Arches National Park lies north of Moab in the state of Utah. Bordered by the Colorado River in the southeast, it’s known as the site of more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, such as the massive, red-hued Delicate Arch in the east. Long, thin Landscape Arch stands in Devils Garden to the north. Other geological formations include Balanced Rock, towering over the desert landscape in the middle of the park.
Never had the time to complete documenting our summer travels with our granddaughter – so the next couple of posts will cover the rest of our Utah travels.
Monument Valley Tribal Park AZ /UT
Monument Valley, a red-sand desert region on the Arizona-Utah border, is known for the towering sandstone buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. The park, frequently a filming location for Western movies, is accessed by the looping, 17-mile Valley Drive. The famous, steeply sloped Mittens buttes can be viewed from the road or from overlooks such as John Ford’s Point.
Mexican Hat Utah
The village itself is small, home to fewer than 100 people but the surrounding scenery is exceptional and not often visited, featuring 1,200 foot sandstone cliffs at the edge of Cedar Mesa, deep, layered canyons of the San Juan River, vast sandy desert plains, and a wide valley studded with isolated red rock buttes and mesas.
Kodachrome SP and Grosvenor Arch
As you drive on the bumpy dirt road towards Grosvenor Arch, you see miles and miles of sage brush on rolling terrain. So when you finally arrive at the arch, this sandstone structure’s massiveness is jaw-dropping. Sheer and colossal cliffs—quite an impressive sight, indeed. The “arch” is actually two arches, which tower 150 feet above the ground. The largest arch is nearly 100 feet in diameter. In 1949, the arch was named in honor of National Geographic Society president Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, who became the first full-time editor of the National Geographic magazine. Grosvenor Arch is part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (formerly part of Kodachrome Basin State Park), and is one of the biggest such arches within the monument. Poised at the end of a sandstone ridge, Grosvenor Arch feels remote, but is in close proximity to Kodachrome Basin State Park.
The left and center photos are from the Angel’s Palace Trail, a 1.5-mile hike that boasts some of the area’s finest views from over 100 feet above the canyons floor.
After spending 3 months in Florida including Christmas week with our entire family and a long weekend with my highschool friends and their spouses we headed back to Pasadena. I’m getting prepared to have my left knee replaced after success with having the right knee done last August. Hiking and walking to build up some strength drove me to walk the Arroyo and revisit some sites which make me remember why Pasadena is such a lovely city.
This was my second trip to Upper Antelope Canyon where our hike started at 10:30 am as opposed to the last time when it was at noon. The slot canyons were as beautiful as I remembered. I found this a better time for photography because of a softer light vs. direct overhead light at noon. Note that the featured image is that of a heart — didn’t see that last time. Check out my website for the differences between each shoot (new photos should be posted later in the week).
June 1st hiking the Cape Final Trail and touring Cape Royal Road then heading to Page Az for more adventures in Indian Country.
Cape Royal Trail
Cape Final Trail
Vermillion Clifts
On the 31st we drove through the East Side tunnel to leave Zion (interesting – a little less than a mile long but it has 5 cutouts in the tunnel walls where you can get views of the canyon) and stopped at the Canyon Overlook Trail for a hike over the canyon wall for a view back at Lower Zion Canyon and Pine Creek Canyon. Then off to the north rim stopping along the way at Checkerboard Mess to view the wind and water erosion along a bee hive mountain. Arrived at the north rim at noon and hiked the Bridal Path Trail and the trail to Bright Angel Point. We had dinner plans at the Grand Canyon lodge but we had time to see several viewpoints — Point Imperial, Vista Encantada and Roosevelt Point. Dinner was excellent in a dinning room with great canyon views.
Canyon Overlook / Checkerboard Mesa
Point Imperial, Vista Encantada
Arrived in Las Vegas after a flight from Raliegh on May 29th – our trip was with our grand-daughter Haley as an 8th grade graduation present – then drove to Zion for a late afternoon shuttle trip for an overview of the park. On the 30th we took several hikes including the Watchman trail, Grotto Trail, Emerald Pools trail, The Narrows, Court of the Patriarchs and on the 31st the Canyon Overlook trial as we moved on to the Grand Canyon.
A look back at Carara National Park and views of our departure dinner at the Park Cafe – a Michelin stared restaurant in an antique shop in San Jose.
Views from Guanacaste and the Pacific Coast.
for additional photos please visit — www.peterskucmaphotography.com/International-Travel/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/ and www.peterskucmaphotography.com/International-Travel/Costa-Rica/Central-Pacific/
Travelling Photographer 