Monument Valley
Monument Valley is the archetypal Classic Wild West. Even my first time here felt vaguely familiar. I had just found a job in Austin, Texas fresh out of grad school, and started rooming with my college buddy. My friend was…
Southwest
Lower Calf Creek falls
So called for its use as a natural pen for calves in the early 1900’s, the Calf Creek is a south flowing tributary of the Escalante river. Located in the canyon carved by the Calf Creek are two spectacular emerald…
Horseshoe Bend
An obscure sign in the middle of nowhere on Route 89 in Page, AZ beckons tourists to the Horseshoe Bend overlook parking lot. A small board at the parking lot (which perfectly echoes my philosophy on nature hikes) signals the…
Mishap at the Coyote Gulch
There was a time in my life when I was completely immersed with the beauty of the American Southwest. Its red rock terrain & its desolate yet paradisiacal landscapes had consumed my imagination. I felt truly ‘free’ in its wide…
“The Wave”
Coyote Buttes North, aka “The Wave“, is a highly photogenic geologic marvel located at the border of Arizona & Utah. It is believed to be formed over millions of years ago due to desert sand dunes compacting and forming striped…
Moab highlights: Arches & Canyonlands
Arches & Canyonlands, located just a short distance from Moab, form two of the “Mighty Five” National parks in Utah. They are the prime reason why Moab’s tourism has flourished over the years & has managed to establish itself as…
Photogenic Antelope Canyon
Page, Arizona is a very young city, formed in 1957 as a housing community for the workers and their families during the construction of the Glen Canyon dam on the Colorado river. In the past 10 years, Page has grown…
The lost view from False Kiva
The False Kiva is located in the ‘Island in the Sky’ district of Canyonlands National park and is an actual archaeological site dating back to 1200 A.D. Believed to be built by ancient Native American tribes, historians are just not…
Zion Narrows
The Zion Narrows in Springdale, Utah was voted the number one hike in the national park system in the states. It is considered to be among the top 10 hikes in the world. More than 75% of the 8-mile hike…
My attempts at the elusive Zebra Slot
Zebra Slot, third time’s the charm, indeed! The first time around we had scheduled day 1 for Coyote Gulch and day 2 for Zebra Slot Canyon. As luck would have it, we got lost doing the iconic Coyote Gulch hike,…