This week marks the anniversary of my "fifteen minutes of fame." About this time last year I enjoyed a terrific vacation with my wife and brother Dave in the Monongahela National Forest, located in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia. While there, we were photographed by professional John Madere for a feature article about digital photography that was published in last summer's edition of Gateway Magazine.

     With ridges rising to 4,000 feet, the Appalachians make West Virginia the tallest state in the East. Most of the lofty peaks are in the Potomac Highlands where the Allegheny Front runs like a spine down its length. Much of this region lies within the Monongahela National Forest. Unspoiled wilderness areas and nationally significant wetlands support a rich botanical diversity.

     The Potomac Highlands are lands of plenty for travelers, and most of the wonders are natural — miles of mountain vistas, deep forests, sparkling rivers and streams, vast and splendid unspoiled terrain. We camped at Watoga State Park while touring the Cranberry Glades and Highland Scenic Highway. Our long-time enjoyment of the great outdoors and fascination with the possibilities of digital photography on the Internet culminated in a brief international spotlight.

     Free-lance writer Susan Berger was putting together a feature for Gateway entitled Technology Takes a Vacation when she found us through our web site. We've been posting digital travelogues for years. The timing was perfect. After several interviews with Dave and myself, I happened to mention to Susan that Dave was coming to West Virginia in mid-May for a camping and photography trip.

I learned thoroughly the chaos of a media quick-strike as we talked with editors and professional photographers to arrange several "shoots" to accompany the article. Nearly four hours of smiling and posing gave me a respect and appreciation for what models go through, but it was great fun.

     The magazine was published in early August 1999 and Internet Brothers enjoyed a nice boost in attention for several months afterward. The best part was all the great email we received from folks around the world who saw us in the mag and stopped by to pay us an online visit.

     But whatever happened to your vacation? Well, we posted a few pics we somehow managed to capture in the midst of all the excitement. I think you may still enjoy them a year later. Start at Dave's site, then come on back here when you take a notion. It was 15 minutes that will last a lifetime.

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