• First Plowman

    One of the sculptures in St. George’s Art District is of William Carter, the “first plowman and irrigator of the American West.” No relation, but the man knew how to use a plow to great effect on the frontier.

    First Plowman
  • Guitar

    The Art District in St. George includes this nearly 15 foot-tall sculpture of a guitar created out of license plates, dinner knives, pipes, and a variety of other metal items. Look close and see what parts you can identify.

    Guitar
  • Flowing Water

    St. George’s Town Square includes this fountain that forms a stream between red stone blocks making it ideal for kids to splash in on a warm day. The boy with a hose and the two round “creatures” are works of art by different artists.

    Flowing Water
  • Art District

    The Town Square area of downtown St. George, Utah features a variety of works of public art. Here two older kids swing younger siblings around in a an engaging statue.

    Art District
  • Tabernacle

    The other outstanding building in downtown St. George is the red brick tabernacle built at the direction of Brigham Young in the 1860s. The color of the walls matches the bluffs rising above the original townsite just a few blocks away.

    Tabernacle
  • Temple

    This dramatic white building in the midst of a St. George, Utah neighborhood is the first Mormon Temple, erected in 1871. The grounds are beautifully maintained with flowers and palms

    Temple
  • Wall of Peaks

    These peaks tower above a side valley along the road leading into Zion National Park. Everywhere you look in the park are views equal to this.

    Wall of Peaks
  • Tunnel View

    Driving back down into Zion’s Virgin River valley, we saw this view as we exited the mile-long tunnel headed back into the valley.

    Tunnel View
  • Stripes

    The slopes above Zion’s valley feature stripes and layers of different colors and directions and ages.

    Stripes
  • Window on Zion

    Driving out of Zion’s Virgin River canyon, we traversed a mile-long tunnel with occasional windows in the rock offering views like this of the mountains in the national park.

    Window on Zion
  • Red, Green and Blue

    Zion’s canyon has colorful, vertical scenes like this one of rich red, cool green, and bright blue.

    Red, Green and Blue
  • Wading In

    At the end of the Riverside trail in Zion NP, many people proceed upstream wading in the Virgin River to reach the Narrows at the head of the valley. We watched them wade in but stayed on the dry trail ourselves.

    Wading In
  • Virgin River

    We walked the Riverside hike along the Virgin River to the end of the trail under massive cliffs in Zion NP. Hard to believe this little stream is responsible for this scenic canyon!

    Virgin River
  • Prickly Pear

    The floor of Zion valley is dry enough for prickly pear cactus to grow on the slopes. A good reminder to stay on the trails.

    Prickly Pear
  • The Patriarchs

    We needed warm shirts for a cool morning in Zion NP. Here we are below the peaks called the Patriarchs – from left are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

    The Patriarchs
  • Zion Sunrise

    The morning we visited Zion National Park, we caught views of the peaks lighting up with sunrise glows.

    Zion Sunrise
  • Tall Grass

    Between our campground and the mostly dry stream bed, you can walk past grasses that tower over head against the clear blue sky.

    Tall Grass
  • The Edge of GS-E

    Looking across this valley near Kodachrome Basin state park, you can see the pink and white cliffs that mark the edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument.

    The Edge of GS-E
  • Colors

    Just another remarkable, colorful scene in Utah’s Kodachrome Basin SP.

    Colors
  • Thoreau

    Walking along the nature trail at Kodachrome Basin, you pass several quotes about nature by famous figures of the past. After touring Utah’s national and state parks, I know that Henry David Thoreau had it exactly right.

    Thoreau
  • Statues

    Kodachrome Basin SP is known for these pillars of white stone towering above the surrounding red rocks. This pillar reminds me of a pair of figures on a pedestal. Actually, geologists have three different explanations for how these formed, they don’t really know.

    Statues
  • Pink Giants

    Walking through Kodachrome Basin state park, I happened upon this cliff face that looked like a crowd of pink giants.

    Pink Giants
  • Entrada Formation

    Kodachrome Basin’s red rocks are part of the Jurassic era deposits from the time of the dinosaurs. They are also visible around Moab and across southern Utah.

    Entrada Formation
  • Kodachrome

    About 20 miles southeast of Bryce Canyon, we visited Kodachrome Basin State Park for several hikes through its vivid landscapes.

    Kodachrome
  • The Grand Circle

    This quilt in the Bryce Canyon lodge pretty well sums up this long-planned vacation. Except for Monument Valley and Grand Staircase-Escalante (which we only saw from a distance), we are spending time in each of these Grand Circle national parks.

    The Grand Circle