As a fine art travel and landscape photographer, I'm on the road quite a bit. I often work long days, up before dawn, out photographing, scouting locations, hiking to locations, and back to my base after sunset, so rather than getting home late and cooking, I often try to find a place for a good meal after a day of photographing. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite places that I've eaten along the way. This is by no means a ranking, and certainly not definitive, but these were fun places to eat and really hit the spot at the time!
Five Favorite Places I've Eaten
April 14, 2022
Shrouded In The Clouds
Limited Edition
Majestic and powerful, the tallest peak in North America stands as a symbol of the beauty of the last frontier, Alaska. Denali rises into the swirl of clouds above the Alaska Range, basking in the late day sun as the vast wilderness spreads out below.
Limited Edition of 100 prints. Each Limited Edition Fine Art Print includes a signed Certificate of Authenticity, mailed separately.
Glacier Brewhouse, Anchorage, Alaska
This one goes way back to 2010. It wasn't so much a good meal after a long day, but a good meal after several days of camping in Denali National Park. The day after returning to my brother's place in Eagle River, we spent the day wandering around Anchorage. My brother had been stationed at Fort Richardson, so he knew the best places to eat. He wasn't wrong on this place! Glacier Brewhouse was perfect. Good food and good beer, after several days in one of the most beautiful and rugged places in the world. My favorite beer there was the Bavarian Hefeweizen. The seafood is seasonal -and fresh!- but when I was there I ordered the Alaskan King Crab legs. So delicious.
Just thinking about it makes me want to visit Alaska again.
Afternoon on Lake McDonald
Limited Edition
A small, yellow canoe is pulled up on the shore of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park on a sunny summer afternoon. The canoe is empty, and its yellow sides gleam brightly in the sunlight as the calm waters of the lake show barely a whisper of a breeze blowing across the surface. The shoreline is lined with rocks and trees, and the surrounding mountainsides are lush and green. The view of the distant snow-capped peaks is breathtaking, with Gunsight Mountain and Heaven's Peak reflected on the glassy surface of the lake. There is a sense of serenity and adventure in the stillness of the canoe, a reminder of the beauty of this special place.
Large format fine art limited edition of 100 prints. Each print includes a Certificate of Authenticity and serial number, mailed separately.
Rising Sun Pizza, St. Mary, Montana
In 2019, Kristen Wilkinson and I headed to the Palouse, but tacked on a brief side trip to get a taste of Glacier National Park in Montana. The Going to the Sun Road wasn't open yet due to late season snow, so we had to had to drive the long way around to Many Glacier to go to Swiftcurrent Lake. We wanted to capture sunset there, which was around 9:30pm, which meant a late dinner. We had tried to grab dinner before sunset, but couldn't find anyplace that was open. It was still offseason and not much was available. On the way back to our AirBnB, we were driving through St. Mary, right on the western border of the Blackfeet reservation, and we were driving past this place, Rising Sun Pizza. It still looked open despite the late hour. So we walked in a bit tentatively, ready to be told they were closing. Thankfully, the waitress told us to sit anywhere and she'd be right with us! The place was still pretty busy, with great atmosphere. The servers were friendly and chatty, and best of all, the pizza was OUTSTANDING. I've had pizza in a lot of places, and this is the best I've had outside of the Greater Pizza Belt of New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Tri-State Area.
Autumn in the San Juan Mountains
Golden aspens blanket a hillside near Mount Sneffels in Coloardo's San Juan Mountains on an autumn morning.
Red Mountain Brewing, Ouray, Colorado
In September 2020, Kristen and I headed to Colorado and the San Juan Mountains and photograph the aspens changing from green to vibrant gold. We based ourselves in Ouray, giving us close proximity to places like Silverton, Ridgway, Dallas Divide, Telluride, and more. One evening, after a day of exploring, we walked into town to find dinner, and Red Mountain Brewing was just the place. There was outdoor seating as well as indoor, the atmosphere was relaxed, and the food was everything from pub food to steak, ribs, and pasta. Perfect ending to a great day of photographing.
Sawtooth Dawn
The Sawtooth Mountains tower over a stand of pines on a summer morning in Idaho as the sky glows with the first light of the day.
Pioneer Saloon, Ketchum, Idaho
Last summer I brought my son and brother with me on a road trip to the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. My son had just graduated high school and would be heading to Boston University in the fall, and my brother had just retired after about 20 years in the army, so it was a celebratory trip while I got some work in as well.
I had selected a hike I wanted to do, to visit a few alpine lakes tucked high in the mountains. It was a ten mile round trip to Sawtooth Lake, with an elevation gain of around 1800 feet. I had already told them, we were going to earn a good meal that day! I had been to the Pioneer Saloon on a previous trip to Idaho so I knew where we were going.
It had been suggested on my first trip that I try "The Jim Spud", a baked potato the size of a small cantaloupe, with teriyaki beef, melted cheese, scallions, and other potato toppings. The potato was huge. The beef was mouthwateringly delicious. Worth a stop if you're in the area.
OBX Sunrise
Limited Edition
The sun peeks between some clouds just after sunrise on Bodie Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Large format wall art prints available.
Fine Art Limited Edition of 100 prints. A signed Certificate of Authenticity will be provided with each limited edition print purchased.
Dirty Dick's Crab Shack, Nag's Head, North Carolina
This one is notable for the off-color name, but the food was excellent. I've always loved seafood, but I have a rule: I only eat seafood in states with an ocean bordering it! So I knew heading to the Outer Banks I'd be getting my hands on some seafood. I like to go simple, so I had the fried shrimp basket here, but it was delicious. The fried gator tail appetizer was good too, if a little different! We actually stopped here for lunch on our way into town, but it was a good meal and the name was fun to say!
One of the things I love about traveling and doing my job is trying to local flavor wherever I go. I'm excited to see what makes the list in the future! Do you have a place you think I should try? Leave a comment below!