White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument is an amazing place in the southern part of New Mexico. Not really sand at all, the dunes are made of gypsum. The gypsum is from the nearby mountain ranges. While typically the gypsum would be dissolved by the water and eliminated via water run-off, this place is different. The water here runs into a basin where there is no outlet. Once the water seeps into the ground, the gypsum is left in crystallized form.

The dunes it forms are amazingly tall. The day we went, kids were sledding down the sides and scrambling up to the top again. We looked at the evidence showing how the dunes moved over time.

But sunset makes this place magical. The light brings out the colors of the area. People wandered among the plants snapping photos where shadows formed that previously had none. Items in silhouette were stunning against the desert sky.

Byodo-In Temple, Hawaii

Who has ever fed the fish at the Byodo-In Temple in Hawaii? If so, you likely have a photo just like this one. The temple is built in a valley on the island of Oahu where the light brings out all of the colors of the surrounding area and the air is heavy but cool.

Around the temple is a large "lake" of water that is stocked with fish. The nearby gift shop has fish food for sale. So it's common to see people feeding the fish. What was surprising is how active they were at grabbing their next bite. Years later, I went back to this temple. These fish are now almost a foot long and not nearly as cute during fish feeding time.

Red Rocks

Halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff AZ, in the Verde Valley, you will find Sedona and the great Red Rocks.  If you have time, the surroundings make for great reason to get off of the streets and head out via hiking paths or jeep tours.  

You may have also noticed this area as the back drop in many movies used throughout the middle of the twentieth century.  So between the places celebrating the vistas, and the feeling of the old west, you might also find a dash of Hollywood.

In addition to the great things that Sedona is known for, they also have some silly claims to fame.  For example, Sedona is the home to the only McDonald's with turquoise arches versus the common yellow ones that we see (literally) everywhere else in the world.

Las Vegas, Baby

I love things that make you stop in your tracks and just take in your surroundings.  That's what I did when I stopped in the Bellagio Hotel Lobby in Las Vegas.  What was just a normal hotel lobby became something special due to this installation from the artist Dale Chihuly.  

It is comprised of over 2000 glass flowers which is located on the ceiling of the hotel lobby.  I wish I could say that I was the only one impacted by this work.  But any quick Google search shows photos all over Flicker, YouTube and other sites on the internet by others who were similarly affected.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

There are few places where I can instantly relax.  For some reason, the Grand Canyon is one of those places.  I arrive and instantly feel calm.  And when I'm there, I force myself to get up and watch the sunrise every time.  It really is the best time at the canyon.  The other tourists are not yet out in full force, so it is one time when you can really watch the scene and take in the sights without a lot of others around.  

This photo was taken just to the east of Yavapai point one morning.  The sun lights up the entire face of the canyon in the morning light.  I was sitting with others and we were chatting watching the sunlight.  We could hear something walking behind us and found three elk wandering down the trail and finding the good eats for their breakfast.  It was awesome that they weren't afraid of us and continued to munch until they heard a couple wandering down the trail toward them.  It is experiences like this one that draws me back often.

Four Corners Petroglyphs

I love this petroglyph that was discovered on a trip around the four corners area.  I especially love the man that is carried off by the bird.  Wonder what happened to inspire the artist with that image.

Tortilla Flat and Apache Trail

If you have a spare time in Phoenix, I highly recommend this trip! This is a view of Canyon Lake on the way to Tortilla Flat. Canyon Lake has a couple of marinas and places where you can watch the boats as you eat lunch. I once learned that Arizona has the highest percentage of boat regristrations per capita. In the midst of the desert, there is a lot of water.

With a current population of 6, Tortilla Flat is the last stagecoach stop on the Apache trail still in existence. It's a short drive from Phoenix, but gets you out in the desert.

If you have enough time, take the whole day and finish the entire 13 miles of the Apache Trail through the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest. Currently the trail is a gravel road (at times it is only a lane wide as you wind down a mountainside, so it isn't for those who have a great fear of heights). You will see some amazing sites along the salt river with the trail ending at Roosevelt Dam. This trail is beautiful in the spring when the valleys fill with wildflowers.

Washington DC

Like so many American kids, my first trip without my family was to Washington DC, the Nation's Capital.  Our bus ride was a long one from the Midwest... two full days.  It included a stop in some college town where we spent the night in college dormitories and, in general, got into innocent trouble.

(Of course there was the kid who also wandered away from the group, supposedly spent the night drinking, and was too late to catch his bus in the morning.  His mom was a chaperone for one of the groups and she stayed behind as the officials planned to drag the river.  I'm glad I wasn't him.  Of course, I'm glad I wasn't the mother either.)

So after a long, eventful trip out East, we were pulling into Washington DC.  Who could forget it... the freeway with 8 lanes in each direction.  Growing up where I did, most of my travel was on winding two-lane roads.  I had never seen anything like this expressway.  The leaders said that our first stop was at the Mall.

I was in the back of the bus and generally we weren't paying attention.  Some kid asked where we were going.  My friends and I said we were going shopping.

In our defense, we did come back to the bus loaded up with t-shirts, coffee cups and key chains.  The perfect holiday gifts.

Monument Valley

One time I took a road-trip around the 4 corners region with a friend from college. We must have covered well over one thousand miles and we saw a lot for our 7 day investment. One of the highlights was a trip to Monument Valley.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't expecting a site where we'd wander down a gravel path onto the valley floor as we drove past these vistas that were absolutely amazing. It was a warm day, with perfect sunshine in May. I'm not sure that words can capture the dusty, dry air and feeling of serenity and wonder that was experienced on this trip.

Seward, Alaska

Seward, Alaska is just a few hours from Anchorage, Alaska and is a common end point for cruise ships, trains and cars.  So given the inaccessibility of many places in Alaska, this one has many transportation options.  

Another claim to fame for this town is the use of the site to rescue and rehabilitate the animals after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.  So the harbor was someplace that I really wanted to visit.  And I'm glad we did.  Off in the distance we could see this family of otters floating on their backs and playing in the harbor water.

Hawaiian Hibiscus

I'm feeling very "springy" and thinking of flowers.  This is a great example of the Hawaiian State Flower, the Yellow Hibiscus.  The hibiscus loves the weather in Hawaii and grows all over the islands.  This one grows along the street near Waikiki Beach and earned a quick snap.

It's only after I had the film developed that I saw the little lizard to the left of the blossom.  He didn't hang out long.  He had disappeared in my next photo just seconds later.