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Field Trip Reports

Scotland - May 2025

The trip to Scotland from May 21 to the 30th was a memorable one for photography and camaraderie with our CPC group of nine. Starting in Edinburgh with a welcome toast at our hotel, the journey began. Edinburgh had many sites to photograph and was full of history, including Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace and the Royal Botanic Garden. Leaving the city in a van fit for all of us and our luggage, Martin Longstaff was our driver and guide, and Kham Longstaff was our hostess and nurse as needed! She made sure we all had plenty to eat in our daily journeys and found amazing restaurants for our dinners each evening. As we departed Edinburgh, we passed by the Firth of Forth and saw the historic Forth Rail Bridge, then we headed towards the Highlands with stops at a bluebell wood, then Kingussie, Aviemore, Uath Lochans and Loch an Eilean. We were able to walk along the Ness river in an evening in Inverness and listen to a local folk festival that was playing across the river. Photography was on everyone’s minds as we saw rivers, mountains, castles, including the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle, bridges and even a hairy “coo” rubbing on his post.

After many winding and beautiful roads and a brief stop for a traditional Sunday Roast at Sligachen, we parked ourselves in Portree, on the Isle of Skye, at the Royal Hotel. Three full days there took us to sites that few have seen: the Fairy Glen, Mealt Falls, the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Pools, Quiraing, and Neist Point Lighthouse. The last day there, we went on a cool “Misty Isles” boat trip for island hopping and great hiking, and had lunch on the way out of Portree. We stayed overnight in Ft. William where we had delicious pub food and local beers. The next day, we ventured through scenic Glencoe, on our way to Stirling, where we stayed in a hotel that was built in 1854 as a high school. Walks took us to a church, a graveyard, Stirling Castle and other sites. That last night together ended at an Italian restaurant where we toasted to a wonderful adventure. The next day, we headed back to Edinburgh with stops at the Kelpies at Helix Park, and the Falkirk Wheel.

It was a trip that will live in our photographs and our memories forever.

Check out all the trip photos here Scotland May 2025

Or here is a link to John Quinn's animated slideshow https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B2Y5GH8Mqf9Uqg;771D95D4-53C7-4A20-BD32-C7E6D497791F

Franklin - March 2025

Trip Photos: 2025 Franklin

On Friday March 28, 12 of our club members emarked on an overnight field trip to North Georgia and North Carolina. We all met together at our first stop, Toccoa Falls. This beautiful waterfall towers 186 feet tall. It is one of the tallest east of the Mississippi (Taller than Niagra). It did not disappoint. See photos. The weather was gorgeous Friday and we all got some great shots.

Our next stop was Tallulah Gorge. We gathered for a picnic lunch at the visitor center which housed a nice little "Interpretive Center". A demonstration of all the wildlife in this area. Then we walked the trails to the overlooks which offered beautiful vistas of the gorge and river below.

Our last stop on Friday was Franklin NC. This would be our overnight spot. We met at the delightful Graff's Tavern. The food and service were excellent. We had some free time before turning in for the evening, so some of us found the Wooden Bridge on the Little Tennessee Greenway. And some of us strolled the downtown streets and shops.

On Saturday we had breakfast at the hotel and departed for The Nantahalla National Forest. We met for some photo ops and lunch at the Nantahalla Outdoor Sports center. We lucked up on a great demonstration by kayakers braving the rapids and intentionally flipping upside down to practice uprighting. We could watch all this while having lunch outside by the river.

Our last stop was the charming mountain town of Blue Ridge GA. This bustling destination was teeming with visitors and offered us some great shopping, photo ops, and beverages before our trip home.

Thanks to Chastaine and Kim for helping to put this trip together. We a had a great time and look forward to our next CPC adventure. Please plan to join us.

Don Heatherly

Apalachicola - March 2024

In mid-March, a group of 8 CPC members converged upon the “Forgotten Coast” of Florida, centering in Apalachicola. High points of the trip included visits to Cape San Blas, Port St. Joe, and St. George Island. Sunrises found us under the Market Street Bridge to catch some stunning color. We also visited local marinas, state parks on Cape San Blas and St. George, and some of the best seafood “dives” in the country. The highlight of the trip was a sunset airboat ride with Captains Cook and Carter. They took us out into the protected estuary to see alligators and birds, particularly Osprey and Eagles. It was a fabulous trip and we learned about the history of the area and how the estuary came to be protected from development and indiscriminate hunting. Another great CPC trip with plenty of adventure, sun and great friends!

The Savoy Auto Museum - February 2024

On February 15th, several members of the club visited the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville. There were several new exhibits of amazingly beautiful antique cars and some boats as well. Then we enjoyed a nice lunch there at the cafe in the museum. Afterwards, several of us wandered around downtown Cartersville to see some interesting street scenes and cool architecture. For more pictures see photo album below:

Savoy

Banff National Park - September 2023

The September-October CPC trip to Banff was a memorable and wonderfully scenic trip. 13 of us flew to Calgary and stayed overnight. The next morning we rented cars and drove to Canmore, Alberta, which a small town about 30 minutes from Banff, and stayed in 2 rented condos for a week. We would start driving each morning to a different destination, see incredible mountains, lakes and valleys, do a lot of shooting and wandering, then have lunch. We’d head back towards our condos after lunch, driving leisurely with many stops for photos along the way. We did several nice hikes as well during these excursions.

Our points of interest included Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, Castle Junction, with a beautiful hike to Johnson Falls, a cool wildlife shuttle where we were driven around to see grizzly bear and elk, and an exciting Gondola ride up to Sulphur Mountain outside of Banff where we saw the sunrise over newly snowy mountains!

We also went to Kootenay National Park, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, fabulous Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, and Vermillion Lake just outside of Banff, where the full moon rose over the lake in all its glory. There were really good restaurants and a fun flight museum back in Calgary on the way home.

It was a great trip in all, lots of fun, great views and good friends to share it with.

2023 Banff Photos Album

Banff 'Potluck' Slideshow

Cloudland Canyon - October 2022

We chose the perfect day for our trip up to Cloudland Canyon in NW Georgia. The leaves were at peak color and the sky mainly blue with a few wispy clouds. Led by Martin Longstaff, the trip was well attended and even included some members we haven't see in a while.

Starting at the Main Overlook viewpoint near the car park, the views down the canyon to the North are incredible. We spent some time there, including an impromptu search for a missing lens cover! Then a short wander down the Overlook Trail to the viewpoint that looks up a side canyon to the SE.

The group then made their way down the many steps to the Cherokee Falls. Lots of fall color on the trees as we descended. Unfortunately not much flow in the falls, but masses of fallen leaves were swirling slowly around the pond at the base of the falls.

A great place to visit with and hour and a half of Cherokee County, and the perfect time of the year to go!

South Georgia & Tybee Island - October 2022

In late October of 2022, 11 adventurous CPC members made the trek to South Georgia for 6 todays of intense shooting and lots of fun. We stopped at George L. Smith State Park near Statesboro and took amazing images of the cypress trees in their fall colors. Then we proceed to Tybee island for 4 days with visits to Savannah, Oatland Island, and an evening sunset cruise in the harbor to watch for dolphins. We then made our way to the Okenfenokee for an incredible sunset boat tour with a fellow photographer.

A wonderful trip with lots of great images and time with friends.

South Georgia, Tybee Island Trip