IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO & YELLOWSTONE PARK

On the way to Yellowstone National Park, we make a stop in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

                                     As you might have guessed, there are falls everywhere.

                A  gorgeous midway point from Moab, Utah to Yellowstone, Wyoming.

At 3,468 sq. miles, Yellowstone is located mostly in Wyoming, but extends into Montana and Idaho.
It was established in 1872 by President Grant and has the world's largest collection of geysers.

Yellowstone holds half of the earth's geothermal features.
These include hot springs, mudpots, and steaming fumaroles.

Did I mention geysers?
Old faithful erupes every 90 minutes.
Yellowstone's features are caused by the underlying magna body which is very close to the earth's surface.

Watch out, Ruth. Those superheated minerals and water can be 400F hot!

Our friend, Gene, is camping in the park.
We spend a great day siteseeing together.

My high school friend, Dave, and his wife, Janet, drive over from Helena, Mt. for a day hike.

We hike a high ridge along the Yellowstone and into broad meadows searching for game.

Is that an Elk?

The big game hunters celebrate a sucessful trip.

A REAL herd of Elk. lol

This one took my parking place!

And this one cut me off in traffic!

                      After a great time at Yellowstone, we head out to Rapid City, S.D.



UTAH'S NATIONAL PARKS

Travelling through Arizona, we pass the Glenn Canyon Dam.

This behemoth was built to supply big cities with their power demands.

As we enter Utah the landscape takes on beautiful shapes and colors.

On our travels in Utah we plan to visit the following -

Zion National Park

Bryce National Park

Capitol Reef National Monument

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Dead Horse State Park

If that sounds like a lot of territory, it is.

80% of the land in the state of Utah is under public domain.

Wide open spaces!

                At Zion National Park, we meet up with our friend Gene, who is camping in the park.

We go for a hike in "the narrows", a steep gorge cut through solid rock by flash floods from the Virgin River.

                                                  We pause at the confluence with another stream.

From this point the gorge is less than 50 feet across!

The wildlife is abundant in the park. On a hike to Emerald Pools we spot a deer feeding below us.

                    In Bryce Canyon National Park, we hike down the Queens Garden trail.

                         The trail is adorned with rock formations called, spires, fins, and Hoodoos.
                 Hoodoos are rock formations that seem to defy gravity.
They have been created over eons, as the softer type rock is eroded away, and the harder one remains.

An awesome rock garden!

We drive through Capitol Reef National Monument on our way to Canyonlands and Arches.
                                      It is a spectacular ridge of uplifted rock.

    
                    Dead horse State Park is one of the largest state parks in the U.S.
                                                It has an amazing landscape.





Canyonlands is a unique park with 3 areas - the Maze, the Needles, and Island in the Sky.

         From the Island in the Sky, the view is greater than the distance across Rhode Island!

This amazing network was the work of 2 rivers carving out rock.

We can see the Colorado to our north, while the Green flows south.

They eventually join and find their way to the Glen Canyon Dam - the first picture in this blog.

Arches National Park has over 2200 natural arch bridges.

           Landscape arch is one of the longest arches in the world.
It is over 3 football fields long and only 6 feet wide at it's narrowest point.

       Delicate arch is reached by a steep uphill trail.
       It is sometimes compared to a pair of cowboy chaps...
       or maybe women's bloomers! lol

As we rest by Mesa arch, we think about our next trip to Yellowstone.

WILLIAMS, ARIZONA & THE GRAND CANYON



Our drive from Santa Fe to Williams, Arizona is about 450 miles. 

We stop on route in Red Rock Park, New Mexico.

Some of the rest stops are very colorful!

We arrive in Williams, a quaint, old fashion, western town.

The town is located on Route 66.

There is nostalgia everywhere.



Watch it Don! That gas won't work in your Prius, lol.

                                                                                                                          

Another sweet ride.



We find the locals are real friendly.





I spoke too soon - looks like a gunfight!
(good thing they shoot blanks in those guns)




We arrive at the Grand Canyon and start to witness it's awesome beauty.





At 277 miles long, and up to 18 miles wide, the sights are indescribable.

At over one mile deep (6000 feet), humans are dwarfed on this outcrop.



We hike a ways into the canyon on Bright Angel Trail. In 1.5 mile, we drop about 1100 feet elevation.

We try a hand at carving out the canyon.
Fortunately, the Colorado River needs no help.

It has created a masterpiece!

As the sun sets over this great natural wonder, we travel on to Utah and it's amazing natural treasures.

 

SANTA FE

 






Santa Fe, the capitol of New Mexico, is known for it's art, history, and sunshine.

Founded in 1610, Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the U.S.

At 7,000 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is the highest capital city in the U.S.

                       There is music in the Plaza almost every day in the summer. 

                                             Ruth poses with one of the musicians.

Local artisans work with glass blowing equipment.

Don and Ruth check out the world-class art shops in town.

We drive out to the Bandelier National Monument to check out the archaeological sites.

In the park are Native American cliff dwellings and petroglyphs.

Don checks to see if there is a vacancy!

We spend a full day on the many trails that wind through Bandelier.

After a fun filled several days, we bid Santa Fe goodbye and head to the Grand Canyon.