Westbound Sign — Stephen Topia Photography

For the first 28 years of my life I rarely left New England. The furthest away from home I had been was Florida on only 5 occasions. Twice with my wife, for our honeymoon and repeat trip, twice on vacation with family and the brief 8 months I lived there as a teenager only to move back north. The thought of driving across the whole country to California excited me and scared me at the same time. All I had know about the rest of the US was what I saw on TV. I’ve only been shooting for 2 years now and I felt under prepared to really take some decent photos of such a new place. This is a brief summary of our first time on a cross country road trip.

With the rental car all packed with various snacks and water, our camera gear and lots of miles ahead of us, we started out on our journey. The first day was a short 8 hour drive to get a jump start on the extremely long drive. Once leaving New England all the sights we were about to see were completely new to us. Rolling farm lands and cows sat among dilapidated barns and silos as we drove to our hotel. I almost backed out of the trip after seeing our two cats look at us with sad eyes knowing we were leaving for a while and we already felt home sick. The first night was a restless sleep thinking about them all alone in our little apartment with only brief visits from the cat sitter to keep them company.

The second day we left early long before the sun came up since today was our first twelve hour day of driving and I was not looking forward to it. More and more rolling farmlands turned to distant views of one of the Great Lakes. We noticed a large field of corn and were amazed at how much there was compared to the fields back home. Not knowing just how much corn we’d see that day made us seem naive in hindsight. The next two states were lots of cornfields and soy bean fields and it felt like we were driving in circles. After a long day we finally reached our hotel for the night next to the Mississippi River and were pretty disappointed to realize how brown and dirty it looked in person. In the small town we found an equally small pizza place and decided to try their Taco Pizza which turned out to be one of the best pizzas we have ever tasted. With our stomachs full we went to bed early for another 12 hour day coming.

To say there was a lot of corn would be an understatement. For a state about 6 times bigger than our home state to be primarily cornfields is hard to wrap your head around. Hours of driving yet all we saw was corn. The other thing we didn’t anticipate was the cops in this state to be either bored or really stingy on speeder since I got pulled over for going 4mph over the speed limit. The officer was nice enough to tell us right off the bat that we weren’t getting a ticket and that he just wanted to tell us we were going 4 over on the nearly abandoned highway. After checking our rental agreement he told us “enjoy a few more hours of corn” and let us go. Well he was right, after many more hours of corn we reached Denver and the landscape rapidly changed from flat boring fields to enormous mountains and winding roads. We had never seen such tall mountains before and felt more like grains of sand than people as we reached our hotel in the heart of them. That night the hotel check in woman told us to not keep any food in our car because bears had tried breaking into other guests vehicles the night before. So we dragged all our snacks inside and took a short walk at the near by lake to take in such a wild strange area. Home felt like a million miles away and we were only at the halfway point of the drive.

Early the next morning we head out again on a shorter 5 hour drive to our first photo spot of the trip. Speeding down the steepest road I’ve ever seen in the dark was pretty scary as the smell of burning brakes filled the air from the many eighteen wheelers all around us. We were sad that we didn’t have time to get out of the car and explore these beautiful and wondrous mountains. Passing skyscraper tall cliffs and driving through the mountain tunnels left us in awe of the sheer size of the range. After a few hours the mountains faded away and interesting rock formations and hills lined the highway. Looking like the surface of the moon it was driving home that we were really in a vastly different world. The moon like hills turned into even stranger tall plateaus as red as the terracotta shingles of old Italian homes. The rock formations made us feel like we were finally in the west and in the areas of the old western movies from before our time. Passing by pronghorn sheep and colonies of prairie dogs had us all excited to see some new wildlife. The most we get back home is squirrels, chipmunks and the occasional bear up north. We reached the first stop of our trip and entered the park known for its archways.

The first place we pulled off the road was not far from the entry gate as we had to get out and stare at the amazing stone formations. Soaring high above us was a column of red stone so intimidating that we felt as if it could crush us at any moment. I took out my wide angle lens and got low to the ground to emphasize the height and ironically turned it into a black and white.

Turning around I spotted another popular formation and switched to my telephoto to shoot another black and white.From there we managed to snag a parking spot in the almost full lot and took a short hike to see our first arches. The harsh sun above made for some not so great lighting but we were here and we took a few shots anyway. My wife spotted our first lizard scurrying among the rocks at our feet and she seemed more excited about that than the ancient arches above us.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring around the park and taking a break to fuel up on some healthy Doritos and beef jerky. My wife became enamored with an extremely small fuzzy spider and took macro shots of it as I watched looming rain clouds heading in hoping they would stay away just long enough for sunset. We had quite the hike ahead of us to get to the spot and didn’t want to be caught out in the open while it potentially down poured. Deciding to take the risk we started the hike up to the most popular arch not knowing just how deceptively steep the trail really is. About three quarters of the way there we were both extremely out of breath from the much higher elevation than we’re used to and needed a break. Watching small kids and some seniors passing us gave us enough will to continue on. My fear of heights was in over driver as the last stretch of the trail has a sheer drop down a cliff to your left and a rock wall to your right. The arch was packed full of people as expected and the wind was starting to whip up as we waited a short while for sunset. Timing my shot just right I managed to only need to clone out two people from under the arch as the rain fell on the horizon in the distance.

A delicate balance between dry desert and torrential rain.

With sand and drops of rain whipping our face we carefully made our way down the trail and back to our car and realized we should have stayed a little long as the sky started to light up with color. Not too worried about it after a long day of driving and hiking we drove to the hotel and crashed for the night.

The next morning we returned to the area with the double arches to an arch we skipped the day before just before the sky started lighting up. The rain clouds still hung in the sky and began lighting up in vibrant color as the red rocks and formations began to glow with the suns early rays. I took a couple wide angle shots of the rocky landscape before walking about 20 feet and shooting a side angle view of the arch just as the sun lit it up in a brilliant orange hue.

The sun peeks out above he horizon in the desert.

An archway catches the first morning light.

Now we had quite the drive ahead of us. Back home when I mapped out the whole trip, Google told me our route would take only 13 hours. With the ever so accurate site being wrong it turned out that it would really take 16 hours. With an enormous drive ahead of us we immediately left the park and started the grueling drive. Desolate wastelands of dirt and small scrub bushes went on for hours and hours and left us feeling more isolated and alone than we’ve ever felt. No houses, gas stations, or sign of people save for the highway were to be seen. Then all at once small towns popped up among the mountainy roads we reached and green trees and grass appeared along the one river far below us. A large city came into view and we realized it was Salt Lake City. Quickly passing through we began to notice a not so pleasant aroma in the air from the salt flats on either side of the highway. We made a short stop at the rest area at the end of the flats to walk out only to white crystalized ground and marveled at how dry the air felt. With that out of the way we continued on the long drive and reached another desolate state. More rolling brown hills and not a town in sight for hours, the occasional gas station being an oasis among the barren fields. The sun was starting to set as we reached the border of California and relief washed over us as we finally made it across the country. Only we still had a few more hours left to drive through more winding mountain roads. As my wife was asleep in the passenger seat I pulled off the highway to quell the sounds of my growling stomach and she woke up to the sight of the famous In n Out burger sign. We quickly inhaled the delicious burgers and fries and continued on with a little more energy than before. Only about an hour from the hotel was when we got stuck in gridlock traffic and we running on fumes both mentally and physically . Growing more and more frustrated the traffic thinned out and we had to cross my two greatest fears combined, heights and the ocean. A long 5.5 mile bridge took us over the San Fransisco bay in the dark as I gripped the steering wheel for dear life. Reaching the hotel at around midnight we passed right out before having to get up at 6am the next day for sunrise.

Thankfully the sunrise spot was a short drive away and when we reached the parking lot the whole area was covered in their famous fog so our subject was completely hidden. A sea of white was all that greeted us and after a short wait we decided to drive down back to the main road. Just after passing a curve in the road near a parking lot the famous bridge appeared through the fog as the sun lit up the whole area in a cotton candy like pink light. I quickly set up a composition with my zoom lens and swapped out for a wider shot as the sun bathed the bridge in a warm glow.

The crimson tower appears from the pink fog.

Being a big fan of animals and zoos my wife and I crossed the bridge and into the city to visit the San Fransisco zoo. We got to see our first in person sight of koalas which was the highlight of the visit and we began yet another long drive to our hotel for the night that afternoon.

The next morning long before sunrise we set out on a 2 hour drive to the parking lot of our photo spot. We stopped along the way to let a little family of raccoons cross the road and continued on climbing the steep twisting road into the mountains. A popular spot in a park where Ansel Adams spent so much of his time in his career was quite the sight. A recent forest fire was still raging not far from here and the whole valley was blanketed in a layer of smoke and the smell of burning forests filled the air. Wanting to at least document the scene we shot a wide angle view of the valley as ravens croaked in the parking lot behind us. This scene was the main draw to come all the way across the country when I saw it on a nature documentary a few years before I met my wife. Its a shame that it was covered in smoke but more of a shame that a massive forest was now ashes.

At the valley floor the smoke was less visible and the popular cliff here made its appearance. To say I’ve never felt so small and insignificant would be the wrong words as I felt even less than that below this massive granite face that’s stood here for over 220 million years. Standing 3,000 feet high we felt like microscopic organisms on the back of a giant ancient creature as we shot close ups of the cliff. From there were made a short visit to the dry waterfall nearby before heading into the little town here to grab a snack and visit the Ansel Adams gallery where I purchased a small framed print of the smoked out scene he had shot many years ago in the winter. The park was already filling with people as we made short hikes around the valley floor and stopped by another popular spot beside the river to shoot a much clearer scene of the mountains.

On the way out of the park I wanted to make one last attempt at the sunrise spot and quickly shot a handheld shot now that the smoke was mostly clear and the crowds were becoming overwhelming.

Along the road to the hotel we passed through where the forest fire has burned through the forest and I pulled over to take a document shot of the devastation. Stopping by a small gift shop half way to the hotel we took a short snack and bathroom break in the midst of the mountain forest. That night we checked in to our hotel that was under construction and grabbed a pizza from Domino’s before heading to bed for the next sunrise drive in the morning.

Not much is left but ashes after the recent fires.

Again we set out on a short drive in the dark to visit an ancient forest of the worlds largest trees. The air here was much cleaner and the forest fires made no impact on this cool crisp morning. We arrived to a small grove of enormous trees and walked along the path until we spotted a group of deer grazing on whatever they could find as they quietly kept an eye on us from a distance. This was the most fairy tale like forest one could imagine. Deer silently nibbling, birds chirping high above in the thick branches and the cool mountain air filling our lungs with no other people to be found.

With only the morning to visit this park we continued on the the road to view sweeping views of mountains and more giant red trees as the stood defiantly on the roadside. Reaching another grove and a trail we got out to explore a calm beautiful grassy field with the towering sequoias all around. Another trail led us to the worlds biggest tree and we were amazed that something could be so large and old yet still be alive. I spotted the sun streaming through the thick canopy onto a tiny sapling as if to give it more light than the rest of the forest and took a final image before heading to our hotel for the night.

A burnt tree sits on the curving roadside.

Thankful that the next couple of days would have very little driving we left early to head to another zoo and quickly got stuck in the infamous Los Angeles traffic. Taking two hours to drive what should have taken 30 minutes was not much of a problem for us since we didn’t have to rush today. We still reached the LA Zoo before they opened and were the first in line to buy tickets. We managed to get a few shots of the animals this time and fed some of the giraffes. Just as the zoo was filling up we finished seeing everything and headed out to one of the main reason we were out here. To celebrate our 5 year anniversary and mark the milestone by visiting the western counterpart to our honeymoon. Disneyland.

A chimpanzee looks on as the troop plays on rocks.

To save money we stayed at a hotel only a fifteen minute walk from the park entrances rather than the overpriced ones not much closer. We walked through Downtown Disney and dined on delicious yet also overpriced spaghetti and meatballs like we did 5 years prior in Epcot. I managed to trick my wife into thinking I went to the bathroom but secretly bought her a gold necklace in a store in the shape of the castle in Disneyland. We were visiting the parks the next two days so this small taste of Disney was a nice appetizer for things to come.

The next day we went to Disneyland and brought our cameras along just in case. The day was spent waiting in long lines for rides, meeting characters from Disney and Star Wars, and ending the day with their fireworks show. Managing to take a couple shots we walked back to the hotel and found a small praying mantis that we tried pushing off the walkway to prevent someone stepping on it but it just attacked my shoe instead.

Mr. Toad’s monical catches the setting sun.

The following day was more of the same. Endless lines, shopping, meeting Marvel characters like Spider-man and Groot, and watching the night time show on the lake with what felt like a million other people packed in around us. I managed to get one night time photo of the Ferris wheel and an empty boardwalk.

California Adventure’s ferris wheel lights up the lake.

Another short drive brought us to the last two days of our time in California with the San Diego zoo and Seaworld (which we now regret after watching Blackfish). At the zoo we were greeted to two grizzly bear brothers play fighting in the pond of their enclosure as the zookeeper told us this is their morning routine. We were really excited to finally see an orangutan in person and giant pandas.

Later that night we headed to the nearby beach for sunset though the sky didn’t light up like we were hoping.A local couple asked where we were from due to our accent which was pretty strange since neither of us have that strong Boston accent that New Englanders are known for. After the lackluster sunset we found a place down the road that apparently stuffs loaves of Italian bread with different pasta dishes and that ended up being a delicious combination that we wished was closer to us. One can dream.

Evening begins in the coastal neighborhood.

Our final night in California brought us to another park and away from all the city life we were already sick of and back into where we felt at home. Nature. We made it just in time for sunset and we leaped out of the car for an impromptu composition of a strange rock formation sitting along in the barren desert of odd shaped trees. Just as the sun started its dip behind the mountain range on the horizon we found a rock that was shaped like some giant alien skull and captured one last image as the light was snuffed out.

The setting sun basks the rocks in a golden light.

Sitting in our hotel room we debated whether or not we should go back out and try our hand at some milky way photography decided to go for it. Dodging mice and large jack rabbits on the silent roadway we found a pull off that had one of the famous trees close by and we set up our cameras. Not long into waiting for our 25 second exposures to finish up a large snap was heard not far from us in the darkness. Not knowing if it was a rabbit or a mountain lion we got out of there and back to the hotel for our journey back towards home the next morning.

The milky way is prominent our in the desert.

Leaving California behind and the desert park fading away in the rear view mirror we drove for a few hours before entering the next new state as large rocky plateaus dotted the landscape all around us. Our destination was a slightly famous canyon that attracts millions of visitors each year and causes the deaths of many people who chose to cross the safety barriers. We reached the park in the late afternoon and parked the car. Walking up to the fence at the rim of the canyon was a surreal sight. A chasm so deep and wide sits in the middle of nowhere carved from the river far below out of sight over the past 6 million years. Layers of rock create a stone cake like appearance and our first thoughts were that it all looks fake. Almost looking like the painted backdrops of old movie sets of Looney Tunes cartoons from Wiley Coyote, we tried shooting small formations in the middle of it all as the sun began to set.

A plateau catching the final rays of the day.

Our hotel for the night was not even 50 feet from the canyon rim. We decided to take a nighttime stroll a short ways to watch the stars. Back home the light pollution blots out most of the stars but here in the total darkness its like being swallowed up or floating in the middle of the galaxy as a sea of billions of tiny points of light flicker in the night sky. A really romantic sight, if not for the dozens of bats zipping by us and getting closer and closer to our heads. With night over we headed to bed to try for some sunrise shots in the morning.

I miscalculated the time to set my alarm so we raced over to a spot we found the day before and ran to the rim as the sun was just starting to light up the clouds. Setting up as fast as we could we quickly set up a composition that included the canyon below and the colorful sky above. After only waiting a few short minutes the sun spilled into the canyon and lit the rock formations in a memorizing warm light. With ravens creeping closer and closer to us to try begging for food we shot for a short while before heading to the car and starting the long drive home.

Sunrise bathes the canyon in a warm glow.

The first kiss of morning hits the rocky ridge.

With two days of 12 hour drives completed we made one last stop in Ohio for another zoo. From there it was one last 8 hour drive home to our eagerly awaiting cats who were very happy to see us again and to give them their long awaited wet food and be able to smother us in our sleep in bed again. The first cross country road trip was in the books and the amazing views of deserts, massive mountains, dense towering forests and isolated parks have us wanting more. Already we are excitedly picking out possible places to go next and can’t wait to see what the future holds and what photographs we will come home with.

Thank you for reading my mediocre attempt at my first journal entry. If you made it this far, well you’re very patient.