Do you know the way. . .

. . .to Santa Fe? We do. And it's a wonderful town full of culture and artistry. Palace of the Governors is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the U.S., dating back to 1610. Native American artisans abound and display their work under it's portico and in the neighboring plazas. The architecture in this olde town area is mostly adobe style and is filled with cafes, galleries and museums. The perfect place for an afternoon stroll.

The Ultimate Artist

The Painted Desert in Eastern Arizona near Holbrook has more colors than a giant box of Crayolas. And nature did it all. The hues change with the sun's position, providing interest throughout the daylight hours. Another beautiful reflection of God's handiwork. . .

A Grand Time

The Grand Canyon is appropriately named: 277 river miles long, 18 miles wide, a mile deep, rock nearly 2 billion years old in the bottom of the canyon. The park's free shuttle system is really convenient and allowed us to ride to some of the overlooks or hike along the 12-mile rim trail to others. The views are awesome, but not for those with tendencies toward vertigo.

Viva Las Vegas

On our way to the Grand Canyon, we stopped over in Las Vegas at Arizona Charlie's. What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. No pictures. No comment.

Byway Highway

Scenic Highway 12 is officially designated as "All American Road" and it's 112 miles provides some of the prettiest this country has to offer. The contrast of hues from the red rock, to the deep green evergreens, to the brilliant blue skies dotted with pure white clouds is breathtaking.

We do Hoodoos

What are hoodoos? They are carved pinnacles of stone, and Bryce Canyon National Park has spectatular ones of varied shapes and colors. To me, the Canyon looks like thousands of chess figures standing tall awaiting their move. Although the park road is a mere 18 miles long, it's strategically placed overlooks pack some amazing panoramas. We walked part of the 11-mile Rim Trail which affords views of the Canyon from almost every angle.

Whittled Wilderness

Gravity and water from the Green River and the Colorado River carved hundreds of canyons, mesas, buttes, arches, and spires in the Colorado Plateau. Canyonlands National Park preserved this vast wilderness of rock and it remains fairly untrammeled today. While most of its roads are unpaved and its trails primitive, there are numerous overlooks and short hikes that offer incredible vistas.