Monday, November 16, 2015

Another Point of Views


South Dakota adopted the slogan "Great Faces, Great Places" in 1990. It refers to the famous faces of Mount Rushmore and all the other interesting people and places across South Dakota. The slogan is seen on license places, promotional materials and some road signs.

The Chamberlain-Oacoma area, my home, has some of those great places. I have chosen my five favorite views in our area. It was difficult to narrow it down to just five. We have many spectacular views and I reserve the right to add to this post at a later time!

I need to point out that the most difficult part of this post was in choosing just one of the many photos that I have of each of these views. It seems that regardless of whether they come from my phone or my DSLR, these great views cannot be spoiled!

(I encourage you to click on each of the photos.)



Sunrise from my Deer Blind

The only thing that would make that sunrise better is the silhouette of a big 5x5 buck on the right or left side of that horizon. There is nothing like being reminded of the majesty of God's creation first thing in the morning. I admit to being a bit drowsy on some of those early mornings but a sunrise like that snaps me out of it better than a strong cup of java! (as does the silhouette of a nice rack of antlers!)





Chamberlain-Oacoma Bridge from ANY Angle


The Chamberlain-Oacoma Bridge (Old Highway 16 Bridge) has an interesting history. Perhaps, more importantly, it has personality. One only needs to look a mile to the south at the Lewis & Clark Memorial Bridge (Interstate 90 Bridge), which was built in 1974, to see a comparably functional, but completely vanilla bridge spanning the Missouri Bridge. The lights make it a great model 24 hours a day. Trust me when I tell you that I have many, many photos of this bridge taken at all times of the day!



Any Fireworks Display Over the Missouri River

If you've ever watched a fireworks show near water, you understand this one. The show is magnified by the reflection in the water. Chamberlain's "Rock the Bluffs" show is one of the area's best every year. Sometimes (as above) Mother Nature contributes to the grandeur.




Cliffs North of Chamberlain at Sunset in Summer

I've told many people that this is my favorite view in our area. Most have seen it from the the deck of Cedar Shore Resort. While this is a spectacular view, the best venue for this view is on a boat in the middle of the river. Ironically, I do not have photo of this view at my favorite time. The best time is when the sun has begun its descent behind the bluffs on the west side of the river casting a shadow on the water. The cliffs are still lit by the setting sun and are glowing in contrast to the deep blue of the water and the emerald green of the bluffs on the east side. This lasts about for only 12-15 minutes. I will have to capture that vista on pixels this coming summer!






 



 Any November, December, January Sunset from my Backyard

This is my favorite despite what I tell people! Those who visit us in the summer tell us how spectacular our sunsets are. They are right...kinda. While our summertime sunsets are great, our sunsets in the late fall into winter are the best. They are even better from our our backyard because the sun sets behind the bridge straight down river which gives us the most reflection possible. I am partial to the orange and red sunsets but the purple and yellow one are equally amazing.

I have learned over the years to identify when we will experience one of these breathtaking sunsets. We need a few clouds in the southwest sky later in the afternoon. The reflection in calm water adds to the splendor as does an ice covered river.

I literally have thousands of photographs of sunsets from my backyard. It took me a half hour to narrow them down to the six photos above. I can't help myself. When I see one of these glorious panoramas, I have to get a shot.

Follow me on Instagram (@DougKnust) for more #SDsunsets!


Update 2/15/2018: How about this one - absolutely untouched! November sunset from Amreican Creek Campground in Chamberlain.


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