Melissa & Adam's adventure...


This year we have several trips planned, and our Valentines getaway was the first one on our calendar. Adam and I decided to visit Salt Lake City, because we love Moab and visited in the Ogden area a couple of years ago. Our original intention was to take the Amtak train, but they ended up canceling the train that would bring us home, so we decided to go on road trip instead. Avoiding I-70 as much as possible, we drove up Highway 24 through the mountains. Did you know that there is a white buffalo (Bison) near Hartsel?? We spotted him and I had to try and get a photo. He was pretty far away, but you can see glimpses of him. The morning drive went smoothly and we enjoyed watching the scenery change several times around us. I brought my Nikon Z50, Olympus OMG (analog) and of course, the Instax camera to capture our trip.

Snow-capped mountains rise behind a winter prairie landscape with grazing buffalo in the distance.
Distant bison graze on brown grassland with snow-covered mountains in the background.
Winter landscape showing distant wildlife on golden prairie with mountains on the horizon.
Snow-dusted mountains and utility lines stretch across a winter prairie landscape.
Black and white photograph of a mountain road winding past snow-capped peaks.
Majestic snow-capped mountain peaks rise behind rocky outcroppings under blue sky.
Black and white photograph of a rocky mountain stream flowing through pine forest.
Rocky mountain stream flows through snow-dusted boulders and evergreen forest.
Vintage grain elevator tower stands against blue sky with scattered wooden pallets below.
Desert landscape with snow patches and layered rock formations stretching to distant hills.
Vintage black and white roadside sign welcoming visitors to Colorado.
Empty highway stretches toward distant mountains through snow-dusted desert landscape.
Red vintage Welcome to Utah road sign featuring desert arch scenery.
Desert landscape with distant mountains and scrubland under bright blue sky.
Side mirror view of desert landscape while driving through arid terrain.

Antelope Island State Park


This is a must see if you are visiting Salt Lake City. We spent almost all of our day in the park. There was so much to see; the views were great and there was easy hiking. We checked out the Fielding Garr Ranch and spent a lot of time with the horses. They loved Adam so much they gave him kisses! The Bison were roaming freely and there were several herds in different spots along the park. Several were still at the Visitors center, but one thought we were a little too close and decided to walk towards. Not gonna lie, it was very intimidating...but I got a great shot of him! Strangely, we didn't see any antelope...

A large bison walks across a desert road against a barren landscape.
Lone buffalo stands on rocky terrain by water in black and white photograph.
Two buffalo grazing among rocky terrain in vintage black and white photograph.
Solitary buffalo standing among scattered boulders in black and white landscape photo.
A bison grazes among rocky terrain in a stark black and white landscape.
Two American bison traverse a desert road with scrubland in the background.
Wild bison cross a dirt road while a truck waits in the background.
Black and white photograph of rugged mountain peaks and desert vegetation in stark contrast.
Vintage black and white landscape showing snow-capped mountains across a vast valley.
Black and white landscape of snow-capped mountains with vast plains in the foreground.
Panoramic view of mountain ranges and salt flats from a rocky overlook.
Dried desert plants against blue sky with mountains in background.
Snow-capped mountains rise beyond desert plains with dried plants in foreground.
Panoramic view of salt flats and snow-capped mountains under bright blue sky.
A figure stands silhouetted against mountain landscape and clear sky.

While we were in Salt Lake, I really wanted to check out some film camera stores. Since film photography has had a huge boom, Salt Lake had several camera stores that carried analog cameras. So we hit up the closest one to us, and I am so glad we did! We went to Acme Camera, and they had an Olympus Pen FT half frame camera that I had been wanting. I couldn't resist, and I bought it. I absolutely love the way this camera feels in my hands, its super fun to use, and I got some great images with it!

Vintage Olympus Pen F camera with textured grip and classic lens being held against a light background.
Modern apartment buildings with balconies under blue sky and parked cars in the lot.
Drive-thru sign and snow-capped mountains visible in the distance along a rural road.
Snow-covered mountain range rises above salt flats under wispy clouds.
Dramatic snow-capped mountain range rises above barren desert landscape.
Diptych of desert landscape with dried flowers and mountains in distance.
Dried wildflowers stand against desert brush in muted tones.
Rocky mountain peak rises above desert scrubland under clear blue sky.
Split view showing winter desert brush and rocky mountain peak.
Close-up of vintage red fire hydrant equipment.
Brown horse lying down in dirt corral.
Two connected images show horses on a ranch, with one standing and another resting in dirt paddocks.
A horse stands in a fenced paddock with snow-capped mountains visible in the distant background.
A chestnut colored horse rests on the ground in a dirt paddock.
Side-by-side images show a close-up of a horse's face and a full view of a chestnut horse.

Bonneville Salt Flats


This destination has been on my bucket list, so we had to go! It's about an hour and a half from Salt Lake City. Once we arrived we were shocked that the Salt Flats were closed. There were several signs warning us not to drive your vehicle on the flats due to wet conditions...needless to say we were puzzled. So we walked out onto the flats to see what it was all about...and yes it was very wet and slippery like mud. It was a crazy feeling walking on it. In some areas the salt is more than five inches thick! I would love to come here in the summer time and watch the races. We then headed to Wendover and bam! we were in Nevada. There was at least seven casinos in this small town, and it was hoppin'! Then we went back to Salt Lake City to find more things to do, but found out that a lot of attractions in this city are only for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Temple was undergoing some renovations and was fenced off, blocking the view. Needless to say, I was disappointed. We spent our last evening watching movies in the hotel and enjoyed some snuggling. We left super early the next morning and went home a different route than we came, and I have to say, it was pretty scenic.

Snow-capped mountain range captured in black and white with stark contrast against a cloudy sky.
Black and white photograph of snow-capped mountains rising above a desert plain with a road in foreground.
Arid desert landscape with rocky mountains against bright blue sky.
Bonneville Salt Flats entrance sign stands in desert landscape under bright blue sky.
Barren desert landscape with distant mountains under a deep blue sky.
Black and white photo of a large vintage roadside cowboy statue in Nevada.
Utah State Capitol building perched on hill against clear blue sky.
Historic building nestled in hillside surrounded by bare trees and urban development.
Snow-capped mountain range with bare trees in foreground during winter.
Black and white landscape of snow-covered mountains across an open field.
Snow-capped mountains at sunset with a dark field in the foreground.
Panoramic view of arid desert canyons stretching to the horizon under cloudy skies.
Snow covered rural landscape with scattered buildings and signs visible along a winter road.
Black and white vista of rolling hills and distant plains along a roadside.
Snow-covered cliffs rise against a stark winter sky in a dramatic black and white landscape.