Flint Hills Photo Excursion 2009

First; this excursion will last 2 days with an overnight stay at the Historic (and quite lovely) Beaumont Hotel.  If we sell out we will be taking over the entire hotel for the night.  Seats on this trip are strictly limited based upon the Hotel size, so sign up early. 

Our Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast will be there at the Hotel too.  While we're at the Hotel we can enjoy the Cafe or Bar or just relax on the porches, decks and Balconies. Across from the Hotel is the historic Beaumont Frisco Water Tower, a great photo opportunity in itself.  The Beaumont Hotel is fully modernized:

Room Features:

• Private Bath
• Telephone with Voicemail
• 25” Television with VCR
• Refrigerator
• Hair Dryer
• Coffee-Maker 
• Iron and Ironing Board
• Wireless Internet Service
• Data ports.
• Satelite TV

Second; since we will be in the middle of the Flint Hills overnight we'll be able to cover a lot more territory than ever before.

Third; nothing about this trip is your average drive along a "scenic byway" or "travel guide scenic route".  You'll see parts of the Flint Hills that can't be seen from any commonly traveled highways and byways.

Saturday will be a trip through the southern Flint Hills and will include some of the following areas;

• Stone Bridges in Cowley County.
• Waterfalls in Cowley, Elk and Chautauqua Counties.
• Wind farm on the Ferrell Ranch in Butler County (south of Beaumont).
• Elk Falls.
• Bridges and crossings along Grouse Creek.

Saturday Night we will hope for a good Sunset over the Elk River Wind Farm or at the Hotel (it's your choice).  My relationships with the ranchers in the area give me unprecedented access so we can get some really unique photos.  You don't get stuck with the average 'side of the road' tourist shots on this trip.

Sunday will be a trip through the central/northern Flint Hills and will include some of the following areas;

• Eureka one-room schoolhouse. 
• Teter Rock.
• Texaco Hill.
• Sharpes Creek.
• Cottonwood Falls / Chase County Courthouse.
• Strong City Depot.
• Cedar Point Mill.
• Diamond Creek Stone Arch Bridge.
• Z-bar Ranch (a.k.a. Spring Hill Ranch) / Tallgrass National Prairie Preserve.
• Lower Fox Creek School.
• Council Grove.
• Clements for the Double Arch Stone Bridge.
• Bazaar with a possible stop at the Knute Rockne memorial.

Sunday we'll also plan to take a shot at some good sunrise shots in the Beaumont area.  You will of course have the option of staying in bed if you care to, and we'll come back to join you for breakfast at the Hotel.  A couple of years ago we got some terrific sunrise shots with fog around the Beaumont Frisco Water Tower and then shot the fog as it was lifting around the Elk River Wind Energy Project.

These trips are a lot of fun and great adventures.  The Flint Hills of Kansas are a living and changing landscape that opens itself up for more and more exploration endlessly.  We'll travel through places that are very familiar to me, yet new to me on every visit.  After over 15 years of exploring this part of Kansas, I feel like I've just begun to know it.  I'm not going to lock us into a specific set of target locations, but instead we will head out to wherever I think it will be a good day of shooting.  The schedule is not planned to be 12-hour days, but depending on the circumstances, it could be that or even longer.  My plan is to take people to the places that I like to go and give them the opportunity to appreciate them too.  We may even discover some new places together.

You'll need to be prepared for weather extremes, and keep and eye on the weather the week prior to the trip.  Wear sturdy shoes that give your feet and ankles plenty of support.  Although you can stay at the vehicle for many shots, you'll want to get out around some of these areas for the best angles.  If you have a tripod you should bring it.  I also recommend a flash and a polarizing filter as well as a cable release or remote control trigger for your shutter release.  

We will stop for breakfast on Saturday morning, so come hungry and we'll find a good place to eat.  I'll supply drinking water and snacks for our trip, as well as lunches. Dinner on Saturday with breakfast on Sunday will be provided at the Hotel.  If you desire coffee or pop on the road you'll have to bring your own because we may be many miles from any stores for hours at a time.  You need to be sure that your batteries are charged and you've got plenty of extra batteries and memory cards or film.  It would not be at all surprising for somebody to take over 300 shots per day on one of these trips.

The exact route & schedule is always "To Be Determined".  The trip will depart in the early morning as posted in this listing, but we will be back whenever we make it back.  We might travel 150 miles per day, or we might travel 350 miles, depending on the weather, route, and how much time we spend at each location.  Our returning time stated here is a 'rough' estimate as it is not uncommon for us to return between 9 and 10 P.M.. 

As Always on these Photo Excursions: I will be available to provide whatever photographic assistance you may need.  So even if you're a photographic novice, you'll be able to walk away from this excursion with some great shots to go with the great experiences.

Register Early - Space is seriously limited: The Beaumont Hotel is modern, and it's beautiful, and the food is good, but it's also small.  No big crowds for this trip, so if you're considering it, you need to act as soon as possible.  Because this is a busy time of year for the Hotel, it's important that I get the rooms reserved early. A shortage of rooms will cause me to further limit the available seats.

I sincerely hope to see you join us for this fun and exciting trip.