Collaborative travel journal for lovers of the American West!

Hi everyone!

So, I’m putting into action an idea I had two years ago... I’m inviting anyone who’s interested to help build a beautiful collaborative project—a shared travel journal!!!

The concept: one post =

a photo you’ve taken in the American West that means something to you and your thoughts on that photo or about it: where and when it was taken, the story behind it, why it’s special to you...

Grab your pens!!!! (And I hope this doesn’t flop, but if it does, at least I’ll have tried!!!)

And I’ll kick things off in the next post!

Alright, I'm kicking things off!

My favorite photo is:



Yes, you guessed it—it’s Monument Valley, just at sunrise. It was May 12, 2016. We’d rented a little cabin right across from this breathtaking view... and we had fun taking time-lapse shots at sunset and sunrise! You should’ve seen us—5:30 AM on the terrace, steaming coffee in hand... What an amazing memory!

So, who’s next to follow in my footsteps?

Yellowstone West thumb

Wow, that's amazing! Haven't seen Yellowstone yet—it's on my list!

Hard not to fall into the cliché 😇



But hey, I’ll gladly contribute with this view of Dead Horse Point. ;)

Hard not to fall into the cliché 😇



But hey, I’ll gladly contribute with this view of Dead Horse Point. 😉

Oh wow, that’s absolutely stunning. If it weren’t for the tree (and a bit of grass) and that blue ribbon of the Colorado River in the distance, you’d think you were on Mars.... That’s one of the things that struck me about the American West—you often find yourself thinking, "Wait, where the heck am I right now?"

My turn with Bryce Canyon ;)

great idea.... South Tufa Trail - Mono Lake - California

Hey, wouldn’t these be potash pools instead? Below is the Colorado at Dead Horse Point.



Hard not to fall into the cliché

But hey, I’ll gladly contribute with this view of Dead Horse Point. 😉

Oh yeah, it’s absolutely stunning. And if it weren’t for that tree (and a bit of grass) and that blue ribbon of the Colorado in the distance, you’d think you were on Mars.... It’s one of the things that struck me about the American West—you often find yourself wondering, "What on earth am I looking at?"

Oh yeah, I totally recognize Dead Horse Point now. When I was looking at the previous photo posted by Othellomoto on my smartphone, I didn't see it clearly. On the other hand, I don't know the "potash basins" you mentioned.

My turn with Bryce Canyon ;)

Ah... Bryce Canyon and its incredible rock formations! Another display of nature's genius!

Alright, I’ll join in too. That said, it’s tough to pick just one photo after three trips to this stunning American West. So, I’ve finally decided on this photo taken by my wife Anne while we were having dinner in front of the breathtaking spectacle that is Monument Valley. We’re staying with a Navajo couple for the night—way cheaper than *The View*—and as the sun sets, the butte lights up for a few magical seconds.

Great idea.... South Tufa Trail - Mono Lake - California



What’s absolutely mind-blowing about seeing Mono Lake is realizing you’re standing right inside an ancient volcanic caldera! And then finding a salt lake right at the doorstep of Yosemite....

Oh yeah, now I recognize Dead Horse Point. When I looked at the previous photo posted by Othellomoto on my smartphone, I didn't see it clearly. However, I don't know the "potash ponds" you're mentioning.

Those are the blue ponds you see in the photo. You can observe them from several viewpoints at Dead Horse Point.

Oh yeah, I recognize Dead Horse Point now. When I was looking at the previous photo posted by Othellomoto on my smartphone, I didn’t see it clearly. However, I don’t know the "potash ponds" you mentioned.

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

Alright, I’ll join in too. That said, it’s tough to pick just one photo after three trips to this stunning American West. So I’ll go with this one taken by my wife Anne while we were having dinner in front of the breathtaking spectacle that is Monument Valley. We’re staying with a Navajo couple for the night, for much less than at The View, and as the sun sets, the butte ignites for a few seconds.



A magical moment—this fleeting instant when everything is still bathed in light... then, in the blink of an eye, the lights fade, and the colors seem to vanish into the twilight before night falls...

Such a great idea, Fabienne! 😉 Okay, but choosing is *such* a dilemma!!! 😄 Needless to say, our road trip was a huge highlight—our best trip to date—and we’ve got tons of unforgettable memories.

If I had to pick just one, I’d say the hike to Corona Arch, between Arches NP and Canyonlands. A long walk in the blazing sun, but the view at the end is absolutely breathtaking. And most of all, it was a real challenge for me since I’m afraid of heights and steep slopes… (yes, it’s a thing 😄). That hike was my chance to face my fears, and it was totally worth it!



And the behind-the-scenes view, showing the path we’d taken from the bottom, near the railroad tracks:

... 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 anywhere else on the planet?

Yellowstone June 2017 Spectacular

Hi there,

One of my favorites:

Smith Rock State Park





Exhausting climb in sweltering heat. Up top, stunning landscapes and absolute peace and quiet.

Great idea for this post!

JL

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.

Currecanti (Blue Mesa) Christmas Day 2016 (minus 32 Celsius with a force 6 wind)

Indoor pool at Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA There were four different tours available, and I took two of them. What I didn’t know was that all four tours started with the outdoor pool, called Neptune Pool, and ended with the indoor pool, made of Murano glass. So I saw it twice, with the same sense of wonder each time...

Cathedral Valley was an unforgettable moment in June 2017

Wow, this keeps getting better with Kast13 (Valley of Fire), JauneSoleil (flyover of Lake Powell), Hiacinthe (Great Sand Dunes National Park), Gilou02 (Potash Road, Moab), Bluemesa (Curecanti National Recreation Area), Masterpoe (Hearst Castle), Deshaw (Cathedral Valley)...

Often, I’ve come across landscapes so photogenic that I thought a film set designer had just been there! You turn around—nope, no camera, it’s just nature doing its thing...

Here, it’s at Capitol Reef, Utah.

Hi, this is what I did, but it worked on the first post and not on this one. If someone can edit the message and enlarge the photo, that’d be great. Thanks

Hello everyone! To continue sharing the (stunning) landscapes of our favorite West, here’s a photo and an anecdote from Cheyenne, WY. I decided to show my travel companions (my son and my partner) the capitol building, which I’d already visited. It was late afternoon, and what we didn’t know was that it was technically closed, with tours finished for the day. We pushed the unlocked door, walked in, and heard someone belting out a song somewhere in the building. We wandered around quietly, and then, around a corner, a cleaning lady with headphones on appeared. She was the one singing! She was shocked to see us and told us the building was actually closed but that she’d forgotten to lock the door. Laughter on both sides! She kindly let us take our last photos. Dear Wyoming, you’ll always have my heart! PS: Just a reminder—one post, ONE photo, right?

Hi Gilles,



Wow! It's stunning. Hope we can go there this summer with our SUV.

Cheers,

Christine

Hi Jean-Luc,

Currecanti (Blue Mesa) on Christmas Day 2016 (minus 32 Celsius with a force 6 wind)



It’s magical. Mother Nature gave you a splendid Christmas gift.

Cheers,

Christine

Hi Fabienne,

Often, I’ve stumbled upon "scenery" so photogenic that I thought a film set designer had just been there! You turn around—nope, no camera, it’s just nature doing its thing...

Yeah, it’s amazing what nature gives us in terms of landscapes.

Cheers,

Christine

Another surreal spot near Page, a place discovered with a guide: White Pocket. Yet another place where you feel like you're on another planet—it's tiny but takes hours to explore. Well, the photo won’t stay large; I don’t get it 😕

Alright, Laurent, I outsmarted it to display it big!



It’s stunning—it kinda reminds me of the divine "Wave" (but without the lottery, right?). Is it hard to get to?