There is just so much to see in southern Utah. There are the famous national parks, then there are the state parks which could easily be national parks, and then there are the national monuments and other sites. One of those is the Cedar Breaks National Monument. Located north of Zion National Park, it's a little out of the way and I suspect often overlooked as a result with all the other things to see and do in this part of Utah. Cedar Breaks is located in a volcano flow. You actually drive through it. You start out on a scenic [View Full Entry]

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Because I only had a few days in my mini vacation, I had to make some concessions on what I saw. Zion was one of the those concessions. I could have skipped it completely because I really didn't have time, but wanted to at least drive through it and get some views that way. I am so glad that I did. This is one of those Parks where I want to come back someday and spend more time at exploring rather than just driving through. Zion is one of the larger of Utah's national parks and very stunning. It's a mix [View Full Entry]

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This was my favorite of the National Parks I visited in Utah. I'm not counting the Grand Canyon because that's in a category all by itself. This is definitely a park that I want to come back and spend more time exploring in the future. Bryce Canyon National Park is stunning. Who knew it was possible for nature to make such amazing and colorful features all on its own? The formations look like they are ready to fall over yet are made of stone. According to Utah.com: "Millions of years of wind, water and geologic mayhem have shaped and etched the [View Full Entry]

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I have flown over the Grand Canyon several times in my life. Been to Las Vegas on four different occasions and have never actually set foot at the Grand Canyon. Decided it was high time and I was going to do it even it meant some slight detours. I wasn't quite sure what I expected as I made my way to the North Rim but it wasn't what I got. I drove from Monument Valley west and came across the Rainbow Plateau and Vermillion Cliffs which were a site by themselves. I also crossed the Navajo Bridge which is a historical [View Full Entry]

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Canyonlands National Park is a larger version of Dead Horse Point State Park with greater elevations and less the horse corral. According to the site americansouthwest.net:"Canyonlands National Park covers a vast area of rock wilderness in southeast Utah, centered around the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. Over millions of years, the rivers and their small tributaries have carved the flat sandstone rock layers into many amazing forms with a wide range of colors. The 530 square miles of the park contain countless canyons, arches, spires, buttes, mesas and a myriad of other spe [View Full Entry]

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Dead Horse Point State Park is one of those state parks where when you are at it you can't help but wonder how it is not a national park. It's probably because so much of southern Utah is already a series of national parks and something needed to be saved for the state. Beautiful park. According to the site GoUtah, "The name of the park comes from the legend that cowboys once chased wild horses onto the peninsula and fenced off the narrow 30 yard neck to create a large corral. They selected the best of the herd for use and [View Full Entry]

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First up in Utah was Arches National Park. Was very surprised as I made my way from Colorado to Utah how the rocks changed almost instantly from white rock to red rock. Where at the Colorado National Monument is was the white rock with occasionally brown and beiges and green trees and brush. In Arches, the red rock is what makes them famous. Got in last night right before sunset so was able to do a quick tour of some of the main sites on the south side of Arches National Park. Which was great which saved me some time the [View Full Entry]

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This is another one of those hidden spots in southern Utah that gets overlooked because of all the amazing national parks. There weren't a lot of people there when I was visiting but I was arriving late after having toured Canyonlands National Park. The Natural Bridges Monument is located off on its own southwest of Canyonlands. Very pretty scenic drive to get to it if you come from the north or east. The Natural Bridges Natural Monument has a number of natural bridges in residence. It's a smaller park/monument with a 9 mile loop drive to see the major lookouts of [View Full Entry]

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My jammed packed mini vacation has begun. Have a conference next week in Denver, so flew in a few days early to drive to Utah and see some of its famous national parks. On the way, I stopped at the Colorado National Monument. Ended up renting a Jeep Liberty which is a first for me and fit the occasion. The Colorado National Monument has a 23 mile scenic drive (Rim Rock Drive) with some great views of the canyons, cliffs and valley below. There are also a couple tunnels as well through the rock. It's located just off the road in [View Full Entry]

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My last day of the weekend to goof off and see some sites before flying back home and back to work. Left Baltimore early this morning and made the short drive to Annapolis. Unfortunately, I arrived in the midst of their triathalon and the result was roads closed everywhere. I was finally able to work my way to the Naval Academy stadium parking lot and caught a shuttle to the Academy. There, I took a tour which was great! Was about 1 1/2 hours long and our guide was very informative. We got to see the athletic center (navy students famous [View Full Entry]

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