Vacation: Hilton Head Island

Last week Jenna and I went on vacation at Hilton Head Island, SC. We decided to take the trip as a last attempt to relax before the baby arrives in August. The trip was a success and very relaxing since the majority of our time was spent walking on the beach and lounging at the Mariott hotel. The island is obviously known for its array of golf courses but neither of us are interested in golf so this was not a big deal for us.

We decided to stay at the Mariott because it was one of the only hotels with a true ocean front room available on hotels.com. I think this was an excellent decision because we had a wonderful view and a near constant breeze coming from the ocean. The hotel also had hammocks and lounge chairs which we frequently used. Our only complaint was our rather pitiful air conditioning unit which was bothersome at night when we closed our patio door.

Overall the trip was fun but we had to be mindful of our budget. The liquor at the hotel was overpriced as expected; however, there was a liquor store a couple of miles away. I purchased a bottle of rum and some pineapple juice which kept my camelbak well supplied. There are several resturants to choose from on the Island including chains and unique family owned resturants. We opted to sample the family owned resturants and one resturant in our hotel, Blu.

I also used the trip as an excuse to play with the 50D some more. It seems that the more I use the camera the more I love it. I didn't take as many photos as I had expected but that was probably because I was afraid to take it onto the beach with the frequent wind gusts which left my mouth tasting like sand. I have posted a few photos on flickr but they are mostly sunrise and sunset scenes.

This is a great place to visit if you are looking for a beautiful beach, golfing, and a relaxed atmosphere and you are willing to deal with high prices of a very tourist driven economy.

New photo equipment

A couple of weeks ago I decided to sell my photography equipment and start fresh. I sold my 20D and a couple of lenses to one of my co-workers, David. After selling the 20D I ordered a Canon 50D and 17-55mm IS USM lens.

I did quite a bit of research before ordering the 50D and feel that it was the best choice for me. I was debating purchasing the Canon T1i upon its release; however, there were many features removed (or reduced) from the 50D that I wanted:

• 1/8000 sec shutter speed
• 6.3 fps burst
• Pentaprism view finder
• Scroll wheel for quickly changing settings
• Top controls with LCD
• Larger body which feels better in my hand

Those were the features which mattered to me (and that I can recall) but dpreview has a great side by side comparison of 50D and 500D. The HD video (1920 x 1080) almost lured me to the 500D but after reading that it is limited to 20fps I lost all interest. The fact that the 50D uses the BP 511-A battery was also a huge plus since I have an extra battery and battery grip from the 20D.

So far I absolutely love the 50D and I feel that it has rekindled my love for photography. I'm forcing myself to make time for photography; however, I also have a lot of plans such as school, the baby, and home improvements that may impact my ability to shoot as frequently as I should.

I also moved to flickr in hopes to post more photos and gain additional exposure.

Home from Oregon.

It feels good to return home from a trip, even when it's as brief as my visit to Oregon was. I spent the majority of my time working but I managed to do a lot of exploring as well. My experience showed me that Oregon consists of many breathtaking views, excellent food, and a profuse number of incredible local beers.

I took a couple hundred photos and posted my favorites on picasaweb, thirty eight total. I feel that I only scratched the surface of what Oregon has to offer for photography; I already want to return in the spring. I placed nearly all of the photos on the map since I visited a variety of places like the Portland Japanese Garden, Voodoo Doughnut, and several waterfalls.

I only managed to visit four waterfalls during my trip: Multnomah, Horsetail, Wakeena, and Bridal Veil Falls. Of the four Multnomah and Horsetail were easily my favorite. I also did a lot of driving along the scenic Historic Columbia Highway which is where most of my photos were taken. I stopped at a lot parks, scenic views, and random spots along the way.

The food was a surprisingly good overall; I managed to visit most of the restaurants I wanted to try and many others suggested by co-workers or locals. My favorites were spread across 80 miles covering The Dalles, Hood River, and Portland:

• Brian's Pourhouse - This was my favorite restaurant. They served one of the best steaks I have had in quite some time. The prices were a bit higher than I would normally pay but it is definitely a restaurant I would visit again and again whenever possible.
• Double Mountain Brewery - This microbrewery had a selection of wonderful beer and astonishing food. One of my co-workers, Ryan, informed me that the owner also owned a bakery which produced the pizza dough resulting in some of the best local pizza.
• Voodoo Doughnut - This tiny doughnut shop was everything I had expected and more. The number of people visiting the tiny hole in the wall was impressive; however, their doughnuts instantly showed me why. I had three doughnuts while in Portland: dirt, old dirty bastard, and maple bacon. The old dirty bastard was my favorite but is not for anyone attempting anything resembling a diet - this creation was covered in peanut butter, chocolate, and oreo cookies. I tried the maple bacon because of it's comic value, I had to try a doughnut with bacon which was good but not my favorite.
• Tijuana Mexican Restaurant - This restaurant looked like a complete dive from the outside but several co-workers suggested we eat here for lunch. The interior was welcoming and the food was the best mexican I encountered during my trip.

I wrote down the names and some brief thoughts for each restaurant in my notebook. I was shocked at how poorly represented Oregon, especially Hood River and The Dalles, is on Yelp so I plan on contributing my experiences soon. I hope that posting them to Yelp will be more helpful than writing about them here.

The plethora of local beers deserves a post by itself; however, I did not write detailed enough notes to provide any real substance on the topic. I had no knowledge of Oregon's local beers before arriving and I still feel that I know very little. Thankfully a couple of co-workers introduced me to a few of the local beers: Double Mountain and Douchettes. I'm certain I sampled others but I can't recall which. I also had the pleasure of trying some home brewed beers from Ryan.

I'm glad I got to make the trip, I really enjoyed getting to meet the people I communicate with on a near daily basis. Hopefully I can return soon to explore and enjoy more of the area.

Visiting Oregon: Current plans

I am leaving for Oregon this Friday and as part of my preparation I have been researching places to visit, photograph, and eat at during my stay. The majority of my time will be spent working but I scheduled the trip so I will have three days to explore and enjoy the area.

I will be staying near The Dalles during the week and plan to take day trips to visit the places that have caught my attention. The majority of my points of interest are near Portland or an hour plus drive from where I'm staying. I would really like to find additional activities near The Dalles but I need to research and find the best local restaurants since I will be eating out every night.

I have received a few suggestions from co-workers that live in the area as well as those that have previously visited. I'm sure I will go out to dinner with co-workers at least once since it's tradition for the visitor to purchase the meal. I think I have a few good places to visit so far:

Food

• Voodoo Doughnut - I first learned about this doughnut shop from Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations." Each menu item has a great name and they even have a doughnut with bacon on it.
• Nora's Fish House - This was suggested by Simon and Gordon. A quick glance at their menu confirms their suggestion.
• Apizza Scholls - Also featured on No Reservations. Famed as the best place for pizza in Oregon which yelp seems to confirm.
• Baan-Thai - I was hoping to find some good Thai while traveling and this place was suggested by Gordon.
• Brazil Grill - I eat meat. This is Portland's best churrascaria so it seems like a great choice.
• Burgerville - A local chain which seems to be popular online. May be a good choice for a quick lunch or dinner.

Events / Attractions

• Pioneer Courthouse Square - Looks like a great area to walk around and possibly shop. The Holiday Ale Festival will be available the first weekend I arrive for $20.
• Powell's Books / City of Books - Noted as the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. Suggested by Gordon.

Photography

• Portland Japanese Garden - Wonderful for photography. It is open during winter but the weather may hinder photography.
• Silver Falls State Park - A large park containing ten waterfalls and many walking trails. Should be great for photography.
• Multnomah Falls - Largest waterfall in Oregon and second largest year round waterfall in the US.
• Painted Hills State Park - Beautiful scenery for photography but may be too far due to 3 hour drive.

Please comment with any suggestions you may have or if you're interested in meeting up during my trip. I'd really like to know the best restaurants near The Dalles but I am willing to drive a little ways for good food and entertainment.