Category: Travel

First Road Trip for 2018, Part 1

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For my birthday at the end of April, I met up with my friend Cathie in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. My friend Joe also joined us, as he had a birthday in November and we really did not have the chance to celebrate it. We both turned 50, and we wanted to do something special.

On the drive down to the Smokies on April 28, we stopped overnight in Danville, Kentucky. We were going to stay in Lexington, but, due to the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event, it was impossible to find a room. The reason for staying in that area is, Joe and I wanted to explore some of the bourbon trail. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a bourbon fanatic. We got the area in the afternoon, and there wasn’t a lot of time, but we were able to visit the Buffalo Trace distillery https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com and have a tasting. Buffalo Trace is one of my favorite bourbons, as is Blanton’s (which is also made on the premises). I tried their Eagle Rare bourbon, which is aged for a minimum of 10 years. It is absolutely incredible. I also picked up some of their Bourbon Cream, and some bourbon chocolates (yes, I love bourbon!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got dinner and then tried some Kirk & Sweeney 12 year old rum, which was quite good, not like any rum I had before. The next morning, as I was loading up our vehicle for the next stage of the adventure, I saw the sun rising behind Conrad, the horse outside of the entrance to the hotel. It was too good to pass up, even though all I had was my iPhone.

 

 

Sunday, April 29, was spent driving to meet Cathie at the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the park, and introducing Joe to the park (Cathie has been there three previous times, and I have been there one previous time). I will write more about Sunday in the next part. Stay tuned, as they say!

2017- A Look Back

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As we approach the end of the year, as in years past, I look back at the work I have done, and then put together the highlights.

The moments that were captured stand out, but also, the greater context of them. Where I was, and more importantly, who I was with. When I am reviewing the year’s archive, I not only look for particular images that I knew stood out, but also, the connection to the place, time and people I may have been with. The image becomes more than just an image when there is that added context to them. That’s what I always look for when I’m doing these reviews. I have had the great fortune to have met so many incredible photographers (and even more than that, amazing people).

The additional element to this year’s retrospective is a challenge from a friend of mine, who asked me to create a Facebook album of my 17 favorite photos. The slideshow contains these 17 images.

January featured a trip to Boston to attend a memorial for my friend Paul Kempley. Later in the month, I met up with some local photographers, very dear friends, for a casual meet up. We always have a fantastic time, but it seems that January is the only time we can all get together.

February was spent locally, I continued to look for good winter sunrises, as well as some wanderings in the loop capturing the spirit of Chicago.

At the end of April, my great friend Cathie and I met up in the Smokies. Probably the biggest highlight of the year for me, I had never spent time there. But I will be going back!

June featured the Out of Chicago Conference, where I resumed my duties as photowalk coordinator with help of my friend Bryan Esler. It’s always an amazing experience, and just being a small part of the show has been an incredible experience. I’m looking forward to the 2018 Summer conference, I’ll be back as photowalk coordinator!

The rest of the summer was spent with various meet ups with local friends. And then, the last weekend of August, I flew to Raleigh Durham and spent an extended weekend with Cathie again. We played a hell of a lot of mini golf, which was great, because most of the time, we’re running from location to location to photograph. It was nice stepping back and just enjoying each other’s company, albeit competitively. But, the trip started with Cathie and I meeting up with Dan Thompkins for sunset on the Friday I arrived. I’ve known Dan for a few years through Facebook, but I finally got to meet him and his wife Carolyn. That made it all the more special.

In September, I helped out on a street photography workshop conducted by my friends Mike Boening and Jamie MacDonald, two absolutely incredible photographers and better guys. Jamie unfortunately was not able to make the trip, but, I did what I could, hobbling in the boot because I had just been diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis. The weekend was a blast, even with having to wear Das Boot. Later in September, I finally had the chance to photograph Chicagohenge. On the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun sets down the east-west streets in the Loop. That is the final image in the slideshow.

2017 was a great year. It did not feature as much travel as I have done in recent years. But, I maximized the times I did travel, and explored the local environs. Next year is shaping up to be another great year, with some trips already planned, as well as the possibility of a couple of others.

Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. Have a wonderful holiday season!

A Boot And A Blast

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Earlier this year, when I heard that a couple of my friends, both Olympus Visionaries (Jamie MacDonald and Mike Boening) were going to host a workshop in Chicago this past weekend, I knew I had to attend. They are fantastic photographers, and even better people. I have been following their podcast, and now their YouTube channel Mirrorless Minutes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqCm16qk_T2JoDzvin_f9eA ever since I met them a few years ago. I had been looking forward to this past weekend for months. In August, I was able to meet up with Mike while he was in town doing some scouting for the workshop. The agenda for this weekend included several great, signature Chicago locations, including sunrises at the lakefront, and an exploration of one of my favorite neighborhoods, Wicker Park.

Leading up to this weekend, on Wednesday, September 13, I met up with a couple of local friends for the sunset at the Museum Campus. I went downtown a little early, planning to eat dinner somewhere, and then walk over to the campus. The place I settled on for dinner was near the Art Institute, and it was a fairly long walk from there to the campus, but I have made this walk many times, and even longer walks. So, after fortifying myself with food and a beverage, I began the walk. By the time I got to the lakefront, near Buckingham Fountain, my right foot was hurting, right by the heel. And the more I walked, the worse it got. By the time I got to the spot we chose for the sunset, I was in agony. And since I had gotten there early, I ended up standing a lot as the sun began setting, and we stayed around for the blue hour. The sunset wasn’t great, but, there were some very low clouds hugging the tops of the skyline, which made for some great night photos. However, by the time we left, I could not put any weight on my foot. The next day started with the same level of pain. As Thursday went on, it slowly improved, but, since I had taken Friday off from work, I made an appointment to see a podiatrist. I had a feeling I knew what I was dealing with, and she confirmed it the next day- plantar fasciitis. She said my case wasn’t a severe one. If this wasn’t severe, I don’t want to know what a severe case feels like! The treatment plan involves stretching each morning before I even get out of bed, and RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). I told her about the workshop, and that there was no possible way short of death that I was going to miss it. She fitted me with an Air Boot that I wore for the weekend, to help me get through all of the activity without further aggravating my foot.

We met for the workshop Friday evening, and took a quick trip near the hotel to take some photographs overlooking the Eisenhower Expressway at night, getting some great car light trails heading east. The next day started early, we met at North Avenue Beach for sunrise, then, after breakfast and a morning session, we ventured to Wicker Park. The bulk of the afternoon was spent there, exploring the streets. That neighborhood is perfect for street photography- the stores, passersby, the vibe, it’s a great place to photograph. We took a group photo at the new Vivian Maier street art installation on North Avenue, done by the famous street artist Kobra. We went back to the loop, got dinner, and then went to the Adler Planetarium for sunset and blue hour.

Sunday started at Buckingham Fountain for sunrise, then, back to the hotel for breakfast, and the wrap up where we chose our 5 favorite photos from the weekend, and talked about them. Outside of myself, only one other attendee has lived in the Chicago area. The group came from Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta, Indianapolis and even Winnipeg, Canada ( and I might be missing some other locations, not intentionally). I loved seeing everyone else’s views of my home city. Everyone’s eyes saw something a little different, and it was a beautiful quilt that everyone had weaved through their vision. And now, for me, it gives me yet more reasons to continue exploring, to see a place so familiar but yet in an entirely new way. It was truly a fantastic weekend, even with the boot!

 

Return To South Carolina, Part 2

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Continuing where we left off, Cathie and I set aside Sunday to spend time in Myrtle Beach. A couple of the piers were damaged due to Hurricane Matthew, which hit South Carolina in October of 2016. Surfside Beach pier lost a good 50 feet from its length, and the local council has approved plans to replace it with a concrete pier. We visited the pier after breakfast, and when we got there, there were several huge pipes on the beach, and neither Cathie nor I could determine exactly what they were for. And not far offshore, there appeared to be a couple of oil drilling platforms, at least that’s what they looked like to me. But, they were too close to shore for that purpose. We learned later in the afternoon that this was all part of a beach replenishment program that they do every 5 years or so. The waves were even bigger than they were Saturday, due to a tropical cyclone that had parked off of Hilton Head Island. This would play in a role in some of the events to come on Monday.

The light was quite harsh, not conducive to good photography (especially not infrared photography). So, we left the beach and played some mini golf, continuing where we left off Friday night. Sunday turned out to be all about piers and putting. We had lunch at Sea Captain’s House, which is right on the beach. I may have made the comment, more than once, that the view did not suck. Nor did the food, the She Crab Soup was excellent, as were the crab cakes. And, as I was not driving, I decided a Bloody Mary was in order.

From there, as the light was still harsh, we played several more rounds of mini golf, and stopped to get milk shakes at Cold Stone Creamery. We were working our way toward the second of the two piers we intended to visit, and it was late afternoon, with far better light, when we arrived at Springmaid Pier. This pier was almost completely destroyed by the hurricane, and no decision apparently has been made concerning the fate of what remains. We both freshened up afterward and had dinner at a Brazilian Steak House, Rioz. Excellent food, a carnivore’s dream.

As we had not quite satisfied ourselves with mini golf, we played two more rounds that night.

Monday was my return back home, my flight was to leave Raleigh-Durham at 6 pm. Due to the approaching tropical cyclone, we left Myrtle Beach earlier than originally planned (although we managed to get in two more rounds of mini golf first). Having cleared airport security, I had a beverage at the Gardon Biersch brewery in the airport, and, arrived at the gate to do some photo editing before the flight departed. We were to start boarding at 5:30, and, we started lining up to board. Just as my group was called, I received a text from the airline that our flight was delayed for 30 minutes, and the gate attendant ran down the jetway to bring back a few people who he had sent through. That thirty minute delay became much longer, as we received successive alerts of further delays. The issue was not in Raleigh-Durham, as it turned out, but back home. There was a lot of turbulence around O’Hare, and this was causing mid-air funnel clouds. A full ground stop was called at O’Hare as a result. The airline really had no idea when the ground stop might be lifted, and even then, there were bound to be issues at O’Hare. And there were. We finally got the all clear to board 2 1/2 hours after our original scheduled departure. The main issue at O’Hare, by the time we landed, was that there were still too many planes on the ground and not enough gates. We received our gate assignment about 15 minutes after we had taxied off the runway. I finally got to my apartment around 10:45, and went right to bed. It had been a long day. But, it had also been a great trip. It’s always great spending time with Cathie, and I’m planning another, longer trip there in the spring.

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Final

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I have combined the final two days of our trip into one post, because the virus I picked up was greatly impacting my ability to be active. Wednesday was still pretty active, but I needed breaks throughout the day. Thursday was the worst of it, and Mother Nature actually helped a little by giving us some bad weather on Thursday.

Wednesday, we planned to start the day back in Cades Cove, at Sparks Lane. On Wednesdays, the loop road is closed to motor vehicles until 10 am, so we planned on walking to Sparks Lane from the main parking lot. When we got there, the gate was open, so we drove to Sparks Lane instead. We spent a couple of hours photographing the area, which was enveloped in a heavy fog. While we were there, another photographer came with a couple from Germany who he was leading on a workshop. We all hung out, talked, took some great photos, and Cathie and I made a great connection with a phenomenal photographer, Joseph Rossbach.

Since we did not eat breakfast before leaving for Cades Cove, we decided to leave and get something to eat. On the way out of the park, we stopped at a pull-off to photograph a rapidly running river, because we hadn’t gotten any photos of them the previous days (joking).

Things were really starting to get tough for me, though. I started running a fever, and even though the temperature was in the upper 70s, I was wearing a thermal shirt due to the chills. After breakfast, we went back into the park and there was a shorter hike that I felt I could handle. When we got there, though, there was a sign stating that the trail was closed about halfway to the spot we wanted to get to. So, we ended up doing some longer exposures of another river that ran past the parking lot. We left that area, drove around for a bit, then decided to get some dinner. We wanted to get back to the Newfound Gap Road and up to the Morton Overlook for sunset. When we got to the Morton Overlook, a pleasant surprise was waiting for us. Tony Sweet, a photographer I have long admired (and who led the workshop in the Badlands that I attended last September) was there with his workshop. Cathie got to meet Tony, we talked, and then we got set up for the sunset. The sunset was great, although due to the clouds near the horizon, the color faded pretty quickly. Still, it was fantastic seeing Tony again, and finally getting a great sunset from a signature spot in the Smokies. The sunset is the banner photo for this article. On the drive back down the mountains, unfortunately, my ears plugged up and did not pop. This just added to the rest of my miseries, as it was really messing with my equilibrium, as well as just being plain annoying.

Thursday morning started with a torrential downpour, and me feeling like absolute crap. I was deep in the throes of this virus, and aside from getting a small breakfast, I didn’t do much of anything except go back to sleep. A few hours later, we went and got lunch at the local A & W- I haven’t been to one in a VERY long time. The rain was still coming down heavy, and I ended up sleeping some more in the afternoon. Finally, around 4 pm, I started feeling slightly better, and the rain stopped, so we drove back to the Park, and went to Roaring Fork. It’s a beautiful area, deep in the woods, with a loop road that winds its way up and back down the hills. Which meant I had more ear issues. But, we still got some great photos of the river, and the mill toward the end of the loop road.

We had dinner, got back to the hotel, and I prepped all of my gear for the return trip. I still had a 9-10 hour drive to get back home Friday, and I had no idea what shape I was going to be in for it. Fortunately, the worst of the virus seemed to have passed, and I was able to get up and be on the road early Friday morning, and made the drive back. And thus ended my first Smokies adventure. Even with the health issues I ended up with, it was an unforgettable trip. The beauty of the area cannot be described, it has to be seen. I can see why it is the most visited National Park year after year. It has something for everyone- great hikes, scenic vistas, valleys with mountains shrouded by clouds and fog, and while we did not see a bear, wildlife abounds. I will be returning, sooner rather than later. There is still so much I have to see there. And hopefully next time, I won’t be dealing with a plague at the same time.

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Part 2

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Tuesday turned out to be the most active day Cathie and I had in the Smokies. Unbeknownst to me, a virus was manifesting itself in my system. What I had thought was just allergies due to the extremely high pollen in the area was something else entirely, although I had not realized it yet.

Back to Tuesday. We decided to to do a longer hike in the morning, up to Laurel Falls. The trail is paved, but it is uphill all the way to the top, 1.3 miles one way. A good way to get the blood flowing! When you arrive at the top, you cross a footbridge and can spend time at the top of the falls. That is not all there is to see, though. If you’re adventurous, you can hike down the rocky trails on either side, and see the lower part of the falls. Cathie and I hung out at the top for a bit, getting lots of long exposures of the top of the falls. I also set up my iPhone on a Platypod, and shot both timelapses and slow motion videos of the falls. Product plug: get a Platypod! They are the BEST! They provide a stable platform either for a phone or camera, where tripods are not either allowed or practical. With some bungie cords, you can tie it to a tree too. I highly recommend them, I have both the Platypod Max and Platypod Pro, and I do NOT travel without them.

Enough product plugging! We took some portraits of the other tourists at the top, in front of the falls, and it occurred to me we should have charged a fee! I made a few connections, hopefully some are reading this post! Cathie and I were able to get our portraits taken by a kind tourist, the first time really we ended up in front of the camera together. I’d really rather be taking photos than having my photo taken.

Being adventurous souls, Cathie and I went down the side of the hill, and got some photos of the lower part of the falls. And, in keeping with the “falls” theme, I slipped on a wet rock at the bottom, and went down on my left hip and arm. I still have quite an impressive bruise on my hip. That, and a bruised ego were the only injuries, luckily.

From there, we hiked back down the trail, and intended to visit the Roaring Fork area next. As it turns out, we went the wrong way, and ended up on the Newfound Gap Road, which takes you up to the ridgeline. It turned out to be a fortuitous happenstance (good band name!). As we got to the top, we decided to go up to the top of Clingman’s Dome, and the observation tower. That half mile hike to the observation tower turned out to be a FAR more strenuous hike than the 1.3 mile hike to Laurel Falls. Still, it was absolutely worth it. We got to look down on the tops of the clouds which covered the valley from which we had just come. Words cannot describe it. The featured photo of this blog is an infrared photo I took from the observation tower.

The drive down, after we finished at Clingman’s Dome, featured a lot of “WHEEE”s from Cathie, and some groaning from me. I have not gotten car sick since I was a kid. I came close on this drive.

The day finished in Greenbriar, along another fast moving river. I shot some more long exposures there, and some video. We then got some burgers at the Burger Barn (and I got a beer). A great finish to a spectacular day. Up next, the plague rears its ugly head…

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Part One

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My friend Cathie and I had been talking about taking a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains since she returned from her trip there this past October. Since I usually travel the last week of April somewhere, we decided this would be a good time for our trip. I drove out Sunday morning, April 23, and arrived late afternoon. We then set about creating a general outline of how we would tackle the park. The first full day was Monday, and the one spot I wanted to see was Sparks Lane in Cades Cove. Since Cades Cove is set in a valley, it frequently is foggy in the morning. As infrared photography is my favorite photographic medium, I knew it would provide some excellent infrared opportunities. But, earlier is better, the fog tends to burn off quickly. So, we couldn’t get there early enough for sunrise, but we would get there not long after sunrise. I say “would” because Mother Nature threw a curve ball at us- due to the heavy rains the area had experienced both Saturday and Sunday, the road into Cades Cove was closed because of a downed tree. The featured image is the road, just past the closed gate. So, we explored the area near the gate. At one point, a park ranger drove past Cathie, and he said we could take an alternate route to get to Cades Cove after all. It was a long detour, but we did get there after all, and the fog was still in the valley. The photo below is one of the infrared photos I took there.

We explored more of the Cades Cove area- the loop itself can take up a few hours, winding through the valley, stopping at several old structures, and giving great views of the valley. We stopped at the John Oliver cabin, one of 80 historic buildings in the park. The cabin is set deep in the woods, and is very well preserved.

We continued on to the old Cable Grist Mill and the surrounding buildings, including the barn and corn cribs. The woods surrounding the mill provided us an unexpected opportunity to photograph some deer up close and personal.

After leaving the Cades Cove area, later in the afternoon, we went to the Tremont area, along the Middle Prong Little River. Due to the rains, the rivers and streams were running fiercely, and there was an abundance of opportunities to photograph the running waters, and waterfalls on the roadside.

This was the start of my first exploration of the Smokies. There is more to come, we had three more days of fun!

The Out Of New York Photography Conference, Part 2

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My last blog post took us through Saturday evening, but there was one more day. This second part is dedicated to Sunday, because that was an incredible end to an incredible few days in the Big Apple. As part of the staff of Out Of Chicago, I was able to choose one of the all day workshops that were happening throughout Manhattan. I chose Steve Simon’s workshop. I have admired Steve’s work for years, he has a very unique vision, and is able to capture the human element like few photographers I have seen. Plus, I have been wanting to do more street photography, so the choice was easy.

We met at the entrance to the High Line. The High Line is a Rails-To-Trails conversion of an unused section of track of the New York Central Railroad. The High Line stretches for 1.45 miles in lower Manhattan, from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street. Some great architecture has sprung up around the High Line, there are great views over several streets, and a great mix of people. For this excursion, I shot predominantly film, Kodak Tri-X 400, and the rolls are yet to be developed. We encountered an interesting slice of life there, but this was just a taster of what was to come. I did get a few digital shots, the one below is looking toward upper Manhattan, looking up 10th Street toward midtown Manhattan.

 

Up 10th Avenue

We had a few more locations to go to, so we left the High Line at 23rd street, and walked to the MTA stop for the F train to go uptown to 57th and 5th. This corner is known as Bill Cunningham Corner. Bill Cunningham was a New York Times fashion and street photographer, and this corner was where he camped out to document expressions and fashion. He passed away in June of this year, and it was a weird feeling standing at the corner where so much of his work was done. But, I quickly realized why he spent so much time there. The gentleman in the next photo came strolling by not long after I camped out there. He knew he was getting attention and he enjoyed it.

 

57th and 5th Dude

Our next stop was Washington Square Park, another very unique New York location. They have everything there, including a grand piano at one end, a comedian at the other doing “Stand Up In The Park”, to Abraham Lincoln, jazz musicians, tarot readers, chess players, and the list goes on. You want to see a cross section of New Yorkers? Go there.

 

New York Abe

Our last stop was Chinatown. I have seen the neighborhood in countless movies. It was just as I had imagined it to be. Some people wanted their photos taken, but most did not. I  got some photos anyway, and our group posed by what was supposedly a Banksy piece of art depicting Donald Trump, although its authenticity as a true Banksy is up for debate.

The conference was an experience I will never forget. I fell in love with New York. As a life-long Chicagoan, spending many, many hours in the Loop, the vibe of Manhattan was extremely familiar. And yet it had a different pace altogether. I doubt I will get used to the insanity of most of the drivers. Maybe if I lived there it would become part of my fiber. Regardless, I will be coming back to New York, sooner rather than later. There is so much yet to see. Also, as with the previous Out of conferences, I made new friends. I met some incredibly passionate and talented photographers, of every level of experience. Some were from Turkey, some were from San Francisco, some were from New York and Long Island. Meeting these folks, and learning from them, seeing things in a new way, sharing ideas,  this what it is all about for me. So for this, I am eternally grateful to the Out Of Chicago team- for letting me be a part of the crew, and continuing to inspire me.

Chinatown

The Out Of New York Photography Conference- October 14-16, 2016

Gallery

It has been a privilege to be involved with the Out of Chicago organization. It has opened many doors for me, expanded my network, and sparked a lot of creativity. The cornerstone events are the conferences, which up until this year, happened once a year in Chicago. This year, we took our conference to New York City, in addition to our normal summer conference. Planning these events takes a tremendous amount of time, but in the end, the effort is worth it. It’s such a great team, and I am honored to be in their ranks.

The conference this year began with a Thursday evening sunset cruise on the East River, which I had every intention and desire to attend, had it not been for a very disorganized and geographically challenged shuttle bus driver. He took us from Laguardia Airport to midtown Manhattan, and he drove right past my hotel on 33rd Street, to go all the way to 92nd Street to drop off the first group. As a result, most of us sat in Manhattan traffic for over 2 hours, and by the time I got to my hotel, there wasn’t enough time to get to the 35th Street Pier.

Friday morning was an early start to help get the conference venue set up. My job is to help coordinate the photowalks, so I spent the better part of the day making sure the groups went out on time, make sure they knew the route, any special instructions, maps, etc. But, Friday evening, I had the opportunity to lead my own group to Grand Central Terminal. You think you are ready for the grandeur of the interior, but still, seeing it for the first time was incredible. We spent a few hours exploring the main hall, but naturally, everyone was feeling the effects of the long day. I got back to my hotel, which was only a 10 minute walk from the Terminal. Grand Central Terminal

Saturday morning, up early again, got the photowalks organized for the day, and spent the day at the conference. Saturday night, we had to shuffle schedules a little- I was originally taking a group to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Overpasses) and Brooklyn Bridge Park, but, instead, I took a different group to the 9/11 Memorial. The Memorial was at the top of my list of things to see while I was there, so it worked out. The scene was as heart-wrenching as I anticipated it to be. The tragedy of that day, even 15 years later, was still palpable. The Memorial consists of two fountains in the footprints of the North and South Towers. There is also a museum, but due to the hour, we were not able to go in. To get to the Memorial, we went through the Oculus, which is the new transportation hub at the site. The design is astounding, it’s also a must-see.  The group was a little smaller than the night before, and we all dispersed once we had taken it all in.

9-11 Memorial

 

Civil War Battlefields, Part 1- Vicksburg, Mississippi

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I have decided to start a series of blogs about my other passion, the American Civil War. As an amateur student of history, and having an ancestor who fought in the Civil War, I have had a deep interest in the War for over 30 years. In most of my travels over the past 20 years or so, I have tried to visit as many of the battlefields that are left as possible. There are still some I have not seen, and I hope to see them over the next few years.

The battlefields are part of the US National Park System. While the parks themselves are well preserved, some do not encompass all of the acreage that was fought over. It was not practical for the government to try to turn an established town or city into a National Park, for obvious reasons. But, not long after the war ended, the effort began to preserve as much of the battlefields as possible.

The first installment of this series is about the battle of Vicksburg, which really wasn’t so much a battle as a siege. It is really easy to get to, either by car or plane. I prefer to drive, as I can carry more camera gear with me, and I can stop in Memphis and spend time there to and from Vicksburg.

For an historical perspective, Ulysses Grant had been trying since late 1862 to capture the city. Vicksburg was crucial, as it is situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Union naval vessels and northern merchant ships could not navigate up and down the Mississippi while the Confederates held the town. Several attempts to take the town directly had failed, so Grant, during the early spring of 1863, marched his troops through the swamps on the west side of the river, crossed back over the river, and circled aback to surround the town from the east. Once he reached the town, it took another 47 days, but finally, on July 4, 1863, the Confederates surrendered the town to Grant.

Many of the battlefields are dominated by statues, monuments and memorials. Vicksburg has its share, but you can still appreciate the terrain, and understand why it was such a difficult task to take the town. It is a beautiful place, but as with all of the battlefields, it’s very somber at the same time. When you know what happened there, how many soldiers on both sides were lost, as well as the civilian casualties, it gives you pause. The National Cemetery has a plaque, as they all do at each of the battlefields, telling how many are buried in the cemetery, and how many are known versus unknown. At Vicksburg, there are 18,244 interments, of which, 12,954 are unknown.

The photographs accompanying this are just a sample of some of my favorites that I have taken there during my many visits. Some are infrared, some regular photos. Most of the battlefield on the tour takes you around both defensive positions that were dug into the hillsides, or built on them, by the Confederates. Others are the Union positions. At varying points during the siege, the two lines were less than 200 yards from each other. The townspeople dug themselves into hillsides too, to protect themselves from constant Union artillery bombardment. The Visitor’s Center there gives a very accurate depiction of what the civilian experience was during the siege.