Cave & Basin Historic Site in Banff National Park

Found in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park's Cave and Basin historic site commemorates the birthplace of Canada's National Parks system which began in 1885. The area features natural thermal mineral springs, including one located inside a cavern which has been incorporated into the structure. The once popular swimming pool (seen on numerous vintage postcards) has since been removed, but a tile outline shows where it once was.

It was in 1981 that the Cave and Basin became designated a National Historic Site of Canada. There are several placards commemorating the history of the area, and although it's not a large place to explore, it is a beautiful spot to spend an hour.

Cave & Basin in 1915.

Cave & Basin in the 1920s.

A Snowy Flight Over Utah

On route to my connection in Salt Lake City, Utah this morning, two failed landing attempts in white-out conditions lead to a 40 minute diversion to a small airport in Idaho for refueling.

While ordinarily this would be frustrating, I had a long layover in SLC anyway that was going to kill an afternoon. The diversion actually became an incredible aerial tour over Great Salt Lake with the opportunity to photograph some of the most unbelievable winter scenery below.

We were on the ground about an hour in Idaho before the weather passed and we were back on track. Now here I am in SLC waiting for my next flight and already excited about images I was never meant to capture. My good / bad luck strikes again!

Above the Mojave Desert in California

The scale, beauty, and vastness of the Mojave Desert is perhaps best captured from above. These aerial images were photographed north of Palm Springs, California.