6/2/2025 Bryce Canyon National Park, Crossing the Utah state line

Bryce Tunnel Entrance

I started tracking the fog and mist from this interesting photo 

to others to show how the landscape is never static.

 Drizzling rain and hovering fog might have squelched others' 

plans for the morning hike, but our group didn't mind the amazing synchronicity we were experiencing with the shuttles 

and the knowledgeable drivers. 

Two things we knew immediately: we had to get to Bryce Point and Inspiration Point before the lightning lit up the afternoon sky.

Bryce Canyon

Get ready for an amazing climate change succession of colors.

"Chilly dawn, crystalline blue sky, and rocks ablaze with sunrise.

Cliffs and bulbous columns called hoodoos."

The attractions are multiplying in each neighborhood.

I didn't believe that Joseph actually smelled butterscotch whenever he passed a ponderosa pine (especially if the bark was stripped).

But I sniffed it in the air just a few feet away, then dared him to reenact "A Christmas Story" by licking it with his tongue.

Follow the Trails.

These two amazing works of art were perched 

between the visitor center and the small restroom. 

(Check out the scale provided 

by the guy in the Carolina blue shirt.)

Wilson Arch

Overland to Las Vegas

 6/1/2025-Antelope Slot Canyon tour, "another local wonder, full of a whimsical landscape of sandstone walls carved by wind and water."

Gathering our group together before entering the canyon.

In we go, excited to meet our incredible guide, Jamie. 

(fortunately for me, she knows I suck when it comes to the iPhone, 

so I just hand it to her and tell her to work her magic!)

I have officially surrendered my iPhone at this point, 

and I am now free to roam as close to Jamie as possible.

All by myself.

Amazing erosion spirals.

Jamie, the incredible local guide 

with extremely nimble iPhone technical knowledge.

The importance of scale.

I love this shot of Mike's look of wonder, 

which gave his wife, Roberta, and me 

plenty of opportunities to tease him throughout the trip.

The importance of the sun's position 

and the explosion of color.

The importance of the wind and rain position.

Tara and Barb are saving the best for last.
 

 5/30/2025 Exploring the Canyon's South Rim

We were ready for our helicopter flight over the Canyon.

Unfortunately, we were divided unevenly 

when we were ready for take-off 

(which I didn't understand since 10 divided by 2 equals 5). 

As soon as we ended up with 6, I knew we were toast 

when it came to getting a nice window seat for filming.

I will try to load some videos so you get an idea of the Canyon.

Lake Powell, 187 miles long, with a shoreline of more than 1,900 miles and almost 100 major side canyons, was formed in 1963 

with the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam.

The Colorado River and its tributaries feed much of the water for

 7 states- Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, 

Arizona, and New Mexico.

 

Joseph shows me how to photograph 2 of me in the same photo frame.

 Old and New Navajo Bridges over the Colorado River

 built in the 1990s next to an older one.

Joseph and Tara

Tower Lookout 

Tower Lookout above the Colorado River.

More Lake Powell Landscape

Lake Powell Colorado River Reflections

Glen Canyon Dam Bridge

 

 05/29-30/2025 Tusayan via Sedona                    

So many of my friends loved the Sedona Vibe, 

and its chances for incredible photography. 

I was so excited to start shooting until we were told

 there was no safe parking for our bus.

I had to photograph through dirty windows on our way to Tusayan, chosen for its proximity to the Grand Canyon.  

Needless to say, I was so ticked off enough to skip lunch 

and walk over 4 miles all over town to capture the best shots.

 05/26/2025 Taos Pueblo & Rio Grande Gorge

For over 1,000 years, Taos Pueblo 

has been the only living Native American pueblo 

that is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site 

and a National Historic Landmark. 

The mission churches are just one of the many historical 

and cultural features that make Taos Pueblo a World Heritage Site

 and a National Historic Landmark. 

The ruin of Mission San Geronimo and the rebuilt church 

are physical reminders of the turbulent history of the pueblo 

and the resilience of the Taos people.

Ai-thloo's (Grandma's) Cafe,

open for business thanks to her coveted Frito pies, 

Fresh Frybread, Red and Green Chile,

and Tara's favorite Pinon coffee.

The Sacred Mountain

(Taos Mountain or El Monte Sagrado)

The slopes lead up to Blue Lake,  

for spiritual and cultural traditions

and resting their ancestral dead. 

Taos Pueblo Cemetery

What possessed us to leave the warm and dry shelter 

of our van in pelting rain and a driving wind 

strong enough to blow us into kingdom come 

for a chance to take some photos 

of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, a steel-deck bridge 

565 feet above the river, with a 50-mile chasm 

dramatic vista plunging 800 feet?

These Bighorn sheep 

weren't bothered by the weather in the least.

 

Not far from the bridge was the strangest thing 

most of us had ever witnessed. 

Unfortunately, the weather worsened, and it was a challenge to take photographs of the "Garbage Warrior," Michael E. Reynolds'

Earthship Biotecture History.

For a wonderful biography of his life, check: https://earthship.com/earthship-history/