Just to the west of Estes Park, CO, is a small pull-off and an even smaller sign that reads, “Lily Mountain Trail”. Although it’s easy to miss, especially if you’re not looking for it, it is harder to miss the…
Fantastic Rock Formations at Chiricahua
If you like rock formations, and you’ve worn out Moab, Utah, the place for you to visit is Chiricahua National Monument in southern New Mexico. Here, gray rock towers point skyward in the most amazing shapes and number. Many of…
A “Hidden” Desert Meadow: Hidden Valley, Moab
Located just outside of Moab, Utah, it’s surprising that more people don’t know about Hidden Valley. If this scenic desert meadow was inside of one of the national parks in that area—Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, or even Canyon…
Sylvan Lake: A Lovely Little Lake
Overshadowed by its near neighbors Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, and all of the commercializing that goes with those monuments, Custer State Park isn’t as well known as it probably deserves. Still, it’s near enough to these monuments…
An Awesome 13er: Fitzpatrick Peak
At the end of a recent trip to Colorado, we suddenly realized that we’d climbed mountains that were 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and 14,000 ft high. We decided that we definitely needed to climb a 13er just to complete our record. …
“The Loneliest Road in America” – Route 50
On a recent trip, we were talking to a couple that we met on top of a cinder cone (literally—we’d climbed to the top, and they came up right as we were about to climb down). “You’ve got to do…
Walk into a Volcano at the Lassen Cinder Cone!
Today I’d like to talk about one of my favorite attractions at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Admittedly, it’s not very well known—although I believe a saw a picture of it in a National Geographic Magazine at one point—but we’ve really…
See Amazing Mining History First-Hand in Creede
Most people have probably never heard of Creede, Colorado, unless they are theatre buffs or mining fanatics. In other words, most people who’ve heard of the little town of Creede in western Colorado know about it because of the Creede…
My First 14er – Grays Peak
In late June, I visited Colorado and decided that we had to do a 14er. I realized only later that we’d never been above 13,000 before in our lives (except in airplanes, and that doesn’t count), and if I’d known,…
Walk in the Footsteps of Indians on the Ute Trail
Think top-of-the-world feelings. Awe-inspiring mountain vistas. Lovely wildflowers. Classic tundra experience. And you hardly have to hike to get to it. This is only a partial listing of the wonders that await visitors who walk part of the Ute…