Antelope Canyon:  Antelope Canyon, near Page Arizona is in located on Navajo Land and is probably the most photographed slot canyon in the southwest. To get a spot on a photo tour it may be advisable to reserve a spot on a photo tour a few days in advance. We used  "Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours" .  It cost $40 per person at the time we went.

You must sign on with a tour since that is the only way access is allowed.  They will drive you to the canyon in a large 4x4 designed for the soft sandy terrain. The photo tour guide will try to hold the crowds back so you can get some decent shots. It can get extremely crowded at times. I finally directed most of my shots upward to avoid getting images of the people.

You will be shooting in low light for the most part and will definitely need a tripod, preferably a wide angle lens (10-18mm), and it would be a good idea to bring a plastic bag to put over your camera between shots since there tends to be  fair bit of sand in the air. Bring along  a bulb blower to blow sand off equipment when the shoot is done.

Arches and Canyonland: Near Moab Utah, and all around southern Utah for that matter,  there are many interesting sites to see. Arches National Park and  Canyonland National Park are two very worthwhile places to visit, both within close proximity to Moab Utah, where there is plenty of comfortable lodging available as well as numerous eateries.

Its a good idea to make lodging reservations in advance since it is a popular place.

You can rent a jeep in Moab if you like, but you wont need one to hit most of the main points of interest.  Allow at least 2 days if you want to do the short tour of Arches and Canyonland.

Colorado:  Colorado has seemingly endless places to explore, with the Rocky Mountains making up the backbone of the state. A good place to start would be Rocky Mountain National Park, near Estes Park, Colorado. The park has some pretty  high altitudes and if you are a flatlander like me, you may be huffing and puffing a bit in the thin air.

Glacier National Park: Located in north western Montana, at the Canadian border, this park has an abundance of wildlife and breathtaking landscapes. You will find more steep towering peaks at Glacier than most other areas of the Rockies in the US. Due to global climate change, the glaciers are melting fast, and by 2030 they expect them to be completely gone. When planning your trip you may want to make reservations well in advance if you want to be sure to get accommodations in or near the park. Also, try to be there when  "Going To The Sun Road" is open, as that is the main artery of the park. Logans Pass is one place you should make a point of stopping and take in the hike up to "Hidden Lake" . Its a well maintained trail with a wooden walkway for about the firs 1/4 of the trip, but a lot of it is up hill so keep that in mind.

We found that mid day from around 11 am till 2 pm it was nearly impossible to find parking at Logans pass. later in the afternoon the crowds began to thin out and we found a parking spot without a problem. Near sundown the big horn sheep came down to lower altitudes as well as the mountain goats and offered some very good photo ops.

We saw bears when we drove in  the east entrance (Many Glaciers) just north of Saint Marys. Its a secondary entrance, meaning it dead ends not too far into the park. It might not be a bad idea to carry a can of "bear deterrant" if hiking in Glacier, since bears ( including grizzlies) are common.

Grand Canyon: The Grand Canyon has been described as one of the seven wonders of the world, and I am not one to disagree. Most people are content to take in the vast vistas from the rim, but the more adventurous can get astride a mule, or hike down into the canyon, as well as take helicopter trips. Before setting off on a "expedition" be sure to know and understand exactly what you are getting into, and prepare accordingly. Climate can change drastically from the rim to farther down in the canyon, and temperatures can rise to extremely high levels. Remember its a lot easier going down hill than coming back up, and distances can be hard to judge in such a vast area.

The North Rim has a lot of impressive view points, and is worth visiting, but the South Rim is the more popular destination. We did a quick tour of the North Rim and then headed to the South Rim. You can drive to most of the viewpoints at the eastern half of the park, but for the western portion you will need to take the shuttles, which run frequently, and regularly, since no private vehicle traffic is allowed, although I think they make an exception for people with handicaps (need the visor tag etc).

 We stayed in Tusayan, Arizona, which is very close to the south entrance.

It might be a good idea to fill up your gas tank before entering the park, since in Tusayan there are no bargains. I would go so far to say that from the places we have been in the west/southwest, Tusayan and the area immediately around the canyon is the worst for "gouging" tourists than any other place that comes to mind. Gas was a full $1.00 higher in Tusayan than it was 50 miles down the road in either direction. Same deal with lodging.

 I would avoid the Red Feather Motel unless you can get a room in the newer part since most of it appears to have been built in the 50's and isn't real up to date (gaps under doors, cramped, noisy). We complained about the dumpy $140 per night room that was so cramped you couldn't hardly walk between the bed and dresser, and they moved us to a room in the newer building (not new...newer). It was much better and more spacious (about like a Super 8) but the TV didn't work.

Regardless of where you stay, be sure and make reservations well in advance if you want to be close to the park entrance.

Yellowstone: Yellowstone National Park belongs at or near the top on a list of National Parks to visit. There is nearly no end to the number of breathtaking views, and geological/geothermal features found no where else. Wildlife is plentiful, including Bison, Elk, Bear, Coyotes, wolves, and many other species. Use common sense around animals, as they are still wild although many have lost their fear of man. There is easy access to the main points of interest, and adequate pull outs to allow for stopping and viewing wildlife and scenery from the road.

You can get a good tour of the park in 3 days, but you may want to spend more time. The small town of West Yellowstone is a good place to stay, since it sits at the doorway of the park at the west entrance and has many hotels to choose from as well as shopping and adequate restaurants. We have also stayed at Gardiner Montana which is at the North entrance. This is a good location too, although it is not as centrally located as West Yellowstone.

Western South Dakota: Western South Dakota is another desitnation. The Black hills offers multiple sites such as the well known Four Faces, abundant wildlife expecially in Custer State Park, numorous scenic attractions such as the drive up through Needles, Speerfish Canyon, just to name a couple. Check out Deadwood with its old west atmosphere and gambling casinos. If you are a fisherman you should be able to snag a trout or two. You should be able to easily fill 3-4 days with activities.

Upper Pennisula of Michigan: The UP of Michigan is a rather large area, and one could easily kill a week just taking the sights. At the western border is Porcupine Mountain State Park which includes such points of interest as Lake Of The Clouds and the scenic Presque Isle River with its waterfalls and cascades, to the Keweenaw Peninsula/Copper Harbor, to Munising and Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, to Tahquamenon Falls, to Whitefish Point and on the the Mackinac Bridge. These are a few of the high  points. There are many other places to stop and explore.

I'm way behind processing recent (and some not so recent) images so keep checking back as I will be adding more photos to the galleries