Those of you who have been paying attention since the beginning of this series about Tasmania (and I don't expect that list to be very long) will know that the timing of my trip was designed to intercept the United States Coast Guard Heavy Icebreaker, the Polar Star, during its last stop before Antarctica. Well, the time for our rendezvous had arrived.

So who was Lachlan Macquarie and why is everything in Australia named after him?

The sign said "Welcome to the Tarkine, a wild and sacred place". It also said I wasn't going to see a gas station for a long time. Or a cell tower.

No visit to Tasmania would be complete without a visit to "The Nut". No, I'm not talking about one of Australia's candidates for Prime Minister, although it does have a connection to a former British Prime Minister.

Tell any Aussie that you're going to Tasmania and they'll probably say you absolutely have to go to Cradle Mountain. Well, it was time to visit this gem and see what all the fuss was about.

This week we'll continue our anticlockwise (as the Aussies say) trip around Tasmania, the beautiful island state south of the Australian mainland.

Last week we embarked on a journey around Tasmania, the beautiful island state south of the Australian mainland. We took a trip out to Freycinet National Park to the east, so this week we'll head north and explore the most remote sections on the northeast side.

I was having dinner with my good friends Andrew and Kara a couple of months ago, and I asked Kara, "So where are you taking the Polar Star this year?". As soon as she said "Tasmania", I knew where I'd be going soon.

Water. It is essential for life on our planet, and yet it can ruin your day, or your life, in an instant.

The year is almost over, so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family and friends a most wonderful 2016! And, to get you in the mood, here are a couple of images of the Seattle Space Needle from the fireworks show this past year.

It's Christmastime, and whether you're expecting a white Christmas or not, this time of year always conjures up images of sleigh rides and pretty little white steepled churches with children running and playing in the snow. So I'll leave you with some snowy images from past years to enjoy.

Last week I began my series on lesser-known National Parks that I had explored on my way to New England. This week we'll look at a few more that you would never have guessed existed.

Last week I talked about the Passport To Your National Parks® as a way to get folks to visit lesser-known parks, and promised to tell you a little bit about some of the ones I visited on my way to New England. Today I'd like to start by giving you a brief look at two of these sites.

This was not the longest road trip I've ever taken - my parents took me on some doozies when I was a kid. But when you drive from Seattle to the Atlantic Ocean, as I did on my recent photo trip to shoot fall foliage on the East Coast, you can see a lot of cool stuff, and much of it is managed by the National Park Service.

Yes, you heard right! I'm offering 25% off all in-stock* prints to anyone who shows up at the Rogue Christmas BeerZaar this year!

In order to give me time to fill your special orders before I leave on my next adventure, you'll need to place your order by end-of-day on Wednesday, November 25th.

It seems that in the early 1900's, French-Canadian fur trappers working in the region of what is now Badlands National Park in South Dakota called the area "les mauvais terres pour traverse," or "bad lands to travel through." Apparently they hadn't been to Death Valley yet.

I know, I know, how much more fall color can we stand? Well, the season may be short, and most areas are well past peak by now, but I can never get enough of fall color landscape images!

I took a look at the east coast fall foliage map today just for fun. I left New England three weeks ago, so it doesn't do me any good for this year, but it's interesting to see that while most of the color is done, there are still a number of areas that are experiencing peak color, at least according to reports. I could have arrived a month later than I did and still found areas to photograph, it appears.

I've always wanted to do a fall foliage photo shoot on the East Coast, but I've had conflicts for the past few years. Well, this year was going to be different.