April 19, 2025April 12, 2025 photobyjohnbo

Lens-Artists Challenge #345 – My Go-To Places

When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
-Carole King / Gerry Goffin (Lyrics)

Recently, I heard one of my favorite songs by the Drifters. The song Up On the Roof was released by at least three artists: Carole King, James Taylor, and the Drifters mentioned above. The lyrics got me thinking about where I go when the “world starts getting me down.” My favorite places to visit locally are the nearby parks. I can’t pick a favorite local park, but two draw me in when we are home in Fargo, North Dakota, and my camera is a must-have.

The opening photo features a view of the Red River at Orchard Glen in south Fargo. This small park has several views of the Red River and a forest to wander through. I can lose myself in photographing them both.

The Forest at Orchard Glen — *The forest in Spring.*

When the snow is finally gone and warm Spring days beckon, I like to walk in the forest when the trees are only beginning to show their summer attire. I enjoy walking the trail throughout the summer and waiting for the Fall colors to appear.

Reflections — *The Red River at Lindenwood Park.*

Lindenwood is a much larger park in Fargo. Despite being much closer, it’s always busy and lacks the solitude of a forest. I always enjoy the river views in Autumn, even though the colors might be beyond their peak, as in this photo.

Granite Falls Trail-1 — *Skyline Park View.*

Since we retired, we have spent most of the winters in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, so the parks differ from Fargo’s. For over a decade, we found our winter selves in Buckeye, just west of Phoenix. Skyline Park was only ten minutes from our house and a favorite hiking location.

Brittlebush and Hedgehog — *Springtime in White Tank Mountain Regional Park.*

Another favorite spot was the White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell, about a 20-minute drive from Buckeye. When the rains are plentiful in the Sonoran Desert, the desert becomes a flower garden. It’s easy to forget your worries when there is so much color to capture.

Though it’s about an hour’s drive from Buckeye, we enjoyed the hikes on South Mountain. One of our favorite hikes had us walking through a rock tunnel, sliding down sloped rocks, and squeezing between boulders that barely allowed my fat stomach to squeeze through.

Boyce Thompson-1 — *Boyce Thompson Arboretum.*

Since selling our home in Buckeye, we’ve spent our winters traveling and staying in multiple locations nationwide. In early 2024, we almost completely crossed the country from an island off North Carolina to Scottsdale, Arizona. We discovered the Boyce Thompson Arboretum for the first time since spending winters in Arizona.

Sundance Sunset-1 — *Skyline Park Sunset.*

Arizona is known for its colorful sunsets. We spent many evenings in a parking area along the road going to Skyline Park, waiting for the sun to disappear behind the mountains.

If I’m feeling down and don’t have a park to visit, I’ll spend many an hour working on processing photos of the many places we’ve visited over the years. Even though I don’t leave home, I get lost in my editing and can spend more time than I should in front of my computer screen. I’ve shared my Go-To places; now it’s time for you to share where you go or what you do to help lift those spirits when this old world starts getting you down.

I’ve posted these photos on my Flickr site here for those who like pixel-peeping, checking out the metadata, or viewing them as a slide show.

Last week, Anne brought us the “Abandoned” challenge. Next week, Sofia will host. Be sure to follow her here so you don’t miss her post, which will go live next Saturday at noon Eastern time. If you’d like to join in with your own challenge responses, but aren’t sure how to get started, check here.

John Steiner