Want to avoid the crowds while traveling?
After Covid folks are traveling again. And from what I read, as well as personally experienced, fighting the crowds wherever you go is the norm. Even off season. For full enjoyment you might want to pick a destination that is not on the top ten lists. Try the road less traveled. (Also a great book.)
In April I went to Portugal to visit my sister who lives in Lisbon. Together we took the train to Porto, another popular city in Portugal. It was painfully packed with tourists. But apparently it was nothing compared to what was to come in the summer months. Two months later my sister texted me that the ‘hordes’ had arrived in the capitol city.
All these crowds have made me think of the places I’ve been where the road is less traveled. Staying away from major tourist attractions and the iconic cities will bring just as much joy when traveling. This brought to mind a trip I made before Covid when I was taking a photojournalism class at the Santa Fe Workshops. I spent a lot of time by myself traveling the backroads of northern New Mexico.
Small towns add a different experience
You might not be looking for the same experience that I was seeking. I was looking for photo gems; images that are a departure from the big cities. I’ve traveled a lot since my retirement. I have visited some very iconic places; destinations that the majority of people have on their bucket list. And with good reason! Rome, London, Paris, NYC, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Marrakesh, Buenos Aires are all fabulous locations. I recommend them all. Currently, they have some drawbacks….a ton of people who are ticking them off their own bucket list. I have a friend who went to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and his photo was a crowd five people deep all holding up a cellphone. It was pretty funny. If you want to get away from the crowds there are many smaller locations close to these that may offer the same thrill, excellent food, friendly people, and for me, excellent photographic opportunities.
One of my stops was in Los Cerillos, NM. Photographers are usually out earlier in the morning for the blue hour or late in the afternoon for the golden hour. Shadows are longer at these times and make for lovely images. But if you’re traveling all day, you’re going to be somewhere at midday so you have to make the most of it. It was stinkin’ hot and dusty. And why not? It was July. In the Southwest. And at high noon you could shoot a canon through the place. As the saying goes: “only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun”. And photographers.
Clothes on the line
What is it about clothes lines that is so photographable? If you google it, you will see thousands of images. I think they appeal to us in images more than in actuality because it reminds us of a simpler time. These environmentally-friendly gadgets started to get banned in some areas as the HOA in more upscale communities considered them an eyesore. The main image and the one above is not only whimsical but shows some ingenuity with the jerry rigged pole stuck in a bucket of cement so the line does not sag.
The Dude
The other image that stays in my mind when I think about Los Cerillos is this guy.
There was no one to be seen anywhere as we were walking around. Then a truck pulls up opposite from where we are standing. A man gets out. Simply dressed. Jeans, T shirt and boots. Gotta have the boots. Gotta have the truck. Without them the picture wouldn’t have worked. And then the strut. He never nodded; never said hello; never acknowledged our presence. He just walked down the street with all the confidence in the world. I just decided to call him The Dude.
Go to the iconic places! Don’t miss them. I loved every single one of them. But there is such joy to be found in the road less traveled as well. We are fortunate to have choices.
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