2020

Last year, when I was writing about my favorite pictures from 2019, I wrote “I’m looking forward to what should be an interesting 2020.” I said that because we had just found out that Caroline was pregnant. But I had no clue that we were all about to get ourselves into in the strange and turbulent year that was 2020.

We welcomed baby Elliott to the world in August, and having a baby in the middle of global pandemic was definitely unique. But he is healthy and happy, and Jonah has thrived in the role of being a great big brother.

Despite lockdowns and social distancing measures, I did attempt to get out and take a few pictures. It meant finding places that would be devoid of people, and adapting to wearing a mask (which still causes the viewfinder to fog up on the camera). 2020 was definitely not the year that anyone expected it to be, but here are some of my favorite pictures taken from a challenging and truly interesting year.

#25:

Big Dam Bridge, North Little Rock, Arkansas.
It was a cold winter night with a thick fog, which picked up and carried the blue lights from the bridge out across the river. This was taken in the glory days of January, before having to worry about having on a mask or keeping a proper distance from anyone else.

#24:

Magnolia Falls, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
Waterfalls in Arkansas are becoming increasingly more popular and more crowded. In order to avoid the crowds over the weekend on this visit to Magnolia Falls, I decided to start hiking right before sunrise (which meant leaving home at 3:45 AM to get there). But it was worth it, there wasn’t anyone else there and the falls are amazingly beautiful.

#23:

Near Stuttgart, Arkansas.
These metal silos sit along a dirt road deep in the Delta. A few fluffy clouds were drifting through the thick heat and humidity that day.

#22:

Lorance Creek Natural Area, Arkansas.
I was too late in the season to catch the autumn leaves on the many trees at Lorance Creek. But that did leave the chance to see some of those fallen leaves trapped in the current of the creek, slowly swirling in the shallow waters of the swamp.

#21:

Balanced Rock Falls, Buffalo National River, Arkansas.
This unique little spot sits near the Buffalo River. A huge boulder is somehow perched over the waterfall, looking like if you were to move an ancient relic nearby, the rock would dislodge and start rolling towards you like in an Indiana Jones movie.

#20:

Bridal Veil Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.
We had booked a quick trip to Oregon in February, and somehow managed to squeeze in the trip before everything stopped in March. It was a blessed time when we could ride on a plane, eat out in a restaurant, and be around other people.

There was a good crowd of people here at Bridal Veil Falls, one of the hundreds of waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. This is the view of the Bridal Veil Creek, just below the falls (you can see the spray from the falls at the top of the photo behind that massive moss-covered boulder).

19:

Lower Ken Smith Falls, Buffalo National River, Arkansas.
It is a long hike through Hawk Hollow to reach Smith Falls (especially if you’ve fallen out of shape like I have). And so of course, about halfway through the hike the sun came out and there were bright blue skies overhead. Which is not the ideal conditions for waterfall photography. Luckily Smith Falls was still mostly in shadow when we got there, with a beam of light from the sun shining through the trees above the 72 foot-tall waterfall.

18:

Slippery Hollow Natural Area, Arkansas
This area has to be one of the most aptly-named places in the state (joining the ranks of the waterfall named Falling Water Falls). The hollow has several springs, which have turned most of the rocks here into a slick moss-covered Slip 'N' Slide.

#17:

Short Beach, Oregon.
Portland is a great city to visit, thanks to its perfect location. A short drive east takes you by the massive waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. A short drive west brings you to the Pacific Ocean. This rocky beach sits below Cape Meares and is where a small creek runs in and meets up with the ocean. It’s a nice place to sit and enjoy the view.

#16:

Elaine, Arkansas.
These fields here really look no different than any other soybean or rice field in the flat lands of the Delta. But they have a deep and dark history. It was near this field where the Elaine Massacre started in 1919, which resulted in the murder of hundreds of people. I’m not sure if it was my imagination, but there was an eerie feeling in the air here.

#15:

Hodgson Water Mill, Missouri.
In the summer, we booked a cabin in the Ozarks for a few days as a sort of “isolation vacation.” It was also the last time we’d be able to make any sort of getaway before the baby was born. The cabin was located near the Arkansas-Missouri border, and I had time to slip over and get a few pictures at the beautiful old mill. It’s said that this is the most photographed place in Missouri (I’m sure that the Gateway Arch or Busch Stadium get more pictures), but no one was keeping track of how many pictures were taken while I was there.

#14:

Portland, Oregon.
One night while in Portland we stopped to get a few pictures of the White Stag Sign, which was built in 1940 and greets people driving across the Burnside Bridge. It is an iconic part of downtown Portland, and one I wish that Little Rock could copy with their own version (if I won the lottery or was an eccentric millionaire I would totally build one and donate it to the city).

#13:

Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
There are several homes along this scenic little dirt road, except it’s not the easiest place to reach. To get here, you have to ford Big Piney Creek. But it is scenic enough for the effort when you have this view from your front yard.

#12:

Little Rock, Arkansas.
It had been a rainy day, and right at sunset the sun broke through the storm clouds and produced this pastel-colored sunset over downtown Little Rock.

#11:

Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.
I know this is a cliche photo of a touristy landmark, but Multnomah Falls is one of the most iconic and breathtaking waterfalls in the US. It’s definitely worth fighting the crowds (at least it was when this was taken, before Covid really struck) to see it in person.

#10:

Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
A horse grazing in a field by a massive old and abandoned home. I would love to see what the inside of this house is like.

#9:

Six Finger Falls, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
A storm dumped a lot of rain at the end of October, which gave us waterfalls and fall colors at the same time (a rare treat). This was a 15 second exposure, taken as it was getting dark.

#8:

Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
We ended up spending more time taking pictures of this road than anything else that day. It passed through the Ozark National Forest and had a nice little bit of fog too.

#7:

Buffalo National River, Arkansas.
In real estate they say the most important thing is Location, Location, Location. Well this Ashe’s Juniper tree has situated itself in an amazing position, overlooking a scenic bend in the Buffalo River.

#6:

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas.
This was taken from the rooftop of The Waters Hotel, where a bar allowed a chance to get a few outdoor and socially-distanced drinks. It also provided a view of this great sunset over Bathhouse Row and Central Avenue.

#5:

Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
This old blue recliner sits on the sprawling front porch of an abandoned home. Judging by the thick coating of dust and dirt, it looks like it’s been a long time since anyone has sat down for a spell here.

#4:

Haw Creek Falls, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas.
Haw Creek Falls are just a few feet tall, but for what they lack in height they make up in length. The waterfall stretches across the creek, and was matched with some good fall color.

#3:

Buffalo National River, Arkansas.
Golden evening light bathed the gnarled trunks of the old Ashe Juniper tree, which overlooked the calm waters of the Buffalo River.

#2:

Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock.
The annual fireworks show at the State Capitol is one of the best holiday traditions in the state. Luckily the state went ahead with the show this year, but they did away with the ceremony and kindly asked people to wear masks and social distance. I have to admit it was a good change, because in years past the ceremony and speeches could drag on a bit too long.

#1:

Cedar Creek Grist Mill, Washington
This place has been on my photography bucket-list for years, and I was luckily able to make a quick drive over into Washington state to get a few pictures during our visit to the Pacific Northwest. On our way home, at the airport in Portland, we started seeing people wearing masks. It’s crazy to think back at how much has changed since then. 2020 will always be thought of as a memorable year. Hopefully 2021 will be too, but for all the right reasons.

Thank you again for anyone who reads these posts and looks at these pictures. I hope you all have a great and healthy new year!

Oregon: Multnomah Falls

Towards the end of the day we were finally able to make a stop at the mighty and majestic Multnomah Falls. There are over 90 waterfalls just on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, and Multnomah ranks as the tallest and most popular. It also easily ranks as one of the most iconic waterfalls in the country. If you do a google image search for waterfalls, chances are you'll find several pictures of Multnomah Falls in the search results.



The falls drop in two steps. The upper falls plunge 542 feet, and the lower falls drop 69 feet (with a 9 foot elevation drop between them), creating a waterfall that is 620 feet tall total. Multnomah is the tallest waterfall in Oregon, and is credited as being the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the US. It creates a pretty stunning view to see in person.



A picturesque stone bridge crossing between the falls was constructed in 1915. On our last visit here in 2014, the bridge was temporarily closed after a falling boulder smashed through part of the bridge.



Since it is such a beautiful spot, it's no surprise that this is an insanely popular place. Over 2.5 million people visit the falls every year, making it the most-visited natural recreation area in the Pacific Northwest. It was pretty crowded when we were there, but I joined the masses and made the short but steep walk up the hill to the bridge between the falls. This is the view looking back down at the base of the falls.



And the view looking at the upper falls, as mist and spray coated the camera with water.



Near the base of the falls is the Multnomah Falls Lodge, which was built in 1925. The lodge and the the falls just barely escaped the flames of the massive Eagle Creek wildfire.

Oregon: Horsetail Falls & Gorton Creek

We drove further into the Columbia River Gorge and attempted to stop at Multnomah Falls, but it was packed with people so we drove on. The next stop was Horsetail Falls, which was also busy but at least we found a place to park. The falls are 176 feet tall and they produce significant amounts of spray. So much spray that it was almost impossible to get good pictures of the falls without the camera getting completely soaked. So I retreated further back from the falls and got a shot from the bridge, which like most things here was coated with moss.





As we drove further through the Columbua River Gorge we began seeing more evidence of the devastating Eagle Creek Fire, which was caused by a careless teenager playing with fireworks. The fire took three months to contain, and cost nearly $40 million to extinguish. It also completely devastated many places in the gorge, causing irreparable damage. Many areas are still closed to hiking, with no clear timeline as to when people will be allowed back in. It's another reminder of how one foolish decision can have such drastic and negative consequences.

We continued on and drove through the town of Cascade Locks and stopped at the Bridge of the Gods. The bridge opened in 1926 and gets its dramatic name from an old geologic feature on the Columbia River that was also called the Bridge of the Gods. According to legend, a landslide sometime in the 1400s sent massive amounts of debris into the river which caused the formation of a natural dam that was 200 feet high and 3.5 miles long. The river eventually broke through the dam, which resulted in the creation of the Cascades Rapids (which were submerged underwater in 1938 when a modern dam was built nearby).



From there it was a quick drive to Wyeth State Park and to a short hike along the scenic Gorton Creek. After dealing with the crowds on a busy holiday weekend it was a refreshing break to make a hike in a spot where there weren't any other people (besides the nosy Oregon state police officer who gave me a warning for parking in the wrong place).





There were a few places where you could see evidence of the recent fire along the creek, but fortunately it didn't look like there was much damage here. The creek was beautiful, with colorful moss coating the rocks in the creek.





The trail headed up the hill along the creek, and it must look gorgeous here in the Spring.



It was raining when I made it to Emerald Falls, which is about 10 feet tall (It's definitely not the tallest waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge, but it was a pretty little spot).



And one last shot from here, of the creek has it flows by moss-covered rocks below Emerald Falls.

Oregon: Latourell & Bridal Veil Falls

The first waterfall you see as you drive into the Columbia River Gorge is Latourell Falls, and it makes quite an introduction (I guess you could say it’s Gorge-ous?). The falls plunge 224 feet over a massive wall of black basalt that has a large patch of bright yellow lichen growing on it.



It’s an easy walk to the falls, and since there we were there on a weekend there were quite a few people standing around taking selfies and pictures. This is the view looking up at the falls while trying to avoid getting too much spray from the falls on the lens.



And looking back at the bridge over the creek below the falls.



From there we headed back onto the Historic Columbia River Highway, a stretch of road constructed between 1913 and 1922 that was the first planned scenic roadway in the country. The next stop was Bridal Veil Falls, which is reached by a short but slightly steep trail that drops down the hillside and crosses Bridal Veil creek on a bridge.



Even though it was winter, the area below the falls was green with moss and ferns.



The creek plunges over two tiers creating a waterfall that is about 118 feet tall. At the very top of the falls you can see part of a bridge for the Columbia River Highway that was constructed in 1914.



For a few decades these falls didn't really run, the water was diverted away to a nearby mill. You can see traces of the mill complex along the trail.



One thing that I love about this area is how green it is, and how much moss covers everything (like rocks, concrete and trees).



And one last shot before heading up the hill, looking back up the creek toward the falls: