20 Great Pictures From 2017

2017 was a crazy, tiring, exciting travel year for me.  I ended up taking a ton of pictures of some fascinating adventures as well as some cool pictures with my family that remind me of what a great year it was.  I decided to put together my 10 favorite pictures of 2017.  My motivation came from my friend and fellow blogger Andy Luten, of Andy’s Travel Blog.  He put together his top 10 photos of 2017, and they’re awesome.  If you haven’t taken a look yet, you really should.

Reading his post reminded me of when I used to carry two 35mm shells along with a handful of lenses and filters for picture-taking.  This was back when you took rolls of film to a store to have them developed.

I hope you’ll indulge me a fun story.  When I set out to propose to my wife, Michelle, we went to California wine country.  I really do need to tell that whole story one day.  It was hilarious.  I’ll shortcut to the part where we were on an aerial tram heading up to the top of the mountain Sterling Vineyards calls home.  I asked her to grab one of my camera lenses for some pictures.  Once she retrieved it, I asked her to open up the case and hand the lens to me.  Instead of a lens, she found a ring box.  The rest is history!

Nowadays, I take all my pictures with my iPhone.  Most of these were taken with an iPhone 7 Plus.  Some at the end of the year were taken with an iPhone X.  I don’t claim to be an expert like Andy.  His pictures are badass.  But, I really enjoy capturing a moment on film (or digitally).

Thanks to Andy, I set about to find my top 10.  After going through all my pictures from 2017, I had 85 favorites.  Oops!   I spent a ton of time whittling down the list to 18.  The last few cuts were getting really tough, so I pivoted to 20.  Because, why not?

I don’t claim these are my “Top” pics of the year.  For one reason or another, they meant the most to me.  I hesitate to use the word “great”, but hopefully it’s not too much poetic license.  I chose not to number the pictures in order of importance.  Heck, I couldn’t even narrow them down to a top 10 list.  I love them all, and I hope you’ll share your thoughts.  Here we go:

Phoenix, Arizona

Taken at the Royal Palms hotel.  I used to love taking pics with black & white film.  You’ll notice that theme as we go.

Mont Tremblant, QC Canada

From warm to cold at the top of Mont Tremblant.  I have a black & white version as well.  But, I liked the color alongside the ice on the radio tower.  This was a better moment than a picture.  Quiet other than the wind whipping around, high up in the air with ice hanging from our goggles.

Mont Tremblant Village

Charlie being Charlie.  I love that kid!

Disney World

Not surprising to see a Disney World picture make the final list.  This was taken before my fateful bout 3 hour jaunt on the floor of a bathroom at Disney World.

Paris, France

Equally unsurprising is a picture of donuts making the final list.  This is where the iPhone makes me look talented.  Crisp meringue with the blurred background.  And, the donuts were awesome!

9,000 Feet Above Sea Level, Colorado

Bear Canyon Ranch.  If you ask our kids, they’ll tell you it was their favorite stop of the year.  Even when you don’t ask them, it comes up.  We already have a reservation for 2018!

Somewhere Between Seattle And Oslo Near Hudson Bay

From the delivery flight of the brand new Boeing 737 MAX.  Loved using black & white as contrast when I framed the winglet in the window.

Hanging Around Home

Children of the corn?  Did I mention I love this kid?  He’s so kooky.  I didn’t put him up to the picture, I swear!

Las Vegas, Nevada

Halfway through, and I included this picture because my heart still hangs heavy after the tragic circumstances in Las Vegas last year.  There’s nothing “great” about this picture, but I was so drawn to the people who poured their hearts out for the victims.  Profound sadness.

Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

I love this picture of Michelle.  Hands on her hips, wind whipping her hair.  Ready to take on the world!

New York, NY

Wonder where our daughter gets her confidence?  Her mother, of course.  She wanted to make sure the Fearless Girl knew she had backup.

Fall River, Nova Scotia

I can still hear the train whistle blowing and feel the thrum as it hurtled down the tracks.

Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

Somewhere over Alaska

Stunning picture that I really just got lucky to snag.

Chicago O’Hare Airport

Vintage….

London

Waving Goodbye To Laguardia and NYC

Nobody would ever use the word great in a positive sense to describe Laguardia Airport.  But, I caught just the right angle on take-off.  This was the most “liked” post on my Instagram feed this year.  Guess everything has a good side.

Charleston, SC

Boeing 787-10 shining in the night, my favorite plane.

Las Vegas, Nevada

A bit of mirrors with the Beatles.

I guess you can call it 21 since I stuck that picture of Antelope Canyon in as the featured image.  Antelope Canyon is stunning.  I literally could have made a top 10 of pics I took there. There were more outstanding pictures from our trip through the canyon.  However, this one with the nest up high really drives home that this is real, not fantasy.  #nofilter

The Final Two Pennies

I hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as I enjoyed assembling the list.  Too often I don’t take the time to go back and remember my travel.  It always seems like there’s another adventure around the corner.  For now, I’ll enjoy these as I get ready for the next trip.

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