A Pilgrimage to Indiana

Yesterday my wife and I took a day trip to Bristol ID to pick up a custom-made door for our little vintage camper. While the camper was lovingly restored the original door was, unfortunately, pretty far gone. Rebuilding it would have been a major project ending in most of the original getting replaced anyhow. Luckily…

Yesterday my wife and I took a day trip to Bristol ID to pick up a custom-made door for our little vintage camper. While the camper was lovingly restored the original door was, unfortunately, pretty far gone. Rebuilding it would have been a major project ending in most of the original getting replaced anyhow. Luckily I found a company that could build a custom size door that would fit nicely into our camper’s existing opening. Indiana is home to a lot of RV manufacturers, so it makes sense to find a company to make a camper door there too.

After procuring our cargo and having some lunch, Shelly and I made our way over to the Midwest Museum of American Art in Elkhart. I have desperately wanted to make a pilgrimage to this space for a number of years to see a display of Clyde Butcher’s prints. Luckily, the exhibit returned in 2023 and was available for us to see. After handing over our admission fee the gentleman at the gallery turned on the lights for us. We had the whole place to ourselves! He talked to us for a few minutes about a variety of work they have on display, but I had a one-track mind to see those wonderful prints. As a bonus, the Midwest Museum of American Art has a section of Ansel Adams’ prints too. We looked at those first, and then made our way over to the work we had come to see.

I was blown away! The prints were amazing. The compositions were excellent. No doubt we were viewing the work of a true master. And oh my goodness, those large prints! There’s nothing else that compares with standing in front of a 6’ wide print of such beauty you feel as though it is pulling you into the scene.

Gosh, Shelly and I have been so blessed to have visited many of these amazing places already in our lifetimes. The theme of the exhibit was the National Parks. As we viewed the prints we uttered things like “I remember being there”, or “wow look at that storm light. Remember the time we got caught…”. As well as “we have GOT to get there someday!”.

Recently I have been buried in work with my job and unable to get out for any photography. This visit to Elkhart was the resent button I needed. And the timing could not have been better as we prepare for a family vacation that will provide some much-needed time together, away from our jobs, exploring the wide, wide world. All I want to do today is prepare my camera gear for our journey, although I still need to be focused on my job before our departure. I feel like an impatient kid! I guess I’ve got to finish my vegetable first, knowing there’s a big desert waiting when I’m done.

We are so blessed to have Clyde Butcher and his work. It goes well beyond the photography. Clyde has a vision to share with all of us that can help deepen our love and appreciation of this amazing world. His hope is that it drives us to preserve and love it. I couldn’t agree more. There are so many simple ways of doing this, from not taking the plastic bag at the checkout to keeping a travel mug in the car and avoiding the disposable cup. I’ve even taken to carrying some silverware everyplace I go so as to avoid plastic cutlery.

Now, it’s time to get out for a walk in the woods, with or without a camera, to marvel at what is there.

One of Clyde’s photos from the Badlands inspired me to take a little time to review some of the photos I’ve taken in that magical place over the past few years. I’ve been so fortunate to have visited the Badlands on 3 occasions. It is one of my favorite places in the world.