Utah
Moab, Utah — A Place Pictures Don’t Quite Capture
Our April 2019 trip to Moab took us through Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point and some of the most memorable scenery we’ve encountered on the road.
Parks & Scenic Stops
Parks, overlooks, scenic drives, and other places where the surroundings were reason enough to stop for a while. Some were planned destinations; others were simply places that caught our attention along the way.
Nebraska
Toadstool Geologic Park and Campground
There are places that don't look anything like what you expect to find in Nebraska. Toadstool Geologic Park is one of them. We made the trip there from Fishberry Campground near Valentine in October 2024. Once we got out of the truck and started walking, it felt a
Nebraska
Cowboy Trail — Valentine, NE
On October 15, 2024, we walked a section of the Cowboy Trail just outside Valentine. The timing could hardly have been better. Fall color was starting to show across the Niobrara River valley, the weather was comfortable, and the wide-open Nebraska scenery looked about as good as it gets.
Nebraska
Smith Falls — Valentine, NE
Smith Falls was part of our October 2024 Nebraska trip, when we also walked a section of the Cowboy Trail near Valentine. The fall weather made it a particularly good time to be there. The park sits along the Niobrara National Scenic River and is home to Nebraska’s highest
New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns — Carlsbad, NM
We visited Carlsbad Caverns in April 2023 with my brother Fred and his wife, Gina. Our timing happened to coincide with the park’s centennial year — Carlsbad Cave was first protected as a national monument in 1923 and became Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 1930. The caves themselves are far
Arizona
Saguaro National Park — Tucson, AZ
We visited Saguaro National Park in January 2026, spending time in the Rincon Mountain District on the east side of Tucson. The park protects a broad stretch of Sonoran Desert filled with saguaros, barrel cactus, desert scrub, and views toward the surrounding mountains. It’s an easy place to slow