There and Back Again - Day Trip to Beaver Creek Valley SP
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010With a stretch of good weather, I had to get out and do some photography. But where to? On Tuesday, May 18, I headed out to the southeast of home, towards the “driftless” area of Minnesota, the region the glaciers didn’t reach, an area of hills, valleys and rivers. A beautiful corner of the state. Surely I’d find something to point my lens at there.
With no specific destination in mind, I headed out, searching out the less traveled roads. I was anticipating landscapes but, the sky was hazy… on photographs, it would come out as a bland, uninteresting gray. Not so good for expansive landscapes, I’d have to find something else.
A few months back, a would-be customer asked if I had any photos of barns. I kept a lookout for any interesting barns and other rural buildings that I might drive by.
Eventually, I found myself near Beaver Creek Valley State Park and decided to spend a few hours there, hiking and photographing.
On my way back, I continued my search for barns… and the haze cleared some providing for better landscape photography.
Here are some of the photos I found that day:
In a park on the outskirts of Rushford, MN, there was a large bur oak. A sign claimed it was between 175 and 200 years old and that it is the 5th largest tree in Minnesota. It was very photogenic.
 |
 |
 |
I converted the above photo to black & white. I’m not sure which version I like best!
 |
The park is situated on top of a huge bluff. There were great views from up there.
 |
On the other side of Rushford, I found an interesting old barn.
 |
Near the barn, was this structure, in ruins. Not sure if it’s another barn or an old house.
 |
I soon decided, since I was in the area, to visit Beaver Creek Valley State Park. I’m sure glad I did. I’d been there before but had mostly forgot how beautiful the park is… and how seldom it’s visited.
This is a view from the park road — where it first fords the creek.
 |
Wildflowers, including these wild geraniums, lined the banks.
 |
While walking one of the trails, this moss covered log caught my attention.
 |
 |
Other wildflowers I found included these phlox
 |
I walked all the way to where an old trestle bridge crosses the creek.
 |
On my way back, I noticed these trees, sporting their spring green colors, on a hillside.
 |
I found more geraniums in the woods.
 |
More trees sporting spring green leaves
 |
After leaving the park, conditions had improved and I went searching for more barns.
 |
 |
I also stopped for photos of the Root River.
 |
All in all, a very fun and productive drive around S.E. Minnesota
