Fall Color in the Upper Peninsula

January 29, 2025

Michigan's Upper Peninsula has to be one of the most beautiful places to see fall colors. I’m a little late with this post here in late January, but reminiscing about my visit to the U.P. in October 2024 is a good way to brighten a dreary winter day:)

I was able to attend a 5-day photo workshop presented by the amazing artist, Debbie DiCarlo that was just perfect for exploring, learning, and being immersed in the autumn nature of the Upper Peninsula. I arrived in the U.P. a day early and solo camped at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Not only did I see the picturesque upper and lower falls, but I also got a night photo with some faint Aurora Borealis color!

Aurora Borealis over the Tahquamenon River

After one night of camping, I drove the two hours to Marquette to meet up with the workshop folks and we very quickly hit our first stop…an interesting old trestle bridge and close-by views.

On our first evening, we found a great sunset view of the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse.

The next day was full of backroads, waterfalls, and white birch. I also learned how to do some ICM (intentional camera movement) photography, which was a lot of fun and got me to think more creatively:)

Over the last couple of days, we had been getting alerts that tonight (Oct. 10) had the potential for some great Northern Lights displays. Well…the predictions were correct! We went out to a beach with a view of Little Presque Isle after dark and could almost immediately make out pink hues in the northern sky. Over the next hour, we captured multi-colored lights over Lake Superior. We couldn’t believe how fortunate we were and started packing up our gear to leave once the light show faded…and then BOOM!, the whole sky started to explode all around us to let us know the main event was just now starting! We stayed out for more than another hour and captured even more brilliant colors that were popping within a 360° view. It was truly one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I was thrilled to share it with my new friends!

After a long night, we decided to take a more leisurely drive to our next destination over to Munising. We made a couple of stops along the way, our first being the eclectic Lakenenland sculpture park. This park is one man’s vision with over 100 sculptures ranging from the political to whimsical…a true roadside treasure!

Our second stop on the way to Munising was a beach that was perfect for “rock hounds” and landscapes.

We eventually made it to Munising and hit up a couple more waterfalls and a beautiful sunset.

We headed back to Sand Point Beach for sunrise the next day. The sky and water were an incredible pink that I’d never seen in nature before. It was really remarkable and refreshing to take it all in! This spot also gave us a vantage point of the picture-perfect East Channel Lighthouse.

We spent much of the rest of the day in forested backroads with a diversion to some huge sand dunes along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

On our last full day in the U.P., we found a peaceful lake in the Hiawatha National Forest and then decided to throw the itinerary out and just ramble through the national forest and stop wherever we felt like it. This day was overcast and with some rain, which really saturated the colors. I took this day to also concentrate on smaller details. It was a relaxing and rewarding day out in nature.

Our group would all be going our separate ways in the morning and our time in the U.P. was almost over. We decided to go to one of the more prominent overlooks in the Pictured National Seashore in hopes that the clouds might clear and we would have one last sunset. Unfortunately, there was no golden hour to speak of, but the soft defused light did allow for some saturated photos of the dramatic Lake Superior coastline.

I really am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this “Fall Color Magic in the Upper Peninsula” workshop and for the new friends that were made.

Miners Castle Rock | Pictured Rocks National Seashore

Ed, Debbie, Rob, Joanne, Roz, and Teresa

Oh, The Owls! A Trip to the Sax-Zim Bog

January 28, 2025

Like a lot of people, I love owls, but finding and photographing them can be quite challenging! Seeing a Grey Grey Owl in nature is something I’ve wanted to do for more than 20 years, but there is just no chance of that happening where I live in NE Ohio. I’ve known for a while that my best chance of seeing one of these mysterious and elusive owls was in northern Minnesota…and more specifically, the Sax-Zim Bog area. This is an area about an hour northwest of Duluth and about 14.5 hours drive from me. In January 2025 I finally made the trip! I could have saved some time and flown, but I prefer to drive because it just seems more adventurous and you never know what you could find along the way. The logistics seem easier and less chances of things going wrong, like canceled flights and messed up rental cars.

This was a particularly good year to look for owls because it is an irruption year for boreal species, like the Great Grey and the little Boreal Owl. This means that for various reasons, like food and climate, many more of these owls have migrated to the southern range of the boreal forest for the winter. I had hoped to see and photograph a Great Grey Owl when I started to plan this trip in early December, but it was luck that this turned out to be such a rare time to also see the cute boreal owls!

Of course, there were also lots of other interesting birds and wildlife in the bog and I only wish I could have had more time to see them. Some other wildlife I saw were snowshoe hares, mink, red fox, red squirrels, redpolls, ruffed grouse, Canada jays, northern shrike, purple finch, goldfinch, and a barred owl. If you would like to visit Sax-Zim, check out the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog’s website for a ton of valuable information.

All of the wildlife was photographed with an Olympus OM-1 + 300mm F4 Pro with a 1.4x teleconverter attached some of the time.

2024: A Year to Look Up

December 31, 2024

Even though we were a few months away from the April 8th full solar eclipse, I was already anticipating and preparing for the best views and hopefully, some great photos! I had done my research and had figured out the best camera settings and schedule to capture all partial phases and some of the key moments, like baily's beads and the diamond ring.

As the big day got closer, I became a bit obsessed with weather patterns and different types of cloud cover. Even though I lived within the path of totality, I was ready to travel if needed for the clear skies. At 7pm on April 6, I decided that the forecast was too risky to stay in Ohio and I loaded up the Subaru for a north adventure. I car-camped and tent-camped my way to chilly Pittsburg, NH…the most northern town in the state that I had visited many years earlier to photograph moose.

I arrived in the small town by 9:30 on the 8th and the parking lots were already filling up with eclipse watchers. I went past the town and pulled over next to First Connecticut Lake and staked out a spot on this still frozen lake’s shore. This ended up being a perfect place to not only view the eclipse, but also meet friendly people and just enjoy the day as we all talked and waited for the big event!

When the time came, I was ready and managed to pull off all the photos I intended to, but not without a bit of drama! As I was firing away a sequence during baily’s beads, my camera locked up and I had to remove it from the tripod and pull the battery out. It was stressful and I had to take my eyes off the eclipse for 20-30 seconds, but I managed to get everything back working for the corona shots!

Later in the year we were treated to brilliant Aurora Borealis displays that reached all the way down to Ohio and beyond. Unfortunately, I missed the larger display on May 10, but managed this photo on May 11 from the Lake Erie shore.

It just so happens that I was up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on October 10 and was able to enjoy the Northern Lights near Marquette for more than 2 hours. I was with fellow photographer friends and feel so grateful that I was able to experience this incredible event with these people!

2025 is projected to be another impressive year for solar storms and the potential for strong Northern Lights, so lets hope for more to come!

My New York City Marathon

November 19, 2021

It finally happened...I finally ran the New York City Marathon on November 7, 2021. Of course, because of COVID, this was a longer journey than expected. I registered with my charity in February 2020 to run the 50th NYC Marathon. I ran my first marathon in Akron in 2019 and that was an amazingly special accomplishment for a variety of reasons...but to run NYC, on its 50th anniversary, after a year postponement, was an incredible privilege!

I decided to run this race in honor and memory of friends and family affected by Cancer. I found a worthy charity partner in the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation to support. The SWCRF is focused on getting to the bottom of why normal cells in our body go bad and become cancerous so they can develop treatments that stop cancer cells from growing and spreading.

Shelly and I also did the Abbott Dash to the Finish 5k on Saturday morning, which I used as a shake-out run before the marathon and Shelly got to be a part of the race weekend. The run went through midtown Manhattan and finished in Central Park. It was a beautiful morning and a great way to start the weekend!

We managed to meet up with a Facebook Group called “Runar’s Runners” in Central Park and then down to the Javits Center for bib pickup and the expo. Saturday evening we had dinner on the Upper East Side with Sue and Helen from Samuel Waxman and the other member of the Team Waxam runners, Waldemar Sirko. The bowls of pasta were overflowing and I got plenty of carbohydrates stored up for the race.

I woke up at 4:45 on race morning without much sleep, but it didn’t matter, this was the day I have been training and anticipating for so long and I was ready! It didn’t take me long to get dressed, and I was out the door and on the subway heading to the Staten Island Ferry in short time. The ride was quiet and full of runners...probably in disbelief that it was actually happening...at least, that’s what I was thinking. We quickly made it onto the 6:15 ferry, where NYRR volunteers greeted us with enthusiasm. The morning air was clear and crisp, so I stood outside most of the ride, taking it all in and watching lower Manhattan sparkle in the twilight and the Statue of Liberty come into view as we crossed the bay to Staten Island. Busses took us over to Fort Wadsworth where I tried to stay warm as I absorbed the excitement of the moment and cheered on the pros and the first and second waves of runners. Time went quickly and before I knew it, it was time for my wave to enter the corral.

The cannon sounded, Frank Sinatra was singing, and the race had begun! Two miles across the quiet Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and then came roaring Brooklyn. The crowd support was even more than I could’ve imagined and the running was fast and easy. Here I was, a guy from Ohio and it seemed like all of Brooklyn was shouting ROBBIE! It pays to put your name on your shirt! It felt so good to see friends at mile 6 and then Shelly at mile 9. Before I knew it, I was in Queens and then the dreaded Queensboro Bridge. People warn you about the bridge because it has a tough incline (at least for mile 15) and there are no spectators. This bridge did get to me. I got my first leg cramp running up it and what was probably a small hill seemed to last forever. Runners actually cheered when we finally started our way back down!

On the other side came 1st Ave and I got another shot of energy. This section felt like a party with thousands of spectators and music for a mile. I also saw the Samuel Waxman folks and Shelly and her crew again. Pretty soon I was headed over the Willis Ave Bridge and on into the Bronx. Things were rough in the Bronx with my legs. It felt like every single muscle in both legs had tightened up and it was difficult to walk, much less run. I had to stop and stretch a few times and eventually willed myself back over the famous “Last Damn Bridge” and back into Manhattan.

With 5k left to go, I was back into a rhythm...slow, as it was. I had finally reached Central Park and the crowds were closing tightly in on the course. They were loud and supportive...exactly what I needed to get to the finish. I made the turn at Columbus Circle and saw the signs...800m, 400m, 200m...FINISH! For the first time ever in a race, I didn’t have it in me to sprint to the end, but that’s okay because today, I completed the New York City Marathon!

2021 TCS New York City Marathon
November 7, 2021
Robert Vaughn
04:44:52

Let's Camp in a Ghost Town

February 2, 2021

Spend the Night in a Ghost Town? Sure, why not!

At the end of 2020 I was really feeling the need for some adventure and also a chance to cut away from the political news that I was starting to obsess over in November and December. I thought a solo backpacking trip would do the trick, but I was also looking for a new experience and an escape from the Northeast Ohio winter. I began to consider heading to the desert, maybe Arizona or New Mexico? I know there are probably hundreds of Ghost Towns in the southwest and maybe I could find one or two and work in some exploration and photography?

I started researching and scouring Google Earth and one place that caught my attention was Ruby, Arizona. Somewhere I had read that Ruby had recently started to allow camping on the property. Perfect! I found an email address for the owner and inquired about camping and we set it up. This is no tourist attraction like some of the other Ghost Towns I’ve been to (Bodie, CA)...after a small payment and a waiver was signed, the owner gave me the combination to the gate and instructed me to find the caretaker who lives on the property and let them know I was there when I arrive.

If Ruby was my only destination on this trip, I would’ve flown to Tucson, but since I also had plans to camp at Lost Dutchman State Park, I flew to Phoenix. Ruby was about a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix with a few roadside stops along the way. One of those stops was the ruins of this old adobe-style house in Arivaca.

It’s about an hour drive to Ruby from Arivaca, mostly on unpaved roads that increasingly get worse! My rental car was not exactly off-road equipped, but the road was dry and I was able to maneuver around some bad spots, but I did get some looks from the Jeeps and 4x4’s I passed on the way;-)

I finally reached the gate and was very relieved when the combination lock worked and the gate swung open! Within a couple of minutes I passed a rusty Ford truck, an old school house and found the caretaker. She was quite friendly (and so was her dog), and told me that I was the only person there that day and I could camp wherever I wanted. I couldn’t believe it! Twelve hours ago I was in snowy Ohio and now I’m in an abandoned Ghost Town 4 miles from Mexico and I have it all to myself! I only had about 1.5 hours of daylight left and wanted to get camp setup first so i would still have some light to explore. I found an exceptional spot a little ways from town over by the mine tailings and setup quickly. I decided I would save the main town exploration for the next day and instead set out to the surrounding mountains to photograph views at dusk.

I was tired from the long day of travel, but couldn't resist walking over to town and exploring a couple of the buildings in the dark. I have never encountered anything supernatural and going to places that are claimed to be haunted doesn’t bother me, but even I got some uneasy vibes from wandering around this location in the middle of the desert where at least four murders took place 100 years ago.

Mercantile stores were frequently robbed in the old west because of all the money and goods they had from doing so much business. The Ruby mercantile had two double murders, in February, 1920 and August, 1921. John and Alex Fraser were robbed and murdered by Mexican Banditos less than a month after buying the mercantile and just 7 months later, the new store owner, Frank Pearson and his wife were also killed!

I also had a really interesting experience were several great horned owls were flying and calling around me near the old schoolhouse. Even though it was dark, I could still make one out at the top of the old flag pole and in the trees. After checking out a couple houses, I made it back to my tent for some backpackers chicken gumbo and a good night's sleep!

Woke up early, filled my thermos with hot coffee and set off to catch sunrise from the top of one of the surrounding mountains. It was a beautiful and cool morning and a great way to start the day.

I eventually made it back into town and finally got a chance to really explore this old mining town. At Ruby, you can pretty much go wherever you want except for a couple of buildings that are locked that seem to be used for storage and building materials. It’s really incredible to have a place like this without all the usual barricades and modern features meant to keep tourists safe and inline.

I found the caretaker, L.T. trimming back a trail at one point and she pointed me to the bat cave that can have up to 200,000 Mexican bats living in it in the spring. I’ll have to come back and witness what has to be an amazing sight as these bats fly out to eat insects at dusk! L.T.’s hound dog, Hatchy continued to accompany me around as I finished up my wanderings around town. I wish I could've stayed longer, but I had a few more stops on my way to Lost Dutchman and had to get moving.

Ruby has a rich history and I’ve only given you a photographic tour here. Please head over to Ruby’s website for the history and visiting information.
http://rubyaz.com

Finally back to Yellowstone!

July 1, 2019

My wife, Shelly and I went to Yellowstone back in 2005 and I couldn’t wait to get back and thought it would be a regular thing. Well...two kids were born, life got busy and we never made it back again until 14 years later! I love observing and photographing wildlife and I don’t think there is a better place than the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem...especially for a guy from Ohio.

This trip wouldn’t be an all out photography and exploration trip, but a family vacation. I was excited to share this experience with my age 10 and 11 year old girls, but I would need to make considerations for my usual way of doing things where photography is my main goal. One of those considerations was what gear to bring. My current wildlife setup is a Sony A73 paired with a Sigma 150-600. Of course, I would also need a wide angle lens or two for landscape if I were to bring the big tele. This setup seamed to cumbersome for a family vacation where I would surely be lugging around a backpack full of family necessities already, so I researched other options. I quickly discounted ideas like getting a Canon or Nikon with one of those superzooms like an 18-300mm because I didn’t want to invest in another system. I also looked into the Nikon P1000. 3000mm seems ridiculous, but a lot of Yellowstone wildlife viewing can be a half mile away from the valley road. But this camera is huge and I think I would be disappointed in the image quality since the camera has a small sensor and most of my pictures will be within a more reasonable distance anyway. After giving the Sony RX10iv a test drive, which has an equivalent 24-600mm lens and a 1 inch sensor, I bought a used copy and made this the camera for the trip. I couldn't be happier with the way the RX10iv handled almost all situations. The AF was plenty quick enough for anything I pointed the lens at. I shot up to ISO 6400 at dusk and the pictures are still quite acceptable and I really like the 24mm wide angle. I did also take my A7iii with 16-35 for when I wanted to be more creative with the wide angle, but it stayed in the car most of the time and I honestly could've done without it this trip.

We had 2 days in Grand Teton and 5 days in Yellowstone. This was a perfect amount of time to comfortably explore all the big areas of the parks and not feel rushed. When traveling with kids, it’s hard to get everybody up and moving in the morning, and this worked out to my advantage. I would get up around sunrise and look for good light, landscapes, and wildlife. I would be back to the cabin just around the time everybody wakes up. Shelly was a bit jealous, but she also didn’t want to get up at 5:30am, and we did all get up as a family at least one morning to go to Lamar Valley.

Wildlife was abundant! I kind of lost count of the exact numbers, but I think we saw around 16-18 bears, 10-12 moose, 5-6 wolves, a bunch of eagles and osprey, and all the bison, elk, and goats you could want! One morning, I saw 5 wolves trying to get at a dead bison calf and the mother fighting them off. I felt bad the girls didn’t see the wolves, but when we went back to that spot in the evening, the mother was gone and one wolf was trotting off with a hind leg. Sad, but what an amazing wild scene to witness.

YNP and GTNP had plenty of amazing scenery and thermal features to see as well. The girls saw their first mountains in the Tetons, and of course, Old Faithful, along with the abundant hot springs, geysers, and mud pots were thrilling to experience. I think the kids were a perfect age for the Yellowstone experience and will never forget the close encounters we had with these wild creatures and the unique thermal features this land has to offer!

I’m happy with the photography that came out of this trip and would recommend the RX10iv as a do everything travel camera to anyone that expects quality, but wants to go light.