The Art of Exploration · a diary of day trips, natural places, and miscellaneous adventures

About This Here Blog

Last updated Thursday, December 23rd, 2021
About This Here Blog
Hiking in red dirt, somewhere in Arches National Park.

Hi, I’m Laura, and this is my blog, The Art of Exploration. The Art of Exploration is a virtual scrapbook, a photo journal, and a trip diary wrapped into one. It’s where I stash my (occasional) artwork, travel writings, and miscellaneous thoughts about being outside, seeking new sights, and exploring new landscapes.

But The Art of Exploration isn’t just about finding new places to explore. It’s also about revisiting favorite spots and retracing well-worn paths time and again to see familiar places in a fresh light.

Me, taking pictures somewhere in Zion National Park.

Exploration for me isn’t an endeavor confined to foreign locations—it thrives in the most ordinary of places too. Exploration is about the way you look at a place, the things you notice, and the timing of your visit. Nature is constantly changing our surroundings—weather, seasons, growth, and decline all affect the composition of natural communities and human landscapes alike. And just as places change, we change—our response to our surroundings is rarely the same twice.

Catching my breath, somewhere near the top of Flattop Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park.

For me, art is a natural extension of exploration. The creation of art offers us a way of capturing those special moments when we encounter something that moves us. Art allows us to convey the great value of exploration.

Keeping this blog helps to remind me that every time we step outside, we have the opportunity to explore. All we have to do is open our eyes to something new, something different and allow ourselves to be surprised by how much there is to discover.

Biking to Old School Forest Preserve, somewhere in Illinois.

Assortment

Roadtrip Santa Fe
Roadtrip Santa Fe
This past weekend, I took a roadtrip to Santa Fe to visit a former high school classmate of mine who moved there several years ago. On my journey southward, I followed US 285 instead of I-25, the more traditional route from Denver to Santa Fe.
Porthmeor Farm
Porthmeor Farm
Spring Blossoms
Spring Blossoms