Have you ever seen Mt. Hood? It is a well-known landmark, especially in its home state of Oregon. Many people come every year to climb it, and thousands of others to admire its shapely appearance. One of the best ways…
Nevada’s Only Glacier & Bristlecone Pine Forest
Nevada has only one glacier. I’ll admit that I didn’t think it had any, although the state does have a few mountain ranges running through it. The one-and-only is situated below Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in Great Basin National…
Walk Through Lava Caves at Lava Beds
For a class I took, the students were told that they’d just met a space alien who told us that we had to show it around the western US. Which attractions would you take the alien to? I’ll admit that…
Owl Point…or Not
In late September of this year, I found a description of Owl Point in northern Oregon that looked like a great hike to take. Pictures taken from the point offered awesome views of Mt. Hood, and the trail was only…
St. Mary’s Glacier: Southernmost Glacier in the US
Not far from I-70 near Idaho Springs in Colorado lies a small lake. That’s nothing terrifically exciting, as Colorado has lots of small lakes, but the exciting thing about this destination is the glacier that rises above the lake. St.…
Experience Volcanic Remains Up Close at Newberry
There is one terrific thing about Newberry National Volcanic Monument: the volcanic features here are really cool, and you can actually experience them without signs saying, “Say out! Stay off! Unsafe! Fragile!” Some of the areas are like experiencing another…
An Oasis in the Middle of the Desert – Borrego Palm Canyon
Have you ever wanted to experience an oasis? To come along through the heat of the desert and to suddenly see palm trees ahead of you and experience the cool of sitting there next to a spring of cold water? …
A Great Place to see Rocky Mountain NP – Lily Mountain
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…