Collaborative travel journal for lovers of the American West! (page 31 of 41)

Hi Fabienne! I thought your idea for a collaborative travel journal was interesting, and I was planning to dive into it once I had a bit more time! What a mistake—tonight I decided to read it, and there are already 30 pages! What a hit😎! Oh dear, catching up is going to be tough😉... I'm starting right away

Hey Grillonne, We know each other from another forum, right? The whole point of a forum is sharing, even more so with Fabienne’s great initiative. I assume everyone’s posting their royalty-free photos, so no problem for me. It’s actually pretty flattering, thanks! Fred

Thanks Fabienne Not only do you have a brilliant idea with this theme, but I suspect from your words that you’re a fellow contemplative like us. This post is going to hit 100 pages fast, I’m sure! Have a great Sunday Fred

Well, here's my late contribution... off-topic (lines, reflections, cars... ) 😉... just one of our countless crushes from this summer in Yellowstone!

We just got back from 2 months in the USA (3 days ago). Here’s a brand-new photo of Bryce Canyon... This trip was magical despite the exceptional weather we had on Route 66. It hadn’t snowed that much since 1915—it was enchanting, but we got stuck for 3 nights in Williams, and our kids missed their flight back to France 😅😅. I think they caught the "Travel to the US" bug. Here are a few more photos from this extraordinary journey: http://www.patetnat-envoyage.com/de-death-valley-a-bryce-canion-en-hiver/ And here’s a photo of the stripes at Nautilus Canyon...

Anyway, thanks for this really nice post! 😊😊

Good evening Grillonne We know each other from another forum, right? The whole point of a forum is sharing, even more so with Fabienne’s great initiative. I assume everyone’s posting their royalty-free photos, so no problem for me. It’s actually quite flattering, thanks! Fred

Good evening, Are you unmasking me or am I unmasking you? It’s all so complicated! I’m keeping the same username! 😛 I’ve got a lot of projects to paint first, but when the time comes, I’ll send you a photo... maybe the canvas, who knows? Have a great evening, everyone 😏

Hey Fred 🙂 So glad to see you here!!! When I said your photo was stunning, I hadn’t made the connection that it was you!!! Have a great Sunday, everyone Martine🙂

Welcome to the newest arrivals! And, if I can take credit for starting this travel journal, thank you to all its contributors! I especially love these last two photos by Nominanda and Fay2. TDM, you guessed that I might be a contemplative person too. I don’t necessarily need to act to just *be*. Watching and seeing things (and trying to see through them) is a source of pleasure for me. That doesn’t mean I stare at things for hours because time stands still and a blink can feel like an eternity...

It’s also about paying attention to the tiniest things and details that others might miss because their steps have already carried them elsewhere, and their focus is on their next action. In fact, when I’m out walking, I trip regularly because I’m looking at a plant, an insect, or a cloud... or in the city, a window or the bright gaze of a person... I have to force myself to concentrate on what I’m doing rather than what’s around me! It makes my husband laugh—he’s always telling me to "watch out"...

To illustrate this, here’s a "tiny, insignificant thing" you see a lot in the most arid parts of the American West. A wonder of nature when you look at it up close...

Hello everyone, My photo of the day—something you don’t see often on forums or in news about the West.



This is Pinkerton Hot Springs, located between Durango and Silverton, not far from Hermosa. It’s incredibly easy to access since it’s right by Highway 550. I’ll add that the colors are completely unedited. Have a great Sunday, everyone! Fred

I want to renew my thanks, because this post is packed with amazing things to see in the US that make you want to dive deeper into your research. Here’s a photo of "stripes" on the road to Palm Springs—though I don’t like wind turbines, which in my opinion disfigure our beautiful France.

Hello everyone, My photo of the day, rarely seen on forums and in Western news.



This is Pinkerton Hot Springs, located between Durango and Silverton, not far from Hermosa. It’s incredibly easy to access since it’s right by Highway 550. I’ll add that the colors are completely unedited. Have a great Sunday, everyone! Fred

Hi Fred,

We made several stops along this road but missed Pinkerton Hot Springs 😕

Have a good evening!

Christine

What a really great idea. Will I go back one day? I don’t know, but the desire is still tucked away inside me. One of my most beautiful memories: Mesa Verde NP. The memory of the ranger who kept telling us that if we were claustrophobic or afraid of heights, we shouldn’t go with him, the memory of that other ranger, Native American, who spoke so well about those villages.

What a fantastic idea. Will I ever go back? I don’t know, but the desire is still tucked away deep inside me.

Actually, I already knew I had to return to the West for Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana... Now, with this journal, I realize I need to explore COLORADO too.

One of my best memories: Mesa Verde NP. The memory of the ranger who kept telling us that if we were claustrophobic or afraid of heights, we shouldn’t go with him. And the memory of that other ranger, a Native American, who spoke so beautifully about those villages.



It reminds me of the morning I spent with Leslie, a Navajo guide, in a somewhat secluded valley near Monument Valley—Mystery Valley, to be exact. It’s not accessible for independent visits. You’ll see a number of rock formations and arches, but also Anasazi ruins and petroglyphs. For us, it was amazing to chat with Leslie, who shared so many childhood and youth memories (he was nearly 70) of exploring these valleys far and wide. Most importantly, we could ask him all the questions we had about the Navajo Nation, and he answered them so kindly. And it also let me discover the Anasazi, who, I’ll admit, I’d never heard of before.

Now with this journal, I realize I need to explore COLORADO. You're right, Fabienne, and if you love off-roading, you'll be in for a treat!



Photo taken right after Engineer Pass, at nearly 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) above sea level. The descent leads to Animas Forks and its beautiful mining town ruins.



This area is so wild! Fred

Details... saguaro skin in Tucson, adobe wall at Taos Pueblo

Hi there, I’ll add something that’s not exactly original: Half Dome in Yosemite, whose spectacular shape I loved!

Another fun topic—umbrellas here and there!

Already on the way back from Kanarra Creek.

And at Horseshoe Bend.

Just for the fun of it, here’s a quote from an umbrella in Page on the way to Edmaiers Secret: Where is the wave ????

hi there! 🙂 I also photographed my umbrellas while hiking back up from Horseshoe Bend. marcalamar 🙂

I met a great buddy in Montana back in 2009, right near the Lewis and Clark National Forest. Let me introduce you to my friend Thunder Jack the Mountain Man.