The western U.S. is the best there is. I've wanted to take a trip like this since I was a little kid, so I bought an 80's van and set out through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, California, and back to Oregon. I already want to do it again, hopefully with some of ya'll. Here is a sample of photos from the adventure.
The van chillin' out after the first couple legs. Lewis and Clark Caverns, Montana.
Montana roadside. En route to the northern entrance of Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is unbelievable. Within five minutes of being inside the park, we saw bighorn sheep scrambling up a cliff. Later that afternoon we saw 3 bull elk locking antlers near Mammoth Hot Springs. Coyotes were running through camp, Buffalo were roaming everywhere, pronghorn antelope were running through the buffalo herds. No bears or wolves though...maybe next time.
Making din-din at camp, first night in Yellowstone.
Mammoth Hot Springs terrace.
A bull elk calling the first morning in camp. We hopped in the van and cruised. Other campers weren't so lucky and got surrounded by elk, unable to leave until the elk decided to move on.
Rainbow shining through the clouds in the Lamar Valley
Herd of buffalo roaming through the Lamar Valley. This is where the wolves are supposed to be, but we didn't see any.
Brunch of grits, cheese, and coffee in the van.
View from one of the larger passes through Yellowstone
The other direction
Gibbon Falls. One of many waterfalls. No bears.
Norris Geyser Basin.
It was cold, and these hot pools were so blue and inviting. Apparently they will boil your skin off though. Bummer.
Norris Geyser Basin
Also Norris Geyser Basin
Another waterfall. Still no bears.
Steamy river. I don't remember what this one was called. There are lots.
Lone buffalo grazing near a big hot spring.
More buffalo.
This is Fishing Cone, a geyser on Yellowstone Lake. Apparently back in the day people would stand on the cone, pull fish from the lake and then just dip the fish into the cone which would cook it right up. Pretty convenient, but the park service wont let you do that anymore.
Moab and Arches National Park
After Yellowstone, Annie and I stopped in Jackson, Wyoming for a couple nights and then cruised down to Ogden to see Nick V. Annie flew back to Portland from Salt Lake and I continued south into southern Utah. Arches was the only place I went where there were lots of other people, but it is an absolutely amazing place with lots of fantastic pictures to take. And I didn't take any of them...
View of the Colorado River from my camp outside Moab.
Moon coming up from behind the red rocks. There was a bright moon every night during my travels through southern Utah.
The La Salle mountains and red sands of Arches
Looking back into Arches from the Devil's Garden trail.
Another view from Devil's Garden trail.
Window Arches
The La Salle mountains behind the petrified dunes of Arches.
Canyonlands National Park: Island in the Sky
Beau posted photos from here before, and I have to agree its one of the raddest places I have ever been. I started the trip in Canyonlands by driving up to Island in the Sky which is a high plateau completely surrounded by canyons as far as the eye can see...
View from Whale Rock. You can see the van out there in the upper right.
This is the end of a slickrock peninsula near Upheaval Dome. I started climbing up that rock fin on the right but got super freaked out about halfway up and had to climb down. Sorry Beau.
More canyon. View to the west from Grand View Point.
And more canyon near Upheaval Dome.
View to the north from Grand View Point
View from Mesa Arch
Sunset at Green River Overlook. The little sliver of water is Green River. Way out there it meets the Colorado River. I rode the cruiser board down to this spot from the campground. A bunch of people came down for the sunset, took their photos and left. It was still light out and I got to drink a beer in solitude on the canyon rim.
Then the moon rose right behind me.
Canyonlands National Park: Needles District
After waking up in Island in the Sky, I drove off the plateau and back into Moab to re-up on beer and wood. I then continued about 60 miles south and then west into the Needles district down in the Canyonlands.
View from the side of the road on the way into the Needles.
View from Big Spring overlook.
A bit closer.
Big Spring Canyon with the Needles in the background. I would be venturing into the Needles the next day.
Hiked 16 miles round trip this day through Big Spring Canyon, Squaw Canyon and into Elephant Canyon. This is Elephant Canyon, looking back towards where I had hiked in from.
This is what I was hiking in to see. Druid Arch, in the back of Elephant Canyon. I cant even describe how massive this arch is. Ate lunch here, and then hiked the 8 miles back out to camp.
My camp in Squaw Flat in the Needles backed right up to the wilderness. The trail into the Needles basically started right here. For the most part, this is what every night of my trip looked like. A camp chair, cocktails, fire, moon and a fantastic view.
And of course the van by my side.
Newspaper rock. The petroglyphs range from 650 to 2000 years old and include all kinds of wild carvings. This rock was just off the side of the road as I drove out of the Canyonlands.
Arizona Bound
Cruisin'. Monument Valley in the rear view
Smoke filled Grand Canyon just after sunset on Halloween
Sergio, Beau, and a bunch of firewood
Joshua Tree National Park
After a week in Arizona with the family and the bros, my Dad hopped in the van and we started the trip back up to Oregon.
Dad, setting up camp in the wind at White Tank campground
Arch near White Tank campground
A mile and a half hike led us to this desert oasis, 49 Palms. The rest of them are not pictured to the right...
Joshua Trees can get real big
In the rocks near our camp at White Tank, self portrait
Bighorn sheep near Keys View
Joshua Tree Forest looking into Hidden Valley
Joshua Trees outside Hidden Valley
Up the Coast
After Joshua Tree, Dad and I drove to Thousand Oaks and hung out with my Grandfather and Aunt. We then cruised up highway 1 along the coast. I was out of film, and didn't take too many pictures along this stretch, but it was beautiful anyway.
Van Damme State Park, California Coast. Jean-Claude was not present during our visit.
Elk Prairie State Park, California Redwoods
California coastal redwoods are really big.
One of about 6 bull elk that were grazing on the prairie next to the campground.
Big Tree. Back in the early 1900's people wanted to cut this tree down so that they could use the stump as a dance floor. I've heard worse ideas...
Packing up after the the last camp of the trip. Elk Prairie State Park, California Redwoods. The last morning of an amazing voyage.
