Amidst the colonial architecture of Merida is the Palace of Mexican Music. The modern architecture blends stone, steel and glass in a collaboration of four design studios, that bridges between Mexico's indigenous past and Merida's contemporary status in Mexican life. 

Cottonwood Road leads south from Cannonville, Utah, following a unique geological feature called a monocline, which is a rift in the earth's surface. To the east, the Kaibab plateau is uplifted, and where the two zones meet, an eroded ridgeline called the Cockscomb reveals colorful sedimentary layers. The road passes the popular Grosvenor Arch before proceeding down the wash, and eventually it opens up into a wide basin. In Paria, now the "ghost town" of an old Mormon settlement, hardy pioneers eked out a meager living for a time, irrigating their fields with water from the river. In the early 1900s, a small gold mining effort was established, but within a few years, as the desert and river flooding proved too much for the settlers, the town was abandoned.

We camped just outside of Valladolid at a little organic bee farm, then caught a cab into town. After a nice lunch on the plaza we poked around the historical center, taking in a museum and getting a look at the local cenote (yes, Valladolid has a cenote right in the middle of town!). A few blocks away, the 16th century Iglesia de Santa Ana fronts a nice little plaza where people can relax in the relative cool of the shade. Unfortunately, the gate was locked, so we didn't get to look inside. I took this photo just under the arch in front of the main door, using a wide angle lens to catch the curve of the arch and distort the angles a bit to complement it.

Just outside of Creel, Chihuahua, lies the indigenous raramuri community of Aquibachi. The old mission is still in use today by local natives, who come to celebrate a unique blend of Catholic and indigenous beliefs. According to our guide, a cultural anthropologist who is married to a local rararmuri (who is himself a cultural anthropologist), the raramuri are a peaceful, welcoming people, who believe in sharing what they have with others. Sadly, in recent years, security in the Copper Canyon has been a bit hit and miss, and at times, the indigenous people are caught in the cross-fire between rival gangs fighting for control over lucrative opium poppy fields and illegal timber logging operations.

Whenever we're in the Moab area, we always camp out at Kane Creek Ledges. There's plenty of space, and unless there's a brutal wind, any one of the many campsites is fine. I like the open sky, and other than the morning and evening rush hour of OHV enthusiasts, it's a pretty quiet place. This image catches a family around a campfire, with Orion's Belt and the evening star high in the sky.

A sunlit swim in one of northern Yucatan's many cenotes is the highlight of any tourist visit. These water-filled, underground caverns dot the landscape, and many have been opened for the public to enjoy. In particular, the area around Homun is dotted with these underground, waterfilled caverns, some entirely enclosed, others open to the sky.  

Driving to the northernmost tip of South America was one of the highlights of our overland journey through Colombia. We had hired a guide to lead us through the maze of interlaced tracks winding through the desert, and we were glad we did. Without "Sharkie" pointing left here and right there and left again here, we would easily have gotten lost in a vast, remote, and rugged landscape. On our way back, we stopped at a little Guajira village for refreshments, and while the others were keeping cool in the shade, I stepped out back to photograph these colorful homes.

Just south of Saumur in the department of Maine-et-Loire, the imposing Chateau Montreuil-Bellay stands tall over the surrounding landscape. Built on the site of a Gallo-Roman village, the privately owned chateau, is open for tours, and even hosts a superb wine and cremant-tasting room in the grand salon. We enjoyed their fresh tastes after a hot walk about the beautifully manicured gardens.

During our trip through Guatemala we visited Ixchiguan, a small town in the extreme north of the country. I had visited Ixchiguan nearly 40 years earlier during my first overland trip through Central America, and it was striking to see how the town had changed in the ensuing decades. Dusty potholed roads and decrepit mud brick homes had given way to new construction and a smooth asphalt highway--one of the best we had encountered on our trip. A local we met attributed the area's booming economy to remensas (payments from locals working abroad), and agriculture. "We grow potatoes and carrots," our acquaintance told us. Surely, Ixchiguan seemed to be prospering. We discovered later that the area is actually part of the "opium triangle", and the peace is occasionally shattered by Mexican drug gangs fighting for control over the lucrative trade. Potatoes and carrots indeed.

During our walk about town we happened onto this colorful cemetery, where children played a joyful game of hide and seek amidst the tombs. No doubt the departed would approve of the happy cries echoing among the graves.

Dating back an estimated 10,000 years, rock paintings adorn a rock wall in the Sierra de Lindosa, not far from San Jose de Guaviare, Colombia. Some of the paintings show now-extinct animals such as the giant sloth, lending credence to the paintings' estimated age. Other drawings show mounted Spanish conquistadores and their feared war dogs. Regardless of their exact age, it is certain that for millennia, wandering tribes marked their passage on these ancient rock outcroppings.

Recently, in an even more remote region to the south, several kilometers of cliff-face have been discovered in the Serrania de Chiribiquete, also covered with the red-ochre drawings. Long off limits to outsiders due to decades of armed conflict, the region is now opening up to tourism and scientific research. What stories these walls could tell.

In Colombia's Toche valley, decades of civil war have had one "positive" outcome: with development kept at bay, some of the largest remaining groves of wax palms remain untouched. The stately palm, the tallest in the world, is Colombia's national tree. Sadly, in many other areas, land clearing for ranching and avocado farming leave young palms exposed, threatening their future.

Not a place I would recommend for growing cantaloupe, melons, or any other round fruit.

The area around San Jose del Guaviare in south eastern Colombia is a nature-lover's delight. Clear, cool streams course through an ancient landscape, and interesting rock formations expose remnants of the Guiana shield. The area is quickly becoming a tourist destination, as peace returns to rural Colombia after decades of armed conflict.

In the spring of 2021 my wife and I rented a cabin for six weeks on Montana's Madison river -- one of America's premier trout streams. Joining us was our son, who, like many others during the Covid-19 pandemic, was able to work remotely. Each day after he signed off from work he would join me for an evening session of fly fishing. We would fish until dark, stalking wary browns among the many threads of the braided river, then return with smiles wide for a late dinner at the cabin. I think the gift of this special time with my son was a silver lining during what had been a very tough year. Evening light on the Madison creates a special glow, and the sky, the land, the water -- and the fisherman -- all contribute their unique character to the visual elements of this scene.

Just outside of San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia, calm waters of Laguna Negra reflect the setting sun. We camped out here for a couple days, and were welcomed to join in a birthday celebration for a local. We were treated to a typical Colombia asada--fresh beef grilled over an open pit fire. Although we were definitely outsiders, we were welcomed respectfully by the family, and treated to a tasty meal washed down by plenty of cold Colombian beer.