Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Headin' Home

Just a couple of images from our trip back home. The above image was taken as we were driving on Highway 550 in Colorado, on Red Mountain Pass. Yes, the aspens are in glorious color!
This fabulous view was from our campsite last night, at a state park near Ridgway, Colorado. We were lucky to get this spot - just beat out quite a few rigs that came in within a 1/2 hour! The light green color is a pasture that was dotted (from our distance) with cattle, who had been brought down from grazing on higher ground over the summer. I hadn't realized they were cattle until Jeff pointed it out, and later when I heard them "moo-ing"! Enjoy!!

Off-Roading !

Here are just a very few shots of some fun times we had 4-wheeling on this vacation! The above photo is one of my favorites, as it depicts the very first off-road trail we followed. Driving through the canyon without any obvious road signs, pavement, or many other folks was quite something. Besides being wonderfully fun, it really helped to put things in perspective, and allowed one to marvel at this wonderful world in which we live.
One thing that we did marvel at on our second experience was that we were able to fit through this unintended tunnel. We found out later that a huge boulder just recently fell and got wedged in to create this natural little tunnel. The road was quite uneven and rocky right under the boulder, perhaps because of it falling. Oh, and can you see Miki's pointy ears - she was right there with us! What a trooper!!

The last day we went off-roading, we drove around the La Sal Mountains. It was beyond beautiful as the aspens are just starting to turn their golden color! I have many more photos, but these should give you an idea of what you can see and do off-roading. It's quite wonderful! Enjoy !!


Canyonlands National Park

We saw many beautiful sights at Canyonlands National Park, and did some fun 4-wheeling. First, tho, the park - the above shot was from the Needles Overlook. The Needles look a lot like the Hoo-doos at Bryce Canyon National Park, which is also located in Utah.
The above photo was from the Grand View Point at Canyonlands. It's huge, but in a way, is like a small Grand Canyon, which gives you the idea of how big the Grand Canyon is! It's actually quite breath-taking to just look at this. Puts things (and you!) in perspective!!
This was a lovely viewpoint of a rock formation called the Candleholder - it's on the right center of the photo. I just had to include the full landscape so you can get an idea of how wonderful it is there!


Finally, here's a photo of Buck Canyon. I just loved the impression of how it seems to be reaching toward you. There were many, many other canyons in the park, but I only chose just a few of the photos to give you a bit of a taste for what it was like to be there! Worth a visit - and it's right "next door" to Arches National Park, so you really can get your fill of natural wonders by visiting this area. We didn't stop at Arches this time - we did visit there a few years back. Enjoy !!


Monday, September 27, 2010

Monument Valley

The photo below was taken as we approached Monument Valley, and the above photo was taken as we were leaving Monument Valley. Many movies (John Wayne) and commercials (Marlboro Man) were filmed here in Monument Valley. Photos just don't do this area justice - it's so vast!
The photo below was just an amazing coincidence - we happened to be in the right place at the absolute best time! We were in our campground and took this from there. It was just a magical moment.




Saturday, September 25, 2010

Sedona

Our next stop was at a state park near Sedona. We drove into Sedona for dinner one night, and I got these great shots. The above shot was actually taken after dinner, just after the sun set, but during that great time when it still lights up the sky wonderfully!
This shot happened before dinner, when we were driving down a residential type road. Can you imagine having this view from your house? Not all houses did, but I'm sure that those that did cost a pretty penny! Enjoy!!

Fool Hollow Lake State Park

Welcome to our annual Sept RV trip! First stop was this wonderful state park in the northeast corner of Arizona. The above photo is a view from our campsite - who would think you'd find pine trees in Arizona? Most folks just think of Arizona as Phoenix - desert, rock & cactus, but it's so much more!
I love the scale that the yellow kayak gives to the bluffs. This view was not too far from our campsite as we were taking a walk on some trails nearby.

Isn't this a serene view? Again, along a trail, we came up to the same bluffs as the previous photo. What a wonderful discovery this state park was - and, believe it or not, it was located in the town of Show Low. We think it may have started out as a dream of a subdivision, but money ran out, and so now it's a dream that everyone can share in! Enjoy!