Climax. This is the pivotal moment your audience has been waiting for. Your protagonist will encounter their greatest challenge of the entire journey. It’s the culmination of the buildup of tension during the rising action phase. Make it exciting for your audience!
4. Falling Action. Your protagonist will deal with the consequences and fallout – both good and bad – of everything that happened during the climax. Keep your audience engaged by setting the stage for the story’s conclusion. By the end of this phase, you’ll be well on your way to a (hopefully satisfying) conclusion. Additionally, you should start resolving any conflicts that arose as a result of the climax.
5. Resolution or Dénouement. You can go one of two ways here. If this is actually the end of your story, wrap everything up. Tie up loose ends. Give your audience a sense of closure so they know the fate of your protagonist. On the other hand, if you’re writing a series or sequel, you should introduce another hook to leave your audience craving the next episode. Cliffhangers work exceptionally well as that hook.

Now, let’s look at how we can apply Freytag’s Pyramid to the plot of the story of the Moore tornado.

The Plot Elements of the Moore Tornado

6. Without a Conflict, There is No Story

Your story’s conflict answers the question of why your character is embarking on this journey. Without a conflict, you don’t have a story. It’s as simple as that. In your story, the conflict is what causes your character to take action and move the story forward. Conflicts can be both physical and mental. For example, if you’re telling a story about climbing Mt. Everest, the physical or external conflict consists of all the dangers your character encounters on their way to the summit. From frigid temperatures to thin air to dangerous terrain to altitude sickness, one false move could kill your character as they ascend the mountain.

On the other hand, let’s look at a mental conflict. Mental conflicts are internal journeys, and often tend to focus on a single main character. The best example of a simple mental conflict is a character’s journey to overcome their fear of heights so they can go skydiving or bungee jumping. You could also tell the story of how your protagonist overcame their stutter to become a great public speaker.

Keep in mind that while there is usually only one primary conflict, most stories have multiple conflicts. Additional conflicts tend to come in two forms. First, they can be sub-conflicts, that when put together, make up the primary conflict. If you’ve ever seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur’s quest to find the grail is comprised of numerous smaller conflicts they encounter along the way. The conflicts escalate as they get closer to the grail, culminating with the Bridge of Death and the Killer Bunny.

Cascading Conflicts in the Aftermath of the Moore Tornado

Conflicts in the story of the Moore Tornado fall into the second category of multiple conflicts. In these stories, the primary conflict sets off a series of additional conflicts during the falling action. In Moore, the primary conflict is the tornado itself. But after the tornado levels the city, a whole new slate of smaller conflicts emerges.

• With the city’s critical infrastructure destroyed, how do search and rescue teams coordinate and communicate their efforts?
• Debris is everywhere, rendering roads impassable. How do search and rescue teams get into these areas and rescue survivors without using the roads?
• The damage path is 17 miles long and 1 mile wide. Where do search and rescue teams, as well as city and state resources, prioritize their efforts?
• What do survivors do and where do we send them once they’re rescued? How do we get relief to storm victims as soon as possible?

There are obviously many more conflicts than just this following a major tornado, but this should get you started.

Even the Simplest Stories Have Conflicts

When you tell your story, remember that you can find conflict in even the simplest, most monotonous things. Take going to the grocery store as an example. I can think of one major conflict we’ve encountered going to the grocery store recently: the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even without a global pandemic, you can still find conflict to tell the story of your trip to the grocery store. Maybe you’re looking for a very special ingredient and have to go to 3 or 4 stores before you find it. Perhaps your character has fallen on hard times and needs to stretch a tight budget as far as possible. Or what if there’s a major winter storm coming and you have to fight through treacherous conditions and low supply to stock up ahead of the storm.

Conflicts can be really anything you think of, but you need to know your audience. If you create a story that your audience isn’t interested in, they’re not going to listen to you tell it. If you’re stuck looking for a conflict, ask yourself why your character is going on this journey. The answer to that question is the conflict in your story.

7. The Resolution

At the end of your story, you should tie up all loose ends and give your audience a sense of closure for how your story ended. Regardless of whether your story has a happy or sad ending, your audience should know what the characters’ lives will look like now that their struggles are over and the conflict has been resolved.

However, if you’re planning on writing a sequel or another episode, you can easily leave the door open to another chapter of the story. While one conflict is resolved, your character may facing another one. In that case, dangle another hook or cliffhanger to leave your audience eagerly waiting to come back for the next chapter. Then you can go back to the beginning of this guide and start the journey all over again.

The Moore Tornado Story in Maps and Pictures

Conclusion

Regardless of what media you are using to tell your story, you’ll be using the same seven elements to tell it. Planning is critical to being able to tell an insightful and engaging story, especially if you have to go out and shoot photos or video of it. Without a plan, your story will wander and ramble, and your audience will lose interest. Set the stage, hook them in, and leave them craving to see what happens next. Because at the end of the day, you shouldn’t want to just tell your story. You should want your audience to experience it.

Top Photo: The Reward at the End of a Tough Hike
Sedona, Arizona – August, 2016

The post The 7 Essential Elements You Need to Tell Your Story appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

If you haven’t heard the news yet, I sold my house in Arizona about a month ago to set off to travel and explore the world. Today, I want to formally invite you to follow along and experience this adventure of a lifetime with me.

Jump To: Full List of Resources to Bookmark, Subscribe, and/or Sign Up to Follow Along on this Adventure of a Lifetime

A History of Why We Travel

I first caught the travel and adventure bug chasing tornadoes as a meteorology student at the University of Oklahoma in 2011. Being able to get up close to something that is so beautiful and majestic, yet at the same time so powerful and destructive is a truly awe-inspiring experience. And paradoxically, when you get home, you can’t wait to get back out on the prairie and do it all over again. To this day, weather remains the heart and soul of my landscape and travel photography. It’s one of the main things that sets me apart from all the other travel bloggers, vloggers, and photographers out there.

Storm Chasing and Reality Collide in Heartbreak: The 2013 Moore, Oklahoma Tornado

Shortly after 3:00 PM on 20 May, 2013, an EF-5 tornado carved a 17-mile long gash through the heart of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore. It razed one of the most densely populated areas in Oklahoma, packing 210 mph winds. Tragically, it struck 2 elementary schools and a hospital, killing 24 people on its 39-minute reign of terror. To give you an idea of just how powerful that storm was, mail with Moore addresses fell from the sky as far away as Branson, Missouri.

Destroyed Neighborhoods in Moore, Oklahoma 9 Days After the May, 2013 Tornado.

Watching the tornado tear through the heart of Moore is hard to put into words. It was a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and helpless feeling watching so many people’s lives get turned upside down in a matter of minutes. Yet at the same time, being so close to something that powerful was easily one of the most awe-inspiring, memorable, and incredible experiences of my life. More importantly, it really made me rethink how I viewed not just storm chasing, but also travel and photography.

Interestingly, photography really helped capture and process all of the different emotions you felt during both the tornado and the recovery. It let me tell the story in a way that’s so much more powerful than words. The outpouring of support for Moore from all over the world was truly amazing, and I take an enormous amount of pride in being able to participate in both the support and the recovery. Ever since that day, I try to tell a story with every photo series and video I produce.

Routinely Visiting Mexico During the Trump Era: The Path to Becoming a Global Citizen

After moving to Arizona in 2015, I wanted to expand my horizons even further. To immerse myself in a new culture, and my third language, I started taking routine trips to Mexico. Stepping across the border and looking at your home country from the outside is a truly eye-opening experience. You’ll gain a new appreciation for the good things you have, and expose societal and cultural flaws you thought were completely normal. That’s actually the first step to becoming a global citizen.

A global citizen is someone who is aware of the world and has a sense of their role in it. They are involved as members of the international community and are committed to building on this community in a meaningful and positive way. Becoming a global citizen will broaden your global perspective and allow you to bring fresh, new views back to your own community. Photography and video storytelling are incredibly powerful means to engage communities and raise awareness both at home and abroad.

Into Lockdown: A Deadbeat Employer and the COVID-19 Pandemic Changes Everything

You don’t know how good something is until it’s gone. That saying could not be more true after losing my traveling and photography adventures for a period that’s measured in years. First, in late 2017, a company I had been working with decided to stop paying me and not tell me. I discovered this the day after signing the purchase contracts to buy my house.

When the dust settled, they had stolen nearly $50,000 in wages from me. By that time, the company had gone into bankruptcy and the CEO had fled the country. I didn’t see a dime from them. The ensuing financial struggle forced me into a de-facto lockdown as I started to dig myself out of the hole. Because I used photography as an escape during hard times, it just felt like a part of your identity was gone.

Thankfully, my fortunes turned around quickly. I landed a new contract with a new company that gave me basically full-time hours. When that project wrapped up in late 2019, I had finally dug myself out of that awful financial hole. The future was once again bright. Then the pandemic hit, and it was back into lockdown as the world slammed shut.

Severe Burnout was the Final Straw

Being locked down for 4 out of the last 5 years makes you question everything that’s brought you to this point. Then throw severe burnout from the stresses of the pandemic and the fallout from the 2020 election in Arizona (read: death threats and people waving guns at you from both sides of the political aisle pretty much anywhere you went in public) on top of that. It became clear that the only path forward was a major life overhaul. So I threw all my stuff in a storage unit in Las Vegas, put the house on the market, and set my eyes on traveling the world. For the first time since 2019, it actually felt like I had control over my future again.

A New Mission and Vision

When you go through such a major overhaul, it never hurts to redefine exactly what you want to get out of your next chapter. For me, it’s a chance to spread good in the world and pay it forward for everyone that helped me get through all those dark days.

Matthew Gove Web Development will Shift to Focus Exclusively on Telling Your Story Through Web-Based Data Science, GIS Maps, and Visual Media

As we step into this next chapter, there are some major changes coming to Matthew Gove Web Development. Most notably, we will no longer be building websites or doing straight web development (existing clients will be grandfathered in). After severely burning out last fall, it became clear that pure web development was one of the primary causes of the burnout. I’m not sure what triggered it, but I just don’t enjoy doing it anymore. It’s simply time to move on.

Instead, our mission has shifted to telling your story using web-based data science, GIS, and visual media – photography, videos, and graphic design. And just as it always has been, Python, mathematics, and logic will power nearly all of that content. We want to inspire the world through immersive storytelling that raises awareness to your missions and passions.

Video Will Play a Major Role in Our Next Chapter

It’s no secret that video has exploded in popularity over the past several years. Indeed, video consumption is expected to make up between 70 and 80 percent of all internet traffic by 2025. Which is precisely why we’re adding it to our repertoire.

After learning the art of video storytelling during the lockdowns, we will be posting videos of this adenture-of-a-lifetime on YouTube. Having done still photography for over 15 years, I’ve found the transition from still photography to videos has been largely seamless. However, I’d be lying to you if I said there was no learning curve. And best of all, telling stories with video has allowed me to really fine-tune my still photography, making it even better than it was before.

Video is the Perfect Complement to Still Photography

With still photography, my goal has always been to immerse you in the journey. However, with video, you won’t just be able to listen to our stories. You’ll be able to experience them with us. Photography is a visual-only medium of a single moment frozen in time. Video, on the other hand, immerses you in both visuals and sound, allowing you experience the adventure in a much more in-depth and complete manner. Here’s a sneak peek.

Now is this video my best work? Probably not. But considering all I had at my dispense was a GoPro and a cell phone, I’d say it came out pretty darn well.

As we pivot into this next exciting chapter, I will be investing close to $100,000 of proceeds from the house sale directly into the business. Most importantly, all of our equipment will be getting a much-needed upgrade. We’ll be getting new state-of-the-art cameras, computers, drones, software, and much more. But we’re far from stopping just here.

The Matt Gove Photo Store: Your Go-To Resource for All Things Travel, Photography, and Videography

Back in 2008, someone approached me and told me I should put my photos up for sale online. At the time, I was heading into my senior year of college, so all of my time was put towards completing my degree. But I put that comment about selling my photos in my back pocket and held onto it tight. I knew I wanted to sell my photos online. I just didn’t know when I would have the opportunity to. Over the next decade, it seemed like I either had the time or the money to launch the store, but never both at the same time. And then, the pandemic gave me the opportunity I had been waiting 13 years for.

In June 2021, the Matt Gove Photo Store formally opened its doors. While the initial product line was (and still is) quite limited, we will be massively expanding the store’s offerings over the next two to three years. In addition to photo prints, you’ll be able to purchase travel guides for your next adventure, Adobe Lightroom presets to improve your photography, online courses to learn the art of photography and video storytelling, and much, much more.

New Products Coming in 2022 and 2023

We are also working a brand new design for the store that will greatly enhance your shopping experience. If it hasn’t already launched when this is published, the new store design will be rolled out within a week or two of this post. Sales from our store help fund the rich, immersive, and interactive content we produce every single week. Your support only helps us add even more quality and value to our photos, videos, maps, courses, and much more. Shop Now.

You Are Formally Invited to Join Us (Virtually) and Experience the Adventure of a Lifetime

I want to formally invite you to join us virtually, follow along, and experience this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with us. Here is the full list of our websites, channels, and everything else you need to tag along.

If you’re subscribed to either the Matt Gove Photo or Matthew Gove Web Development Facebook pages, please note that they will no longer be maintained or updated. In fact, I plan to close them down later this year. I strongly disagree with the way Facebook conducts itself, and can get my message out much better on other platforms. Please bookmark, subscribe, and/or sign up for any of the platforms listed above to stay up-to-date with the latest news.

A Sneak Peek at Our First Destinations

Okay, I know you’re itching to know where we’re going first. What are you going to experience when you tune into our YouTube channel for the latest video? As we wait for the world to fully reopen coming out of the pandemic, we expect to be confined to North America and the Caribbean for at least the rest of this year.

Before setting off to explore the world, one of the most important things you can do is to travel and experience as much of your home country as you can. As a result, my top short-term travel goal is to visit all 50 U.S. States. With the count of visited states currently sitting at 43, I hope to be able to tick off the remainder of the Lower 48 this summer. The remaining two – Alaska and Hawaii – will require a bit more planning. Additionally, I would like to visit all 13 Canadian provinces and territories, and also as many Mexican States as possible. 

A Summer Road Trip Across Canada

This summer, I’ll be doing a road trip across Canada on my way to one of my best friends’ wedding in California. After getting stuffed by bad weather in 2015 and 2019, I hope this will finally be the year that the weather cooperates at the Quebec National Parks. And seeing Jasper, Banff, and Yoho National Parks has long been on my bucket list. As for the rest of the trip, well, those plans are still in the works.

Heading to the Tropics for Some Warm Weather Next Winter

Furthermore, between the 2021 polar vortex and my adventures driving across the northern Rockies this past February, I am some ready for some warm weather. To that end, I’ll be heading south of the border to spend next winter in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. From our base in Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state, immerse yourself in rich Mayan and Mexican culture. 

Explore Mayan ruins, including Chichén Itzá, that are scattered throughout not just the Yucatán, but also parts of Guatemala. Cool off in the cenotes and relax on the palm-tree lined beaches. And if that’s not enough, the Yucatán is a great jumping off point to explore both Central America and the Caribbean. 

Barring any resurgence of COVID, we’ll finally expand beyond North America once we get into 2023 – most likely to Southeast Asia and/or South America. And are you curious as to what videos are coming down the pipe in the mean time? Have a look at the photo albums (2021 and 2022) from our recent 3-month trip across the western United States. We’ll have travel videos from every single one of those adventures coming in the following weeks.

Conclusion

There’s no better feeling in life than a fresh start or a new beginning. And I can’t think of a better way to do it than set out on a true adventure-of-a-lifetime. If you want to join us, our website, YouTube channel, and email newsletter are the best ways to follow along, as well as this blog. And if you have any questions, recommendations, or even just want to get together and collaborate on a project, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me any time. Thank you for your support. Let’s hit the road.

Top Photo: A Tranquil Turquoise Lagoon Surrounded by Majestic Snow-Capped Mountains Cleanses the Soul at Lake Tahoe
Incline Village, Nevada – February, 2020

The post The Next Chapter: We’re Setting off to Explore the World. Here’s How to Follow Along. appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

Anthony Bourdain once famously said, “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.” Travel has left plenty of marks on me over the years. However, this quote really hit home after a recent road trip I took through California. Today, I want to share that story with you.

What Causes Severe Drought in Western States Such as California?

Most people attribute drought to the lack of rain. However, it’s actually not the primary cause of severe drought in the western United States. To find the culprit, you need to look in an unexpected place. In fact, you’ll find it in the exact opposite of the summer season that makes headlines for searing temperatures and massive wildfires.

The winter season actually determines how severe the drought will be in California and throughout the west. More specifically, the amount of snow that falls in the mountains is what drives drought levels. In the spring, the snow melt feeds rivers, streams, and creeks, providing water to the valleys below. Unlike a rainstorm, snow melt is a slow process that provides a steady supply of water for months. And for many rivers, snow melt is their only source of water.

Most of California’s mountains snows fall in the Sierra Nevada. Rising over 14,000 feet above sea level, the Sierra runs pretty much the entire length of California’s eastern border with Nevada. During normal winters, pretty much every snow event in the Sierras is measured in feet, not inches. Snow melt from the Sierra Nevada alone provides water over 25 million Californians – about 65% of the state’s population.

The California Drought: Data and Statistics

Before diving into the drought data for the entire state of California, let’s have a look at annual snowfall in the Sierra Nevada over the past ten years. We’ll at two hotspots for heavy snow. First up is Donner Pass, which sits along Interstate 80 just west of Truckee and northwest of Lake Tahoe. Then, we’ll look Mammoth Mountain, one of California’s most popular ski resorts. Mammoth Mountain sits about 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Yosemite National Park.

Snowfalls are Way Down in Recent Years Throughout the West

From the bar chart, it’s pretty clear that snow levels in the Sierra Nevada are way down every year since 2018. This pattern is echoed across mountain ranges throughout the west, from Washington to New Mexico. As a result, water levels have plummeted across the entire region due to the lack of snow melt. The southwestern states, plus California have born the brunt of the recent drought.

To further compound the matter, smaller snowpacks mean that the snow melts faster. In 2021, snowpack across the entire state of California had completely melted by May, about two to three months earlier than average. The faster rate of snow melt results in most of the water running off instead of being absorbed into soils that so desperately need it.

As you can probably deduce, dry soils lock a layer of extremely dry air at the surface throughout the summer months. Unfortunately, that only makes it harder for much needed rain to reach the ground. Much of California is caught in this vicious positive feedback loop that only makes the drought worse.

An Anthony Bourdain Quote and a Trip Up Interstate 5 Makes the Severity of the California Drought Really Hit Home

In January 2022, I took a road trip from Las Vegas to Salem, Oregon. Coupled with a stop to visit one of my best friends in San Francisco, the trip took me across nearly the entire state of California. It marked my first visit to California since February, 2020.

During that time, both the drought and wildfires have gotten exponentially worse, thanks to a lack of snowpack in the mountains. And seeing areas that were so lush and vibrant in 2017 now completely ravaged by drought and wildfire really left a big mark on me. In ways that really didn’t expect.

“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you.”

Anthony Bourdain

A Stunning Drive Through California’s Central Valley

If you’ve never driven through California’s Central Valley, it’s one of the more uniquely spectacular drives in the United States. Responsible for 8% of the United States’ agricultural output, the Central Valley features lush and fertile fields surrounded by majestic mountains. It’s hard to not feel a special connection to nature. And if you drive through at the right time of year, the smell of fresh fruits and vegetables is heavenly.

Furthermore, when I drove through in mid-January, farmers were in the process of prepping and seeding their fields for the spring and summer growing seasons. Passing through the Central Valley was like a cleansing and rebirth for you mind and soul. At times, you felt like you were in a fairy tale, having been teleported to some faraway land. The pandemic and all the other problems in the world felt so far away.

A Stunning Snow-Capped Mt. Shasta Completes the Fairy Tale

Towering 14,179 feet above sea level and over 10,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, Mt. Shasta dominates the northern California landscape. It’s the second tallest mountain in the Cascades, behind only Mt. Rainier. And Rainier is only 250 feet taller. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Shasta from as far as Central Oregon, over 140 miles away. You can actually find some of the best views of Mt. Shasta right from both US-97 and Interstate 5.

Surrounding Mt. Shasta, you’ll find simply breathtaking scenery. Golden meadows, stunning rolling hills, and refreshing pine forests transport you even further into that fairy tale. All those worries you had to start the day seem even further away than they did down in the Central Valley.

As a photographer, I try to keep an eye out for good photo ops on road trips. However, a truly spectacular composition catches your eye right away. Shortly after beginning the climb out of the Central Valley up into the Cascades, I came around a corner on Interstate 5 and into a clearing. And what lay before me was one of the most perfectly composed landscapes I had ever seen.

Off in the distance sat Mt. Shasta, perfectly framed between two smaller mountains. It provided a beautiful backdrop for seemingly endless meadows and rolling hills that disappeared into a light haze that shrouded the base of the mountain. Small ponds dotted the foreground on the side of the freeway, adding even more diversity to the shot. It was a combination of beautiful, mysterious, and exotic, balanced to perfection. The perfect composition to capture the fairy tale I had drifted off into.

You Can’t Stop on the Freeway to Take Pictures

Unfortunately, I also had a few things working against me. Most critically, I was cruising at 70 miles per hour up Interstate 5. There were no exits or pullouts nearby, and I wasn’t about to stop in the middle of a busy freeway just to take a picture. Furthermore, there was no safe way for me to take a picture with my DSLR camera while I was driving. But I wasn’t going to let this perfect photo op go to waste.

While using my big camera was out of the question, I still had one more tool available to me. And at this point, it was really my only option. I grabbed my phone, rolled down the passenger side window, leaned over far enough to get the window frame out of the picture, and blindly started snapping as I kept looking forward to keep my eyes on the road.

I expected to get a decent shot. What I didn’t expect was to get one of the best photos I’ve ever taken, and one that will be put up for sale in our store very soon.

Then reality hit, hard. Like being hit by a Mack truck hard.

A California Landscape Ravaged by Wildfire and Drought

Over the past five years, parts of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest have been devastated by several major wildfires. The extreme drought that has suffocated California for much of that time has only made these fires larger and more intense. Most notable, the Carr Fire torched nearly 230,000 acres in the summer of 2018, forcing 38,000 people to evacuate their homes. It killed 11 people and caused $1.7 billion in damage.

Fast-forward three years. In late June, 2021, another fire broke out along Interstate 5 just north of Lake Shasta. That blaze, dubbed the Salt Fire, torched 13,000 acres on both sides of the freeway. While few people live in the area, the intensity of the fire devastated the landscape, changing it into a barren wasteland for years to come. The drought is one of the prime culprits behind the increase in both intensity and magnitude of these fires in California. But it’s not the only culprit. And there were far more blazes than just the two we’ve discussed here.

From Lush Forest to Charred Hellscape

Like many natural disasters, you simply cannot grasp the scale of these California wildfires from newscasts on television. The only way to properly do so is by traveling to the burn area and seeing the devastation firsthand. And when you’re driving through lush green forests, it hits e0ven harder when it catches you by surprise. Which is exactly what the burn scar from the Salt Fire did. You come around a corner, and bam, the landscape instantly changes.

The Salt Fire completely incinerated everything in its path. It wiped entire parts of the National Forest completely off the map. It was just blackened hills and a few remaining trunks of the trees that had burned. Everything else was gone. As far as the eye could see. Even six months after the fire, the smoky smell of burnt wood still faintly hung in the air.

Combined with the Wildfire Devastation, the California Drought at Lake Shasta Really Left Its Mark on Me. It Should Leave its Mark on You, Too.

The second I drove into that burn scar north of Redding, it instantly ended that fairy tale from the Central Valley. But interestingly, it didn’t leave as big a mark as you would have thought. For that, it took driving across the bridge at Lake Shasta to see the true effect the drought and the fires have had on California. It hits hard and it hits heavy, but it’s a series of pictures everyone should see.

View of Lake Shasta from Interstate 5 in August, 2017 (left) vs January, 2022 (right). Click on the image to enlarge.

And while the water level in the lake should be what instantly catches your eye, did you notice the mountains behind the lake in the 2022 picture? They were all burned in the recent fires. It’s hard to see in the 2017 photo because the lake was shrouded in smoke, but the forest was lush green back then.

Conclusion

As Anthony Bourdain so famously said, travel changes you and leaves its mark on you. But at the same time, it gives us the opportunity to leave our mark on it. We can use these experiences and lessons to influence our own decisions. The vast majority of wildfires in the United States are the result of human error. We can make better decisions to help prevent states like California from burning, as well as reduce the effect of severe drought. What steps will you take?

To wrap this all up, let’s go full circle and end with another Anthony Bourdain quote: “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” What good will you leave behind? Let us know in the comments.

If you want to stay up-to-date with our latest adventures or want more travel guides, please consider signing up for our email newsletter. We’ll send these travel guides, plus exclusive deals, tutorials, and much more, straight to your inbox, twice per month, all for free.

Top Photo: Low Water Levels Due to Severe Drought
Lake Shasta, California – January, 2022

The post A Powerful, Heartbreaking Exhibit of the Severe Drought in California appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

Travel in Your Home Country will Establish a Baseline for Comparison Once You Get Abroad

In the scientific method, establishing a baseline using a control group is a critical step in conducting a successful experiment. If you’re unfamiliar with a control group, it’s the group in your experiment where you don’t introduce the independent variable you’re testing. The most well-known recent example of a control group was in the clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccines. In those trials, participants were either given the vaccine or a placebo. The group that received the placebo was the control group.

Traveling in your home country before setting off abroad establishes the same type of baseline. Without that baseline, you’ll have nothing to compare your adventures abroad to. Your experiences won’t be as authentic or as deep as they would be had you fully experienced your home country first before going abroad.

My adventures throughout the United States have taken me to some pretty amazing places over the years.

Traveling in Your Home Country will Open and Re-Open Your Mind

We’re all creatures of habit. There’s simply no denying that. We all have our routines that we like to follow every day, no matter how monotonous they may seem. Unfortunately it’s easy to become close-minded when all you do is follow the same routine every day. Furthermore, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of only exposing yourself to content and ideas you agree with. It can be difficult for a lot of people, but it’s really beneficial to at least hear what the other side has to say.

Getting out to travel and explore your home country will break that routine, regardless of whether or not you intend to go abroad. I strongly recommend that you travel beyond your home state or region. That will almost force you to open up to other regional cultures throughout your home country. See new sights. Try new foods. Listen to different types of music. The list goes on and on. Some you may agree with, and some you may not.

Opening your mind through travel in your home country is even more important in large diverse countries, such as the United States and Canada. For example, in the United States, which is my home country, you’ll have vastly different experiences in New England vs. the Deep South, the coast vs. the heartland, Alaska vs. Hawaii, and beyond. Is that still not enough to convince you? Getting out of your rut has been proven to boost your mental health, productivity, and efficiency. And domestic travel is one of the best ways to get out of your rut! What are you waiting for?

To fully open my own mind, it has been a long-time goal of mine to visit all 50 U.S. States and all 13 Canadian Provinces and territories. Furthermore, I intend to visit as many Mexican states as I can. Not only will this help me better understand my fellow Americans, it will also open my mind to our neighbors to both the north and south.

You’ll Expand Your Horizons Domestically and Gain a Better Perspective of Your Home Country

Travel allows you to better understand the issues facing fellow citizens in your home country. Even better, you’ll learn about issues that are affecting people across the aisle from you, whether that aisle is political, age, gender, race, or anything else. Because when we can better understand each other, we can better heal the rifts that divide us, as well as strengthen the bonds that unite us. This is especially true for large and diverse countries such as the United States and Canada.

Two Cross-Country Road Trips Across the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic are Eye-Opening

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, it cut me off from the rest of my family on the other side of the country. The pandemic, plus the complete shitshow that Arizona turned into following the 2020 election pushed me over the edge, as I was receiving threats related to either the pandemic or the election pretty much any time I went out in public. As a result, I drove across the United States at the height of the winter COVID-19 wave in February, 2021 to re-unite with my family on the east coast.

Just a few of the hazards to deal with on my February, 2021 cross-country road trip

Without access to vaccines or much other protection from the pandemic, traveling in the bubble while trying to avoid all contact with the outside world was not particularly comfortable or pleasant. But I made it across without getting sick, and I’m really damn proud of that. Most importantly, that trip was absolutely eye-opening for how different parts of the country viewed the pandemic. The lessons I learned from that trip were heartbreaking. However, they ultimately gave me a much better appreciation for the issues that have bitterly divided the country, and I am eternally grateful for that.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Now fast-forward a year. Vaccines are widely available. But less than a week before I was set to leave to drive back across the country to sell my house, South Africa announced they discovered the omicron variant. On the second day of my road trip, the U.S. confirmed its first case of omicron in California. I vividly remember listening to Dr. Fauci’s press conference that afternoon as I drove across Iowa.

As omicron spiked to nearly four times the peak of the 2020 winter wave, I can only describe the feeling in the western US as eerily normal. I still don’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. But the big thing I noticed was that each side’s animosity towards the other side over COVID-19 restrictions was far less compared to just nine or ten months earlier. The bitter divisions were still clear as I made my way around the United States, but there was a sense of optimism everywhere that didn’t exist earlier in the pandemic. Even better, I was able to enjoy the first “fun” trip since my 2019 road across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. What a difference a year makes!

Scenes from my Winter 2021-2022 Cross Country Road Trip

Get a Fuller and Deeper Perspective of Your Home Country Once You Travel Abroad

As a result, once you go abroad, you’ll have a much deeper understanding and perspective of your home country. Between 2017 and the onset of the pandemic, I routinely traveled to Puerto Peñasco and Los Algodones, Mexico because I wanted to see how “the other side” viewed the border issues that became a central talking point of the Trump presidency.

Interestingly, what hit the hardest was not what the Mexicans thought about the border issues. Instead, it was how much visiting Mexico changed my perspective of the United States. Specifically, it opened my eyes to just how bitter and divided the U.S. had become. More importantly, I realized that I had become rather narrow-minded and needed to be more open and accepting of other views.

You don’t need to go far to realize this deeper perspective. The majority of my trips to Mexico brought me to Los Algodones, where I could make these comparisons less than a block and a half from the border.

You’ll Have a Deeper Connection to Culture and Customs Abroad

You can’t be a global citizen without understanding you own country. A global citizen is someone who is aware of the world and has a sense of their role in it. They are involved as members of the international community and are committed to building on this community in a meaningful and positive way. Becoming a global citizen will broaden your global perspective and allow you to bring fresh, new views back to your own community. As a global citizen, you’ll gain a deeper connection to culture and customs both at home and abroad.

When you travel in your home country, you’ll expose yourself to new culture and history. On my recent trip through the western United States, I not only traveled, but also experienced the entire length of the Oregon Trail. Being able to see the wagon ruts and walk in the exact same spot as so many westbound emigrants nearly 180 years ago transports you back in time. You realize the immense scale of the challenges and hardships these settlers had to endure on what was often a nine or ten month journey west, in a way that history textbooks simply cannot teach. These direct experiences in culture and history in your home country ultimately lead to a much richer experience abroad.

You’ll Learn New Things About Yourself

There’s no better way to learn new things about yourself than to step out of your comfort zone. Get out there and try new things. It will open your mind and you’ll be amazed at how many new things you’ll learn about yourself. Then, once you head abroad, you’ll be able to expand on those lessons and learn even more about yourself.

You’ll Support Local Economies

Here in the United States, greed is pretty much built into the corporate culture. Instead, I prefer to shop local when I travel. You’ll be supporting small businesses and mom and pop shops that can use the revenue a lot more than some mega corporation. Furthermore, your money will stay local and support the local economy instead of lining the pockets of some rich CEO in a big city that’s a long way from where you happen to be. As a small business owner, I encourage you to shop small and shop local. Your local economy will thank you.

Conclusion

Traveling abroad is one of life’s richest experiences. You’ll immerse yourself in new cultures and customs, push yourself beyond your comfort zone, as well as learn an incredible amount about yourself, your home country, as well as the destinations to which you’re traveling.

However, in order to get the fullest experience abroad, you must travel and experience your home country first. Without experiencing your own country first, you won’t have that baseline to compare your adventures abroad. And as a result, you’d miss out on one of the primary reasons we travel in the first place.

Top Photo: Rafting the Colorado River
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona – June, 2015

The post 5 Reasons You Need to Travel Your Home Country Before Setting Off Abroad appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

Five years later, I did finally get back. On a family trip in 2017, we checked off Zion (again), Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef National Parks in southern Utah. Despite being so close to each other, all three National Parks are so different, so unique, and so breathtaking. But the two northern Utah National Parks, Arches and Canyonlands, remained elusive. And living in Arizona, it was another frustrating case of so close, but yet so far. Year after year. But that only made me more driven than ever to get there.

What Are the “Big 5” National Parks in Utah?

If you’re unfamiliar with Utah’s geography, the state has an incredible diversity of National Parks, National Monuments, National Forests, National Recreation Areas, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Utah is quite literally a recreation paradise that offers just about every outdoor activity you can think of. The five national parks in Utah are, in alphabetical order:

1. Arches National Park
2. Bryce Canyon National Park
3. Canyonlands National Park
4. Capitol Reef National Park
5. Zion National Park

Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef National Parks are clustered together in the southern part of Utah. At the same time, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks sit about 30 minutes apart in northeastern Utah.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Provides Motivation for Going to Check Off Bucket List Items

I, like many people, took a lot of things for granted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel and photography. When the world shut down in March, 2020, it took the travel and photography away from me. For over a year and a half, it felt like part of me was missing. And in a way, it was. But instead of seeing the pandemic as a setback, it became a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

The pandemic has made me more driven than ever to pursue my passions, goals, and mission. I decided to further integrate travel, photography, and videography into the core of my business. It led me to realize exactly what I want life to look like. And now, it’s time to chase those new dreams.

Utah National Parks: Trip Background and Motivation

The primary purpose of this trip was to take care of the business of selling my house in Arizona. However, I wanted to make sure I mixed in a bunch of fun, too. And that has nothing to do with the fact that moving sucks, and I’ve done it far too many times. It’s because I haven’t had a fun trip since my 2019 Road Trip across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Two and a half years is a very long time to go without something that you’re not only passionate about, but also something you use as an escape from tough times.

The logistics for the trip came into place absolutely perfectly. Because COVID-19 was still raging in the south, I opted for the northern route (I-80) across most of the country. Furthermore, one of my friends had just moved to Boulder, Colorado, which was also conveniently right along the way. But best of all, it meant that I’d be driving right by the two remaining Utah National Parks – Arches and Canyonlands – that I had yet to visit, on my way back to Arizona. Unfortunately, I only had about a day and a half to explore both parks, so I wanted to make sure I made the most of every minute I had.

Day 1: Catching Sunset at Arches National Park

After a spectacular drive across the Colorado Rockies on Interstate 70 from Boulder, I rolled into Moab around 3:30 PM local time. After checking into the hotel, I didn’t even bother heading up to the room. I headed straight to Arches National Park. This was in early December, so I only had about an hour and a half to familiarize myself with the park and scope out a good place for a sunset photo shoot.

I Nearly Missed the Sunset Because I Wasn’t Paying Attention

If you’ve ever been to Arches before, you’ll know that it takes about 45 minutes to drive from one end of the park to the other. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this because it was my first time at Arches. If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I tend to pull off and shoot a lot of photos and videos my first time I visit somewhere new. This is especially true for a place as beautiful as Arches.

After what felt like just a short few moments, I looked down at the clock. It was almost 4:40 PM. I only had about 15 minutes to find a spot to watch the 5:00 PM sunset. And wasn’t even half way through the park, yet. That’s about when that little bit of panic sets in. Am I going to miss sunset because I was being an idiot and not paying attention to the clock? Not if I can help it. To make matters worse, there’s no cell service inside the park, either.

Thankfully, with the help of my GPS and the brochures the National Park Service gives you when you enter each park, I identified a good spot several miles back that would be a good spot to watch sunset. But could I make it in time? The truck may have felt like an Indy Car at times racing back to that spot, but rest assured I obeyed the speed limit at all times. And the timing ended up being perfect, as I got there about 7 minutes before sunset.

Post-Sunset Twilight at Arches National Park is Absolutely Magical

If you think the golden hour is a magical time for landscape photography, you’ve never seen Arches National Park during that 40-or-so-minute window of dusk and twilight following sunset. The entire landscape is cast in a spectacular color. It starts as a vibrant violet or purple right after sunset and slowly shifts to a navy blue hue as dusk progresses. When contrast against Arches’ brilliant red rocks and a fresh blanket of snow on the top of the nearby LaSal Mountains, it’s no wonder why these are such sought-after shots. The same goes for all of the other Utah National Parks, too.

While watching the last dregs of light disappear from the western horizon, I was completely awe-struck by what I had witnessed. It was really that beautiful. I could have easily sat there all night watching the stars, but that’s a project for another day. Time to head back to the hotel to get dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Utah National Parks Day 2: Diving Deeper into Arches and an Afternoon at Canyonlands

After waking up, I rolled over and looked at the clock. 6:20 AM. Then I opened the weather app on my phone to check the sunrise. 7:23 AM. There was more than enough time to get to Arches to see the sunrise. I hadn’t originally planned to get up in time for sunrise because thick cloud cover was expected to roll in early that morning. But skies were still relatively clear, so I quickly got dressed and headed back up to Arches. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I missed a beautiful sunrise.

The Arches Sunset was Breathtaking. Then Sunrise Said “Hold My Beer.”

If there’s one thing I learned in all the years I spent storm chasing, it’s that plans rarely go off without a hitch. Mother Nature always seems to throw you a curveball at some point. Sometimes it’s for the better. Other (read: more often) times it’s not. Up at Arches that morning, the weather gods were looking out for us. The arrival of the thick cloud cover was delayed a few hours. It left absolutely perfect conditions for a beautiful sunrise in its place.

To Fully Experience Arches National Park, You Need to Get Out and Hike

Despite the gloomy skies and cold temperatures, I was actually most looking forward to doing some hiking at Arches National Park. After catching the sunrise, I headed up to Devil’s Garden, at the far northern end of the park. My friend in Boulder had recommended this hike because it gave you the most bang for your buck for seeing as many arches as possible if you didn’t have much time. And boy, was he ever right.

After setting off from the trailhead, you only need to hike about 600 feet, or 200 meters, to reach the first arch. From there, you’ll see 4 additional arches in the first mile of the trail, which will bring you to Landscape Arch. In September, 1991, visitors at Landscape Arch witnessed one of the largest rock falls in Arches National Park history. After hearing some cracking sounds, nearly 180 tons of rock fell from the bottom of Landscape Arch to the ground below. Those rocks still litter the landscape today.

Following the rock fall, park rangers closed the trail that led underneath Landscape Arch. That trail remains closed to this day. However, you can still get plenty close enough to get good photos and videos of it.

While you can make a loop through even more arches past Landscape Arch, I opted to return to the parking lot. The end of the main trail is at Landscape Arch, and I didn’t want to risk getting lost on the primitive trail. Plus, there were other parts of the park I still wanted to see, and I didn’t have a whole lot of time left, so I hiked the 1 mile (1.6 km) back to the parking lot.

Don’t Miss Delicate Arch, which is Utah’s Most Famous Arch

Even if you’ve never heard of Delicate Arch, I’ll be willing to bet that you’ve seen it before. It’s one of the most famous geologic features in the world. You can find pictures of it on tourism brochures, guides, and promotions not just in Utah, but throughout the western United States. It’s one of the most photographed spots in the entire National Park system, and even appears on the Utah license plate. And you can find it at Arches National Park.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to hike the three mile (4.8 km) round trip to Delicate Arch. And I’ll be the first to admit, I was a bit lazy too. The previous hike in the cold certainly didn’t help. But that didn’t stop me from getting pictures of it. You just have to work smarter, not harder.

There is a lookout where you can view Delicate Arch from two viewpoints off of a parking lot about half a mile (just under 1 km) from Delicate Arch. I had hoped to hike to the closer viewpoint, but I found barricades across the trail. It was closed for maintenance. So I got my big telephoto lens and walked out to the second, further away viewpoint. All I can say is, well, telephoto lens for the win!

Take Another Short Hike at The Windows on the Way Out of Arches National Park

If you’re short on time, I can’t recommend a hike at The Windows enough. At 0.7 miles (1.1 km) round trip, it’s an easy, relatively flat hike that will net you three additional arches. You’ll first visit the beautiful pair of arches that make up The Windows. You can actually hike right up underneath them and take in the view on the other side. Then, turn around and you’ll find a bonus: Turret Arch. While it doesn’t dominate the landscape the way The Windows do, Turret Arch is a great place to get your picture taken standing underneath the arch.

Well, Arches, it’s been real, but it’s nearly mid-day, so it’s time to head over to Canyonlands.

Canyonlands National Park: An Island in the Sky

The main entrance to Canyonlands National Park is about a half hour north of Arches National Park. Driving into Canyonlands for the first time felt an awful lot like the first time I visited the Grand Canyon. After a beautiful drive across the plateau, you arrive at the entrance station. A short distance from the entrance station, you get your first view of the canyon. And you realize right away why they call it Island in the Sky.

Like Grand Canyon, the Colorado River is responsible for carving Canyonlands National Park out of the surrounding plateau. Canyonlands also is broken into two areas. However, you’ll notice a few distinct differences. First, Canyonlands is much shallower and much wider than Grand Canyon. Second, it’s much less crowded, and you can actually drive down to the river. It’s a primitive dirt road through gnarly backcountry, but that’s a story for another day.

Canyonlands’ Grand Overview

The road into Canyonlands National Park ends at Grand View Point, about 12 miles (19 km) from the Visitor’s Center. I recommend you start there for two reasons. First, it’s the best view in the whole park. Grand View Point features 270-degree views of the surrounding canyons. Second, by starting at Grand View Point and working your way back to the Visitor’s Center, you’ll be able to see the whole park if you run out of time.

A Different Perspective Around Every Corner

One of my favorite aspects of my trips to Grand Canyon National Park is that for all of the pulloffs and lookouts it has, each one has a different perspective of the canyon. Canyonlands is the exact same. I stopped at every overlook I could find, and they photos simply speak for themselves.

Take an Excursion Down Upheaval Dome Road

About half way between the Visitor’s Center and Grand View Point, you’ll find the turnoff for Upheaval Dome Road. Along the road, you’ll find numerous hiking opportunities, as well as plenty of pullouts, overlooks, and beautiful scenery. I hiked short distances down both the Upheaval Dome and Whale Rock trails, but the windy, cold, and raw weather made longer hikes rather unpleasant. I guess that’s just another excuse to return to Canyonlands in the future.

The sun going in and out of the clouds did, however, make for some spectacular lighting in both photos and videos. The sun shines through the clouds like a spotlight on the landscape, bathing the jagged landscape in a beautiful, warm light. Again, here, I’ll just let the photos tell the story.

A Deserted Mesa Arch will Make Even The Most Seasoned Instagrammers Jealous

Mesa Arch is the most popular photo spot in Canyonlands National Park. Sought after by everyone from professional landscape photographers to social media influencers, Mesa Arch is best known for its sunrise photo ops. In fact, it’s so popular that there is actually a sign there telling people not to take too much time taking photos at the arch itself so that other people have a chance to take pictures as well.

One of the biggest perks of being at both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in early December is that you’re there at the peak of the offseason. As a result, I had both parks to pretty much myself. Even at the most popular hiking trails, there may be two or three other cars in the parking lot, but other than that, it was completely empty. And best of all, this is what Mesa Arch looked like. Just admit it. I know you’re jealous.

Sunset at Canyonlands

As I made my way down the hill back to the Mesa Arch trailhead, the western sky was starting to clear. Conditions weren’t quite as perfect as they had been at Arches that morning, but if they held, sunset would be spectacular. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake two days in a row, I knew exactly where I wanted to go photograph the Canyonlands sunset: the Green River Overlook. And best of all, it’s only about a three-minute drive from the Mesa Arch trailhead.

I got to the Green River Overlook at about 4:15 PM for a 5 PM sunset. Conditions still looked really good for sunset. However, I knew from my training in meteorology that it was pretty much a flip of a coin whether it would hold on long enough to give us a beautiful sunset. And while everything aligned perfectly that morning for the sunrise at Arches, this one unfortunately went the other way.

By about 4:35 PM, thick clouds had rolled in, covering the western sky. You just knew those clouds were there to stay. There would be no spectacular Canyonlands sunset that day, as thick clouds just kept rolling in. But they couldn’t take away the spectacular view at the overlook.

Even though the sunset didn’t work out, it was impossible to drive back to Moab fully dejected. It had been an incredible day-and-a-half exploring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Plus, I still the southern (Needles) part of Canyonlands to look forward to the next day. I ended the day with some really good Thai food in Moab. Basil chicken with some of the best hot chili sauce I’ve ever had.

Day 3: The Rest of Canyonlands Leads to a Couple Unexpected Surprises

On my final morning in Utah, I woke up to a very unexpected surprise. Winter Storm Warnings were up for most of east-central and southeastern Utah. Parts of San Juan County, which sits just south of Moab, could see heavy blowing snow and up to 8 inches of accumulation. It had my attention.

While conditions were fine in Moab itself, I knew that things could be much different once you get south of town, where you climb from from about 4,000 feet up to 7,000 feet in elevation. Further complicating the matter, the only route available to get back to Arizona took me right through the heart of the Winter Storm Warning. Conditions would only deteriorate as the morning went along, so I didn’t waste any time getting on the road heading south.

The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park

While Island in the Sky and Needles – the two districts of Canyonlands National Park – sit just across the canyon from each other, the two entrances are about 70 miles (113 km) apart. Because of its proximity to Moab and better views of the canyon, Island in the Sky sees far more visitors than the Needles district. Needles is generally considered to be much more rustic and remote than Island in the Sky. It’s the same phenomenon you see in the South vs North Rims of the Grand Canyon.

As luck would have it, the majority of the Needles district was north of the Winter Storm Warning. However, as I approached the turnoff, it became very clear that the turnoff that went to the entrance of the Needles District was far enough south that it fell within the Winter Storm Warning. By the time I got to the turnoff, light snow had begun falling, and gusty winds were starting to pick up. There was also a sign stating that the road into the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park was closed due to the incoming snowstorm. So I begrudgingly continued south.

A Second Unexpected Surprise Checks off Another Bucket List Item

By the time I rolled into the town of Blanding in southeastern Utah, I was through the Winter Storm Warning, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do as. an alternative to Canyonlands. I knew that the very least, I wanted to go take photos of the rock that gave the town of Mexican Hat its name. In addition, I also planned to stop at the famous movie spot north of Monument Valley where they filmed the scene in which Forrest Gump stopped running.

Valley of the Gods: Checking Off Another Bucket List Item

As I made my way towards Mexican Hat, a small sign on the side of the road caught my eye. That sign was for Valley of the Gods Road, with an arrow pointing off into the desert. Holy crap! That’s the perfect alternative for Canyonlands. Driving through the Valley of the Gods had been on my bucket list ever since I moved to Arizona. I had hoped to drive it on my trip through southern Utah in 2017, but I had my parents with me then. We simply didn’t have enough time to drive it. Furthermore, my mom and dad didn’t want to go bouncing down a dirt road for two hours.

As you turn down Valley of the Gods Road, there are huge signs warning you that the road becomes impassable when wet, even with four wheel drive. And with that winter storm just to the north, rain was a very real possibility. With the last fleeting bar of cell service, I tried to pull up the nearest radar, which was in Grand Junction, Colorado. No signal. I tried and tried again. Still no signal. Finally, the radar image appeared. Rain was just on the other side of the mesa that formed the western boundary of the Valley of the Gods. It couldn’t have been more than 15 or 20 miles (25 to 32 km) away, and it was heading straight at me.

Will the Rain Hold Off or Render the Road Impassable?

My background in meteorology gave me a gut feeling that the mesa would likely be tall enough to wring all of the rain out of the clouds, preventing it from reaching the Valley of the Gods. A closer look at the radar showed that the line of rain was struggling to push east as it approached the mesa.

I was this close to checking off another bucket list item, plus had just gotten stuffed up at Canyonlands. I didn’t come all this way just to go home empty-handed. So I took the gamble that the mesa would keep the rain at bay. And boy, was it ever worth it. I did not see a drop of rain in the nearly three hours I was in Valley of the Gods.

Conclusion

By far, the best part about visiting national parks like Arches and Canyonlands in the offseason is that you basically have the entire park to yourself. If you can tolerate the cold, damp, raw, and even snow, you’re bound to have a fantastic time. And that goes for not just Arches and Canyonlands, but for National Parks across Utah and the rest of the west. Having now visited all of the “Big 5” National Parks in Utah, it only intensifies the drive to return to the parks, dive much deeper into them, and be able to fully experience and explore everything the Utah National Parks have to offer. This time, I just hope it will take shorter than 5 years to make it back there.

Top Photo: The sun begins to rise at Arches National Park
Moab, Utah – December, 2021

The post Arches and Canyonlands: A Remarkable Two Day Adventure to Northern Utah National Parks appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

While Interstate 80 follows the Oregon Trail’s approximate route across the majority of Nebraska, you’ll need to get off the Interstate to fully immerse yourself in an incredible piece of American history. You’ll literally be walking over the exact same spots the wagon trains followed over 180 years ago. And if that’s not enough, you can still see and wagon ruts at many landmarks across Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho. And on this trip, you’ll actually be able to walk right along side them.

Overview

You’ll want to start your day either in Lincoln or Omaha and head west along Interstate 80. Along the way, you’ll stop at forts, hills, springs, and rivers. Your journey will cover nearly 500 miles (800 km) of the Oregon Trail from one end of Nebraska to the other.

As you set off for your journey west, take that first hour once you get west of Lincoln to truly appreciate just how endless, open, and expansive the Nebraska prairie is. Put yourself in the shoes of the settlers and emigrants traveling the Oregon Trail. Imagine what they were thinking seeing that prairie for the first time. What did you think when you saw the endless prairie for the first time?

A Word About Nebraska’s Weather

When you plan your Oregon Trail trip across Nebraska, be aware that Nebraska’s weather can be extreme and volatile at times. Summer temperatures routinely exceed 90 to 95°F (32 to 35°C). In the winter, sub-zero temperatures are common. Average low temperatures across the state drop to 10 to 15°F (-12 to -9°C) at their coldest point. Furthermore, snow and wind can cause blizzards that can paralyze the state.

Finally, don’t forget about the state’s location in Tornado Alley. Tornado season in Nebraska peaks in the late spring, from May to early June. When you come to Nebraska, make sure you plan and dress accordingly for the weather conditions you’ll likely experience.

Buy a Nebraska State Parks Entry Permit

Several of your stops on this Oregon Trail road trip are at Nebraska State Parks. To enter the state parks, you’ll need to buy an entry permit from the state, either online or at the park. You can buy daily or annual passes. Passes will get you into all of the Nebraska State Parks for either the day or the year, so you don’t need to buy a pass at every park you visit. In addition, as of the time this article was published, all National Park facilities along your route route do not charge entry fees.

Prepare for Your Journey at Fort Kearny

Fort Kearny was the first fort settlers on both the Oregon and California Trails reached on their journey west. The U.S. Army established the fort in 1848 to protect emigrants from the threat of Native American attacks. Today, Fort Kearny is one of Nebraska’s State and Historical Parks. You will need to buy an entry permit either online or at the park before going off to explore the fort.

Fort Kearny itself is located just across the river from the town of Kearney on State Route 50A. It’s easily accessible from Exits 279 or 272 on I-80. At the fort, you can partake in several outdoor activities.

• Watch an interpretive video about the history of the fort and its relationship with nature
• Tour reconstructed buildings and see live re-enactments of what life was like at the fort during the heyday of the Oregon Trail
• Hike or bike the nature trail. Fort Kearny is along a major sandhill crane migration route and is a haven for birdwatchers during the migration.
• Visit the nearby Fort Kearny Recreation Area for even more outdoor activities.

For the most immersive experience, you’ll want to visit during the warmer months when everything is open. On the other hand, if you visit in the winter, having the entire park to yourself can be magical.

Hike California Hill, the First Major Ascent on the Oregon Trail

Ascending 240 feet in about a mile and a half, California Hill presented the first topographical challenge for westbound wagon trains. Near the town of North Platte, Nebraska, the Platte river forks into the North Platte and South Platte rivers. After the fork, the Oregon Trail follows the North Platte River across western Nebraska and into Wyoming.

Because the Oregon Trail started in Missouri, wagon trains went along the south shores of the Platte River east of the fork. But here’s the dilemma. The easiest crossing of the South Platte River meant that you had to go over California Hill. The alternate route passed over relatively flat terrain, but the river crossing was far more perilous. As a result, many wagon trains opted for California Hill as the safer option.

How to Access the Trailhead at the Base of California Hill

Today, California Hill has some of the best-preserved wagon ruts on the entire Oregon Trail. Unfortunately, online directions to the hill itself are inaccurate at best and misleading at worst. From the town of Brule, Nebraska, head west on US-30. About 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of town, you’ll see a pull off on the side of the road with the historical marker for California Hill. However, if you want to hike up California Hill or simply get the best view of it, you’re still in the wrong place.

At the historical marker, you’ll see a dirt road that heads north from US-30. Follow that dirt road north for about a quarter mile or so, and park in the small cutout on the left side of the road. There are no signs or anything for parking, but it’s the only cutout along the whole stretch of road. There are small placards for both the Oregon and California Trails nailed to the fence. It’s not well noted, but the National Park Service owns the land here, which is open to the public.

Experience Some of the Most Well-Preserved Wagon Ruts on the Entire Oregon Trail

Walk through the cut in the fence and follow the tire tracks up the hill. The initial tire tracks you see are modern, but you’ll quickly pass by some old cow troughs and under some power lines. As soon as you’re under the power lines, everything you see from that point onward are the wagon ruts from the Oregon Trail. Most of these ruts are between 150 and 180 years old. While you’re welcome to walk to the top of California hill, the best wagon ruts are only about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the parking area.

See More Wagon Ruts Where Emigrants Locked Their Wheels to Descend Windlass Hill

Just 20 miles from California Hill is the first major descent on the Oregon Trail, and the steepest descent in Nebraska. Windlass Hill marked the transition from the high table lands of western Nebraska down into the North Platte River Valley.

Despite Nebraska’s reputation as being largely flat, Windlass Hill is mind-numbingly steep – about 50% steeper than the steepest hills in San Francisco. Wagons had to descend a 25° angle, or 47% grade, for about 300 feet (100 m). For comparison, the steepest grades on major U.S. highways are usually between 6 and 8%. Because Windlass Hill is so steep, most wagon trains simply locked their wheels and dragged the wagons down the hill.

While it was an effective method to control the wagons on the descent, locking the wheels left deep scars in the landscape, which are still clearly visible today. And unlike California Hill, the wagon ruts on Windlass Hill are clearly visible from the parking lot.

However, to completely immerse yourself in the history, hike the 0.6 mile (1 km) round trip paved trail to the top of the hill. You’ll quickly discover that the wagon ruts on the top of Windlass Hill are not the deepest scar in the landscape. Not even close. It’s the deep gorge at the bottom of the hill as you transition into the valley. You’ll cross a bridge over the gorge about 150 feet or so after you leave the parking lot.

Interestingly, at first glance, the gorge looks like a natural feature, but the exact opposite is true. The gorge is 100% man-made and would not exist had the Oregon Trail not run through there. It is the result of wagon trains with locked wheels passing over the same area for 50 years.

When you return to the parking lot after the hike, have a look across the valley. You’ll see several sets of wagon ruts going up and over the next hill and down into Ash Hollow.

Ash Hollow Spring: An Oasis on a Arid Prairie

Water was a precious resource along the Oregon Trail. While the Platte River is a logical source of water for the Oregon Trail route across Nebraska, heavy traffic often contaminated the water in the river. That’s why Ash Hollow Spring was such an oasis for westbound wagon trains. In fact, Ash Hollow was so precious that Native Americans fought bitterly over the spring for centuries before the white man first arrived in the early 1800’s.

Ash Hollow gave emigrants a source of pure, clean spring water. As a result, Ash Hollow was a popular “rest area” on the Oregon Trail. Settlers often camped at the spring for a few days to rest up and recharge before continuing on their journey west.

Ash Hollow is located right off of US-26, about 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Windlass Hill. Once you’re in the park, take the first left onto an unmarked dirt road. That dirt road will end after short distance at a picnic area. Park at the end of the road and walk across the picnic area to Ash Hollow Spring. Sit on one of the benches and enjoy the peaceful tranquility, or walk along the edge of the spring. And keep your eyes peeled. There’s plenty of wildlife to see in the area.

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the rest of Ash Hollow State Historical Park. At the very least, drive up to the top of the bluff and take in the breathtaking view of the surrounding prairies and hills. There is a visitor’s center and museum up there, too. However, they were both closed when I was there due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Take in the Breathtaking Vistas from Courthouse and Jail Rocks

Originally called McFarlane’s Castle, Courthouse and Jail Rocks were the first major rock landmarks for westbound settlers. Marking the point where the major trunks of the Oregon and California Trails merged, the massive presence of Courthouse Rock caused many people who passed it to liken it to a castle or court. Records of using Courthouse and Jail Rocks as a landmark date back as early as the fur traders that charted the original Oregon Trail around 1810.

From a geologic standpoint, Courthouse and Jail Rocks give you a glimpse into the ancient plateau that once towered over what is now western Nebraska. Over thousands of years, wind and water have slowly eroded the plateau. It left behind several stunning monoliths across western Nebraska that became famous landmarks along the Oregon Trail. Can you think of any others? Chimney Rock is one that immediately comes to mind.

Courthouse and Jail Rocks are located along State Route 88 about 4 miles (7 km) south of Bridgeport, Nebraska. The rocks tower over the surrounding landscape, so they are quite hard to miss. When you get close to the rocks, turn right onto a dirt road called Road 81. It’s not terribly well marked other than a small Oregon Trail placard at the entrance to the road. In good weather, the road is easily passable in a standard passenger car. Park at the end of the road, hike the short loop around Courthouse and Jail Rock, and take in the breathtaking vistas of the surrounding prairies.

Chimney Rock: The Most Famous Oregon Trail Landmark

I don’t know about you, but the one landmark I really remember from playing the Oregon Trail game as a kid is Chimney Rock. Like Courthouse and Jail Rocks, Chimney Rock is one of the most famous rock landmarks on the entire Oregon Trail. And it didn’t just provide a very recognizable landmark for the Oregon Trail. Westbound settlers on the California Trail and the Mormon Trail also used Chimney Rock as a critical landmark.

Shortly after leaving Bridgeport on US-26 going west, Chimney Rock should come into view way off in the distance. From this vantage point, you can see why it was such a world famous landmark. Even in a car at 65 mph, you can see it for at least 15 minutes before you get to the turnoff. On a wagon train, it would be visible for at least a day or two. You have to try really hard to miss it.

Thankfully, access is both easy and well-signed. Chimney Rock is located just south of the junction of US-26 and SR-92 near Bayard, Nebraska. Regardless of where you’re coming from, just follow the signs for Chimney Rock. It’s really that easy. In addition to the beautiful landscapes, there is a Visitor’s Center, museum, cemetery, and hiking trails at Chimney Rock.

There are a few things to keep in mind for your Chimney Rock photography and videos. The only roads and viewpoints to it look west, so mornings offer the best light for photographing Chimney Rock. The viewpoint at the end of the road and the hiking trails offer the best photo opps.

However, if you’re there in mid-December like I was, you can also take advantage of the low sun angles in the afternoon. From the lookout area, once the sun disappears behind the nearby bluff, it still bathes Chimney Rock in a beautiful low, warm light. You actually get a bit of an extended Golden Hour before sunset that is simply divine.

End Your Oregon Trail Journey Across Nebraska Taking in Sunset at Scottsbluff National Monument

Towering 800 feet over the North Platte River, Scott’s Bluff is a fitting place to end your Oregon Trail road trip across Nebraska. The bluff was another key landmark for settlers along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, as well as the Native Americans. The wagon ruts have unfortunately eroded over time, but you can still walk about half a mile of the actual Oregon Trail within the National Monument.

If you want to drive up the bluff, make sure to arrive at least 30 to 45 minutes prior to sunset, as the road closes shortly before sunset. However, I find that your best photo and video opportunities actually come from down near the Visitor’s Center. Take advantage of the Golden Hour as the setting sun lights up the bluff in brilliant shades of yellows, oranges, and reds.

From Scottsbluff National Monument, it’s a quick drive back into town for accommodations for the night. In Scottsbluff, you’re only about 20 miles (30 km) from the Wyoming border. As a result, you’ll be in perfect position to continue your Oregon Trail journey west into Wyoming the next day.

Conclusion

Taking a road trip along the Oregon Trail route across Nebraska is one of the most interactive ways to immerse yourself in American history. You’ll literally be passing over the same terrain and seeing the same sights that the westbound settlers experienced nearly 200 years ago. While modern amenities have made the journey today far safer and more comfortable, I hope you’ll get an appreciation for the sacrifices and hardships so many emigrants encountered as they chased a better life in the west. Have you driven any of the Oregon Trail across Nebraska? Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.

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Top Photo: Wagon Ruts are Carved into the Side of California Hill
Brule, Nebraska – December, 2021

The post How to Experience History on the Oregon Trail in Nebraska appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

1. China Borders 14 Countries, and Has Territorial Disputes with All of Them

Amazingly, the territorial disputes don’t end there. China has numerous additional territorial disputes with countries it doesn’t even border. Most of these disputes are maritime, and include countries such as Indonesia, South Korea, and Singapore.

Back on the mainland, China shares a border with 14 other countries. The only other country in the world that borders that many countries is Russia, which also borders 14 other countries. In alphabetical order, those 14 countries that border China are:

2. China’s Longest Border is with Mongolia, not Russia

Because Mongolia sits wedged between China and Russia, it comprises China’s longest land border. At 4,630 km (2,877 mi), the China-Mongolia border is the fourth longest land border in the world. Only the Argentina-Chile, Russia-Kazakhstan, and US-Canada borders are longer. On the other hand, China’s shortest border is its disputed border with Pakistan. That border is only 320 km (200 mi) long.

3. Both the Highest Point, Highest Plateau, and Highest Border Crossing in the World are Located in China

The Himalayas form China’s southwest frontier with Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan. Home to all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks, the Himalayas are the tallest mountain range in the world. At 8,893 meters (29,032 feet) above sea level, the summit of Mount Everest is the highest point in the world. And that summit forms part of the border between Nepal and China.

The Top of the World

Unlike Nepal’s multi-day trek, you can actually drive directly to Everest base camp on the Tibet side on a well-maintained paved road. However, it’s a much easier climb to the summit on the Nepal side, which is why most climbers start their journey up Everest in Kathmandu, and not in Lhasa.

The Roof of the World

North of Everest, you’ll find the Tibetan Plateau covers much of southwest China, and even stretches into several neighboring countries. Stretching roughly 2.5 million square kilometers (970,000 square miles), the Tibetan Plateau is both the largest and highest plateau in the world.

At an average elevation of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), it has earned its nickname “The Roof of the World”. Sitting in the shadow of Everest, the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, is the highest capital city in the world. Lhasa checks in at a whopping 3,658 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level. For comparison, that’s roughly the same elevation of the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass (US-6) in Colorado, and about 300 meters (1,000 feet) higher than the highest point on Interstate 70.

While much of the plateau is arid desert and tundra, you will find several lakes dotted amongst the rugged landscape. Interestingly, these lakes are far from the highest lakes in the world. You’ll find most of the world’s highest lakes in the Andes mountains in South America.

The Highest Border Crossing in the World

Completed in 1982, the highway across Khunjerab Pass marks the highest paved border crossing in the world. Connecting Hunza, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China, Khunjerab Pass sits at 4,693 meters (15,397 feet) above sea level. Interestingly, the pass is long and relatively flat, making it both one of the most scenic drives in the world and a popular choice for trucks to cross between Pakistan and China. However, heavy snow can close the pass any time of year, making it a potentially treacherous journey for even the most seasoned adventurers.

4. China Has Only One Time Zone

One of the most fascinating oddities about China is the fact that despite it being roughly the same size as the United States, it only has one time zone. Not surprisingly, that one time zone is optimized for China’s capital, Beijing. If the United States did this, cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle would be observing Eastern Time instead of Pacific Time.

As a result, in the City of Urumqi in far western China, sunrises and sunsets are at unusual times. Near the summer solstice, the sun rises at 8:30 AM and sets at 11:45 PM. Likewise, in the winter, daylight runs As a result, Urumqi unofficially sets their clocks 2 hours behind Beijing, but the time zone can still be confusing to visitors.

If that’s enough, China having one time zone causes some unusual time changes when you cross its western borders. For example, if you cross from China into Afghanistan at Wakhjir Pass, the Afghani side will be three and half hours behind the Chinese side. That is actually the largest official time difference between two sides of any land border in the world.

However, that’s far from the most drastic time change across international borders. You may recall that the Diomede Islands sit just 4 km (2.5 mi) apart, but have a 21-hour time difference thanks to the maritime border between the United States and Russia running between them.

5. 28% of China is Desert…and that Figure is Growing

The Gobi Desert, which covers southern Mongolia and northern China, is responsible for the vast majority of China’s desert. The Gobi is best known for its sand dunes, rare wildlife, and cold temperatures. However, the Gobi Desert’s dunes are migrating south at roughly 2 miles (4.5 km) per year. Like the Indiana Dunes, they swallow everything in their path, including towns. And they’re training their crosshairs on a much bigger target. The nearest dunes are now only about 44 miles (71 km) from Beijing.

To combat the rapid desertification, China is attempting to build a 2,800 mile long “Great Green Wall” of trees to halt the Gobi Desert’s southward creep. While the Great Green Wall has slowed the dunes progress in some areas since the first trees were planted in 1978, the Gobi continues to march south unimpeded across much of the landscape.

Additionally, much of the Tibetan Plateau is classified as a desert. A rain shadow from the Himalayas is the reason that both the Tibetan Plateau desert and the Gobi Desert exist. Interestingly, China’s deserts are among the largest cold weather deserts in the world outside of the polar regions. Winter temperatures in the Gobi routinely drop to -40°C (-40°F). But don’t let the cold weather part fool you. Average high temperatures in the Gobi summer can reach 45°C (113°F).

6. The Great Wall of China Does not Actually Mark any of China’s Current Borders

Originally built to protect ancient Chinese states and Imperial China from nomadic tribes in present-day Mongolia, the Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure on earth. It stretches endlessly for 21,196 km (13,171 mi) across much of northern China. If you stretched that out in a straight line, it would go half way around the world. Construction of the wall took nearly 3,000 years.

The Great Wall of China did once mark China’s northern border. The Ming Dynasty built over 8,000 km (5,000 mi) on its northern border, which at the time ran just north of Beijing, between 1368 and 1644. Once the Ming Dynasty fell, the Qing Dynasty rose to power. By 1912, they had expanded China’s territory to include all of what’s present-day China and Mongolia. Today, the Great Wall marks an incredible piece of history and engineering, but has no significance to China’s current borders.

7. Despite Having the World’s Largest Population, Over 60% of China is Uninhabited

Much of that 60% is uninhabitable due to extreme climate. For example, the Tibetan Plateau is an empty, arid, and rugged landscape. Its high altitude and extreme temperatures make it incredibly difficult for all but the heartiest of creatures to survive. Most of the rest of western China is cold desert. Because China’s economy is so heavily reliant on agricultural exports, cold temperatures and the lack of precipitation renders much of the west useless for farming and agriculture. You simply cannot generate sufficient economic output from the western lands.

The Heihe-Tengchong Line marks several stark divides between eastern and western China. Most notably, 94% of China’s 1.4 billion people – the largest population in the world – lives in the 40% of China east of the Heihe-Tengchong Line.

The Heihe-Tengchong Line also starkly divides other demographics, climatology, and geographies.

8. General Tso was a Real Person

Zuo Zongtang was a highly respected Chinese statesman from Hunan province. He was also one of the top military men of the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 to 1912. His greatest accomplishment was helping the Qing Dyansty beat back the Taiping Rebellion, a bloody civil war that raged across China in the mid-1800’s. He is said to be to China what General Sherman was to the United States.

But unlike General Sherman, Zuo Zongtang is not known for his military accomplishments. In fact, most people couldn’t tell you when he was alive, or even which wars he fought in. That’s because in the modern era, Zuo Zongtang is most associated with something he had no connection to when he was alive. Zuo Zongtang is much better known as General Tso.

When General Tso died in 1885, it would still be 70 years before the tasty chicken dish that’s associated with his name came into being. In the 1950’s Chef Peng Chang-kuei served the first General Tso’s Chicken dish to Chinese Nationals who had fled to Taiwan after China fell to Mao Zedong. Chef Peng was born and raised in the same town as Zuo Zongtang, and decided to name the chicken dish after him. Peng eventually immigrated to New York City in 1973. He brought the General Tso’s Chicken recipe with him. Once the dish hit the United States, it took off, and the rest is history. Today, there are more Chinese restaurants in the United States than all of the McDonald’s, KFCs, Pizza Huts, Taco Bells and Wendy’s combined.

9. China’s Train System is so Extensive its Railways Could Wrap Around the Earth…Nearly Four Times

There are over 150,000 kilometers (91,000 miles) of operational railways in China. Today, over 40,000 km (25,000 mi) of those railways are for high-speed trains. Unlike the United States, most of China’s freight moves by train, which is why China’s rail network is so extensive. A long term plan expands the rail network to 274,000 km (170,000 mi) by 2050.

So let’s dive into the math. The earth’s circumference is 40,000 kilometers, or 25,000 miles.

150,000 km / 40,000 km = 3.75 times around the Earth

10. China has Two “Flipper Bridges”, Where You Switch From Driving on the Right to Driving on the Left

Have you ever crossed an international border where traffic switches from driving on the right to driving on the left, or vice versa? Sure, it’s easy to handle at some of the hole-in-the-wall border crossings in rural Africa where so few cars pass through.

In instances where there are more cars, you can use a traffic light to cross the traffic over to the other side of the road. That’s exactly what they do at the Thai-Lao Friendship bridge. Inbound traffic into Vientaine, the Lao Capital, must cross from driving on the left in Thailand to driving on the right in Laos. A traffic light controls the crossover right before you reach the Lao port of entry. In the map below, the crossover is right above the “ST Vegas” icon in the center of the map.

But what if you’re trying to link two major cities in a heavy traffic area? China has exactly this problem, not once, but twice. While mainland China drives on the right side of the road, both Hong Kong and Macau drive on the left. The bridges from China to both Hong Kong and Macau are called “flipper bridges” because they flip which side of the road the traffic drives on. The older bridges use a series of loop-de-loops to switch sides, while the newer bridges simply bring one side of the road underneath the other.

A New Multi-Flipper Bridge

In October, 2018, the new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge opened. Spanning 55 km (34 mi) over the ocean, it’s the longest oversea bridge in the world. Furthermore, the bridge doesn’t just link two points. It links three: Mainland China, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you were designing this bridge, how would you handle the traffic and which side of the road it drives on?

To stay in line with mainland China, traffic on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge drives on the right. Just before traffic enters Macau and Hong Kong, the inbound traffic is brought underneath the outbound traffic. That way, traffic is driving on the left as it enters Macau and Hong Kong.

Conclusion

China is one of the most fascinating, yet misunderstood countries out there. From switching what side of the road you drive on to only having one time zone to the roof of the world, there’s a geographic oddity for everyone. While China rightfully gets a lot of criticism for its censorship and repression today, I think we could all use a lesson in its lengthy, rich, and captivating history. It tells an incredible story of how China got to where it is today. Have you ever traveled to China and experienced one of these oddities? Let us know in the comments below.

Top Photo: Snow-Capped Sierra Nevada
South Lake Tahoe, California – February, 2020

The post Weird Geography: 10 Bizarre and Unusual Facts About China appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.