Yucca tree (Yucca brevifolia) in Mojave desert.

we scouted for days along the Oregon coast, looking for the right balance of rock mounds in combination with the right moment of setting sun light.

east end of Glacier National Park

giant variegated Agave plant in Arizona desert

I am often quite bored during long flights and look for anything to do within the confined cabin space. Sometimes the cloud levels are just right while the sun is lower for better light, and I take the time to set up a tripod and camera on the flight. Tight spots like this are fantastic for my Trekker tripod. It is so versatile and accommodating to the oddest of places I wish to place a camera. Getting a few curious looks from nearby passengers, I carefully scout for a nice grouping of clouds to occupy my time. I usually try to avoid any view of the plane or wing, but this time it was unavoidable in my row. As it turns out, I really liked how the wing establishes where the photo was taken and prefer it over many shots from other flights.

At the local gardens, they not only have a wonderful display of flora, but they also have many woodsy paths that are well maintained for easy walking.

layers and layers of spire-shaped mountains in ZhangJiaJie

Bamboo gate in Japanese garden