Photo: Aspen Forest near Flagstaff

Arizona is not all desert and rocks.  Stuart's off roaring also includes the high country forests around Flagstaff.  He took this photo in as aspen forest.

This week we are showing photos of the people of the Sepik River, Papua New Guinea on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: San Francisco Peaks

The San Francisco Peaks just north of Flagstaff dominated our view during the first part of our flight from Sedona to Grand Canyon West airport.

In this photo you can see part of the morning layer of fog that extended all the way across the Kaibab Plateau from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon.  Our pilot said that the Grand Canyon is filled with fog only 2 or 3 times per year, so this was a very rare sight.

This photo demonstrates the clear Arizona skies, as we were probably 30-40 miles (50-56 km) away from the San Francisco Peaks, extinct volcanos that reach a height of 12,622 ft (3,851 m).  The mountain is sacred to Native Americans, and is also the site of the Arizona Snowbowl ski area.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Flagstaff Hike

It is still hot in the Valley of the Sun, so here is another photo of a cool mountain hike up the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.  People from the Valley like to go north to enjoy the forests in Arizona's cooler, high country around Flagstaff, the Mogollon Rim, and the White Mountains.

This week we have photos of Galway, Ireland and the Cliffs of Moher posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Meadow near San Francisco Peaks

I showed some photos of the San Francisco Peaks outside Flagstaff recently, so I thought I would show a closer view of this area with some photos that my step son, Stuart, took on his hike to the top of Mt. Humphries, the highest peak in Arizona.

This is a photo of a meadow on the approach to the San Francisco Peaks.  Stuart hiked up to the top from a trailhead close to here.  The photos of this hike that I will show during the next few days will illustrate the diversity of vegetation and climates in Arizona.

This week we have photos of a night at the opera in Paris posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Rail fence through a meadow near Flagstaff

Here is another photo from the meadows near Flagstaff taken by my stepson, Stuart.  Stuart has not had any training in photography, and he carries a point and shoot, but I think his composition on this shot is excellent.

On one of the photo workshops that Dave and I attended the instructor emphasized that he likes photos to have a visual pathway through the photo.  In this picture, the rail fence leads the eye into the depth of the photo all the way to the gap in the trees in the far horizon.

This week we have photos of Blarney Castle, Ireland, this week posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff

This is on of the San Francisco Peaks just outside of Flagstaff.  These are volcanic in origin, and reach as high as 12,633 feet (3,851 m).

There is a ski area here, called Arizona Snowbowl.  They operate the chairlift so hikers can hike to the top of Mt. Humphries, the tallest peak, without having to walk all the way up, although it is still a challenging hike.

In the winter, people can play golf in Scottsdale in warm weather and then drive 2 1/2 hours to go snow skiing.  In the summer, people from the Valley of the Sun can enjoy hiking and picnics in the cool pine countrty.

This week we have photos of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Flagstaff Meadow

In the hot summer, it is popular for people in Scottsdale/Phoenix to head north two hours to the high country around Flagstaff, Arizona.  There are mountain meadows, pine forests, and comfortable weather about 30 degrees cooler than the Valley.

Flagstaff is situated at 6.910 feet (2,106 m) elevation.  

David's son took this photo on one of his many hikes in the area.

This week we have photos of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.