In April of 2023, we embarked on a 38-day long trip from our home in Riner, VA, traveling to 11 National Parks and numerous other destinations. This was the trip of a lifetime!
The Natural Bridges National Monument is Utah’s first national monument. There are three Natural Bridges, “Sipapu,” “Kachina”, and “Owachomo”. The bridge names were chosen to honor the Indian tribes that lived in this area during prehistoric times. The park has a loop road with access to all three bridges, and trails descend to each one. …
The Glen Canyon Recreation Area encompasses a 170 mile stretch of the Colorado River. Two of the most popular attractions in this area are Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell. Lake Powell isa reservoir created by the Glen Canyon Dam. Horseshoe Bend is a very popular tourist attraction. It was a bit too crowded for my …
We arrived at Capitol Reef National Park, a little later than expected because the ride between Bryce and Capitol Reef on Scenic Route 12 was so beautiful, it slowed us down. I hope to find time to do a post on that ride, but for now, I’ll show you Capitol Reef. When we arrived at …
Scenic Byway 12 is the route travels between Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park. This spectacular 123 mile drive is also known as “A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway” and it is also designated an All-American Road. Our hotel was on Rt 12, so we were able to check out the sections …
Bryce Canyon National Park is a Hoodoo Fairyland! When we got our first view of the Bryce Amphitheater, all we could think is that it looked like giant drip castles, except with colored sand. The Bryce Amphitheater has the greatest concentration of fantastical rock spires (called “hoodoos”) found anywhere on Earth. You can pick up …
We traveled from Page, AZ to Zion National Park, Utah’s first national park, arriving via the East Entrance fairly early in the day. This entrance is about 13 miles from the Visitor Center and we had planned to go there directly, but we were stunned by the scenery! We stopped at several pull outs along …
After we left the Grand Canyon, we traveled to Page, Arizona, to see a few things in the area. Ever since my daughter, Lauren, went to Antelope Canyon, this was something I wanted to do. Unfortunately, I waited too long to make a reservation and could only get space for myself. Steve was actually not …
Our first view of the Grand Canyon National Park was at Mather Point. This is typically where most people view the Grand Canyon for the first time and it did not disappoint! We spent two full days at the Grand Canyon, plus we stopped at a few overlooks on the way to Page, Arizona, heading …
We arrived bright and early from Flagstaff to Sedona. We had heard that it was difficult to get into the parking lots for the hikes in the area and it was best to get there early. The drive was spectacular and as we approached, we got more excited about this part of our trip. The …
We drove a loop today to visit the three Flagstaff Area National Monuments: Our first stop, Walnut Canyon, featured cliff dwellings of the Hopi Indians back around 1200 AD. The canyon itself was very pretty, and the 1 mile loop trail allowed you to explore partially restored cliff dwellings, and also see others in the …
