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Garden of the Gods–Ancient Sandstone Sculptures

Colorado Springs, Colorado has a prehistoric treasure at the Garden of the Gods Park. Located at the base of Pikes Peak, walking through this park truly is a treat for your eyes! Each sandstone monolith has beautiful tall forms that depict animals, reptiles, birds and people’s heads and expressions. All in the eye of the beholder but look and you will see a shark on top of the Balancing Rock at the entrance to Garden of the Gods. Look for the Kissing Camels. This is a well known and named sculpture. What you see in the stone sculptures is open to your imagination!

Balancing Rock at Garden of the Gods Park, Colorado Springs, CO
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Basking in the Sun on Maui

Sun worshipers relish the warmth of the beach on Maui.
Sun worshipers relish the warmth of the beach on Maui.

When the temperatures are below freezing and you’re surrounded by snow and ice, time to head out to the beautiful island of Maui. Soft breezes, warm temperatures, golden sand beaches and aquamarine water seek to embrace you! You’ll find that beaches are less crowded to the North of Lahaina. The beach pictured is near Napili Kai Resort.

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Glass Tunnel Image Receives Editor’s Commendation

Glass Tunnel

Concentric circles at San Diego Convention Center escalator shaft create beautiful tunnel effect.  Editors at Photocrowd.com gave a thumbs up to Susan Frost for this image of the glass tunnel at the San Diego Convention Center. Frost submitted this image to Photocrowd’s Circles contest and was one of over 1900 photographers who submitted images.

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Kona Coast–Great Snorkeling and Great Drinks

TropicalDrink2579

There are many choices for snorkel cruises along the Kona Coast. One of the best is run by the Body Glove company (808.326.7122). Their beautifully appointed 65 foot catamaran, the Kanoa II, offers pure luxury as you set sail for your 4.5 hour deluxe snorkel cruise. After snorkeling to see colorful tropical fish and if you’re lucky, sea turtles, it’s time to head back to the boat. But, if you want a specially delivered Mai-Tai as you relax in an inner tube, the staff at Body Glove is happy to accomodate.

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Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, Big Island Hawaii

Place of Refuge, Big Island Hawaii
Place of Refuge, Big Island Hawaii

The Honaunau Bay on Big Island Hawaii is home to the Pu’honua o Honaunau, a national historic park which showcases and preserves ancient Hawaiian traditions that were established centuries ago.

Pu’uhonua, a massive wall,  was built for defeated warriors and those who violated kapu, the sacred laws. It became a place of refuge and sanctuary that gave the offenders a second chance.

In 1819, Kamehameha II abolished traditional religious practices and many sites and temples were destroyed. A century later, in the 1920s, Pu’honua became a county park and in 1961, it became a national historical park. It is truly a beautiful place and well worth visiting when on the Kona Coast of Big Island Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

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Big Island–Big Volcano

Mt. Kilauea Eruption
Kilauea Eruption

One of the best ways to take dramatic photos of  the continually active Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is to go on a twilight tour of the Hawaii National Volcanoes National Park with the tour company, Hawaii Forest & Trail (808-331-8505). Their expert guides take you up close and personal to allow you to see the orange glow of lava on Kilauea.

To capture the drama and intensity of the nightly volcanic eruptions, use your tripod and set  your camera on manual to control your aperature and shutter speed. I shot this photo with my  Canon 7D at 100  ISO and  used my 100-400 mm lens to pull in the details. My aperture worked best at F9  with a slow shutter speed at 30 seconds. I also used a cable release which helps immensely when doing night shots.
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