Okay..... I have one more thing to add.
I started thinking about some of my better shots (mostly in other peoples opinions), shots from my commute back and forth to work an hour away. The Sierras are beautiful, but your right about Ansel Adams, he spent months getting his famous photographs. A lot of times I feel our best shots ARE when we are at the right place at the right time!
Even if you got that ticket to some exotic local, who is to say that you won't be stuck inside during a monsoon or a blizzard. The perfect example: Last year I was suppose to go to Alaska with a friend I grew up with. We had it all planned out and at the last minute I had to cancel. She ended up taking a cruise up the inside passage by herself (gutsy, don't know if I could have done that) and came back to tell me that she had a great time "on" the boat, but it rained the entire time and she didn't see a fraction of all the things we had looked forward too! Low clouds, socked in, and she never saw any of the mountains or much wildlife (except onboard, if you know what I mean)!
So I guess what I am saying is that you really need to think of it as where do I want to go, what do I want to experience, not necessarily what kind of photos could I get if I went there, because you may only have your memories to share and not that "once in a lifetime" capture.

Oh.... that was a bit of rambling, huh?

Kim Hawkins

 

Kim Hawkins Eastern Sierra Gallery