Category: Picture This

Ever since I saw the Milky Way on a camping trip in 2015, I’ve been hooked on photographing our galaxy center each summer.

I found a blog post that included a download with a chart when the Milky Way would be visible in my area and started planning when I could see it again.

Cannon Beach was my first choice, but as the day arrived, the weather forecast showed clouds. So I used a combination of Dark Sky Finder, Google Earth, and Google Maps to find a new location. The chart showed that the Milky Way would be south and I also wanted to find an interesting foreground.

L.L. Stub Stewart State Park has been a good location in the past, but the campgrounds are closed to the public after dusk. I explored further north and found Vernonia Lake, which didn’t appear to have a gate in their parking lot.

It turned out to be a great spot and I managed to snap several shots before a patrol officer parked nearby to suggest that my time was up.

See all the photos from the adventure.

Something I look forward to every summer is the chance to see our galaxy center. It’s a humble reminder that I’m not the center of the universe and there is something bigger beyond.

We riffed off our friends, the Ences, on their LEGO challenge idea of dream vacation. I couldn’t think of somewhere I wanted to go, so Jenni asked which Marvel location I’d want to visit. Without much hesitation, I answered, “Wakanda.”