Old Faithful Inn

If I could transport my loved ones and myself to any one place in the world at this very moment, it would be to the Old Faithful Inn. So tranquil, quiet and peaceful, despite the crowds. I loved the time we spent there, and I look forward to when we'll get a chance to return.

If you've never been, do yourself the favor of spending an evening, whether you opt to spend the night or not.

Grand Canyon

I can't wait to get back to explore the Grand Canyon more thoroughly. I want to do the rim to rim hike, raft the river, the whole deal. It was magnificent just from the rim - I can only imagine what it will be like to see it in depth.

Until then, here's a tough old tree living out its existence where few dare to walk, right on the rim.

Morning Glory Pool

So, I'm ready for another trip to Yellowstone.

Great Sand Dunes

I like this one for the perspective it gives. The park is called Great Sand Dunes for a reason - there's a lot of sand here.

Moonset at Bryce Canyon

The sun coming up, the moon going down. Just another view on Bryce Canyon.

Jackson Lake

Grand Teton National Park was extraordinarily beautiful. Of all the places we visited during our trip, this was the one I would first jump at the chance to spend a week or two. It was calm, quiet, relaxing, and gorgeous. I hope to make it back for a more extended visit before too much time passes.

This photograph is from Jackson Lake, in the northern part of the park.

Beehive Geyser

We saw a number of geysers go off, but this one was particularly fun, since it's less predictable than some of the other large geysers. The amount and the force of the water was incredible.

Badlands

We didn't get to spend a lot of time in the Badlands, but it's a very interesting place. I hope to make it back up for a more extensive visit another time.

Emulating Ansel Adams

When at the Grand Tetons, I simply had to go take my version of Ansel Adams' Snake River photograph. I prefer his, but I figured I'd share this one. It's interesting to compare. More Tetons to come.

Bryce Canyon Tunnel

More beauty from Bryce Canyon. This tunnel is part of the below-the-rim trail that we hiked. The tricky part about hiking into a canyon is that the end of the hike is all uphill. Gets a bit tiring, but well worth it.

Yellowstone Hot Spring

Just the first of the Yellowstone photographs. We spent about a third of our trip at Yellowstone, and it's my favorite park, no matter the crowds. It's one of a kind. Here's a shot I grabbed during one of my walks around the Upper Geyser Basin in the evenings with the boys.

Sunrise over Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon was a wonderful surprise, exceedingly beautiful, peaceful, and calm. The reddish color is stunning, and I found it very difficult to capture with my camera.

I like a handful of the photographs I brought home from Bryce Canyon, but I didn't fully capture that ethereal red. I have some ideas for the next time I'm there, but that may be years, if I ever do make it back.

If you're ever in the area, be sure to check out Bryce Canyon, and I recommend staying the night. The sunrise is chilly, but spectacular.

Landscape Arch

If you ever make it out to Arches National Park, I highly recommend the mile hike out to Landscape Arch. It's over 100 yards long, and tantalizingly thin. It looks like it may come down at any moment. Hurry up and see it before it's too late!

Animas River

Not a national park photograph, but this is part of the San Juan National Forest. This photograph was taken from the Durango-Silverton Narrow Guage train. It was a long but beautiful ride.

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Canyonlands

Another beautiful park with few fellow visitors. Canyonlands is stunning, but it does take some of the "wow" out of the Grand Canyon - just a heads up.

Great Sand Dunes

Probably the most suprising national park, I just loved Great Sand Dunes. To get to the dunes, you cross a beautiful mountain stream by foot, and then it's a seemingly endless amount of sand to play with. You have free range of the stream and the dunes, so you can go off to a place by yourself, or you can play with others. It's very pleasant, and I'm sure I'll go back.

If you ever find yourself in southern Colorado, I highly recommend a visit to this park.

Grand Canyon Sunset

Here is the first of many photographs I have to share from my recently completed tour of 10 western national parks. This one is from the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We happened to be there on the 4th of July.

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