I crossed a lot of borders in 2019! While I stayed domestic last year, this was one heckuva year for adventuring outside the U.S. of A! Just look at the numbers!
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That’s a lot of adventure, and to keep track of it, I added two new features to the site this year! First, I made blogs more readable by linking them and adding distance trackers! Then, I added an Adventure Map to show where all I’ve traveled in the world! Here’s a preview!
It was tough deciding on just ten photos to highlight this year’s many adventures. Italy is jam-packed with history, rural Argentina is rife with beauty, and every angle of Wadi Rum inspired jaw-dropping wonder! After much thought, I’ve narrowed down my 10 Best Photos of 2019:
1. Standing Tall at the Leaning Tower!
My trip to Italy was mega crowded! I’m pretty small, but even I had to squeeze through the Vatican Museums! Even early and in the rain, I had to battle my way across the historic core of Florence. That’s why I was really surprised to find a little break at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the most photographed sites in all of Italy! The caretakers of the Piazza dei Miracoli have done an amazing job not only keeping this delicate landmark standing after 647 years but also in keeping the crowds in line so everyone has a chance to enjoy this engineering marvel! Also, I really like my hat in this!
2. Wadi Ruminations!
There’s a good reason why Wadi Rum appears in so many movies about Mars! Its red sand and towering cliffs look so remote and inaccessible that they may as well have been stuck here from another planet! I think this photo captures both the desert’s harshness and its spectacle from a high perch. What do you think of my hand-painted keffiyeh?
3. Petra-fied at the Khazneh!
Of all the Wonders of the World, I knew the least about the one that would become my fifth! That Wonder is Petra, and after trekking the Madras Trail over the more traditional Six entrance, I arrived at the imposing Khazneh or Treasury! While I soon discovered that the Khazneh is just one building in an entire city, the first sight of this famous façade still filled me with an awe that carried me through the rest of my explorations!
4. The Towering Pillars of Hercules!
Jordan’s capital, Amman, was my biggest surprise on my trip to the Middle Eastern Kingdom! The food and nightlife were a lot of fun, and the multicultural history of this spot, the Citadel, gave a great illustration of the power struggles that have gone on here in the desert for generations! I love the starkness of these pillars from the Temple of Hercules, one of the largest Roman temples outside of Rome, yet clouded in mysteries thanks to an earthquake!
5. West Banksy!
My visit to the West Bank on my trip to Israel was very eye-opening! The historical sites were beyond compare, but the most striking stop on our tour was the wall separating the West Bank from Israel, painted by famous artists like Banksy and average visitors with a message, a message like “Make Hummus, Not Walls,” which I, as a lover of hummus, approve wholeheartedly!
6. Masada Sunrise!
Was it worth it waking up at 3:00 AM and driving in the dark past the military checkpoints and anti-tank guns just to see the sunrise at Masada? Absolutely! The colors reflected in the Dead Sea, even without a lot of clouds, were spectacular! The camera doesn’t do them justice, but I hope the photo gives a hint!
7. Yo Amo Córdoba!
Before hearing about the eclipse on July 2, I hadn’t really looked into the city of Córdoba very much, but on a clear, blue, winter’s day in June, the storied architecture really blew me away! I really enjoyed the “Amo Córdoba” reminders set up around the city, and I like the way this one blended with the cathedral in a triangle composition!
8. A Trip to Triassic Park!
I really wanted to see Talampaya National Park when I was planning this trip to Argentina. I’d already seen a lot of red cliffs this year, but I really wanted to learn more about what got this park and its neighbor, Ischigualasto, on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Its rich Triassic fossil deposits are illustrated near the visitor center along the Sendero Triásico, where colorful dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles still appear to battle for survival in an age long, long forgotten!
9. #EclipseEnSanJuan2019
I spent so long setting up for this photo, two hours on a salt flat, adjusting and adjusting for a two-minute totality! It wasn’t easy getting a lot of background in the shot, but I got at least two shots of the total solar eclipse! This one, with the collapsed fence in the foreground, is my favorite! Can’t wait for the next one!
10. In the Clutches of the Mothman!
Sometimes you take selfies, but in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, the selfies take you! I love visiting museums about cryptids, and I couldn’t turn down a trip to the Mothman Museum! This silver statue at the heart of Point Pleasant captures the terror, the mystery, and the wonder of the strange creature that appeared here in 1966!
I have lots of wonderful adventures to look back on as we enter the new year and lots more to reflect on. I fell short on my goal of restoring a historical landmark plaque and didn’t keep up with interviewing Helpers the way I’d hoped. I’ll have to jump-start that in 2020! This year, I’ll also be turning my attention to the Rocky Mountain States for some shorter flights and higher adventures, so stay tuned to my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more great photos in my tenth year of wandering the world!
Happy New Year!
