Finishing the Mighty 5: Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point, and Moab

If you’ve ever seen a Jeep commercial or a western film, you already know what the region around Moab looks like. The red rock mesas with sheer vertical sides are some of the most familiar images of the American west. But while the sandstone formations were undoubtedly impressive, what really made it special for us … Read more

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

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