Yellowstone was one of the few National Parks I got to visit this year. Having been bedridden for the first half while recovering from a surgery, this trip proved to be a welcome respite to explore the outdoors. This National Park's geothermal features set amidst a dramatic backdrop of vast lakes, snow-capped peaks and bountiful wildlife make it a treat for photographers and nature explorers.
And during this trip, I felt grateful to also take my parents to this unique destination. They thoroughly enjoyed all that the park had to offer, and were even game to accompany me to capture memorable sunrises like this.
See this in large in my 2025 calendar, available for purchase at this link
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA
A National Park Jouirney - Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen was not high on my priority list, but being reasonably close to home during my first few months in California, I decided to pay a visit to this National Park. Named for the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade range, the park offered a beautiful wilderness area dotted with pristine lakes and plenty of cinder cones, geothermal features such as geysers, bubbling hot springs and vents fuming with sulfurous gases, and challenging hikes that promised epic views.
While it doesn't carry the breadth of features and landscape found in Yellowstone, the combination of high alpine terrain and stunning hikes make it worthwhile to spend a couple of days exploring this unique National Park of California. I still remember being enthralled by the clear waters of the summit lakes, and the chaotic skyline of Brokeoff mountain and Chaos Crags. For the young visitor in me, the vivid descriptions provided to the different landscape features were enough to carve a special place for Lassen in my heart.
I returned a couple more times to the park to explore other areas and to capture an annular solar eclipse, but I would never forget the awe and wonder I had felt on my first trip.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
CA USA
Broken Earth
Going through my archives, I came across a series of images from Yellowstone showcasing the kaleidoscopic colors of a volcanically active area. But mere images cannot convey the steam-engine like hiss venting from fumaroles, the bubbling sounds of geysers, and the splashing sounds of scalding waters, nor can they bring out the pungent sulphurous scent of a broken earth. The raw power of Yellowstone brought all my senses to a halt. But it refreshed me like no other National Park did.
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA