The Travel Diary: The enduring beauty of America’s national parks
- Text by Heather McCutcheon
- Photography by Heather McCutcheon
I was born and raised in Enfield, North London and starting getting into photography when I was about 15. After a while of shooting around my neighbourhood, I soon began searching for other sources of inspiration. I thought that my best work always came from holidays with my family; the ability to photograph new places and experiences quickly became the main pursuit of my work. In 2014 I spent the majority of my year travelling North America from New York City to the shores of San Diego – I fell deeply in love with the landscape, culture and life on the road.
My partner and I share a mutual love for the natural world, so we knew we wanted to visit as many National Parks as we could. We contrasted the Navajo desert landscapes with lush redwood forests and managed to catch sight of the beautiful fall colours in places like Yosemite and Zion. We spent the majority of the time camping either backcountry or within the park campgrounds themselves (in between motel hopping for showers along the way).
My favourite place always changes every time I think about the trip because each location is really so different from the next, despite not being that far apart. I’m completely blown away by the diversity of landscape and ecology of North America. At this moment, I think it’s Saguaro National Park. We camped in a small ground and met children hunting for scorpions in the night, saw a flash of a purple hummingbird after saying desperately the whole trip that we hoped to see one, and hiked up the Hugh Norris trail to catch the silhouettes of the cacti at sunset.
My advice for anyone planning to travel to the region? Make sure to plan ahead, but not to overdo it. Note down where you would like to visit and connect the dots on the map trying to use the most scenic routes, rather than just bombing it down the freeway. Research towns along the way to stopover, rest and wash before moving on to the next place. Pack food that’s light and will keep like ramen noodles and jerky. Wear the right footwear and make sure that you have some comfortable tent-only clothes to change into at night. Eat at Denny’s for breakfast after a restless night and it will revive you. Make mix tapes to suit your surroundings and photograph as much as you can.
See more of Heather McCutcheon’s work on her official website.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
Meet the muxes of Juchitán, Mexico’s Indigenous third gender
Zapotec folk — Having existed since the pre-colonial era in southeast Oaxaca state, a global rise in LGBTQ+ hate is seeing an age-old culture face increasing scrutiny. Now, the community is organising in response, and looking for a space to call their own.
Written by: Peter Yeung
Russian hacktivists are using CCTV networks to protest Putin
Putin’s Jail — In Kurt Caviezel’s project using publicly accessible surveillance networks from around the world, he spotlights messages of resistance spread among the cameras of its biggest country.
Written by: Laura Witucka
Inside the world’s only inhabited art gallery
The MAAM Metropoliz — Since gaining official acceptance, a former salami factory turned art squat has become a fully-fledged museum. Its existence has provided secure housing to a community who would have struggled to find it otherwise.
Written by: Gaia Neiman
Ideas were everything to David Lynch
Dreamweaver — On Thursday, January 16, one of the world’s greatest filmmakers passed away at the age of 78. To commemorate his legacy, we are publishing a feature exploring his singular creative vision and collaborative style online for the first time.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray
“The world always shuns”: Moonchild Sanelly on her new album, underground scenes and abortion rights
Huck’s January interview — Ahead of ‘Full Moon’, her most vulnerable project yet, we caught up with the South African pop star to hear about opening up in her music, confronting her past and her fears for women’s rights in 2025.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Krept & Konan are opening an “inclusive” supermarket
Saveways — With 15,000 sq. ft of space and produce from across the world, the store will cater to Black, Asian and ethnic communities in Croydon.
Written by: Isaac Muk