Handstands Around the World

a former gymnast with a neverending case of wanderlust


Snapshots from the sky: spring 2024 edition

In retrospect, flying to Seattle for 3 days, Austin for 5 days, and Dallas for 4 days – all in a 5 week period – was overly ambitious. I definitely overbooked myself, and in the aftermath I very much paid the price.

I don’t regret it, per se, because all three trips were fun. But I don’t think I’ll be packing my travels together that closely ever again. And I’m very glad to not have to drive out to the airport for at least a couple months now.

I haven’t actually had a chance to write the posts or sort through all the photos from each trip yet, so instead I thought I’d start with a new addition to my Snapshots from the sky series, combining all three of these trips into one post.


Colorado to Seattle

Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Looking back toward Grand Lake, Colorado

It turns out when you leave Colorado just before sunset and fly west, you end up with a very extended sunset. It wasn’t until we were nearing Seattle that it actually started to get dark.

Sunset over Eastern Oregon
A layer of low clouds hanging over Seattle during the descent

Unfortunately, my flight back was entirely in the dark so I don’t have any photos from the return trip.


Colorado to Austin

Departing on a beautiful cloudless day
Somewhere near Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak
Not the best picture because we were flying right over the top of it, but I’m 90% sure this is Picketwire Canyon
We were not expecting Texas to be so green!
First glimpse of downtown Austin
Austin, Texas
Sunset from the air on the way back to Colorado

Colorado to Dallas

Sunrise over Oklahoma
Lake Dallas
No one does freeway interchanges like Texas

We weren’t able to book a direct flight back to Colorado, and while I was annoyed to have a layover, we did get some good photos from our flight out of El Paso.

Sunset over El Paso as we awaited our turn for takeoff
El Paso, with Mexico somewhere out there in the distance. Apple maps told me the border was only 4 miles from the airport, but we weren’t able to spot it
Sunset over New Mexico
A thin layer of clouds at sunset over central New Mexico
It turns out when you fly north, you also get an extended sunset. This was taken somewhere over southern Colorado
Last bits of sunset color and Venus over central Colorado

Up next: Sisters weekend in Seattle!

41 responses to “Snapshots from the sky: spring 2024 edition”

  1. In your picture over El Paso look closely at the center. You will see some white writing on the mountainside. That Mountain is in Juarez Mexico.

    1. Oh good to know, thanks!

  2. Stunning photos! It looks like sunrise and sunset aren’t just beautiful to observe from the ground!

    1. Thank you! Yeah, you get some really neat sunrises and sunsets from the air sometimes.

  3. Wonderful photos, Diana. I also love the bird’s eye perspective that comes from being high in the sky and I try to get a window seat whenever possible (though I have to admit that my aisle seat during a recent return trip from Germany helped me get up and move around more freely during the very long flight).

    1. Ah yes, aisle seats are much preferable for that reason. Plus, if you’re flying over the ocean or overnight, there’s really not much to be seen anyway.

  4. WOW … that is an ambitious travel schedule. These are so awesome and a great idea to make a post out of them. That ‘Sunrise over Oklahoma’ image is amazing!

    1. Thanks, Denise!

  5. Amazing shots ❤️ Loved each and everyone of them!

    1. Thanks!

  6. Lovely shots from up in the air. Good thing you had a window seat! 

    1. I’m forever a window seat person!

  7. Airplane photos are always fun, Diana. They provide a totally different perspective on the world! Good job. I’m glad you shared them. Wouldn’t it be fun if we had glass bottom airplanes to fly in. Grin. Might not go well for those with a fear of heights…

    1. Oh gosh, that would be so cool, but also maybe a little disorienting and frightening.

      1. 😳It wouldn’t be the same, but the same thing could be accomplished with cameras.

  8. Sounds like a lot of interesting posts coming up. My sister used to live in Austin but I didn’t have a chance to visit, but I hear it’s a nice city. Can’t wait for the post. I love the 2 or more hour sunset to Seattle 😊 Maggie

    1. We didn’t actually spend much time *in* Austin so I can’t speak to it too much, but everyone says good things about it and we had a good time in the area. Now if I can just finish writing the posts…

  9. Another set of great shots, so jealous.

  10. Nice article and images. I have been flying for 47 years and I’m seldom bored at a window seat. I would recommend a book:

    America from the Air: A Guide to the Landscape Along Your Route Paperback by Daniel Mathews and James S. Jackson (2007)

    1. Oooh thanks, I will check it out!

  11. I hear ya. I’d be craving some stay-at-home time after so many extended weekends away in such a short period. But I’m guessing they were all great trips, so that’s a plus. Looking forward to the posts.
    Great photos. It always amazes me how quickly the Rockies turn into total flatness in the eastern third of Colorado.

    1. Yeah, it’s very abrupt. Especially from the air, you can really see how the mountains just rise out of nowhere.

  12. Very creative idea for a post Diana. I hope you enjoyed Seattle; my hometown!

    1. Oh fun! I didn’t realize it’s your hometown. We did have a great time. I always love Seattle!

  13. Hope you had some ‘cue in Austin and enjoyed some of those great music venues.

    1. I did neither of those things, sadly. Guess I’ll have to return…

  14. Love all these photos from the sky, gorgeous!

    1. Thanks!

  15. That is a travel packed few weeks! Looking forward to reading on your visits to these places. In the meantime, beautiful collection of pictures from the window 🙂

    1. Thank you!

  16. 2 states, 3 cities in barely two weeks: what an intense adventure! All the same, you got some gorgeous snapshots of the sky and cities from above; there’s nothing quite like seeing the world from up in the air, and I can’t wait to read about your time in these cities (especially Seattle and Austin, a city I live and a city I hope to visit very soon, respectively)!

    1. Thanks, Rebecca!

  17. Why are my plane shots never this good? Haha!

    1. Oh don’t worry, there were plenty of terrible blurry and smudged ones that didn’t make the cut!

  18. Some beautiful shots Diana. I love the window seat. As to all that flying, there is something exiting about being a nomad…..until reality makes you stop. Cheers. Allan

    1. Thanks, Allan! Yes, reality sure caught up with me in the aftermath.

  19. Beautiful shots! I am usually in the aisle so I don’t get to see this. Also I know what you mean we did our Miami Trip and then spent 36 hours in San Francisco and that wiped us out!

    1. Oh gosh, that sounds exhausting, especially changing time zones that many times that quickly too!

  20. Love the eastern Oregon shot! That’s gotta be somewhere pretty near me, I could probably figure it out if I motivated. Fun set all around!

    1. Oh fun! I was using the live flight tracker so I know that’s where we were but I don’t know *exactly* what we were flying over.

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