October Theme: "Your Best Trip"

October is a month when we travel extensively to visit the fall foliage hotspots of our region. With the summer heat dwindling and winter snows not yet upon us, this is an ideal time for wanderlust. In the spirit of finding a sense of place, our monthly theme for October is "Your Best Trip." Photos can be taken in any season, at any location in the world. Whether you were on vacation, traveling on business or hitting scenic byways exclusively to take photos, show us some shots of your best travel experiences!

Probably the best trip I took was with my brother and parents to Ireland in the spring of 2000. We rented a car and traversed the island for more than a week staying at B&Bs, visiting castles and cultural sites and, of course, sampling Guinness at some of the island's most lively pubs! Here's a shot from Kylemore Abbey on the Emerald Isle to get this theme started.

Thames river reflection taken in October 2009 in Windsor, England.

I had been in love with landscape photography for 40 years, and in all that time I produced nothing I'd hang on a wall. Then, in 2003, I signed up for a week long RMSP course at Glacier National Park in Montana. Even though it took place against the backdrop of a serious forest fire that shrouded much of the park in smoke, the course was an epiphany. Suddenly, all the things I knew and had learned in 40 years, but was never able to "connect," fell into place under the guidance of the RMSP instructors. For me, landscape photography has never been the same since.

By the way, this scene is at an overlook east of St. Mary Lake. Sadly, the scene is no longer there. All the foreground pine trees were burned in another forest fire in 2006.

Well, we're off to another good start, aren't we?

Joshua, that is one well put together shot.

Pam, that is one fine landscape image.

Howard, an excellent sense of majesty and nice mood.

Here's one from what has to be one of the most remarkable places on the planet. The Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii.

Here is one from my business trip / vacation time in Australia in Feb/Mar 2011 (six amazing weeks of adventure).

Sunset at Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell State Park, Victoria, Australia:

In 2008 I flew to Kolkata, (Calcutta) India to meet up with my sister who had recently retired in New Delhi and was traveling through the North-East.I spent close to a month exploring Kolkata, Puri (a top Hindu pilgrimage site- home of Jagannath and Konark temples), and then up to Darjeeling in the foothills of the Himalaya. The attached image was shot from the window of a moving Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway car.

I'm always of the opinion that my next trip will be the best one and I've had opportunities to visit lots of spots in the West. If I had to choose, I'd say my most recent "best" trip was this spring. 2 days in the Columbia Gorge, 2 days on the Olympic Peninsula including the Hoh Rainforest, 3 days in Seattle hanging out and tasting good wines with a former college roommate and his wife, 2 days photographing the Palouse before picking my daughter up at the Spokane airport, 3 days in Yellowstone and 2 days in the Tetons. 2 weeks, 5000 driving miles...whew. But this is one of my favorite images from that trip. The trail to Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park goes past this wonderful cascade.

I'll play in this topic even though I agree with Bill B. and my favorite trip is the next one coming. I first visited Seven Star Crags Park near Guangzhou, China where I first saw the beginning of the limestone karst mountains found in this part of China back in 1992. I always envisioned a shot of one of the traditional cormorant fisherman at sunrise with the backdrop of the mountains behind him. Last year I went out on three mornings to the Li River in Yangshuo, Guangxi, China at 4AM with my guide Lilly and our driver to head out on the water to capture an image of a traditional cormorant fisherman with 4 birds, lantern and bamboo raft. On the third morning the skies cooperated with me and I captured this handheld panoramic while kneeling on my small raft.

While I don't spend as much time traveling as Rich any longer, this year has been good to me with a few weeks in Jamaica for work and just over two weeks in mostly Germany late this summer. The trip to Germany worked out to be really amazing. Unfortunately I shot it mostly on film and haven't had time to do much scanning. But I caught a few shots with my LX3 along the way, this being one of them. This is Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval walled city in central Germany.

The trip took us through Western, Central and Southern Germany, with short jaunts into Switzerland and Belgium. And along the way we were able to experience the worlds biggest contemporary art show in Kassel, some Medieval and Roman cities, a formula 1 race, great food, wine and beer and good times with friends. What more could you ask for from a trip?

I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks in Iceland about 6 years ago and it still ranks as my favorite place. This is from a lagoon named Jokullsarlon, in the background is just a small part of what is Europe's largest glacier. This was shot just before midnight on the summer solstice.

You guys are making my mouth water, great stuff!

For me, a six week trip in Jan,Feb of 2009 that included Argentina, Chile (Torres del Paine NP), Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and Antarctica exceeded my expectations tenfold.

Don, does Nat Geo know about your shot????? Holy cow!

My trip to Alaska to see the northern lights for the first time was definitely one of my favorites. Here's a shot from there that I haven't posted on here before...

My best trip was my 2010 trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge where I floated the Marsh Fork and Canning Rivers from the Central Brooks Range out to the Beufort Sea. Amazing light at 3 AM!

Thread is closed. Check back in the next day or so for the pick of the month! Great submissions from everyone!