Fall Color & Covered Bridges with Ron Gaskins & Amanda Haddox

Amanda Haddox & Ron Gaskins of Mountaineer Photo Excursions is excited to offer this new location for autumn of 2023. Ashtabula County in northern Ohio is well known for its wineries and the Lake Erie shoreline. However, what really caught our attention are the 19 historic covered bridges that call this area home! Plus, we have timed this weekend photo workshop to be at the peak of fall, where the spectacular orange, red and yellow leaves will create the perfect autumn background.

These bridges are a combination of past and present. We’ll kick off the weekend by photographing the Ashtabula Lift Bridge as it is illuminated against the twilight blue sky of the nearby waterfront. The Smolen-Gulf bridge was built in 2008 and is the longest covered bridge in the United States, at a length of 613 feet. This is not a concrete and steel structure but is constructed of wooden beams. On the other hand, the Liberty Street Bridge is America’s shortest drive-through bridge, at a span of just 18 feet! The oldest documented covered bridges in the county date back to 1867 and 1868. During our weekend photo workshop, Mountaineer Photo Excursions will visit many of these covered bridges, as well as a few other local attractions.

We mentioned the Lake Erie shore, and one of our stops will take us to a beachfront park with a view of the lake and a lighthouse at sunset. During our scouting trip, we discovered an apple orchard with a wide variety of products, such as hot & cold apple cider, apple & pumpkin pies, apple cider donuts, cookies, muffins, and more. Are you hungry yet? Another stop will be at the Old Mill Winery. The mill was built in the 1860s and retains the rustic charm of days past. It will make a great destination for a late lunch on Sunday!

Mountaineer Photo Excursions has reserved a block of rooms at a nearby hotel to provide you with a convenient location for lodging for our weekend. In addition, we will be providing local transportation in the Super Van, a 15-passenger deluxe travel van. With the Super Van, you won’t have to be concerned about navigating and parking in unfamiliar areas. Instructors Amanda Haddox and Ron Gaskins will share their photography experience and knowledge during the weekend.

WHEN: Registration is now OPEN! October 20-22, 2023; Friday evening, full day on Saturday, and finishing early afternoon on Sunday.

WHERE: Ashtabula County, OH. Home to 27 miles of shoreline, 19 covered bridges, over two dozen wineries, four scenic rivers, two state parks, and more!

Charleston, WV — 4 hours, 20 minutes; 288 miles
Pittsburgh, PA — 2 hours, 3 minutes; 123 miles
Cumberland, MD — 3 hours, 46 minutes; 222 miles
Louisville, KY — 6 hours, 2 minutes; 395 miles
Indianapolis, IN — 5 hours, 28 minutes; 363 miles
Lansing, MI — 4 hours, 19 minutes; 284 miles
Columbus, OH — 2 hours, 50 minutes; 189 miles

WHO: Ron & Amanda will welcome 10 participants on this workshop. Our standard Liability Waiver must be signed to participate in this event.

LODGING: We have reserved a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Austinburg, OH. The rooms are all furnished with two beds. Lodging is included in the registration fee, and Mountaineer Photo Excursions will make your reservations. Two participants sharing a room will receive a discount. A non-participant may share a room at no additional cost, but non-participants may not accompany us during our field trips.

FEE: From now until Monday, August 21 at 11:00 pm, we are offering an “Early Bird” discount fee of just $560.00; a 15% discount. After that date, our regular fee of $660.00 will apply until September 19 at 11:00 pm, when all registration will close. Your registration fee includes lodging for two nights at our selected hotel, admission to all selected venues, local transportation, and photography instruction during the event. It does not include meals. Our preferred method of payment is your credit card via our PayPal invoice. We will accept checks from prior clients. Our cancellation policy may be viewed on our “About Us” page on our website.