Robert Annis

At the western edges of North and South Dakota, large swaths of grassland prairie collide abruptly with multicolored rock formations of limestone, shale, volcanic ash, and sandstone. When seismic upheaval created the Rocky Mountains 65 million years ago, these Dakota badlands formed almost as an afterthought, as sand, silt, and mud flowed down ancient rivers to be deposited here, hundreds of miles away.

I hoisted myself over the rocks and dusty buttes of the Caprock Coulee Trail ....

The gigantic bear ambles closer and closer. Weighing between 800 and 1,000 pounds, its the largest predator I’ve ever come across—and I’ve certainly never been this close. Now, just yards away from me and the eight other bear-watchers in my tour group, just off the eastern coast of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, it looks up across the flat, tiny patch of meadow between us and meets my gaze. I’ve wanted to see a bear in the wild for years, but in these first few seconds, I’m secon...

“That sign warned trucks about going up this road—tight switchbacks and no shoulder,” I said. “Should we find another route?”

“I think we’ll be alright,” Sally said.

It’s another warm early December day in the Cuban countryside, perfect for a bike ride. I launch myself up a hill, legs spinning fast in a big gear. As the grade increases, I rise from the saddle and stomp on the pedals. The top of the hill is only 20 bike lengths away, and I feel a moment of triumph that none of the other riders have passed me.

That is until I notice a Cuban rider named Jorge on my left pedaling j...

As we pedaled our bikes over the rolling hills of Kentucky, I could practically taste the bourbon.
There’d be a glass waiting for us at the end of the ride, of course — two fingers of whiskey, with a single ice cube. But being surrounded by the raw ingredients had the flavor tickling my tongue. Fields of corn beginning to brown in the August sun. Clear water trickling down limestone cliffs into a massive underground aquifer. The scent emanating from the distilleries themselves, that sweet cor...

I’m a good photographer, but obviously no Ansel Adams. Adams had a unique style – a way of photographing landscapes playing with light and shadow, creating iconic images both stark and beautiful – and on a recent trip to Yosemite National Park, I learned how to capture some of that magic myself.

Although Adams traveled the world, the place he’s most closely identified with is Yosemite – California’s most awe-inspiring location, made even more so by his photographs. T...

Just a few days before we all were ordered to stay home, my dad died. Congenital heart failure was listed as the cause of death, not COVID-19, but the coronavirus would still impact us in a multitude of ways in the following weeks.

Before he passed, as the country started seeing more coronavirus cases in mid-March, I had urged Dad to stay inside until all the craziness could blow over. He thought I...

It’s nearly 7 a.m. when I roll up to the starting line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Next Sunday, the venue will fill up with some 300,000 cheering fans for the Indy 500, the most popular auto racing event in the world. But today the stands are empty, and the only spectators are a few pit-crew members and track staff preparing for an action-packed day of practice. Even so, my neck hairs stand at attention. I may be in the saddle of a Giant TCR Advanced road bike, not an IndyCar cockpit,...

Surrounded by seemingly endless red rock and spiky spinifex grass, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the desolate beauty of the Australian Outback. Fortune-seeking adventurers have long braved the treacherous interior region, but today’s visitors seek a different kind of rush. Instead of gold, they’re coming to the Northern Territory for epic single-track mountain-bike trails and long-distance hiking routes in a rugged, mostly untrodden land.

For more than a half-century, the so-called Red Cen...

Imagine Sedona’s stunning sandstone cliffs rising out of a crystal-blue lake, rock arches like those in Utah, and cascading waterfalls that look like Yosemite’s famous veils. Now envision all that within a day’s drive. With its namesake cliffs and incredible natural beauty, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Munising, nps.gov/piro) on Lake Superior boasts better scenery than several official national parks, but far fewer crowds—and only a few souvenir shops and eateries dot Munising, the larg...

After two men were arrested for creating illegal mountain-bike trails through Fort Harrison State Park, they found an unlikely ally: Speaker of the House Brian Bosma. But environmentalist groups say new greenways there will devastate one of the few natural areas left in the city.

It’s no wonder the Wolverine State is popular among RVers. With natural beauty, some of the best mountain biking east of the Mississippi, unlimited hiking trails, and thousands of miles of shoreline along four of the Great Lakes, Michigan’s outdoor activities rival any state in the Midwest.

Nashville’s new favorite tailor, Jerry Lee Atwood, picks up the Nudie suit thread
It’s five days until the MTV Video Music Awards, and Jerry Lee Atwood’s small Union Western tailor studio buzzes with activity.
Atwood created Lil Nas X’s Western suit for his groundbreaking “Old Town Road” video, and three weeks before the awards show, the country rapper commissioned a new ensemble for the event. So Atwood has assembled a group of friends and loved ones to help out with the hurried haberdashery...

Seeing the northern lights can be one of the greatest thrills in nature. But capturing the elusive aurora borealis on camera can be a bit tricky, unless you you’re a skilled photographer. We asked expert Robert Annis to share some of the photography basics you should know before you set off on your aurora adventure.

With the COVID-19 vaccine deploying, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.