Outtake from “Go West Old Man” tour

“To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, one clover and a bee, and revery. The revery alone will do, if bees are few.”-Emily Dickinson

“While I know the standard claim is that Yosemite, Niagara falls, the upper Yellowstone and the like, afford the greatest natural shows, I am not so sure but the Prairies and Plains, while less stunning at first sight, last longer, fill the esthetic sense fuller, precede all the rest, and make North America’s characteristic landscape.”- Walt Whitman

“I was born on the prairies where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures.” -Geronimo

“A cold wind blew on the prairie on the day the last buffalo fell. A death wind for my people.”-Sitting Bull

“The wilderness needs your whole attention.”-Laura Ingalls Wilder

“Anybody can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.”-Willa Cather

For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index

Outtakes from “Go West Old Man” tour

If traveling across the northern plains of the US, Wall, SD, next to Badlands NP, is a must stop. They have something for everyone.

For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index

Outtake from “Go West Old Man” tour

This is gone now.

In last fall’s “Go West Old Man” tour with my two pals, there were only two places in the 17 day drive that I had never visited–Bryce Canyon, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We left our budget hotel the morning after seeing Bryce, heading for the nearby North Rim. “Breakfast,” was a lobby counter with some stacked, packaged food that was their “included” breakfast buffet.

That minimal effort didn’t bother me. When you are traveling for photography, a lot of meals come down to accepting what you can get when and where you are. I love a 7 course Chef’s Tasting with wine pairing as much as anyone, but I can also live for days on Honey Buns, power bars, coffee and beer if the location is good shooting.

When Paul opened his pastry and looked at the heavy mold covering the bottom he tossed it in the trash. I had already finished eating mine and tried not to think about what might have been growing on it, so as soon as we got into the park we looked for more food and coffee, at the Lodge.

Our drive was always pushing on, spending little time most places. I had a date certain from Barbara that I was to be back home, so we grabbed something to eat, looked around for a bit, and headed on. I wish now I had taken a little more time to explore the place, and photographed the Lodge. The original was built in 1928 and, after a fire in 1932, was rebuilt in 1937, so you expect it to always be there. Things change.

For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index

Outtake from “Go West Old Man” Tour

It would have been nice to visit the town, but three old men don’t need to risk a random flea bite. What struck me about this was the almost casual nature of the warning. I always assumed you would write THE PLAGUE!!! in all caps, and large, maybe boldface, type, with multiple exclamation points.

For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index