Mom and Dad moved to southern Arizona after Dad retired, and visits to see them always included outings to hike mountain trails. I relished those trips, but always wanted to go farther, see more. Eventually I took a bus tour with Pam Proctor through the Four Corners region where we visited several National Parks.
The tour made stops that included the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capital Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park.
GRAND CANYON - NORTH RIM
The drive from the Grand Canyon to Page, Arizona (Lake Powell) took us through Marble Canyon where we made at stop to view Tri Color Mesa.
At LAKE POWELL we took a boat ride through Antelope an Navajo Canyons, two of nearly 100 canyons now water-filled.
This is a photo of "petrified sand." Once sand dunes, soil that was laid down later compressed the dunes into soft sandstone.
Tower Butte
"Tapestries" formed as a result of minerals leaching out of sandstone.
From Lake Powell to MONUMENT VALLEY
Owl Rock
Left and Right Mittens
A horse and his rider on Ford's Point
Three Sisters
Outside Moab we stopped at Wilson's Arch
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK - Mule deer ran through the area during our walk
Rock formations known as The Courthouse
Balanced Rock
The Elephants and a hoodoo. Several hoodoos stand in a section of the Park which is referred to as Organ Vista.
Double Arches
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK - Delicate Arch in the distance
On the way to our next stop, we took a break at Dead Horse Point, made famous by the movie Thelma and Louise where the two women drive off a cliff.
The arrow points at the narrow approach to the Point.
CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
Pictographs to the right of the arrow.
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Checkerboard Mesa
ZION NATIONAL PARK
The arrow points to climbers ascending the wall.
