Canyonlands- well named! The national park is home for countless canyons carved by Colorado river and its tributaries. Canyonlands National Park is another lesser known park in Utah. The remoteness and ruggedness makes it less popular. The park covers a large rugged area and is divided into three districts ( MAP ) by Colorado and Green rivers. There are no roads to connect these sections internally and it takes hours to reach each district by driving around them. Driving on those remote roads is at times an eerie experience especially during early mornings and late evenings when you are the only one on the road! But, that is fascinating huh? For- Life begins at the end of our comfort zone! Read more »

I never get tired of saying Utah is a land of unbelievably strange landscapes. This land has always surprised me with its unique and beautiful rock formations carved by natural forces over time! Be it arches, canyons, natural bridges, hoodoos and 'Goblins'! For your amazement ... here is ... Goblin Valley State Park of Utah. Read more »

Can you guess what is this bird like structure? Well, even I would have thought! Long time ago I read about a chapel on California's Sonoma coast, in a small town called Sea Ranch. I thought of visiting it when I drove north. Not very difficult to find, it is right there east-side of the Highway-1 in Sea Ranch. Read more »

Capitol Reef is not really a reef :) It is a rugged and around 75-miles long spine called Waterpocket Fold . This park which is narrow and long, protects cliffs, canyons, buttes and sandstone domes. The name Capitol is due to the dome like rocks of white Navajo sandstone. Well, the area has many things explained with some geological jargons like warp or monocline etc. For person like me with not much of geological knowledge, it is a beautiful land with wonderful rock formations and canyons :) Wild, rugged, and wonderful ... Read more »

Petrified Trees- sounds strange huh? It is really hard to think how could a tree get petrified until you see one! I spent a night at Escalante, UT during my recent road-trip. It was extremely cold and after driving in snow for sometime I wanted a break though it wasn't very late in the evening. These petrified trees were was just 5-mins away from the RV park and it was an hour before sunset. So I decided to visit the Escalante Petrified Forest state park . Read more »

Well, I had mentioned the ruggedness of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in my earlier post on Devil's Garden . The place is simply wonderful and full of surprises. On Scenic-Byway-12 ( MAP ) driving 15-miles from Escalante one can find another pleasant, lush and lovely desert surprise- Lower Calf Creek Falls in Calf Creek Recreation Area. Read more »

Pacific Coast Highway or California State Route-1 is popular for running through some of the most beautiful coastlines in USA. It is a scenic route with numerous attractions such as state parks, waterfalls and wildlife viewing areas. Some day I will post on all the attractions along this Shoreline Highway! Read more »

One of the hardly-heard national monuments of Utah, Grand Staircase-Escalante is one of the rugged beauties with hard to reach attractions. I had wonderful experience here after driving in the snow on the winding roads and also driving on miles and miles of gravel roads which I try to avoid when I am in a rented economy car. But, the fascinating nature keeps calling me! An unbelievable remote wilderness! Read more »