Travel postcards from readers
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The photographer: David I. Brown of Sacramento
Behind the lens: While in Istanbul, Turkey, for a sightseeing trip, I saw a rare opportunity: The view is overlooking the spice market in the foreground, the New Mosque and the Bosporus. -
The photographer: Steve Steinbrecher of Pollock Pines
Behind the lens: I took this photo while cruising through the Beagle Channel in Alberto de Agostini National Park, Chile, with my wife, Carol. We were aboard the Star Princess on a trip around Cape Horn. This photo is of Darwin Mountain en route to Ushuaia, Argentina. -
The photographer: David A. Sauve of Placerville
Behind the lens: These shots were taken in the early morning out in the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park. I wanted to capture the dunes while they were still producing long shadows, unique light effects, and before any human tracks were present. And yes, I used an old dinosaur of a camera, a Pentax Spotmatic SLR and 200 ASA Kodachrome slide film. Pretty primitive compared to my digital camera, but I like the hands-on control and versatility. -
The photographer: Steven Raffin of Granite Bay
Behind the lens: My wife and I have visited East Africa and South Africa four times. The 2011 trip was the most spectacular. In particular, a stay at the Royal Malewane, Hoedspruit, South Africa (near Kruger Park) provided spectacular wildlife viewing. This young male leopard is about 18 months old at the time of the photo and was accompanied by his mother. We watched the two of them for about an hour by an algae-covered pond. -
The photographer: Dave Delgardo of Rocklin
Behind the lens: There were many bucolic scenes on a recent October motorcycle trip across Washington state's Highway 2. Quite compelling was that of this retired farm truck, knee deep in sage and wild oats, patina deepening with each passing day, positioned to monitor the east-west traffic outside of Creston. The old boy seemed to be remembering his days at labor while enjoying a well-earned rest. -
The photographer: Kelsey Peterson of Sacramento
Behind the lens: In 2012 I was studying at Pepperdine University's London campus. Several students took a weekend trip to the small northern Portuguese town of Porto to enjoy some warm weather in February. I thought the two boats, loaded with wine kegs, showed off the beauty of the Douro River near our apartment. You can easily walk the town in one day, but be aware that it has many steep hills. -
The photographer: Eileen Newhall of Carmichael
Behind the lens: This was taken from Kala Pattar, a hill known as having some of the best views of Mount Everest. Kala Pattar tops out at 18,200 feet. This shot was taken looking up through the Kala Pattar summit prayer flags toward the summit of Mount Pumori, at 23,500 feet. -
The photographer: Kathe Murphy of Roseville Behind the lens: This was taken last summer at Cadillac Ranch, outside of Amarillo, Texas. It is hard to get a photo without people in the picture, but it is a photographer's delight while traveling old Route 66. -
The photographer: Tom Lee of Fair Oaks
Behind the lens: A dream came true when in August my son and I traveled to Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa to visit a part of the world that I had read so much about but never found the time to experience. In this photograph, we were headed out to an early-morning game drive in Kenya and were met by a herd of zebras galloping at sunrise. I quickly took several shots as we headed to a Maasai village. I've been photographing animals all my life, but nothing compares with this trip where the animals roam free and certainly appear much larger and more colorful than the ones in captivity. The majority of our trip involved game drives but the scenery such as the Ngorongoro Crater, the numerous game parks and the sunsets in the Serengeti plains during the Great Migration was spectacular. Yes, while there I did pinch myself, wondering if I was dreaming. -
The photographer: Rich Howard of Carmichael
Behind the lens: González Videla Antarctic Base is a Chilean station on the Antarctic Peninsula where tourists are allowed to visit. The gentoo penguins are standing around like they don't know where to go despite the signpost. I also like that everything on the sign post is north – New York and Santiago – and that I don't even know where some of these places are. The smell and the noise are missing, but the mountain in the background gives a hint of the wild Antarctica that is never far away. -
The photographer: Bryant Avery of Surrey, British Columbia
Behind the lens: My wife, Mah Szeching, and I were in Argentina for 30 days in November. That included several days at Iguazu Falls, with 250 separate falls the world's largest. To get a sense of magnitude, note the people on a boardwalk in the distance. -
The photographer: Larry Walker of Woodland
Behind the lens: My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Maui for our 50th wedding anniversary. In the evenings we would go to the beach. I took this photo of the sunset the last day we were there. -
The photographer: Chris Allan of Sacramento
Behind the lens: Seeing the Northern Lights was on my bucket list and we had read that this location (within 100 miles of the Arctic Circle) was an excellent place to be able to see them. We got lucky and bundled up in the minus-15 degree temperatures to observe this amazing natural phenomenon, which looked totally different every night. This photo was taken with a one-minute exposure. -
The photographer: Mary Wurlitzer of Chico
Behind the lens: My husband and I were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary by traveling throughout the lower part of Spain, and we decided to stay in Barcelona for two days because Antoni Gaudí was one of the greatest architects and artists of the art nouveau movement in the early 1900s. We walked around the house of Gaudi. I must say the place is like a heaven because of its location on top of a hill over a beautiful huge garden and the Mediterranean seaside of Barcelona! Once inside the house-museum, we were able to see some of Gaudi's artwork on display. He designed it for himself, including chairs, desks and light fixtures. -
The photographer: Laura McClure of Davis
Behind the lens: Traveling on a twisting road along a fjord in Norway while admiring spectacular waterfalls and steep mountains, I came upon this scene, a contrast of tranquility to the rushing waters all over Norway. The stillness of the fjord provided a perfect reflective mirror to the tree and the sheds as well as a tranquil pause for the traveler. I was so taken with the view that I will always think of it as one of my personal beautiful places. -
The photographer: Kirk Fritz of Roseville
Behind the lens: The rabbit-size dassie lives among the rocks in the uplands of Table Mountain, just 10 minutes' drive from Capetown, South Africa. It's hard to believe, but the dassie is actually a close relative of the elephant. This one was kind enough to pose and flash a smile. -
The photographer: Ted Holm of Elk Grove
Behind the lens: Fall had not left Yosemite, but winter was on its way. As we were leaving Yosemite Valley, the sun was shining through the fall leaves. The ground was covered with snow, but the trees were still in the fall season. We stopped to take one last walk in the park before heading home. This is our last image of our trip to Yosemite, and it makes us smile when we talk about how beautiful the park was during this visit. -
The photographer: Susan Tonkin Riegel of Granite Bay
Behind the lens: I took this from a boat on Kunming Lake approaching Longevity Hill in Beijing. The Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha is a three-story octagonal building with four tiers of eaves. The palace was built by Emperor Qianlong in 1750 to celebrate his mother's birthday. -
The photographer: Julie Fisher of Sacramento
Behind the lens: The name of the Goðafoss waterfall on the river Skjálfandafljót in Iceland means "Waterfall of the Gods." It was only a five-minute walk from our hotel, so I was able to visit it several times to enjoy the view. This shot was taken early in the morning as the mist lifted. -
The photographer: Christine Rodrigues of Sacramento
Behind the lens: In February of this year, I traveled to Morocco. This photo was taken in the northern city of Chefchaouen, which is known for its practice of painting the buildings various shades of blue. The life of a cat in Morocco is a difficult one. As a cat lover, it was hard seeing how thin most were. -
The photographer: Diane Larrey of Elk Grove
Behind the lens: Miles and miles of flamingos feeding on Lake Nakuru in central Kenya. The bigger the flock, the happier the flamingos are. I like the way it is hard to tell where the lake ends and the mountains and sky begin, with just the long, pink line of flamingos in the middle. Beautiful to see! -
The photographer: Priscilla Cruz of El Dorado Hills
Behind the lens: My husband and I were in Canada in late July this year to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. Part of the bus tour that we joined was a visit to Lake Louise in Alberta. It is truly breathtaking. Pictures cannot do it justice. -
The photographer: Courtney Jallo of Sacramento
Behind the lens: Vang Vieng is a small, tourism-oriented town settled along the Nam Song River in Laos. It was originally established in the 1300s as a staging post between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, the country's governmental and cultural capitals. Today the town is a popular destination for backpackers, full of cafes and restaurants, guest houses and bars. The main attractions seem to be kayaking and tubing down the river, where foreigners pub-hop between the bamboo bars perched along the water, stopping in for a bottle of local Beer Lao and to play around on the rope swings and zip lines. My favorite memory from Vang Vieng was waking up in a bamboo hut along the water to the sound of rocks slapping, where I went outside to find a woman kneeling on the ground, pounding river weed – khai paen – a staple vegetable in Laotian cuisine. Khai paen is often cut into squares, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and briefly deep-fried before filling with sticky rice, lemon grass and peanuts. As she pounded away at the dark green matter, a herd of water buffaloes slowly meandered across the bank, then disappeared into the trees. Despite the rapid growth of western tourists to this area, traditional Laotian life continues on. -
The photographer: Tavi Guimarães Popp of Fair Oaks
Behind the lens: I took this picture a couple of years ago when traveling in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in central-western Brazil. The wildlife in this part of the country is so rich it can only be compared to Africa. Driving down that road I saw many alligators and an incredible variety of colorful birds including tuiuius – 4-foot-tall storks – among other animals. The most special moment, however, was stopping the car so that this group of capivaras (or capybaras), the largest rodents on Earth, could cross the road. -
The photographer: Brian Phillips of Citrus Heights
Behind the lens: On our way from Sedona, Ariz., to the Grand Canyon, my wife, Shelley Phillips, and I stopped off at Canyon de Chelly, which was a favorite spot of well-known photographer Ansel Adams. This is a shot of Spider Rock, taken in the national park there, just outside of Chinle, Ariz. Camera was a Canon 7D. Lens is a Canon 16-35 L-series. Shutter speed 1/25. F:20. ISO 100. -
The photographer: Chris Kemp of Roseville
Behind the lens: Riomaggiore, Italy. Having dinner at a little cafe overlooking the Mediterranean, over our shoulder was this view of the town of Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre. -
The photographer: Beverly Ratzlaff of Roseville
Behind the lens: We were in Portland, Ore., for a basketball tournament the first weekend in July. The blues festival was going on in downtown Portland and we took the girls there to enjoy the music and waterfront. As you can see, several boats were in the marina as well as a guy promoting his jet pack. Just a beautiful setting and good time in Portland.
The girls in the photo from left: Breanna Monet, Emilee Gavia, Aliyah Owens, Olivia Francis. -
The photographer: Dave Edwards of Sacramento
Behind the lens: Despite growing up in New Jersey, I had never been to Niagara Falls until a wedding in upstate New York afforded my wife and I a chance to experience this great natural wonder, which did not disappoint! We stayed on the quieter U.S. side, which provides ample opportunities for getting up close to the thundering water. This photo is looking at the American Falls and Goat Island, which is part of a New York state park (the oldest state park in the United States) between the Canadian and American Falls. Incredibly, the water that flows over the falls is 50 percent or less at any given time as the water is diverted upstream for hydroelectric power generation and other uses. Use of a tripod allowed for the flow of the water to be smooth while people were included on the far right to illustrate the massiveness of the flow. -
The photographer: Lynn Flowers of Woodland
Behind the lens: This photo was taken in Bend, Ore., when we were visiting friends. The photo was taken from their lovely deck overlooking miles of high desert. It had rained and snowed off and on for two days, when suddenly there was a break in the weather and the sun came out, creating this scene I captured with a Nikon D-80 digital camera. I think it invites the viewer to sit and relax, and enjoy the view and the solitude. -
The photographer: Dr. Denise Wessels of east Sacramento
Behind the lens: In Antigua, Guatemala, the ruins of Santo Domingo are partially restored into a beautiful museum of antiquities and amazing Mayan artifacts. We traveled to Central America to ring in 2012 in the heart of the Mayan world … just in case we wouldn't get another chance with the end-of-the-world and all!
I discovered this luscious display of hanging orchids while I was walking through the grounds of Santo Domingo a few days into January. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees and nicely humid to support the arbor full of orchids.
The Museo Santo Domingo has artifacts from the many ages and stages of Antigua's history, including a collection from the scandalous removal of Mayan treasure from the tombs where they were discovered after centuries of hiding under layers of jungle. Many of the Mayan artifacts were taken out of the country to Europe, but the Museo Santo Domingo retains a substantial collection. A local man is credited for purchasing the artifacts to keep them in Guatemala. -
The photographer: Shirley Hackert of Roseville
Behind the lens: Roxene Harrison, our standard poodle, Ginger, and I drove from Roseville to Arkansas, most of it along back roads and on old Route 66 as often as we could. We went east through Needles, Winslow, Flagstaff, Tulsa, and skipped over to Springdale, Ark.
We did a little side trip up to Utah, where we found ourselves surrounded by cowboys driving a herd north. That is our favorite picture, especially the catch in the rearview mirror. -
The photographer: Paul Freeman of Sacramento
Behind the lens: Driving home from work this winter, I noticed the sun setting over the Sacramento River near Interstate 5 and Sutterville Road. It was a "stop and smell the roses" moment during a rush-hour drive home. I was in awe. I packed up the kids, the dog and my camera, and walked the bike trail alongside the river the next couple of days. I learned that the geese in the photo arrive at that same spot at the same time each day. Behind me I could hear the bump and grind of rush-hour traffic, but in front of me was a purely beautiful moment, and it was right in my backyard. -
The photographer: David Brown of Sacramento
Behind the lens: My wife and I recently vacationed in France for three weeks. Part of our trip included visiting the Normandy region during the first week of June. This photo is of Mont Saint-Michel, an 11th century abbey. It is built upon a small, rocky island and is connected to the mainland via a thin natural bridge. During the long walk toward it, we were in constant amazement of how beautiful it looked. The place has a surreal feel to it. We were fortunate to have great weather on the day of our visit, since rain and fog are very common in this part of France. -
The photographer: Sierra Brown of Sacramento
Behind the lens: My 17-year-old daughter, Sierra Brown, took this photo in April as we traveled from Eugene, Ore., back to our home in Sacramento. We stopped for gas an hour south of Eugene and saw several people alongside the road taking photos of these farm animals. The goat stayed on top of the horse the entire time we were getting gas. They seemed to be great friends! -
The photographer: Steve and Lisa Drewes of El Dorado Hills
Behind the lens: Upon disembarking from the train in what appears to be the middle of nowhere, we walked down a short path toward the lake and boarded a ferry that made its way to the breathtakingly beautiful pedestrian-only fairy-tale village of Hallstatt, Austria. -
The photographer: Ric Burwell of Carmichael
Behind the lens: I took this shot at Magens Bay on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in February 2011. This beach regularly turns up on lists of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, and it lived up to the hype. My wife and I had just one day on St. Thomas during a seven-day cruise and rented a car to tour the island, with Magens as a specific destination. The pelicans are pretty much oblivious to the homo sapiens sharing their water space, flying and diving right in among the partially immersed tourists. The precision and grace of their aeronautics is amazing, especially this close. -
The photographer: Dolores Giorgi of Elk Grove
Behind the lens: We returned from a trip to Peru in May. We were one of the first groups to arrive at Machu Picchu that day. Our guide told us to wait before taking pictures until we climbed a bit higher to get a better view. This is the spot where I took my first picture at Machu Picchu. It had always been a dream of mine to visit this amazing place. -
The photographer: Anne Eychaner of Carmichael
Behind the lens: I spent about 10 days in Morocco this spring with my parents and some friends of theirs. They served as Peace Corps volunteers there in the early '70s and this trip was in honor of the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps Morocco. We spend a few days in Marrakech, including the main square in the medina or old town, called Jama al-Fna. During the day it is filled with orange juice stalls, snake charmers, henna artists and so on. The square transforms at night and fills with food stalls and a variety of performers. -
The photographer: Duane Reynolds of Antelope
Behind the lens: Celebrating Thanksgiving every other year for a week at Sea Ranch is something my wife, Cece, and I always look forward to. Our early morning walk with a cup of coffee as the sun is coming up is something we love to do together. This morning just as we were about to cross the bridge, the sun was coming up over the bluff with an incredible light. I grabbed my wife's cellphone and shot this photo of her that shows just a small part of all we have to be thankful for. -
The photographer: Sharna Hoffman of Davis
Behind the lens: This photo was taken at 5:45 a.m. when I by chance stopped by the fire pit area of our hotel below Mount Kilimanjaro to see where the Masassi were dancing the night before. Much to my surprise, there was Kilimanjaro in full view. I took about three photos and ran to breakfast to tell the group what I had seen. About eight of them ran to the spot to take photos but in those five minutes, a cloud covered it and the view was lost. The next morning three of us got up at 5:30 a.m., hoping to see the full mountain again, but we got only photos of ourselves and the clouds. -
The photographer: Tom Willoughby of Sacramento
Behind the lens: This is a photo of a potter in one of the "slums" of Mumbai, India. Space is at a premium, and the potter stands in his very small work area – surrounded by smoking kilns, finished pots and raw material (clay). It was taken in Mumbai in mid-January of 2012. I did ask the potter's permission before I photographed him. Although he was very busy in his one-person work area, he graciously paused for me. -
The photographer: Steve Fritts of Citrus Heights
Behind the lens: My wife, Donna, and I have always been fascinated by animals in the wild. Last November, we embarked on our most unusual and exciting adventure, viewing the magnificent polar bears on their yearly migration to the ice cap of the northern Canadian wilderness.
Our base was Churchill, Manitoba, a small rustic town on the edge of huge Hudson Bay. Our daily excursions into the icy tundra included helicopter flights, dogsleds and the lumbering 37-passenger tundra vehicles. Our party of 11 had plenty of room to scurry back and forth to catch the bears doing their activities.
The most interesting ones were the younger bears, a year or two old, often siblings, play fighting with each other. The mother was sometimes nearby, and the older males explored alone for food.
The polar bear fears nothing, being the largest animal on the tundra, and anything that moved, or not, was subject to being eaten. Our guides constantly reminded us that out there we were dinner if we went outside the vehicle!
The scenery was wondrous, the temperature just right, so that you could actually see the ice form before your eyes. Of course, the stars were the bears, gigantic fur-covered lumbering creatures that were well adapted for the climate. -
The photographer: Marjorie Lehr of Carmichael
Behind the lens: My husband, Les, and I were on a spring trip to London and Paris, for a week in each place. This night was just perfect weather for a nighttime stroll. What better place to end it than at the evening display of the lighted Eiffel Tower? We were at a deserted intersection where we could see it. I snapped the photo as we relaxed and enjoyed April in Paris for my birthday. How romantic. -
The photographer: David Gonzalez of Sacramento
Behind the lens: This photo was taken in Everglades National Park on a remote dirt road. We had just been on an air-boat ride and did not see any alligators due to the salinity of the water. The ranger said to take this road and stop at the culverts where the gators like to hang about in the afternoon. We were not disappointed. In just a few miles we saw at least 50 alligators of all sizes. Despite their primeval appearance, this mom and baby seemed to be smiling at each other. -
The photographer: Jeri Chase Ferris of Lincoln
Behind the lens: The Judean Desert, to the south of Jerusalem, Israel, is both forbidding and stunningly beautiful. Here, the colorful camel and his master contrast with the completely barren landscape of softly folded rock. -
The photographer: Jennifer Payne of Elk Grove
Behind the lens: Sunrise over the Atlantic in Bahia, Brazil. I woke one early morning to the most beautiful good morning I have ever witnessed. -
The photographer: Bob McCleary of Roseville
Behind the lens: California's Big Sur coastline is an inspiring and beautiful place to take photographs. A yearly bonus along this coastline is the annual arrival of the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas Beach. This particular year I spent several days at the beach photographing the elephant seals. The weather is usually overcast and can be windy. As you approach the beach you will notice the seal rookery, which is a very noisy place during the breeding season as the males bellow threat vocalizations, pups squawk to be fed, and females squabble with each other over prime location and pups. Gargles, grunts, snorts, belches, bleats, whimpers, squeaks, squeals and male trumpeting combine to create the elephant seal symphony of sound.
Many photographic opportunities abound with hundreds of seals to observe and to be able to photograph the interaction between mothers, babies and the bulls. Take a long telephoto lens and enjoy. -
The photographer: Ruth Person of Carmichael
Behind the lens: Traveling to Katmandu, Nepal, and watching our son get married last May was an amazing adventure. In a colorful Newari ceremony in the backyard of his bride's parents, my son, Andrew Person, married Subechya Shrestha, whom he had met at work in San Francisco. Before the wedding ceremony, or Swayambar, we went from our hotel to the wedding site accompanied by a small bagpipe- playing Nepali marching band. The couple sat on a love seat in front of a flower-covered stand while a Hindu priest in shirt sleeves conducted the ceremony in Sanskrit; it was translated into English for us by a cousin. A lavish buffet followed, and our family members and Andrew and Subechya's 20 American and European friends who had flown in for the wedding celebrated with our new Nepali family. -
The photographer: Sue Poling of Elk Grove
Behind the lens: My daughter, granddaughter and I traveled to Washington, D.C., in March. Besides seeing the White House, the National Archives, Capitol building and many memorials, we witnessed the cherry blossoms that bloomed earlier than expected. The tree-lined walk along the Tidal Basin was somewhat showery, long and very crowded with couples, families, children and school groups. I took many pictures along the way, but this is one of my favorites. It was such fun just being a three-generation trio seeing the sights of our nation's capital. -
The photographer: Melanie Vail of Sacramento
Behind the lens: This is a photo of Uluru, taken in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, in the Northern Territory state of Australia. The changing colors of Uluru during sunrise and sunset are truly amazing. -
The photographer: Dann Shively of Folsom
Behind the lens: My wife, Shari, and I had just spent the morning at the pyramids at Chichen-Itza in the Yucatan, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, having arrived early to beat the heat. Upon leaving, we were taken by our AAA guide Alberto to the Il Kil Cenote. These natural, semiunderground lakes are sinkholes resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock, a natural feature of the geography in the Yucatán. The hanging lines are tree roots, reaching for the water below. The temperature inside the cenote is easily 30 degrees cooler than the temperature outside. People swim below with little fish nibbling at their feet. Birds and butterflies flutter above. It was a magical respite from our archaeological wanderings. -
The photographer: Judi Nicholson of Loomis
Behind the lens: Iditarod team dogs eager and excited about taking on the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail at the official start of the race in Willow, Alaska, on March 4. My husband and I were in Alaska to visit our daughter and family for the pre- Iditarod Fur Rondy week festivities in Anchorage and to see the start of the race. Regal Air of Anchorage took us up to Willow for the official start on an amazingly sunny day, with Mount McKinley providing a dramatic backdrop to the race's start. The next day Regal Air flew us to Finger Lake, a veterinary check and rest point on the trail, to photograph teams coming through. It was a spectacular and amazing trip. -
The photographer: Terri Weist of Graeagle
Behind the lens: This photo taken at the Berenty Reserve in Madagascar shows ringtail lemurs. The lemurs are very used to people and sometimes try to steal food from the dining tables. -
The photographer: Dawn Darling of Roseville
Behind the lens: To celebrate our 20-year wedding anniversary, we went to Paris. We were in the back of a taxi cab on our way to the Eiffel Tower and this was our first view of the tower. While the tree and all its branches appeared to be in the way, it ended up making the picture special. Every time I look at this picture, it takes me back instantly to how I felt seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. -
The photographer: Dan Tribble of Sacramento
Behind the lens: The harbor at Marsaxlokk, Malta, is wider than the more famous Grand Harbour of Valletta but it is not as deep, so there are more fishing boats than ocean liners and yachts. On Sunday, the harbor is filled with traditional Maltese fishing boats. -
The photographer: Min Qin of Elk Grove
Behind the lens: The picture is Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park. I took this picture the day after Thanksgiving. It was about 7 in the morning. The best time of day to visit the sand dunes is early morning. Careful visitors can find a lot of tracks left on the sand by animals. -
The photographer: Mark Rasmussen of Sacramento
Behind the lens: As we were traversing downslope from Faulhorn in the Bernese Alps above Grindelwald last June, the clouds finally cleared and my son Nels and I got to marvel at the Eiger in all her glory. The cow, however, feigned disinterest. -
The photographer: Joe Phelan of Lincoln
Behind the lens: These are some early-morning fishermen on Little Island Pier at sunrise trying to catch giant red drum. The pier is a favorite place in Virginia Beach, Va., for those interested in also catching stripers, trout, Virginia spots, bluefish and croakers.
If you should be back there in October, most likely you'll find Sun City Lincoln Hills' Joe Phelan trying his luck. He and his wife, Rose, have vacationed there each fall for the past 25 years. -
The photographer: Richard Turner of Sacramento
Behind the lens: The cheetah emerged from the bush to water. She froze long enough to sense the element of danger, then signaled, indiscernibly, her 4-month-old cubs to come out from the tall grass. After drinking, she climbed a termite mound to again assess the presence of prey, the risk of predators. Young cheetah cubs are defenseless, wholly dependent on Mom for food and protection. But for the moment, they followed her onto the high ground where they mimicked their mother's vigilance and then did what kids do, played king of the hill. -
The photographer: Chris Smith of Sacramento
Behind the lens: Cappadocia, in central Turkey, is known for its magnificent rock formations and cave cities. For a unique way to see it, get up early and ride the gentle winds. These experienced pilots can take you above the clouds or drop you down into the hidden valleys. Don't forget a warm jacket and your camera! -
The photographer: Harry Morse of Sacramento
Behind the lens: The Lamar Valley is considered to be the North American mecca of wildlife with wolves, coyotes, fox, elk, deer, pronghorn antelope and bison all wintering in the valley. Bison are easier to photograph than wolves and have a similar story of repopulating the west under the protection of Yellowstone National Park. Once numbering under 25 in the park, there are now an estimated 3,600 to 3,800 bison in Yellowstone. -
The photographer: Margot Lizardo of Elk Grove
Behind the lens: Here are a few shots I took on a road trip just before Thanksgiving. Yes, there was snow in the Sierra. Pictures were taken at Echo Lake and over the hills and passes to Squaw Valley. It was a great day for a family road trip. -
The photographer: Steve Daubert of Davis
Behind the lens: We dropped in on this school of thousands of blue fusiliers in the open ocean. A few minutes later, we were joined by a train of manta rays.
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