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IN THE BEGINNING
God created the heavens and the earth and left some of the most
beautiful sights right here in America for our continual viewing.
Southern Utah
Southern Utah provides several of the most spectacular National Parks,
Monuments and Sites to be found anywhere in the United States. Breathtaking vistas
of magnificent geological formations are found at every bend in the road. Colors
change constantly as shadows and weather conditions highlight new vistas.
Arches National Park (above)
is the most accessible, only 30 miles south of I-70 on the road to Moab, UT. The natural arches and rock
formations are inspiring. For a special treat take Highway 126 from Cisco to Moab
and drive through the red sandstone canyon carved by the Colorado River.
Formations in Capitol Reef National
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Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument
and Capitol Reef National Park can all be
reached from either Moab or Blanding,
UT . We took a very enjoyable dirt road from River Ford in Capitol Reef
through Cathedral Valley. |
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4-Wheel vehicles are recommended but we only used it to
ford the creek. Moab is a sportsman paradise so motel rooms fill up fast in the
summer. Be sure to reserve in advance. This area is one our favorites for pure
natural beauty.
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Sheep Rock in Arches National Park |
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It took us 3 tries to finally find Cedar Breaks National Monument open.
Once, in early June, it was still covered with 20 feet of snow. The wait was worth
it. This beautiful multi-colored natural amphitheater should not be missed. It
is only 22 miles from Cedar City, UT,
Use the back road to Bryce Canyon National Park. |
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Colorado
The Black Canyon of
the Gunnison National Monument is off US Highway 50 between Gunnison and Montrose, Colorado. The Gunnison
River dug the canyon, 1,725 feet deep and 1,150 feet across, as it rushed to converge with
the mighty Colorado. The views from the well-traveled South Rim are breath taking,
but the North Rim is our favorite. |
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Great Sand Dunes
Colorado
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What a sight! The tallest sand dunes in
America are constantly shifting and replenishing themselves in front of the majestic
Colorado Rocky Mountains. Great
Sand Dunes National Monument is 32 miles from Alamosa,
CO and provides all the fun of a sandy beach 1,000s of miles from the ocean.
Just beware of the "no see ums". They ate us alive. |
Hawaiian Volcano
The highlight of our Hawaii vacation was
a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter flight over
the active Pu’u O’o vent of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park. Breath-taking is too mild to describe the feeling of looking down
into a huge pool of molten lava bubbling out of the bowels of the earth. You know
this is the home of Mephistopheles. |
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Washington State
The Cascades in fog
Washington State is the home of three outstanding National Parks.
The preserves are a paradise for outdoorsmen, and breathtaking to the casual
sightseer. Our visit proved we could take as good or better pictures in poor weather
as we could during bright sunlight.
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Mt. Rainier National Park
features a road circling the spectacular mountain. You are really too close to see the
mountain, but the scenery is spectacular.
North Cascades
National Park offers wonderful camping and hiking and the visitor center
presents one of the best audio-visual programs in the nation. Olympic National Park has lush rain
forests and beautiful sea shore vistas. |
The earth is not dead. It is in a continuous state of growth and
upheaval. The explosion of Mt. Saint Helens on May 18, 1980 changed the landscape of
central Washington and its ash fell on major portions of the United States and
Canada. The ultra-modern Mount St. Helens National
Volcanic Monument, east of Longview,
WA, offers spectacular views of the still smoldering crater. The
construction of the 20 mile, 4 lane divided highway into the visitors center was a major
economic boon (doggle?) for the area.
Craters of the Moon
Idaho
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There are many lava beds and extinct
volcanoes throughout our country. The most interesting is Craters of the Moon National Monument, located
100 miles northeast of Twin
Falls, ID. NASA thought it closely resembled lunar landscape so they used it
as a training site for the first moon landing. The park contains a wide variety of
lava flows, tubes and eerie formations. |
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