August 19, 2020
Another set of significant sites within the Bears Ear National Monument is part of the Shash Jaa unit, and, more broadly, part of the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway.. Its Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings made it a must-see on my way to Natural Bridges National Monument, specifically the House Read more…
Who’s got the gossip? This rock does! The Newspaper Rock, a notepad nearly 2,000 years in the making and 200 feet tall along a cliff in the Indian Creek Canyon, tells countless stories. As one of the busiest slabs of ancient communication, the Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument is officially Read more…
August 18, 2020
I re-entered Arches National Park when the sky grew dark and found it to be just as busy as it was in the daytime. Perhaps it seemed more so as every passing vehicle would impact my every shot. I decided I’d go to the area called Wall Street for several Read more…
With more than 2,000 arches within its 76,000 acres, Arches National Park is a huge tourist draw. And given the accessibility and relatively short hikes about their most iconic arches, I knew I couldn’t pass it up during the daytime hours… and during the night time hours. Which meant two Read more…
These folks know something I was about to learn: That watching the sunrise through Canyonlands National Park‘s Mesa Arch is a magical show. So rather than deconstruct sunshine, I’ll just show you how beautiful it was to see. You want to watch that orange glow and what it does to Read more…
August 17, 2020
Even though true night would start hours later and because of dangerous cliffs and the prospect of losing my footing in the dark, I began shooting at the start of the Milky Way rise… 9:10 to be exact. Look how visible it is despite the sky still being very light-filled. Read more…
There are several legends surrounding the origin of Dead Horse Point State Park’s name and each is upsetting and unfortunately quite literal, having to do with dead horses. The most popular version begins in the 1800’s when the area used to have herds of wild mustangs about, living their lives Read more…
Those of you who have followed my adventures may remember my becoming semi-obsessed with petroglyphs on my trip to New Mexico a couple of years back. With this area’s ancient history vivid on the surrounding walls, I would rekindle this love and seize the opportunity to find and document these Read more…
I have this thing that happens at sunrise. I bolt up and grab my camera, often leaving within the same minute of the bolting up! Since these sunrise pictures of the hoodoos at Goblin Valley State Park are in my view better than the sun-drenched ones mid-day, here they are Read more…
August 16, 2020
Another extraordinary sky fell upon this extraordinary landscape. And I had some big photo plans. First, I’d need the Milky Way. And boom, there it is. Next, I’d need a good spot. Yes, this would be perfect. Then–become a Galaxy Fighter! Yes, a weird idea I had on my couch Read more…
In yet another fascinating display of what time and the elements can do to the land, it would be a hunt for whimsical Jurassic-era sandstone creatures of all shapes and sizes within Goblin Valley State Park. Used in the film Galaxy Quest, the otherworldly landforms span three free-roamable square miles Read more…
August 15, 2020
The Great Starry Way continues with my dark sky park number 10, Bryce Canyon National Park. Much like Cedar Breaks the previous night, this park also boasts a high altitude and pure deep, unadulterated darkness. Though I was skeptical that a sky could come close to last night’s, Bryce Canyon Read more…
Every once and a while you need to splurge on yourself. You are, after all, your most important supporter. So on this night, watching the pink landforms catch the last rays of the day’s light on their outdoor deck, I showed myself how good I can treat myself–at Stone Hearth Read more…
After my strenuous dip into Utah’s national parks, starting at Zion, Bryce Canyon National Park was very “user friendly.” You can drive and park to all of the gorgeous viewpoints–offering the best perspective in which to view its prominent features: 14 amphitheaters of hoodoo action, layers of time-worn rock–some gracing Read more…
Peekaboo Canyon in Kanab, Utah offers clearly labelled vegan pizza and burger options. Shying away from packaged vegan cheese, I got the Something Special with their housemade basil pesto, roasted tomatoes and artichokes. It was so good–reminded me a bit of an old staple I used to eat years ago, Read more…
August 14, 2020
Like all of this land, indigenous peoples got to know it prior to European-American settlers’ arrival and established names based on its distinguishing features. The Southern Paiute called Cedar Breaks National Monument “u-map-wich”, which translated to “the place where the rocks are sliding down all the time..” The Southern Paiute’s Read more…
August 13, 2020
Before Zion National Park was declared a national park, it was a national monument–Mukuntuweap National Monument, established in 1909. The words of Mormon bigwig Isaac Behunin appealed to decision makers when it received national park designation. He said, “A man can worship God among these great cathedrals as well as Read more…
I will be seeing several ghost towns on my trip through Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Though most will be at the latter end when I am away from the tricky landscapes–within previous Gold Rush hot spots. But Grafton, established 1859 on order of Mormon bigwig Brigham Young, is right outside Read more…
Look at a topographical map of the United States and find the big mass of crinkled brown. That will be my home for the next 14 days. The extreme landforms of this part of the country are otherworldly, beautifully impractical. Lack of easy access to water and its canyons, cliffs, Read more…
August 12, 2020
Las Vegas is an ideal start/end for escapes to the desert’s surrounding natural beauty. But before I run to the red rocks of Utah, some of Vegas’s offerings, starting with an immediate drive to all-vegan VegeNation. I was shocked to learn that their head chef Donald Lemperle has major New Read more…
I’m heading out… the road beckons. And I abide. It’s a magical place–one of immediate consequence, one where you are you in your most potent form. And she is a me I adore. A fact that can bring me to tears and has, followed by a giggle of my own Read more…
August 4, 2020
Ten years ago (!) I was in Moab, Utah, visiting Arches National Park just a few months after getting my first DLSR. Checking my archive I found a slew of pictures from the area, getting me very excited to be finally returning in the coming weeks. As my days are Read more…
July 24, 2020
My trip to Virginia’s dark sky parks was a good effort, but cloud cover was a big issue. In the brief sliver of time when the clouds opened up at James River State Park, I did mange some shots. Then the rain came again, bringing me back to my tent Read more…
July 23, 2020
Though the strong rains invaded the majority of my trip, I managed to set up camp at James River State Park in spite of it. It also happens to be another IDA certified Dark Sky Park–well what do ya know? But first, some daytime scenes, mostly in the river, mostly Read more…
Though most of the old Western State Hospital, whose history I summarized here in my DeJarnette post, has been repurposed or is in some phase of construction to be repurposed, there are still some parts to explore. Like the old steam plant–available for sale! And it looks very much like Read more…
Of course I had a couple of abandoned spots on my recent itinerary, starting on day one as I drove through Baltimore. Though I devoted a good amount of my morning trying to access Forest Haven Asylum, all my efforts were in vain. It was actually quite humorous as I Read more…