Big Island of Hawaii north of Hilo

If you ever find yourself on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii head north up the coast. Not far beyond Hilo is a sign for a scenic drive or scenic road or Old Mamalahoa Highway to the right. Don’t miss it! This road also has the botanical garden (but we didn’t stop there for a visit). This drive is awesome. Go slow, and feel free to stop if you see something cool. There is a really neat bay (Onomea Bay), but there is also a rain forest to drive through. We pulled over as the kids wanted to jump off the bridge into the waterfall-fed pond with the locals. However, they chickened out and merely went for a swim near the spot where I took today’s photo.

Posted on May 23rd, 2015 under Hawaii. Tags: hawaii, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on Pepeekeo Scenic Drive

Oregon Ducks Softball – Koral Costa

@koralcosta7 @QuackPacSB

The University of Oregon Ducks have made the Sweet Sixteen (AKA the Super Regionals) this year. They need to win two against North Carolina State to be one of the eight teams to advance to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma. Game time (5/22/15) is 6 p.m. PST in Eugene. If you aren’t in Eugene (or if you are but don’t have a ticket as the games have been sold out for a couple days now), you can watch the game on ESPNU.

These will be the last two (or three) games at Howe Field (after 80 years of use) as it will be torn down to make way for the new Jane Sanders Stadium, where the Ducks will play their 2016 season.

Junior Koral Costa is hitting .367 this year, with 15 home runs in just 139 at bats.

Posted on May 22nd, 2015 under Oregon. Tags: eugene, koral costa, Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 EDIF AF-S VR, Nikon D600, softball, sports photography. Comments Off on Ducks on ESPNU tonight

Sunset from Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaʻūpūlehu

@FSHualalai

Posted on May 20th, 2015 under Hawaii. Tags: hawaii, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, sunset. Comments Off on Hawaiian Sunset

View from Fukuoka’s Hilton Sea Hawk Hotel of Fukuoka Tower (福岡タワー)

I thought about wandering over to the Fukuoka Tower for an aerial view of Fukuoka, but the view from the top of the Sea Hawk was similar, uncrowded (just me!), and free.

Posted on May 19th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: aerial photography, fukuoka, Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 AF-S NIKKOR G ED N, Nikon D600. Comments Off on Fukuoka Tower

Geumgang Park (금강공원) cablecar (Busan, South Korea)

I know, “cable car” is two words. For some reason, though, every place on the internet that references this cable car/tram/ropeway refers to it as a cablecar.

Today’s photo reminds me that I have no plans this summer. For the past 10 years or so I had some adventures planned by this time of the year, usually overseas. Although South Korea isn’t my first (or second, or third…) choice of places I’d like to go to, there were some fun moments and unusual experiences a couple summers ago when I went to Korea.

Rather than merely take this cablecar up and down like most people, I went for a rather brutal hike from the top to this amazing location (Seokbulsa or 석불사) in the middle of nowhere.

Posted on May 17th, 2015 under Korea. Tags: busan, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600, seokbulsa. Comments Off on Cablecar from Geumgang Park