Images of a Beautiful America - From the Poconos of Pennsylvania to the Sunny Shores of California

All Photos By Ken Hulsey

I took this photo atop a cliff overlooking this bay just south of Santa Barbara, California. I was lucky to have stumbled upon this location as I was driving back home. The view was so beautiful that I pulled over to enjoy the sunset on the water. Of all the photos I took that evening I like this one the best. I love the colors produced in the waning twilight just after the sun had set.

 I took this photo of this lone sailboat just off Newport Beach, California. The image always makes me think of peace and calmness in an otherwise hectic world. I love the dots of light just below the horizon created by the sunlight coming through the hazy cloud cover.

I am a sucker for both sunsets and clouds and in this image both come together to create a spectacular combination of color and light. There really isn't anything more beautiful than a sunset in the American southwest. I literally took this one from my front yard in Victorville, California. 

I don't know if I took this photo on the same day as the sailboat above or not. In color this photograph is merely a typical image of the Newport Beach marina. Rendered in black in white it becomes a wonderful image were the black color of the pier and trees in the background, the white of boats and the greys of the water and clouds really pop.

This is a case where I actually took advantage of another photographers shoot. The model in period clothing is posing for another photographer on the front of a vintage steam locomotive. A photo like this had to be rendered in black and white to capture the feeling that it could have been taken in the 1920s instead of the 2000s. The location for this one is San Bernardino, California.

Here again it seems that I have used my camera to travel back in time. All of the elements in the photo, with the exception of the trash can, are purely vintage. This location has been perfectly preserved as part of the Orange Empire Railroad Museum in Perris, California.  

A combination of power lines and wind turbines silhouetted against the backdrop of the San Bernardino Mountains. In this part of the world, just north of Palm Springs, California,  where the wind is always blowing this alternative form of power generation is somewhat effective.  

The wheels and drive rods on Grand Canyon Railway locomotive #29, a 2-8-0 Consolidation, bask in the glow of the setting sun in front of the depot in Williams, Arizona. Though the locomotive is a static display it is still active, having been restored back to operating condition in 2004.

Sometimes it's the simple things in life. This simple image has always spoken to me. Photographed in Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina about a decade ago.

This stern old owl statue resides in a park in Old Salem. Rendered in black and white this fine old bird takes on a rather unearthly glow.

A grain elevator is fixture in most midwestern towns. This one resides in the northern Texas farming town of Vernon. I spent four of my childhood years in Vernon. Back in the 1970s this area of Texas was rather prosperous. When I traveled back there about a decade ago the town was all but dead. I can report, however, that Vernon has sprung back to life with new businesses and restaurants. There is hope that the town may be able to return to its former glory. 

Getting kicks on Route 66. Here a classic car is parked in front of a retro style ice cream shop along the once famous highway in Williams, Arizona. 

Classic movie and television fans will undoubtedly recognize the rock formation on the left hand side of this image. This unique formation has appeared in everything from westerns to Star Trek. This image wasn't taken on the planet Vulcan but rather Vasquez Rocks State Park in Agua Dulce, California. The two miniature horseback riders just add to this majestic portrait which exemplifies the amazing scenery that can be enjoyed all over the American southwest.

This is one of  my favorite images of all time. My family had just exited the El Tio Pepe Mexican Restaurant in Victorville, California when I noticed this of a classic 1940 Ford Deluxe parked nearby. I liked the art-deco look of the front grill and I tried to capture the most unique angle for the shot that I could.    

This is the second appearance of ex Santa Fe steam locomotive 3751 in this post, and it won't be the last. This old locomotive has been one of my favorite objects to photograph over the years. Here the 3751 is seen pulling a special tourist train into San Bernardino, California for the town's Railroad Days.

Sometimes an inspirational image happens by Devine intervention. You can't ignore the cross in the center of the image between the photographer and her subjects. This inspirational scene took place at Big Bear Lake, California. 

Sometimes you just need to be at the right place at the right time. Here is an image where everything just fell into place. The sunlight just hit the morning dew that collected on this spider web just right. I took this one in a park in Newport Beach, California.

Some people believe that this location is haunted and to be honest my son and I had some eerie feelings while hiking here one time. 

Leaving Victorville and driving toward the town of Apple Valley, the desert becomes more desolate and more sinister. Dead Man’s Point is the site of two famous massacres. The first was the massacre of Catholic missionaries by Cahuilla Indians and the second, a massacre of Cahuilla Indians by white settlers.

Hollywood used this location for many westerns and science fiction movies in the 1950s like Tarantula and It Came From Outer Space.

This is what the state of Louisiana looks like from 30,000 feet in the air. The lower portion of the state is comprised mostly of swamps and marshes and that's what we see here. The mighty Mississippi River can be seen winding across the upper right portion of this image. When I took this photo during a flight from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina I had no idea that I would call the Pelican State home seven years later.

Reflections of Las Vegas. This image was taken between two hotels on the Las Vegas strip. The lights and signs from the hotels behind me can be seen reflecting off the glass of the walkway creating a unique visual effect.

The long and winding road. That was the title of the Beatles last number one hit in 1970. Here it refers to this dirt road that winds its way up up a hillside in the mountains just northwest of Tehachapi, California.

I took this photo in a park in Riverside, California. The striking blacks, whites and greys blow my mind every time I look at it. It looks like these trees may covered in frost or snow but in actuality they are springtime blossoms.