Mighty 5 Begins: Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome Basin, and Grand Staircase-Escalante

After being wowed by the geology of Valley of Fire in Nevada, we headed into Utah — a state that is completely new to both of us, and which is home to some of the most dramatic rock formations in the US. Our plans take us through all of Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks, as … Read more

Impressed by a Hole in the Ground at the Grand Canyon

With 6 million visitors per year, it’s the second-most visited national park after Great Smoky Mountains NP – which is surrounded by developed areas, doesn’t charge an entrance fee, and has a major roadway running right through its middle. The Grand Canyon is America’s top destination park, and 90% of those visitors go to the … Read more

More Than Just Standing Around on Corners in Winslow, Arizona

Well, so much for the trees. After leaving Cottonwood and its relatively leafy environment, we headed to northeastern Arizona, where the Colorado Plateau put us at relatively high elevation but in an arid desert environment with virtually no trees in sight. The flat, scrubby high plains just go on forever.  We were scheduled to be … Read more

Tucson Part 2: Expanding Our Explorations

Our second full week in Tucson offered a chance to dive deeper into the offerings of this vibrant little city. By staying in one place, we grew more accustomed to the rhythms of the city, including but not limited to the training schedule of the Air Force base located near our campground. We focused our … Read more