Photo Blog with Waterfalls, Hiking, Outdoors, and other Adventures
After booking a terrible AirBnB in Maricopa it was time to get back on track with my plans. The original idea was to fly in and immediately drive to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and hike a couple days. Now plans have changed but at least I get one full day until I can come … Read more
Rental car snafus blew apart my original plan but that’s okay – it pushed me to some places I probably wouldn’t have visited otherwise. First stop was Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona. This site was the first prehistoric and cultural reserve established in the United States and a sacred place to the … Read more
After making a mistake with campsite reservations at Wyalusing (and a less than restful stay at the last motel available), I woke early and headed to the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. I didn’t know much about this park, but it was on my list simply to check off another nationally-managed area. … Read more
An hour away from Las Cruces on the way back to Wisconsin is White Sands National Monument. Known for its very rare almost pure white sand dunes, it seems almost out of place compared to the other local landscape. Interesting fact: at 275 square miles, it is the largest gypsum dune field in the world. … Read more
After staying in Grand Junction last night out of necessity, it was a pleasant surprise to find Colorado National Monument located in the same city some 10 miles from my hotel. Did t have time to do any hikes, but the views were worth the visit. Since I visited early morning, the sun was against … Read more
Down the highway from Sunset is the Walnut Canyon National Monument. This site preserves the early cliff side dwellings of the Sinagua culture dating back to about 1100 CE, near the same time of Sunset’s eruption. Can you imagine what they saw in the distant sky from their caves on that day? Crazy to imagine. … Read more
I spent a good portion of last night trying to determine my next destination, and still haven’t decided. So instead, I am winding my way through some local monuments. First stop near Flagstaff is the Sunset Crater Volcano. Last erupting about 1,000 years ago, it blanketed the surrounding 800 square miles in ash changing the … Read more
After finding that a) temps get really cold in GCNP during fall, and b) campsites are reserved over a year in advance regardless of what the interwebs say, I had to cave in and stay at a hotel. Upside is I slept like a baby for the first time this trip. Howard Johnson’s beds are … Read more
Started the day by heading to the Kanab BLM center to get info on the Escalante National Monument and found the drive was more than expected. Also I am to the point I actually need to pay attention to the date – time is going by too fast! Alas, no Escalante on this trip. Also … Read more
Crossed into Wyoming to see the Devils Tower (aka Bear Lodge, the true / non-whitey appropriated name). Did the 1.3 mile Tower Trail which was very peaceful. If you ever do this yourself, find a bench and wait for all people to leave your sight. Listen to the wind through the trees and enjoy the … Read more