Collaborative travel journal for lovers of the American West! (page 2 of 41)

What blew me away during my short trip in the West was the incredible diversity of landscapes you find over such a small distance.

I wonder if there’s anything like it anywhere else on the planet?

It’s true that on other trips I’ve seen stunning landscapes and colors at times (like in Jordan’s Wadi Rum or Namibia), but I haven’t found such variety yet. On the road, around every bend, you stumble upon something you haven’t seen before. For example, below is a photo from leaving Moab. We’d spent days wandering through orange, red, and purple rocks (Arches, Canyonlands), and then after one turn, we came across this colossus—topped with red, but then yellow and gray below... It felt like we’d suddenly stepped into a completely different world.

Hello everyone!

It's tough to choose, but if I must, it'll be Glacier Point in Yosemite.

You feel so small there...

Oh no, it's displaying really small!

... These are the blue pools you see in the photo. You can spot them from several viewpoints at Dead Horse Point.

Absolutely. I don’t think the Colorado River, with everything it carries, could ever have that blue color.

What blew me away during my short stay in the West was the incredible diversity of landscapes you find over such a short distance.

I wonder if there’s anything like it elsewhere on the planet?

To your question, I’d say yes—in Corsica! But that’s probably because it’s my homeland😉

Great idea, Fabienne! But we don’t have to limit ourselves to the (stunning, okay) landscapes of our beloved West, right? I’d love to add this photo I took in Santa Fe—it says a lot about the mentality of our favorite Americans. You wouldn’t see this back home unless a miracle happened! The police officers stopped for breakfast at the restaurant and left their patrol car parked out front. Soon after, a colleague on horseback joined them and just "parked" his horse by casually draping the reins over the light bar. I thought it was too much—pure New Mexico charm!

Great idea, Fabienne, but we don’t have to limit ourselves to the (stunning, okay) landscapes of our beloved West, right? I wanted to share this photo I took in Santa Fe—it says a lot about the mentality of our favorite Americans... something you wouldn’t see back home unless a miracle happened. The police officers stopped for breakfast at the restaurant and left their patrol car parked out front, soon joined by a colleague who "parked" his horse just as casually by draping the reins over the light bar. I thought it was too much. New Mexico gift!



You’re absolutely right, Chris! The point of this journal is everything that made us fall in love with the American West! That photo is amazing—it’s so *that* too! So I can’t resist adding another one, even if it’s not people or a city. But it *is* a typical countryside sight: in the middle of nowhere, you find a row of mailboxes, and yet you’d swear no one—*really* no one—lives anywhere nearby! And as a bonus, Joshua trees in the background...

"somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Arizona, May 2016"

Actually, for everyone else contributing to this journal: there’s no strict limit to one photo, but *one photo per post*, please, and don’t forget to add a little comment to go with it!

Last summer, we tackled the Ice Lake Basin hike in Colorado, near Silverton, without knowing if we’d make it to the end given the altitude and elevation gain... Not only did we reach the top to discover Ice Lake—a real gem—but we even dared to push on to Island Lake (at the cost of a little adrenaline rush on a trail right by the cliff’s edge):

"Little House on the Prairie", the American series that was the soundtrack of my childhood! Laura Ingalls Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota:

Hi Fabienne,

The red rocks of Moab, here in Arches... This "grand avenue" of red rocks in a stunning park. I loved this park so much... So many wonders around Moab...

First trip and first "WOW!!!" in July 2012 in front of the vastness and colors of Yellowstone Canyon, but no photo can capture what you feel in that moment:

One last one, and then I promise I’ll let others have a turn 😛. It’s so hard to stop—it brings back so many amazing memories. Thanks for this post! The "cherry on top" moment, still from our first trip out West, was when we won the lottery for The Wave:

For my part, an unlikely spot: Moonscape Overlook between Torrey and Moab.

A track that goes past Factory Butte and then further to the right, this track takes you to this just incredible panorama.

Another surreal spot near Page—a place I discovered with a guide: White Pocket. Yet another location where you feel like you're on another planet. It's a tiny area, but it takes hours to explore.

Okay, the photo wants to stay small—I don’t get it 😕

Hello

Great idea for this travel journal!

For me, the American West means freedom and wide-open spaces.

Photo taken after Fossil in Oregon.



And here at Valley of Fire

Ahhh, Jijanni, Titou 14, Luke06, what wonders! All of it touches the sublime.

I’m joining Erjome and his ode to the road… There comes a moment when driving out there is downright addictive. You just wanna go to the other side, see what’s there…

Below is Highway One, along the Pacific, south of Monterey.



Thanks for all your contributions to this journal. It’s AWESOME!

Great idea to share this! For me, it was love at first sight with Valley of Fire—its colors, that gradient of orange, red, yellow, white, and even anthracite. Too bad the heat only let me take a short walk; I’ll have to go back. :-)

Good evening,

This is obviously a great idea. My contribution: Flying over Lake Powell was the highlight for my wife and me. The lake's waters winding through the ochre canyons... MAGICAL... simply magical, a wonderful memory.

Good evening,

la photo veut rester en petit

You need to click on "add the photo to the text", otherwise it stays as an attached photo...

Happy travels

Hi Fabienne,

During our last trip, we discovered "Great Sand Dunes National Park" (a park located in the state of Colorado). That’s where you can see the tallest sand dunes in North America.

In the end, it was a bit tough, but with encouragement from our friend, we managed to climb the "High Dune."

We were happy to have made it that far and took in the view:

The couple we spotted in the distance on our left gives you an idea of the scale of the dunes.

I discovered the American West in 1994 and caught the bug. Since then, I’ve made 20 trips from the north to the south of the West, and there are still a few places left to explore. Potash Road in Moab—I’ve driven the Shafer Trail from end to end five times in sedans. Now, the road is too damaged 2 km past the Thelma and Louise Point. You can still get through with a 4x2 SUV without any issues. At that spot in 2012, I stumbled onto the set of a sci-fi movie with Will Smith and his son, *After Earth*. The opening minutes of the film were shot right there.