— In 2013, our summer vacation took us to the west coast. More specifically, we visited San Francisco, Alcatraz Island National Recreation Area, Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake and Muir Woods National Monument. We had read some about Muir Woods … Read More

— Glistening white sands cover an area approximately 275 square miles of desert in New Mexico. White Sands National Monument is the world’s largest gypsum dune field. An otherworldly landscape, the area reaches temperatures over 100ºF (38ºC) in the summer months, … Read More

— Canyon de Chelly National Monument is a scenic wonder. In addition to the breathtaking views, though, this National Park Service (NPS) unit has other singular distinctions. For example, the NPS works together with the Navajo Nation in the administration of … Read More

— Bandelier National Monument is a protected area near Los Alamos, New Mexico. It covers 33,677 acres and was designated a national monument on February 11, 1916. A visitor can walk around the various trails to get a glimpse of Puebloan people’s … Read More

— On our way from Bryce Canyon NP to Arches NP, we stopped at the ranger station at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Since we had some time to get to Arches, we asked the ranger if there was any hike … Read More

— On April 16, 1908, Utah’s first national monument was established by President  Theodore Roosevelt. It was named Natural Bridges National Monument in honor of the three magnificent bridges sculpted by wind and water erosion. Although several names had been … Read More

— Located in the Gila National Forest, southwest New Mexico, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument was established on November 16, 1907, by President Theodore Roosevelt through executive proclamation. In the 1200’s, the Mogollon culture settled in the area and … Read More

The Mittens at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park – This image is nine years old, but its magic is never lost. The camera used was a Canon PowerShot G5. The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is on the border of … Read More

— There are three natural bridges in Natural Bridges National Monument: Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo. Owachomo (“rock mound” in Hopi) is the thinnest of them the three and believed to be the oldest, too. Because of its span, age and … Read More