Polynesian Culture Center (PCC) and Hawaii LDS Temple

The Polynesian Culture Center http://www.polynesianculturalcenter.com the top paid location on the island of Honolulu and is viewed by some as a must see if you are visiting the island. Students from Polynesian descent run the center and show you their culture and age old customs from their homelands. From working at the center they are then able to pay for tuition at the local University. 

As part of the day trip in the Culture Center you can take a short bus ride to the LDS Temple and walk through the visitors center. We were not able to get close to the Temple as it was under construction during our visit. But very beautiful building and grounds none the less.

LDS Meeting House Building

LDS Temple

Polynesian Culture Center Palms

Statues part of the Culture Centers many displays

Palms and thatched roof tops inside the Culture Center

Honolulu HI-Blue Oceans by Day, Golden Sunsets By Night

I don't quite know what I was expecting when I stepped foot on one of the Hawaiian islands. But by the time we left I wanted to stay. Gorgeous aqua blue waters, lush green tropical forests, blue blue skies, and amazing sunsets on the beach. There are dozens of things that can take your time and money when in Hawaii but my favorite was sitting on the beach with my husband with an ice cream in hand watching the waves roll in as the sun dipped below the horizon. Hopefully we'll make it back someday!

                 

    

Tropical Waters

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I know that this photo looks heavily edited but it is not. Hawaii and the colors really look like that. AMAZING! Loved every minute of being there. I believe they call this "Chinamans Hat."

Golden Sunset on Lake Powell

Not one of the most amazing sunsets I've seen at Lake Powell but still gorgeously golden. Love the color and the silhouettes of the rocky shoreline.

Lake Powell Storms-Rain, Rainbows, and Sunsets

Grateful to have made it to the beach by the time this storm came in we were able to watch the water change color before our eyes.  

The rain came down in heavy sheets and lasted for what seemed like the entire afternoon. It was such a strange storm that no one seemed to mind. Huddled under a small shade canopy we were all quickly drenched from the side downpour but were rewarded in the end with a rainbow above the lake and an amazing sunset with the largest clouds I've ever seen. The storm moved on past us but no one seemed to notice as we were all entranced by the colors from the Lake.

Seals and San Diego Sunsets

San Diego how I've missed you! Beautiful beaches, calming waters, and gorgeous sunsets. If only I had a beach house in La Jolla to spend a few weeks in each year whenever I have an itch to hit the beach. Until I do photographs will have to hold me over until my next trip.

 There is a small cove in La Jolla were seals come to bathe themselves in the warmth of the afternoon sunlight. They pay little attention to the tourists and locals who gather along the walk out pier to watch them and the colors of the setting sun.  

Photography-Lake Powell at Dusk

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Because that is so very true I don't have much to say here. A cool evening breeze after a long hot day on the lake, a beautiful sky, and the soft glow of flames from tiki torches marking your camp site on the long stretch of beach. One could easily get used to a life of leisure on the Lake.

MIAMI- South Beach Photography

Beach front property would be nice would't it? Sand between your toes, cool ocean breezes, the coconut smell of sunscreen. I love the beach for many reasons but one most likely is because the closest beach is 700 miles away. Sometimes it is years in between trips other times I make it once a year. 

On a recent quick trip to Miami I had to make time to see a beach. South Beach of course. As a first timer to Miami I was amazed with the color of the water. The light blue/green color is so different from the beaches of California that I am used to. I also could not get over the sun setting over the city rather than over the ocean for an amazing sunset. Still can't wrap my head around it. After decades of watching it set over the ocean I kept thinking it was morning as the sun was setting because it was on the wrong horizon. 

A few shots of the trail walking to the beach, the gorgeous water, palms, and life guard stations. An overcast day made for some interesting shots.

Photography of Lake Powell Sunsets

Lake Powell. So gorgeous at sunrise and sunset, so blazing hot at every moment in between. Lake Powell has a very unique beauty to it. Some see it, some do not. Sunsets at Lake Powell can be truly spectacular and there is nothing better than being out on the water to see the colors change all around you as the sun sinks farther and farther out of sight.