Utah inspires the artist in all of us. There was a heavy rain the day before was came through. It made the reds in the rock formations even more vibrant. On a day of 368 miles driving, we managed to see Lake Powell, Natural Bridges Natl Monument and Capital Reef National Park. Incredible! The first stop was Natural Bridges National Monument. The Bridges differ from arches because they are caused by the erosive action of moving water. Arches are caused by other erosive forces such as frost and seepage. There are three bridges in the Park with several great viewpoints. Off we go to Lake Powell. We stopped at the Bridge, and then later way above the Bridge for a better view. Lake Powell is the second largest man-made reservoir in the US. It was created ... read more

The Escalante Grand Staircase stretches from the Capital Reef National Park down to the Dixie National Forest. It is an incredible drive down HWY 12, known as once of the most scenic drives in the country. You are surrounded by Sandstone cliffs and Hoodoos. Once you leave the Grand Staircase, you head into Dixie National Forest. It has high heavily wooded mountains with lots of deer and cows. Although it is public lands, BLM will lease the land to ranchers to graze their cattle. The cows won't be there much longer, high altitude and it was getting very cold. It sure made for raw nerves, we had seen so much wildlife on the trip, but we were all very tired by this point. We traveled through several great small towns Kanab, Bryce and Mt. Carmel on ... read more

Have you ever been to a missile silo? Well we have. We headed out, just off the highway to a Minuteman Missile Silo. There was a very interesting guide there. He actually had worked at the site for many years. He gave us very informative tour and answered numerous questions. We drove on to the Badlands National Park. This area is formed by dry winds and arid conditions. I was surprised by the shear size of the park. There were great overlooks where you could see for miles. On the way to our hotel in Scottsbluff Ne, took off and drove to the small town of Hemingford. Ed's mother ,Rita, was born there. We drove around the quaint little town and the area. Very nice, small town, clean and quiet. Just what you would imagine in ... read more

We rounded up the group and headed off to Custer's Battlefield at Big Horn Mountain. Ed is a history buff and a wonderful tour guide. We started our "tour" by walking the battlefield down to the ravine. There are headstones placed along the field where the remains were found for the Soldiers and the Indians. The soldiers headstones are white and the Indians are red. It is interesting to see how the battle unfolded. There was a large Indian Encampment, approximately 5000, just over the ridge, beyond the ravine. As you walk down into the valley to the ravine you visualize the challenges that Custer's troop faced. There are small hills and mounds that entirely block your field of vision, or make it easy for you to disappear. The Indian warriors knew this land. They outnumbered ... read more

We left Ogden UT this morning and drove out to the Hill Aerospace Museum. We arrived before they opened, so we just walked around. This is what happened when you travel with a group. One of the guys is a military aircraft enthusiast. Onward to the wide open country of Wyoming. There we found the Fossil Butte National Monument. Very nice museum with information on the geology of the area and the fossil remains that were discovered in the area. On to Jackson WY. Several of us took a van into town for a beer at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. What a beautiful place. They don't make bars like this anymore. The bar stools are saddles, beautiful wood bars and western decor. We went next door for burgers and back to the rooms for an ... read more