Vivid-Pix Blog

Your Heritage

What’s inside you isn’t just your DNA, but also the life experiences passed to you by your ancestors – which were often played out all over the world. Revisiting the places your ancestors knew is life-changing, and preparation is key.

The holidays are a great time for families to get together to share memories and to make new ones. Reliving holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or other holiday gatherings, can be fun and can create new traditions.

Why not turn Black Friday into a Family Memories Friday?

Learn how genealogy experts Lisa Louise Cooke - Genealogy Gems, Allison Deprey Singleton - Genealogy Librarian, and Kenyatta Berry - Author and Host of PBS Genealogy Roadshow, describe Vivid-Pix RESTORE.

Family and Friends Photos

Come in all colors, shapes, and sizes.

Some Memories aren’t photos

And can span 10, 50, and even 100 years.

Learn how to Restore your Family History!

Day 30: Journey(s) & Meg’s Birthday!

THE Journey – Life.  A friend of mine has on her signature line: 

"Enjoy the journey." - Cathy Church

This simple, yet profound, sentiment is how she lives her life – upbeat, helping others and the environment  #CathyChurch

Thanks for joining us, hosting us, being a part of our 13K mile, 27 State, over 32 National Parks and Monuments, with detours/audibles/stops along the way journey.  It was an experience I’ll never forget – including many sights, experiences, old and new friends that I’ll equally never forget.

Day 29: New Orleans & Rick’s Birthday!

New Orleans is not a National Park, but I do consider it a National Treasure – and a great place to spend a birthday!

Perhaps this is a good place to bring up the importance of photos – and how they help relive memories. 

Mexico – Visual and Historical perspectives

Day 28

Today’s “parks”, Big Bend (National Park) and The Alamo (National Historic Landmark), provide unique perspectives.

On Day 27 we drove to the park that claims the best stargazing due to being the most remote from light:  Big Bend National Park.  The night sky provided a different type of light show – lightning.  Setting our alarm for every 2 hours, just in case the sky cleared, we finally got up to the remaining sprinkles and to see the other site we came for:  the Rio Grande River.

With 3 enormous buzzards watching our movements, we enjoyed watching the night rains as a briskly flowing, full of debris, beautiful river.  On the other side:  Mexico.  Visually and naturally the same mountain range.   Ironic, to see how the country pieces fit together and then just hours later to be on the hallowed ground and historical dichotomy of The Alamo in the U.S./Mexico past.  Live and Let Live.

50 States!!

Day 26 – Antelope Canyon, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park

A Sunbeam lights my Sunshine (corny but true) – Antelope Canyon is not a National Park, but was on Meg’s bucket list – I think you’ll see why when you look at the pics.

The day’s next adventure was Painted Desert – includes Petrified Forest National Park – pretty cool – touching wood that has become rock and hills that take on a wide array of colors.

Day 27 – Roswell, NM, Carlsbad Caverns

50 States! 

Day 25: A Grand Day

The Journey has provided amazing views and experiences – and when you get to spend time at one of the Seven Natural Wonders – it’s a pretty amazing day – today’s National Park:  Grand Canyon

I’m reminded of an old Flintstones episode where Fred and Barney step over a small crack in the ground… well, it grew.

Day 24

Today was a Great work day – tomorrow will be a Grand travel day!

What type of “genealogist” are you?

Genealogists make a career capturing a story so that future generations can learn about us. Even though there may be photos that we don't want to be remembered, those are the ones with the best stories to be told! Unfortunately, not every family has a genealogist, but every family wants to share their memories with generations to come. 

Day 23: California Kelp – and more

With “only” 30 days to complete The Journey, we considered not going to Channel Islands National Park to dive the California Kelp Forest – so glad we took the day to do so…

After a restful bed in Burbank (thanks bro), drive to Long Beach, ferry to Avalon/Catalina Island, and in the water at noon, the Garibaldi (the official marine state fish of California) – and more – were waiting for us.  In our pre-dive briefing, Mark, our guide from #Catalina.ScubaLuv, mentioned he’d been seeing large black sea bass and a few other cool things – one of the best things of diving – getting to see new things!

Please join us on our dive as we share The Journey!

Photos by Rick and Megumi Voight

Day 22: California Dreaming

8 of the 58 National Parks are located in California.  The Journey will bring us through six.  On Monday we visited three:  Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. 

Yes, a breakneck pace – and as Meg and I reflect on the last three weeks, we realize it’s almost sensory overload – we have seen SO MUCH – in such a short period of time.  Live Life! 

WEEKEND!

Day 20

Crater Lake National Park was formed by a VERY big volcano – the lake is 6 miles across and 2000 feet deep.  We’re talking BIG VOLCANO.

Day 18

Today I had time away from the National Parks Journey to take part in a side journey – I had a great time with the Foto Source folks at their Niagara Falls, Canada show!

Does it count on The Journey road trip if I take a picture outside of the United States, of the United States, of one of our parks...?

Actually, Niagara Falls is a State Park, not a National Park, so "doesn't qualify".

Business called so had to jump on a plane, funny way to travel, and take a brief pause from The Journey. 

Diving Puget Sound, Washington

Have you ever looked at an animal and wondered what they were thinking?  Or, feel you know what they’re thinking?  I think I know what this one is thinking:  “Whatcha lookin at?”

Day 15:

I’ve traveled to Seattle for business many times, have hit the tourist spots and even drove up to the Cascades once in winter with a good friend and business associate, but had never ventured over to Olympic National Park – just “never had the time”. 

Let’s see, how should we spend the weekend?

Day 13:

Let’s start with a “brief” drive from Boise, ID, through a bit of Oregon, to Walla Walla, WA, for wine tasting, antipasto platter, brick oven pizza, and chocolate soufflé – YUM! 

Don’t Blink 

“Don’t blink, it goes by in a heartbeat.”   I often use this phrase when speaking with parents of young children.  The time we get to spend with children as they grow and begin seeing the world in new and different ways is one of the greatest joys of being a parent.