Written and Photographed by Phil and Rosemary Connell

In November Phil and Rosemary Connell moved to Carolina Shores from Oakhurst, New Jersey, and brought part of the United States along with them. Their passion for photography, combined with their travels during the past 10 years to 12 national parks and Europe, provide them with a treasure chest of memories.

Phil and Rosemary at Canyonlands National Park, Easter 2000

The Connells found Carolina Shores during visits to Rosemary's daughter who lives in Myrtle Beach. They chose our neighborhood because of the many trees, lovely homes and gardens. They felt that it was the perfect place to pursue other hobbies, walking and biking. Now they have found both that the residents also are lovely and that they enjoy the many activities.

Phil and Rosemary each have three children from previous marrieages. They are scattered all over the place -- New Jersey, California, Florida, and North and South Carolina. They have five grandchildren.

 

Rosemary participates in New Friends and is interested in the Garden Club. They have gone to several events including the New Year's Eve Party, Dancing with the Stars potluck dinner dance, lunch at the Culinary Institute and the tour of Brookgreen Gardens at Christmas.

Although new to our community, Phil and Rosemary were not slackers in the past. They were both involved with Saint Andrews UMC Church in Spring Lake, New Jersey. In charge of the history room, they organized a hundred years of history for this very old church. Rosemary was the administrative council chair for two and a half years and led the pastor parish council for two years.

 
Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park, 1998
  
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park & the Yellowstone River

At Fort Montmouth Rosemary headed a group of 10 people who made blankets for Project Linus NJ. Project Linus is an international organization that provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through gifts of new, handmade blankets or afghans. The Fourt Monmouth group has made over 400 blankets in a 3-year period. Rosemary continues to make blankets and mails them back monthly.
Phil & Rosemary at Yellowstone National Park, 1998
Angel Glacier, Jasper National Park, Canada -- note the angel wings

The Connells love to walk, hike, bicycle ride, kayak, garden, and enjoy the beach. They particularly enjoy photography and traveling. Rosemary spends weeks making an album after each of their trips. They have had several photos enlarged and framed to display in their home.
Looking through Window Arch to Turret Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, Easter 2000
Another splendid rock formation in Arches National Park

Before retirement, Phil taught high school for the Long Branch, New Jersey, Board of Education for 34 years. He taught U.S. history, social studies and world history. Rosemary worked for the Department of the Army at Fort Monmouth for 24 years managing equipment for soldiers.

The Connells met 10 years ago and have been married for seven years. They decided to combine their mutal interest in hiking and photography. The first summer they hiked the White Mountains of New Hampshire and took some great shots. Soon they read about Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and decided to go there the following summer. Neither had been out west. Because Phil taught school, they planned the trip during the winter. They chose their hikes first and then lodging accordingly. Because Phil is diabetic, planning meals was important. They took a hot pot that first summer and many summers thereafter. They flew to Montana, rented a car, purchased supplies, including an ice chest, oatmeal, fruit and juice, and sandwich makings. They had snacks on the trail and a good dinner from the hot pot along with salad.
 
Phil & Rosemary after the hike to Hermitage Point, with the Grand Tetons in the background, 1998
Like the beginning of an addiction, Rosemary and Phil's visit to Yellowstone National Park got them hooked. The raw, rugged, magnificent beauty of those mountains and the Grand Tetons were impossible to describe. Compared to the tall buildings with which they were familiar in New York and New Jersey, the natural beautiful was breath-taking.
Emerald Lake, Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies, 2002
A little tea house, the "Tea House of the August Moon," sits up near the Glacier to the right. Phil and Rosemary hiked up to the tea house. Lake Louise in foreground. Banff National Park

In the years following Yellowstone and Teton, Phil and Rosemary spent three to four weeks each summer in the following places:

Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Acadia National Park, Maine
Glacier National Park, Montana and Waterton Peace Park, Canada
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park, Hawaii
Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and the Canadian Rockies, Canada
A return trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Yosemite National Park, California
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, North rim of the Grand Canyon
Capital Reef National Park, Utah and Arizona
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
 
Snow & trees reflected in lake. Phil & Rosemary ran into three inches of snow on August 3, 2002, at Lake Athabasca in the Canadian Rockies
Phil still uses 35 mm photography and shoots slides. Rosemary is now using a Nikon digital camera. They particularly enjoy capturing wildflowers and distance shots. Rosemary adds that Hawaii was her favorite place for photography. Because everything was beautiful, bad shots were impossible. Phil's favorite place to photograph is Yosemite National Park. El Capitan, Tuolumne Meadows and Half Dome are spectacular. The Connells understand why Ansel Adams was so taken with the area.
 
Grand Canyon & the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park
Phil & Rosemary, Rocky Mountain National Park, 2003

The Connells tend to buy post cards of wildlife because they learned that it is not safe to get close to huge wild animals. They encountered a bear on a trail in Grand Teton National Park. While walking, they use hiking poles that they usually strike against rocks to avoid startling animals. On the "bear" day, they were hiking to a lake. They spent an hour hiking through a beautiful open meadow of wildflowers and of course were not striking rocks in that situation.

They entered a lovely lodgepole pine forest that was so heavenly that they did not think to hit rocks with their poles. A few minutes later after Rosemary hit a rock with her pole, a small cub came into a nearby clearing. When Rosemary pointed out the cub to Phil, he said, "Where is its mother"? The very big mother promptly appeared. Phil and Rosemary had rehearsed what to do if they encountered a bear. They both talked to her quietly and backed up slowly. Phil was in the back telling Rosemary to continue to talk to the mother calmly while backing up slowly. Regardless, the mother bear kept following them. Meanwhile, the cub had run behind them to play, putting them between the two bears.

Rosemary finally hollered to the bear the way she used to holler at her dog. She said, "Stop, stay, we are not going to bother you or your baby." The bear stopped but was only 25 feet from Rosemary. The Connells never made it to the lake. Afterwards Rosemary told Phil that his voice was sounding weaker and further and further away. He didn't deny that he had moved back much faster than she could!

An example of the meadows of wildflowers that the Connells found in most national parks.

The Connells bring their bikes to every place to which they drive, e.g., Acadia and Shenandoah. There are old carriage trails in Bar Harbor and Acadia that they like to ride. They spent a week each summer on Cape code where there are great biking trails. They bike around Carolina Shores, Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach. While they brought their kayaks here, they have not yet used them.
Mirror Lake at Yosemite National Park, California, 2004
Yosemite Falls from the top of Sentinal Dome. The Connells hiked to the top of Sentinal Dome to photograph the waterfall.
Wild Fuchsia, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Plumeria -- the flower used to make leis
Rosemary at Haleakala Crater, Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii
Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii
Except for their visit to Europe, Rosemary and Phil did all the research and planning for their trips. That was a means to get through long, tough New Jersey winters.
Phil the Photographer, Mono Lake, California, 2004
 
Rosemary & Phil at Tivoli near Rome, Italy
The Happy Travelers at the Tower Bridge in London, 2001
Phil in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, 2001

The Connells have modified their trips in two ways. Because many of the places where they stay have kitchenettes and grills, now they rarely use their hot pot. They also hike shorter distances and don't try to reach the same altitude gains as they initially did. Despite that, they are taking more photos and still find themselves unable to adequately describe the majesty that they experience and see on their trips.