Hi! My name is Willis, one of the owners of this property. I hope you are enjoying the unit and we are truly grateful that you are staying with us! Our home is all designed by us including the tiny details in place like the photos on the wall. In fact, I took a few of these photos myself. I hope you enjoy these photos as the story behind each one remains very close to my heart.
Starry Night
Location: Cherry Springs State Park, PA
All my life, I have lived in and around the city, so having a dark sky was never something I really thought about. It wasn’t until I went to college and started experimenting with my DSLR that I found out about astrophotography. I never knew that a simple camera could capture our galaxy, so I became obsessed with finding locations that had relatively low light pollution. Using google map and dark skies finder, my friends and I drove 4 hours south of Buffalo into PA. Let me tell you, I had goosebumps all over when I stepped out of the car. The winter night was perfectly clear and it felt as if the stars were just inches away from your face.
“Mutt”
Location: Thacher State Park, NY
During the time of covid, my buddies and I got really into outdoor climbing because all indoor gyms were closed. We would spend long weekends in different states visiting iconic climbing spots and experiencing some unforgettable moments. This one route really stood out to me because we had hit peak foliage and the climb rewarded you with an unobstructed view of the valley. Not to mention, if you missed the crux at the end of the route, it would send you flying down into a gnarly whipper.
Havasu
Location: Havasupai Reservation, AZ
For my 28th birthday, I was able to score a campsite spot in the iconic Havasu Indian Reservation. This location became viral on instagram with its turquoise waters located deep in the grand canyon region. Every year on Feb 1st, registrations would open up and if you were lucky enough, you would be able to get reservations to enter. It’s a grueling 10 mile hike down into the valley; you can either get a donkey for your bags or carry everything in yourself. This photo was taken on the last day as we were leaving the Indian Reservation. The sun was slowly creeping up as the 10 mile ascend back to our car was going to be a difficult journey. I snagged a quick photo as the sun hitting the autumn foliage created a wondrous golden glow.
3 Peaks
Location: Oahu, HI
As someone who likes to challenge himself, especially when it comes to hiking, I don’t shy away from heights. 3 Peaks, however, made me question all of that. It took us two attempts, our first attempt was during a rainstorm. Looking back now, that was one of the dumbest things we could have done. The terrain was extremely muddy and slick with about a foot in width to walk on surrounded by steep drop offs on both sides. We waited a few days to attempt the hike again, the sun was out and no forecasted rain on that day. The ground was still saturated and muddy. The trail is called 3 Peaks because there are 3 small peaks you have to traverse over. The traverses were fun, but very sketchy because at some points it forces you to move over areas with very steep drop-offs (one way trip down). This photo is of my friend who made it to the last peak as she stands there soaking in the glory of accomplishment.
