The evolution of the photo trip

Our first photo trip was so simple...but you would have thought that they unleashed two 13 year old girls that saw a shopping mall for the first time. We spent hours running around an almond orchard taking pictures of flowers and bees...barns and houses. Something was opened up in my soul...I found a friend that shared my passion in life.....awe...so perfect! I had already known Marcia for many years...but did not start our close friendship until seven years ago.

We still talk about the things that we would flip out about and get so excited to take pictures of in the beginning....we would see a windmill....cow...horse....weed flower...and literally stop traffic to get a picture of it. We were excited to just get out of the house for a few hours to get pictures of anything. Little did we know that those small experiences would build a life long friendship and make our photo trips about so much more than just a friend and a camera.

We have seen so many places, met incredible people with awesome stories, watched more sunrises and sunsets than I can count, sang songs on the top of our lungs, we created a "name" for ourselves and a move to go with it, and shared some of the best and most difficult life situations along the way.

I think of all the cool things we have experienced. We search out and find every covered bridge in the state. We have driven on Highway 1 from Oregon to Mexico. We have been to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe more times than I can count and have explored so much! We have driven and had adventures in almost all of the major places in California. We have explored dirt roads to no where...just in case there was something cool at the end. We have driven our rental cars in ways that would shame a demolition derby....don't worry, we get the insurance. We have explored all of San Francisco...even finding the "real Lombard" street. We saw "the end of the earth" or at least that's what it looked like to us.

Now our photo trips are less about photo taking and more about singing in the car...dancing like no one is looking....eating really good food in a hole in the wall place....talking to people in a small town while sipping coffee....antique shopping...did I say eating???? I could go on a photo trip now and not even bring my camera....and it would be the best trip ever!

Friday we leave for our next photo trip...off to table top mountain for some wildflower pictures. The funny part about it is...all Marcia and I have talked about is being able to spend time with my cousins (and their dogs) ;) where will we eat....oh and we must get some Dutch brothers coffee! Don't get me wrong...I will bring my camera and take a 1000 pics....but I love how our photo trips have evolved and grown....and we have too!