A Drive Through Sonora Pass

Embarking on a journey through the scenic beauty of Sonora Pass is always a breathtaking experience. Recently, I had the privilege of navigating these winding roads, and the landscape's transformation under a blanket of fresh snow was nothing short of magical.

The snow-laden trees along the highway created a winter wonderland that seemed straight out of a storybook. The crisp, cold air and the hushed stillness of the surroundings added to the enchantment. Capturing this snowy spectacle with my camera felt like freezing a moment in time. The play of sunlight on the glistening fresh snow added an ethereal quality, turning the entire landscape into a mesmerizing display of light and shadow.

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I loved capturing them. And, with this winter wonderland, I wish you very happy holidays!

Florida's Silver Springs

The final state park we visited on our travels through Florida was the Silver Springs State Park, which is by far the largest of the three. This is a popular manatee rest stop in the winter months, but what brought us here in the summer was the chance of spotting its resident monkeys. The park is home to non-native rhesus macaques which were introduced in the 1930s with the goal of boosting the springs as a unique tourist attraction. The original plan was to limit them to one small island in the park, but the park owner at the time didn’t know they are very competent swimmers. Now, they have multiplied to far greater numbers and are spread throughout the whole park. We didn’t get to see the macaques in the end - they must have been hiding that day -, but hopefully the native wildlife I did photograph will make up for it!

The Perfect Place for a Swim

Madison Blue Spring State Park is a hidden gem located in the north of Florida. The park is home to a beautiful blue spring that flows into the Withlacoochee River. In the summer months, it is the perfect place to enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters of the spring, where it is easy to spot schools of fish swimming around the underwater cave system. In the winter, the spring also attracts manatees, due to its much warmer temperatures than surrounding rivers. Here are some of the photos I took at the park during our early morning visit to the summer.