Photos by Cheryl Landes Depoe Bay is well-known as a whale-watching spot, but it also has some of the most dramatic wave action on the Oregon Coast. In town, water shoots through the rocks at the Spouting Horn, forming columns of spray more than 50 feet high. South of town, Boiler Bay constantly churns. On … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Dramatic splashes at Boiler Bay and the Spouting Horn on the Oregon Coast

Photos by Cheryl Landes The Oregon Coast is my favorite place for walks on the beach. Every experience is different, even if I'm walking on the same beach. Some days are sunny, others rainy, cloudy, or foggy—or all of these can happen within minutes or a few hours. Whatever the weather brings, the views are … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: A late afternoon walk at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach

Photos by Cheryl Landes In 1977, horologist Raymond Saunders and metalwork specialist Doug Smith built a steam clock at 300 Water Street. It's near the intersection of Cambie Street in the historic Gastown community, from where Vancouver, British Columbia started and grew about a century earlier. Gastown merchants hired Saunders to build the clock as … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Blowing off steam with the Gastown Steam Clock in Vancouver, British Columbia

Photos by Cheryl Landes Updated February 20, 2025 I love cats. That's probably obvious from my choice of names for my consulting business and this travel blog. So, after I learned about the cat cafe craze, I look for them when I travel. Catfe is among the earliest cat cafes. It's in Chinatown in Vancouver, … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Catfe, a cat cafe in Vancouver, British Columbia

Photos by Cheryl Landes The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a beautiful retreat in the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia. The 2.5-acre garden in Vancouver's Chinatown is the first full-scale Asian garden to be constructed outside China and modeled after the famous Ming Dynasty gardens from the city of Suzhou. The garden opened … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver, British Columbia

Photos by Cheryl Landes Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood is a beautiful retreat any time of  year. It's a small garden filled with pagodas, bamboo, maple trees, ornamental cherry trees, peonies, and other flowers. All of these surround a pond with lily pads in the center of the garden. I enjoy … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland

Photos by Cheryl Landes I discovered the Yakima Area Arboretum during a travel writing conference two years ago in Yakima, Washington. This 46-acre arboretum on the eastern side of the city has more than 2,000 plant species. It's a nice place to go for a walk, picnic, or to simply relax and enjoy the scenery. … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Yakima Area Arboretum

Photos by Cheryl Landes The Sierra Nevada and and El Paso Ranges converge at Red Rock Canyon State Park, on California State Highway 14 north of Cantil. The park is a colorful, picturesque desert with cliffs, buttes, and rock formations. During a trip to the Antelope Valley to see the California poppies bloom in the … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Red Rock Canyon State Park in California

Photos by Cheryl Landes Old barns and other abandoned buildings are among my favorite photo subjects. The weathered walls, fading and flaking paint, rusty metal roofs, window reflections, and doors create interesting, captivating compositions. While driving in the Antelope Valley to see the California poppies bloom in the spring of 2017, I spotted Bob's Hi-Way … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Bob’s Hi-Way Service

Photos by Cheryl Landes In the spring, about a 90-minute drive northeast of Los Angeles, a thick carpet of California poppies brightens the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Beavertail cactus bloom and Joshua trees bloom in front of the reserve’s visitor center, as well as the Acton encelia and buckwheat at the Kitanemuk Vista Point. … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve