When I graduated college, my then boyfriend had the idea to take a cross-country road trip. My parents thought this was a terrible idea, and that if I didn’t get into the workforce straight out of college, I wouldn’t end up with a good job. Like the 21 year old I was, I threw caution to the wind and jumped in the car with a ton of film and my Pentax IQZoom. We spent a month and a half out on the road, first to Tennessee to rock out at Bonnaroo, then down to New Orleans, over to Albuquerque and then the Grand Canyon, up through Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Reno, some Utah, some Colorado, and one of the last stops was the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
It was one of the best experiences of my life and I became a crazy person campaigning that everyone should take a road trip like that in their lives to see and know their own country. But a month and a half still left so much road untravelled. I swore to myself I would do another one some day, and see some new things, and in the meantime, I took lots of smaller road trips whenever possible.
I compiled the best of the 50 rolls of film into a scrapbook. When I realized how much it cost to have that whole trip developed, I quickly switched to a digital camera that same summer. Before that, it had seemed like a lot to spend $300 or so on a digital camera. But after the cost of the rolls of film from the trip, the digital camera seemed like an investment!
Fast forward 8 years. Another cross-country road trip opportunity presents itself and I’m still shooting film. Some people never learn huh? But I would not have done it any other way. And this time, instead of throwing away half or more of a roll, my rate of return on these rolls was more like 90%. I know what I’m doing now. And it was such a dream come true to travel the country again, be able to put my skills to the test and shoot in some of this country’s most amazing landmarks. Here are my favorite results:
State Forest State Park, Colorado
State Forest State Park, Colorado
State Forest State Park, Colorado
State Forest State Park, Colorado
State Forest State Park, Colorado
Where did you go this summer? Make any dreams come true?
Happy Snapping!
Cara of tumbleweedineden
I love road trips and the States are made for it. You captured it beautifully and it makes me want to get there too. I’ve spent this year city hopping on weekend trips and have covered 15+ countries so far… the perks of living in Europe 🙂
yeah you Europeans have it soooo lucky!
Beautiful! Glad you returned to film. I’m always up for a good cross-country road trip. Thanks for sharing yours.
thanks for checking it out!
I dream of a trip like this, but haven’t been able to swing it – yet. Mine has a lot of honky tonk (vintage road signs and kitsch) sprinkled in with the scenic overlooks 🙂
The rainbow over Yellowstone – holy wow, Cara. And that one of Andy at Grand Teton almost looks like a backdrop – the mountain range almost too perfect for my eyes to see it as real.
yeah we really did experience some magic moments! thanks for stopping by…
Oh what beautiful beautiful photos Cara. Travel bug…
GORGEOUS work, Cara. So amazing. I want to escape into each and everyone of these photos.
Oh Cara, I am so glad you shared the images of your amazing road trip here! They are stunning, each and every one. I am itching to travel again now!
just go look at all your amazing photos of your recent travels, maybe that will help! 🙂
These are beautiful Cara! I’ve been enjoying your shots as they surface 🙂 Great work!
I’ve been lucky enough to have done a bunch of road trips my time. One for 2 weeks at the end of my senior year of college out to Sun Valley, ID and back to PSU for an extra semester. You did this one justice my friend!
thanks for following along.
i KNOW you’ve been all over. so cool.
Cara ~ these are wonderful! Looks like you had a fantastic time.
My husband and I took a similar month long road trip out west, years ago and are planning one for 2014 🙂 Your images have me anxious to grab my cameras and go!
So beautiful!
thank you.
Absolutely stunning photos Cara! I too hit the road after college for a cross country trip–3 months in the car with 2 of my best girlfriends. An unforgettable experience!!
awesome!
Wow. What an adventure! A real sense of the enormity of the landscape through your pictures Cara.
glad that comes across. that was one of the biggest, no pun intended, things i wanted to express since it really grabs you.
I missed an opportunity to do a road trip with my girlfriends just after college and I regret it! I was so wrapped up in my career and money concerns that it seemed so frivolous. I wish that I had thrown caution to the wind. Those two “girls” still talk about that summer they drove out to San Diego from Massachusetts. I am now working on traveling when the kids’ schedule permits. This summer we went to San Francisco and Jackson, WY. I was standing (and shooting) in some of the same places that you show here. Your images are incredible.
well your trip this summer sounds awesome! hope to see those photos!
That first shot alone was worth the trip, the expense, whatever. WOW. Gorgeous shots, all of them. I am about to dig out my old SLR and try some film again (though I won’t have prints done). I want to see what it will look like, after using digital so heavily this year.
let us know how it goes!
fabulous Cara, these are so different from what you usually shoot. I love the two from the Grand Tetons (the way the barn roof echos the shape of the mountains is perfection!).
thanks for taking us along.