Collaborative travel journal for lovers of the American West! (page 5 of 41)

Thanks to both of you! 😊 For White Pocket, I went with a guide—no lottery required. You *can* get there on your own, but you’ll need a 4x4 ABSOLUTELY

Worried it'd be a flop??? Big upppppppp !!!!

Traffic jam in Yellowstone like we’d dream of having every day

Fabienne, You do it so discreetly, but I have to point out that every time you comment on posts, you sneak in a new photo... Sneaky sneaky! 😛

So, I’ll take the opportunity to post two photos of a recently visited NM—big crush: Organ Pipe Cactus NM. For the backstory, just four days before visiting, I only knew it by name, and even then, very vaguely. I’d never really looked into it because it was too complicated to fit into a road trip... One of the few sites detailing this NM is Itat’s blog (thanks Thibaut for the incredible work!). So how did we end up in this remote spot, off the beaten path? Simply because a cold snap forced us to change our plans last minute, and especially thanks to Alain (Caribou44), who strongly recommended checking it out despite the distance. Bottom line: we had some of our best moments there, with two unforgettable, delicious sunsets that’ll stay with us forever!! These photos have everything we love: desert, cacti, and Red Rocks! Proof that happiness isn’t always where you expect to find it... Thanks to Alain 😇! That’s the magic of VF...

Thanks for the initiative— the more, the merrier! I picked this photo maybe because we were the only ones at the site. A fabulous moment, with one of the most beautiful arches in the American West to admire.

That sounds pretty serious. I hope it reopens—I know you love that amazing road too. Keep an eye on the NPS site now and then and cross your fingers in the meantime

Hey Pascal,

Yeah, I love that road too.

I’ll check the park’s official site every so often after crossing my fingers 😉

Hope it’s open when we get to Zion NP! It’d be such a shame if it wasn’t 😕

Have a good evening!

Christine

'Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint' at Otter Rock (Oregon) June 6, 2018 There was just enough wind to kick up some sea spray.

Thanks for the initiative— the more, the merrier! I picked this photo maybe because we were alone at the site. A fabulous moment, with one of the most beautiful arches in the American West to admire.



Is that Grosvenor Arch? In Grand Staircase-Escalante?

Hopefully it’ll be open again when we get to Zion NP! It’d be such a shame if it weren’t 😕

Exactly what you said! And you’ve already been, so there’s still a good chance it’ll be sorted out this summer, but I’m thinking of those who are heading there soon for the first time... It’ll just give them another excuse to go back

Have a great evening too!

Fabienne, You may do it very discreetly, but I have to point out that every time you comment on posts, you sneak in a new photo... Can’t slip anything past you, can I? 😛

Well, here I am, caught red-handed... but I never said we were limited to one post... I just said: one post = one photo + one comment... 😉 Together, we’re starting to build a beautiful album... and we’re all itching to go back there—some of us for the 21st time?

Hey Guillaume, That sunset photo is amazing! You're setting the bar high for your travel journal—it looks promising! 😎

'Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint' at Otter Rock (Oregon) June 6, 2018 There was just enough wind to kick up some spray.



Oh, the Oregon coast—I dream about it! We explored another coast last summer, further north (British Columbia / Vancouver Island)... but this coast you’re showing us, I’ve been dreaming about it ever since I saw *The Goonies*... that was years ago! I don’t know if you remember, but at the end of the movie, the pirates' ship emerges from the cave and ends up in a bay just like this one, battered by the wind. Actually, that’s part of the magic of the American West—it’s like we’re reliving images that stuck in our visual memory from childhood...

Hey Pascal! At the same time, they did ask for your favorite photo 😏! I don’t have 50 like that... especially since you’ve only got about 1 minute to get those colors!

Good evening, A place we had a really hard time finding—right in the middle of nowhere, there’s an Indian granary topped with a cute little arch in a garden of Eden. Nathalie

Isn’t this Indian granary in Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, on Smoky Mountain Road? I’d be *very* interested in some practical info...! Thanks 🙂

I think it's unique with its archer. It's very, very well hidden—I spent hours on Google Earth trying to find it. But it's totally worth it! I'll send you some directions, Nathalie

Hello Fabienne,

We visited the "Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park." It’s located southeast of Phoenix. It’s the largest and oldest botanical garden in Arizona. It was founded by William Boyce Thompson in 1924. Over 2,600 species of desert plants from around the world grow in this park. The founder’s goal was to gather desert plants for study and make them accessible to visitors in a large garden.

In summer, I recommend arriving as early as possible because it gets really hot. But it was worth it—I had the great pleasure of seeing this beautiful cactus flower (I think it’s a saguaro cactus):

Ominous ( Avalanche country )

And what about fishing in all this?

I’ve met fishing enthusiasts elsewhere, but don’t you find a high concentration of them in the USA?

Nothing beats ice fishing on frozen Blue Mesa.

Thanks for the initiative— the more, the merrier! I picked this photo maybe because we were alone at the site. A fabulous moment, with one of the most beautiful arches in the American West to admire.



Is that Grosvenor Arch? In Grand Staircase-Escalante?

Yes, that’s it.

Hello

I also have great memories of Organ Pipe Cactus NM, which I squeezed in during a stop between San Diego and Tucson. It’s easier to include, though, when you’re flying in or out of Phoenix.