USA Archives - Keena Elkington Photography

Las Vegas & Death Valley, NV

Posted on July 2, 2020by Keena

Las Vegas is exactly what they portray in every pop culture reference. When I visited I was just beginning on a vacation and was recovering from a nasty head cold and accompanied by someone with a gambling problem so I wasn’t fully able to take in the Vegas experience. I didn’t go to a show, play the slots and party but I got to see the two main strips, enjoy a wonderful and affordable buffet and stay in a bougie old glamorous hotel. Overall a very PC boring night in the city of sin. We even got the luck of running into torrential rain in the desert of Death Valley.

I’ll be back again to take the casino for a run at Roulette and maybe say hello to Penn and Teller or watch Cirque be amazing. A lot of the photos from this trip were taking from the vehicle on a drive through so I clearly need to back to…erm…take better photos.

Lafayette, LA – Swamp Tour

Posted on July 1, 2020by Keena

I left on a trip to New Orleans with only a couple of mandatory stops along the way: a swamp tour in Louisana, wandering the streets of New Orleans and a stop to explore Antelope Canyon in Arizona. The rest of the trip was left to last minute decision making.

I am SO very glad I went on this tour as it ended up being my favourite part of the entire trip. There is little as tranquil as sitting in a small aluminum boat with the motor off surrounded by strangers, gators creepin, frogs and birds singing and the sun peaking through the cypress trees. It takes the lakeside relaxation up a notch. If you go visit New Orleans, do yourself a favour and travel outside and see the local swamps/bayous.

Whitefish, MT

Posted on June 30, 2020by Keena

I visited Whitefish on a weekend around Christmas just after a heavy snowstorm. Whitefish is one of those small towns focused on skiing and logging and it’s got a charm to it that was only improved by the fresh snow and Christmas lights. It was so romantic and quaint that I just may have squeed a little out loud like a teenage girl at a Taylor Swift concert.

Seattle, WA 2017

Posted on June 19, 2020by Keena

This was my first trip to Seattle and I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. I really enjoyed the Chihuly Glass Gardens, the Modern Pop (MoPop) Museum, Seattle Aquarium and of course Pike Place.

Charlotte, NC

Posted on June 16, 2020by Keena

I travelled to Charlotte for work and spent only a couple of days in the city. It was very clean and had lots of art and culture. I’m thankful for the experience of seeing this city as I may not have seen it otherwise as it wasn’t on my vacation travel bucket list.

New York City, NY

Posted on June 9, 2020by Keena

NYC was on the top of my US bucket list as a little girl and it met or exceeded all of my expectations. There is so very much to do, see and eat that it’s on the top of my list to revisit when the 2020’s doomsday vibe subsides.

This was my first trip travelling alone in the US and will always have a special place in my heart for that reason alone. The architecture, 1920’s vibes, skyline views, the food etc. make NYC one of my top two US cities alongside the Portland area. I can certainly see why many creatives are inspired by the big apple.

Grand Canyon, AZ

Posted on June 8, 2020by Keena

The Grand Canyon is one of those wonders of the world I had on my bucket list. It’s a pretty impressive natural tourist attraction in the area to state the obvious. Weirdly, my favourite part of my visit were the rain clouds that filled the canyon perfectly for some eerie photos. The one tree shot I captured grew horizontally from the cliff just below the path and looked almost inviting to wander out on as you couldn’t see the 1,829 m drop below the clouds.

Nashville, TN

Posted on June 8, 2020by Keena

I had such stereotyped expectations for Nashville. I thought it was going to all sweet tea, thick religious culture and country music. There is SO much more to this city as I found it was alive with all styles of music, food, greenery and culture. I spent much of this trip in conference rooms as I came for work but I spent the weekend in town exploring and I’m very glad I did. I explored Franklin, TN nearby with a couple of coworkers and it’s quaint, small town feel was charming. I’m going to return and visit all the places I didn’t get to wander sometime soon and get my craving for Hattie B’s hot chicken satisfied as it’s soo very good.

Antelope Canyon, AZ

Posted on June 8, 2020by Keena

I was first introduced to Antelope Canyon by a coworker and dear friend of mine. He is also very into photography and shared photos of this gem on social media. I was stunned by the natural beauty and made it a point to visit when passing through Arizona. The canyon is on Navajo land just outside of Page, AZ and is well worth the somewhat steep fee to experience it.

Boca Raton, FL

Posted on May 27, 2020by Keena

I went to Florida this past summer for a funeral but tried to enjoy some time outside and take in a little of the local attractions. Florida certainly is an interesting place between the gators, palm trees and big personalities.

I went back to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center that I visited as a young girl and saw some amazing sea turtles and walked the boardwalk through the trees avoiding the large but luckily harmless spiders just about everywhere. It was so hot and humid in comparison to home but I tried to get out for a walk and see all the lizards/iguanas daily. I would like to go back and spend time in Orlando, Miami etc to see what else Florida has to offer.