I acquired a passion for the outdoors while growing up in Hammond, Indiana. My family would vacation in Northern Wisconsin every year. We would spend three weeks camping and fishing on Lake Namekagon near Cable, Wisconsin and looked forward to that trip every year. Every summer, we would also take several trips to Turkey Run State Park near Rockville, Indiana to hike along Sugar Creek and enjoy the amazing geology of that area. Every October, we would travel back to Rockville for the Covered Bridge Festival and would spend the entire day driving around the back roads of Parke County looking for Covered Bridges.
Now, several years later, my parents have retired to Northern Wisconsin very near the lake we camped at and I am living in Chrisman, Illinois with my wife and two daughters. Ironically, I've come full circle. My family goes camping and fishing in Northern Wisconsin at the same lake I did as a child and Chrisman happens to be a short 30 minute drive back to Turkey Run and the Covered Bridges of Parke County, Indiana, which my family now visits frequently every summer.
We have family in many areas of the country - Wisconsin, Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Florida - who we visit as much as we can. You will see that influence in my pictures as many of the pictures on this site have been taken during visits to our family.
While the pictures you see here have been taken within the last three years, they really portray not only my recent visits to these places, but also memories of my past as well.
My favorite photos are those that you can look at and feel like you are right there hearing the sounds, smelling the smells and feeling the peacefulness as I did when I was there. That's what Captured Solitude.com is about. I sincerely hope you enjoy the photos.
Jeff VanDyke
All Photos (C) Jeff VanDyke. All Rights Reserved.
Updated 7/4/2011