As I look back at the beautiful pictures readers have shared with us in 2010, a theme begins to emerge. Despite the wide range of destinations, from Iceland to India, the common thread was a focus on animals. While we also saw photos of people enjoying a perfect moment on a perfect day, Marylanders seemed to fall in love with the natural inhabitants of the places they visited. Our weekly "Best Shots" feature showcased pictures of lumbering elephants, preening horses and stalking cats. Through these vacation snapshots, we are able to share an appreciation for all God's creatures, both great and small.
White as snow
David Ermer, Perry Hall
"I introduced my daughter Elsa to backpacking some years back. Now when I have the opportunity to visit her and I travel alone (her mom has hung up her backpack for good), she usually plans a backpacking excursion for us. I visited her in Albuquerque, N.M., and we were off to the White Sands National Monument in that state known as the Land of Enchantment. I use this picture as my screensaver, and most people mistake us for being in the snow. White Sands was waterless, windy and cold, but the stark beauty, strange flora and starry night made it a worthwhile destination."
Turkish delight
Sally Levin, xxxxx
"A few friends and I joined an Overseas Adventure Travel tour of Turkey. Among our many excursions, we spent some time in the old section of Istanbul visiting the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the center of Ottoman rule from 1290 to 1843. But my best shot was taken at an unscheduled detour. While walking to the Grand Bazaar, I slipped into a small cemetery. There I spotted this resourceful feline lapping from an urn filled with fresh rainwater. Turkish delight, indeed."
Elephant walk
Patricia J. Lewis, Forest Hill
"My sister and I took a one-week tour of some of India's famous sites. A highlight was a visit to the Amber Fort near Jaipur (named in honor of Amba, the Mother Goddess or Queen of the Pass). Amber Fort is accessible via large staircases from a central location, or from a broad pathway leading to each of its sections. The pathways are used to transport tourists via elephant ride. I took this photo of a group of tourists following us up the path. The interior of the fort is a revelation of stunning beauty. The walls are covered with murals, frescoes and paintings depicting various scenes from daily life. It is a must-see for anyone traveling to that part of India."
Lasting impressions
Al Spoler, Baltimore
"My girlfriend, Vickie, and I visited Normandy, staying in a beautiful little town near Caen. As a fan of the Impressionists, I knew about the charming little seaside town of Etretat and its cliffs, so on the first sunny day I drove across the Seine and up the coast. The Manneporte Cliff at Etretat in upper Normandy inspired some of Claude Monet's most beautiful paintings. The interplay of sunlight and cloud-cast shadow gives the cliffs a dynamic, ever-changing quality that any photographer would find irresistible. I had to stand on the very edge of a cliff to get the shot, and wait for the waves to break just so. And I am deathly afraid of heights. All for art!"
Circle of life
Reece Guth, Parkton
"On the Nicaraguan coast of the Pacific Ocean, within spitting distance of Costa Rica, you can find Playa la Flor at the end of a long, bumpy, sparsely traveled dirt road where countless generations of Olive Ridley sea turtles have been laying eggs in cycles that correspond with the full moon. The female turtles ascend the beach at the first hint of sunrise to dig their nests, lay their eggs and then return to the ocean. If you time it just right, you can find yourself among thousands of turtles digging in the sand or watch their little hatchlings crawl into the sea for the first time. La Flor is home to a permanent research station that monitors the turtles that are also protected by Nicaraguan soldiers whose sole job it is to see that no harm comes to the adult females or their eggs. On this day, I arrived before dawn and was lucky enough to get some shots of this 100-pound mama as she dug her nest, laid several dozen translucent, pingpong ball-size eggs and returned home to the sea as the sun rose and the frigate birds bore witness."
The lion's den
Jon Hackbarth, Monkton
"Hiking in the Lolo National Forest in western Montana, I was walking up a Forest Service road when I heard a moose in the woods. As I turned to walk toward the woods, I saw a mountain lion looking in the direction of the moose. When I opened my camera case, the lion swiveled its head around to look at me, one ear still cocked toward the moose. The lion was about 75 feet away. I was able to snap about four pictures and then decided to leave the lion to its stalking."
Young drifter
Lynn Pistel, Fallston
"I traveled to the Solomon Islands as part of a medical mission. Leaving a village one day, as we got in our boat I looked up and saw this little girl out on the water. She is 4 years old and was not supposed to be out in the boat alone; the villagers were trying to get her to come back to shore. I took several shots, but this is the one I liked the best. She haunts me."
Jumping into summer
Mark McGrath, Ruxton
"My sons, Jack and George, and I took our annual late-summer road trip to visit some friends at their camp near a lake in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. They have four cabins one camp down from Kevin Bacon's family's place. Several other Baltimore families were there as well, and the kids became fast friends. On a typical afternoon, I saw them enjoying a variety of water sports and grabbed a disposable waterproof camera. Treading water with one arm, I asked Jack to jump over my head from the dock. I took one shot and put the camera back on the dock. I had no idea it had worked out until we got it developed upon our arrival home."
Animal lovers
Bill Beil and Patty Kelb, Baltimore
"This picture was taken on a white sand beach at Gardner Bay, Espanola Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The Galapagos are truly a mystical place, the only archipelago in the world where the ecosystem is virtually intact, and where the residents, like these sea lions, have no fear of humans. The beach was about a mile long with several hundred sea lions resting after a morning of feeding in the sea. My fiancee, Patty, waited for about 20 minutes for the sea lion to put its flipper on the other sea lion, and to get this shot."
View from the top
Kathy Onufrak, Darlington
"I traveled to Europe with my family, and one of the places that we visited was Salzburg, Austria. This city is noted for its Alpine setting and is the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was also the setting for the musical "The Sound of Music." Salzburg sits on the banks of the Salzach River on the northern edge of the Alps. The 'Old Town' is dominated by baroque towers and churches, and standing high over the city is the massive Hohensalzburg Castle. I took this shot from the castle looking through one of the fortress openings."
Rock stars
Jon Schreiber, Cockeysville
"My son, David, and I spent a week camping and hiking outside of Sedona, Ariz. One of the hikes took us up the Schnebly Hill Road Trail. Schnebly was a homesteader and first postmaster who proposed the name "Schnebly Station" for the town. When the U.S. postmaster general said that name had too many letters, Schnebly suggested naming the town for his wife, Sedona. The road goes up the mountainside and leads to Flagstaff. There are several great hikes nearby. This one took us to the rim, and as my son drank in the view, I took this shot."
Pilgrims of hope
Gary Vikan, Baltimore
"My wife, daughter and I visited Lourdes, France, a powerful and, for some, a disturbing place. We were walking down the busy street lined with garish souvenir shops, cheap cafes and small hotels that leads to the Sacred Grotto at Lourdes, where 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous encountered the Virgin Mary in the form of 18 apparitions from February to July 1858. More than 150 million pilgrims have visited Lourdes in the past 150 years; nowadays, they come at a rate of 3.5 million annually. All are seeking access to the sacred water of the Grotto. Many are infirm and some seemingly near death."
Peaceful in Peru
Thomas M. Grubb, Sparks
"My wife and I saw this alpaca watching over Machu Picchu while on vacation in Peru. We call the shot 'The Guardian of Machu Picchu.'"
Wild at heart
Diane R. Moskowitz, Timonium
"I took this picture during an Elderhostel trip to Iceland. We had stopped at a large meadow to examine one of Iceland's sheep-sorting corrals. In a few minutes, the horses began to appear. They were as interested in us as we were in them. They are curious, friendly and gentle. One was nudging my elbow as I was taking my pictures. These small horses are unique to Iceland, and have not interbred with other horses for more than 1,000 years. I took a number of shots as this trio approached, and this is the one that I consider my best."
Blowing off steam
Nicole Luecke, Arnold
Last summer I took a two-week trip to Wyoming to see Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. My husband, Chris Selley, my three children (Kate, Alex and Tom), and I were amazed by the beauty and majesty of the parks, especially the geysers. Tom, my youngest, said the best quote of the trip when seeing Castle Geyser in Yellowstone National Park spew thousands of gallons of boiling water into the air: "Boy, Mom, we are not in Maryland anymore!"
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