Beautiful Places Part 5

Moving on from the highway following the Colorado River, here are a few shots from Arches National Park.  I didn't get to spend much time there, pretty much just a quick drive through and grabbing shots of things close to the road.  Still not much sun, but it was still gorgeous!  

It seems a lot of the formations were in groups of threes.  I think this one looks like a group of bystanders, huddled together waiting for the parade to begin, with the lizard king there on the right keeping watch for the first entry in the procession.  :)

I would love to go back when the sun is shining and take a few of the short hikes back to some of the other arches you can't see from your car.

There is still a lot you can see even on a rushed tour through like I did.

I think this looks like an elephant!  :)

This reminds me of the Three Wise Men, except these three look like they would be more at home in Chalmun's Cantina on Tatooine (from Star Wars fame).   And, instead of frankincense and myrrh,  the one on the left is bringing a stuffed elephant.  And, instead of lambs and cows milling about around the manger there's a lion sleeping on a stack of pancakes.  (See his cute little tail hanging down the side?)  Hmmmm . . hope there aren't any psychoanalysts reading this post . . .  ;)

This is their "signature" arch, the one they use on all their promotional materials.

And, through the miracle of Photoshop, a bit more of a close up of said arch!

I did have to hike a teeny way to get this one!  You have to shimmy through a narrow passageway through the rocks, and then trek a little way through dunes of really fine red sand.  I finally ended up taking my shoes off to walk through it and it felt simply delightful!  Cool, silky sand between the toes . .  oh, boy!  (But, I did find quite a pile of it in my shoes when I got home!  I didn't mean to steal anything from the park, but . . . I was glad to find it!  I was wishing I had taken some, it was so pretty!  I think I may have to start a little collection of sand from places I visit!  I'll have to stay on the lookout for some pretty way to display it!)

There is a campground allllll the way at the end of the park.  I think it would be absolutely fantastic to be able to stay there sometime and explore more of the park at a more leisurely pace.  It is within walking distance of several of the arches, some I didn't have time to hike back to!  Maybe one of these days!

Next up . . . will be just a quick post . . . I sure hope you'll stop back by to check it out!  More of the trip!  And after that, the final installation of this series will be of the critters I ran into along the way! 

Beautiful Places Part 4

Hello, again!  I'm back with a few more pics from my trip.  I last left you in Colorado and I am picking up from there to continue on my journey.  There were some sprinkles up there that made their way onto the windshield as I was driving through.  

I kept hoping the sun would win the game of hide-and-seek with the clouds, but no such luck.  I got a little sun, but not a lot.

The clouds followed me to Utah.  The closer I got to Arches National Park, the more overcast it got.  But, I did have a little sun off and on while wending my way through the backroads along the Colorado River.

Can you just imagine the color that would appear here if the sun were to suddenly burst forth and bathe these cliffs in it's warm golden glow?  Since there had been rain recently, there was a lot of green against all that red rock.

The Le Sal mountains far off in the background were covered with snow, which I suspect was a recent happening!

The rock formations were just gorgeous and so varied and intricate.  It almost looks more like a painted backdrop than reality.  It would be such a treat to spend a year watching how the light and shadow play on them throughout the year!  From dawn to dusk!  Just grab a nice glass of wine and commune with the lizards and cottontails while watching the clouds drift by.

Is it just me?  But, this formation reminds me of a ship.  The bow lifting just slightly up out of the water.  Perhaps I just have traveling and cruises on my mind . . .  Can you see the ship?

This seems to me the iconic representation of all the deadwood that you see everywhere out in the canyonlands.  A sculptural masterpiece in its own right.  I still have more vacation pics to share, which I hope to be able to do in a couple of days!  I also have several pics of some of the wildlife I came across, for which I will create a separate post later, so stay tuned!  Hope to see you back here soon!  TTFN my little BFF!  ;)

Beautiful Places - Part 2

I'm all agog with how beautiful this country is!  No matter how many times I see some of these places, I'm still awestruck!

They make me want to quit my job and use all my time just watching the light play on them.  All things considered, I don't imagine I could really just live off the land.

I mean, I really like eating, and showering regularly, sleeping in a bed . . . with a roof over my head.  So, I would have to continue working.

And, I don't imagine I would make a great tour leader to take people on backcountry hikes.  

Nor lead them down whitewater rafting corridors.

Nor lead them straight up cliff walls.

So, I'm afraid I'll have to just try to capture the beauty with my lens as best I can on my little point and shoot and visit in person when I can.  

Perhaps one day, I'll be able to visit more than once every 15 years or so!  ;)

Anyway, these are a few more pics of our beautiful land!  I do hope you get a chance to visit the beautiful places in your area often!

See you later!

Beautiful Places - Part 1

There are sooooo many beautiful places out there to explore.  I thought I'd share some pics taken along highway 167 running along the west/north side of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Late afternoon sun.

So many pretty spots, and not nearly enough time or places to pull over to take pictures!

There was one place called Redstone that was simply gorgeous, I got some pics of the back side of it, but there was a vehicle that pulled in there just ahead of me.  They were rude and scary drivers, and I didn't want to get too close to them so I had to drive on.  *pouty face*

There were so many colors in the rock and the golden rays of the sun were bathing them in such beautiful velvety shadows.  

It just makes you want to stay and take pic after pic!  Gorgeous!  If you haven't already been there, I hope you get a chance to visit!  If you have been, perhaps it's time to go back!

I never did see any of the wild horses that the ranger said roam around there.  But, maybe next time!  However, as I was driving through Riverside, UT, I did a double take.  I saw a big dark shape moving in the weeds on the side of the road.  A bird.  A LARGE bird.  A large, dark colored bird . . . with . . . things sticking out of the top of it's head.  I couldn't get stopped to take a pic, but wish I could have, because it's not every day you see a peacock foraging along the side of the road around here!  I did turn around and go back, but . . .  I guess he was camera shy, I couldn't find him again!  Well, that's it for now!  See you later! ! !