February 2018 – One Thousand Golden Highways

Photography Spotlight: A Green and Winding Path

By Mary Paul | February 8, 2018 | Comments 1 comment

Where would you guess the best Japanese Garden outside of the world is? Would you guess San Francisco? New York? Vancouver?

I have a thing for Japanese Gardens (and Japanese culture, honestly, since I’ve been speaking the language for ten years or so now) and I always swing by them in my travels. I’ve been to ones as far as Monaco and San Francisco, as far North as Boston and as far South as Florida, and by far my favorite of all is this one in:

The Best Japanese Garden in North America — A little canopy of stars at the Japanese Garden of Portland, Oregon

Portland Oregon.

Are you surprised? Portland is known for its food culture scene, but not for its gardens which is a shame because right next to this perfect zen garden is my second favorite garden in the world: the International Rose Test Garden. You wouldn’t believe in June and July the size, the breadth, the varietals this place has to offer!

Seriously, though, The International Rose Test Garden is the place to be — Look at the ruffled edges on these!

The Portland Japanese Garden is one of the best places on the planet for a quiet, meditative wander. The place is perfect to get slightly lost in. Not only does it feature endless bamboo walks and stone pathways, dappled pools and tinkling brooks, but it also offers classes on Japanese flower arrangements, mediation, and other Japanese cultural activities.

Perfect sunny roses at the International Rose Test Garden

So any time of year, go to the Japanese Garden. And if you’re in the area in the Summer, you must go to the rose garden next door. Pre-purchased tickets to the Japanese garden are $14.95 for adults, $12.95 for seniors, $11.95 for students, and $10.45 for ages 10-17. The International Rose Test Garden is free and open 7am to 9pm in the Summer, but does get quite busy evenings and weekends!

The perfect roses at the International Rose Test Garden in Portland, Oregon — One last picture because I just can’t help it!

What do you think? Do you visit a lot of gardens when you travel? Have you liked any in particular? Tell me in the comments.

7 Quick Tips For Travel to High Altitudes

By Mary Paul | February 5, 2018 | Comments 5 comments

Work and play in high altitudes when you’re not used to them can be tricky. Certain prep can ease your transitions and help you have a good time up top, whether that’s Denver, Nepal, or Macchu Picchu!

1. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate. High elevations have low humidity and your lungs will be breathing harder which will dehydrate you quickly. Your blood needs lots of water to not turn into sludge. Don’t make your heart work harder than it has to by letting yourself get dehydrated. The symptoms of dehydration are similar to that of altitude sickness and can make them worse- ie headaches, fatigue, and nausea.
2. Don’t forget sunscreen. You are literally closer to the sun. Also, the atmosphere is a bit thinner so that UV will hit you right in the face.
3. Watch your physical activity at first. It’s easy to underestimate the effect heights have on your body until you’re at the point of fainting. Go slow while you get used to it and let a buddy know if you’re feeling woozy. Don’t be afraid to sit down if you need to.
4. Go easy on the alcohol. Cocktails are going to hit a bit harder in high elevations because you may already feel slightly woozy or dizzy. They will also add to the dehydration problem. If you drink, drink less than usual and have extra water to compensate.
5. Grab a banana. Foods high in potassium can help with salt intake which can help you stay hydrated and keep your blood doing like it should.
6. Snack on some leafy greens. 50% of the American population is low in magnesium. Magnesium and iron both help your blood transport oxygen- kind of a thing when you’re in heights. Anemia will make it harder to acclimatize to high elevations.
7. Wear layers. The weather can change quickly up there and it’s often windy. Good idea to have options.
8. Rest. If you’re not feeling great or feel tired, don’t be afraid to sit and rest. You won’t be able to do as much as you usually can, so don’t get yourself in trouble… like trying to outrun mountain goats…

Like recovering from Jet Lag, there are hard ways and there are easy ways of dealing with high altitudes. Do yourself a favor and make it the easy way so you can be sure to have a great time!

Have you had trouble with altitude sickness? How did you cope? What would you do next time? Let me know in the comments!

Photography Spotlight: Mt Evan's Wildlife

Photography Spotlight: Mount Evan’s Wildlife

By Mary Paul | February 1, 2018 | Comments 23 comments

How did I get this beautiful shot? More interestingly- How did I almost NOT get this beautiful shot? Read on, oh photographic warriors, and see how I almost had my ass handed to me in my giddy enthusiasm!

So this was smack dab in the middle of our massive 9700-mile road trip around the United States of America. Myself, my soon-to-be husband, his blue-haired friend, and her two-year-old daughter were tooling around national parks, Seattle-bound or bust. It was awesome.

When we hit Denver, I knew it was my kind of town. For one thing, there were pianos outside to play. Most were in terrible shape, but as a pianist, I always appreciate a few spares here and there. For another, it’s a very outdoor-centric town. Like the west coast, people are always outside doing exciting things like whitewater rafting or hiking canyons or jumping rattlesnakes.

I made up that last one, but I was a little nervous in the rocky areas, so I’d believe it. As musicians, we paid tribute to the hallowed ground of Red Rocks and as a stage technician, I would say my job would not be improved with more rattlesnakes. No thank you very much.

Unfortunately, although I loved Denver, Denver did not love me- It’s 8,000 feet above sea level. I was walking along the street, minding my own business, when I was hit with altitude sickness so strong I had to sit down. But we still decided to drive up Mount Evans, the “highest paved road in North America”. What could go wrong, right?

At 14,000 feet above sea level, the alpine flowers were blooming and wild goats and sheep were plentiful. Of course I hopped out of the car to get a better shot of the lambs. The wildlife were unfazed and I was delighted as I got closer and closer to the lambs.

Until I got too close.

Which was when a big ram took a good look and started walking towards me. Which was when I realized just how far away from the car I had wandered. Which was when I remembered that I couldn’t run even if I wanted to without fainting because of the altitude.

Oh boy.

Jumping lambs — But seriously look at these guys- wouldn’t you get closer?

Lucky for me and the photos you have today, I took this risk, and much luckier, the ram allowed me to back away slowly without incident. But this is a great example of how quickly and easily you can get yourself into trouble in a foreign environment!

This photo was shot on a Nikon D5000 camera and kit lens. It was edited in photoshop with the help of the Nik filter collection, which I adore.

What else do you want to know about travel photography or this shot in particular- gear? Location? Accessories? Post-processing? Workflow? Ask me in the comments and I’ll fill you in.

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