Alabama Hills

The maximum distance in a car with my 7-year-old is roughly 4 hours. That includes 5 pee breaks, a “I am hungry” break, and a 5000 rhetorical questions break…for Dad. But I will be damned if he was going to sit home this entire Thanksgiving break watching Myth Busters and playing Legos. The Alabama Hills are in the 4-hour range, and I had never been there before, so we packed up the Jeep and off we went. I awoke in the tent and peeked out to see if there were clouds above. I nudged sleeping beauty to see if he was going to get out of his warm cocoon and join me on my photographic quest. I saw some type of movement and out he came like the egg popping open in Alien. We hiked through the desert darkness by headlamp as he started the 5000 rhetorical question game again. Children are amazing in that regard. When I wake up, I have to summon all the brain power I can to just put my socks on. Henry was contemplating whether or not we could see Canis Major or Minor in the sky. We arrived at the famous Mobias Arch. It was still dark, but you could see that there were some clouds forming around the summit of Whitney. I set up my camera for the classic shot of Whitney through the Arch and gave Mr. Professor my other camera to see if he would entertain himself and Dad could get another break from the 5000-question chatter. The sun lit up Whitney and the surrounding clouds like cotton candy. I snapped my photo just as the wedding photographer showed up, complete with sappy music blaring from her phone, and her subjects in full regalia. Henry stopped, looked at them, and asked, “Dad why would anyone ruin a sunrise like that?” Probably the best question he ever asked…. Well there was the one he asked about whether or not Stevie Ray Vaughn or Eddie Van Halen was the better guitarist (proud father moment).