The summer and winter solstices arrived on June 20, 2025. Depending on where you live, summer or winter has officially arrived!
“Both the Winter and the Summer Solstices are expressions of love. They show us the opposition of light and dark, expansion and contraction, that characterize our experiences in the Earth school so that we can recognize our options as we move through our lives.” — Gary Zukav
Our first summer weekend in 2025 has been rather cool and cloudy. No complaints as it had been warmer a few days prior. Temperatures peaked at 94°F (34 °C) on June 9th in the Spokane, Washington area. More than 20 degrees over the historical average of 72°F.
In keeping with my subtheme of the great outdoors, my choices today feature sunrises and sunsets. I also included images of the sun in and around national parks. These encompass both private and public lands.
A Whole Lotta Light!
During the Summer Solstice, Northeastern Washington gets a LOT of light! Here is what the WeatherUnderground App tells me:
The images below show how far north the sun sets. They also show how late the sky stays light. Both shots were taken at 10:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time in different years.
“The summer night is like a perfection of thought.” — Wallace Stevens
Join me on some of my road trips, as we check out some summer and winter sunshine.
Let’s start in Mexico and work our way north, shall we? We spent a few winters in La Ventana, Baja Sur, Mexico, for windsurfing and board sports. Sunrise is at 7:00am. Beaches are located in federal zones and are not privately owned, and are free to use and camp on.
Our next stop on this contrived road trip is San Diego, California. A view of the setting sun from Shelter Island on the downtown buildings rarely disappoints.
As we head north, we will take a side trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, to see a desert sunrise.
Back in Southern California, another desert scene greets us near Victorville. This is a subdivision of private homes in Helendale, built around the Mojave River Aquafir.
As we head along the California coastline, we are greeted by a foggy Malibu morning at Malibu Pier.
As we make our way into Northern California, we arrive in the Sacramento Delta, where summer winds are king. Sacramento County Parks operates the marina and camping facilities on Sherman Island. The levee area shown below is leased on private and state lands.
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman
Leaving California, we drive through Oregon and enjoy the views along the Columbia River Gorge. Multnomah Falls is within the jurisdiction of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Visitors must pay to park from May through September.
A 35-minute drive along Hwy 84 gets you to Hood River, Oregon, home to incredible summer wind sports!
You might be lucky to view a winter sunrise on Western Idaho’s Hwy 84.
Back in Washington, we called the North Spokane RV Park home from February to March 2021…
… before we moved into our forever home.
“The summer solstice is a time for strength and vitality for action and movement.” — Carole Carlton
Fancy a Visit to a US National Park this Summer?
US National Parks require entry fees to drive into each park. In 2024, Yosemite National Park implemented a timed entry reservation system. This applied whether visitors intended to camp overnight or simply sightsee along the highways. More National Parks are requiring timed entry reservations. This is due to the fragile state of the roads. Many park ecosystems are impacted by excessive automobile and RV traffic.
Is your favorite National Park on the list for 2025? Please visit this website: National Park Reservations for continuous updates.
Here is the list of National Parks that require a timed entry reservation to drive on the roads:
- Acadia National Park
- Arches National Park
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Haleakala National Park
- Mount Rainier National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Shenandoah National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Zion National Park
- Muir Woods
The National Park Service recommends visitors read this website for more information. This is especially important for those planning to visit any US national park in 2025 and beyond. Plan your visit!
If you have an entrance pass, you still need to make an advance reservation for the timed entry. I have an America the Beautiful Lifetime Pass, which I was eligible to purchase at the age of 62. Along with this, you need to show the timed entry reservation. Present it at the park kiosk to enter the parks listed above.
Once you are inside your favorite National Park, take time to witness a sunrise or sunset (or both?), and appreciate the great outdoors!
We cherished our sunset walks as a family when camping in the high country of Yosemite National Park.
An interesting phenomenon occurs at 9900 feet elevation when the sun sets. Alpenglow!
“There’s always a sunrise and always a sunset and it’s up to you to choose to be there for it.” – Cheryl Strayed
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
- Please create a new post for the theme or link to a recent one.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
- I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.
Sharing for Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday.
I can’t wait to see how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, or music inspired by the theme. Join me next week as we explore the theme “PATRIOTIC” with your country’s flag or other flags.
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