This area of Utah is truly stunning in its beauty. But . . . the crowds. Ann and I know we need to get back there and photograph, yet we’ve always opted for other locations for that very reason. Someday we will return, I just hope I’m ready for it because there are so many photographic opportunities!

The Bears Ears National Monument and surrounding areas are extensive, but well worth exploring. Especially if you can spend the night in the middle of the desert. The landscape is open, and the wind is often howling, but this is an area worth exploring for so many reasons. No wonder so many different peoples have chosen to live here.

Bryce Canyon National Park and Kodachrome State Park are perhaps two of the most accessible and visually stunning parks in the west. You can truly enter an unworldly landscape at either park. Still, it’s not always easy to make great photographs, but what a place to try!

Ann and I were late to exploring the Capitol Reef area. Our first trip to explore Capitol Reef was interrupted by a faulty alternator and then a hurricane. That didn’t stop us from trying again a couple of years later, despite winds trying to blow us off the top of a mesa. Hopefully, the third time will be a charm.

Death Valley is deceptive. A drive-through during the day reveals its starkness, a beauty in its own right. But it was only after we traveled there to explore for a few days, at the times and the pace we prefer to operate, did the valley start revealing its richness. There is so much more the place has to offer, especially in the more remote areas!

We’ve been to Goblin Valley State Park several times now. Each time reveals something a bit different. Its clay formations are so fun to look at, it’s hard not to find something interesting to frame.

Our trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon was an accident so to speak. The result of a hurricane (well, a remnant of one) that decided to rip through Utah. A sudden change of plans to avoid desert flooding, or a worse desert bog-down, led us to the Grand Canyon. It made us glad for our decision.

The Grand Staircase Escalante has become one of our favorite places to visit. From Devil’s Garden to a sunset-sunrise that gave Bandon a run for its money, the Grand Staircase has so much to offer!

It was during a trip to the San Juan Islands that Ann asked if she could borrow one of my cameras. It was the start of our wonderful adventures. I suspect we both wish that more of them had brought us up north to explore this area further. I suspect we’re not done with it yet.

It didn’t take us long to realize that there’s a lot more to the Redwoods State and National Parks than just the trees. But what trees! If you have the chance, visit in the off season. It may be a bit wet and a lot colder than the summer, but you’ll be able to enjoy the richness of the different ecosystems without the distractions of other people.

Like Utah, California has so much to offer anyone who loves landscapes, particularly the desert. We’ve barely even scratched the surface of what is there. As for the Sierra Mountains, one drive through them makes you understand why Ansel wandered through them throughout his life!

The vicinity around the corner of Utah from St. George to Cedar City is packed with areas to explore. From national parks, to state parks, to stunningly beautiful public lands, these images hopefully show why we keep swinging by this part of the state.

The Utah mountains we’ve explored form the backdrop to the Grand Staircase Escalante. We timed our 2018 trip to take advantage of the changing aspens, and they didn’t disappoint. We won’t forget spending the night in the Pando Forest, one of the largest organisms on earth.

The Lamar Valley is one of Ann’s (and my) favorite places. When the crowds aren’t around and you hear wolves howling along one ridge and coyotes yapping back on another ridge, you think you’ve traveled back in time. Not to mention those moments when you turn around and realize a bison is staring at you wondering what in the world that tripod is. Yellowstone is an amazing place.

Simply drive into Yosemite Valley and it becomes obvious why Ansel Adams returned to it again and again. Give it any amount of time to let it show you its wonders through time or weather and you’ll understand why one of his books is called Yosemite and the Range of Light.