Robert Payne

Every Fall season, millions of Monarch butterflies migrate south from Canada to winter in warmer climes. The Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains migrate to southern California, while those east of the Rockies return to Mexico. The two populations are separate and distinct to their regions, never mixing unless by the hand of man. The [...]

There are so many beautiful and wild areas in the state of Nevada, and yet many Americans are not aware. Fortunately, there are people who are passionate about protecting these unique areas, despite significant challenges in the form of development, water rights, and numerous other interests. Here’s a great video from the folks at Nevada [...]

Alongside the eastbound lanes of Interstate 4 in Dover, Florida, an individual by the name of Frank Bates buried eight Airstream travel trailers nose-down. It is not far from Tampa, and I often pass it on the way to Orlando and beyond. I finally decided to pull over and take a picture of this creation [...]

Based on a tip from Tampa I Am, I decided to take a little stroll out at Brooker Creek Preserve this past Saturday. It sounded nice enough, and with its close proximity to downtown Tampa there was hardly any cause to consider it a huge commitment (even if it meant sacrificing precious weekend hours). Just [...]

It has been an awfully long time between posts, but the slings and arrows of work and life have had my typing fingers focused on other items. However, these same hands did manage to steer me in the direction of Cashiers, North Carolina this past weekend for a long overdue visit to a very special place [...]

I always wanted to visit Great Basin National Park, but distance, time, and alternate plans had a tendency of getting in the way. My recent departure from Reno-Tahoe, however, finally afforded me the opportunity to pay this substantial piece of Nevada a visit. You always hear the term “Great Basin” used to describe the state [...]

Here a couple of shots from a snowshoeing jaunt I did today in the mountains above Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.  

Marlette Lake is situated above the East Shore of Lake Tahoe between Spooner Summit and Sand Harbor. What is most notable about Marlette is the fact that it has been a source for trout fishing since 1887 when it was first stocked with Cutthroat Trout. Today, it is still used as a source for Rainbow Trout [...]

Megee Creek is a beautiful high Sierra hike located 10 miles south of Mammoth Lakes, CA. My wife and I chose this particular hike for our Labor Day Weekend retreat because of our previous year visit. We had been very impressed by the diverse geology, incredible profusion of wildflowers, and impressive high alpine views. However, [...]