Monday, August 6, 2012

Frommer's National Parks of the American West: Park Guides are Just Fantastic


Frommer's National Parks of the American West: Park Guides, by Don Laine, Barbara Laine, Jack Olson, Eric Peterson and Shane Christensen, looks to be a very handy guide to have when visiting Utah's parks. Great shot of Canyonlands National Park's Mesa Arch too (I've made my photo into an interactive jigsaw puzzle on the "Canyon Country" CD). This guide covers many of the places I visited in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico on my last trip to the USA and others during previous visits.

For more information and to buy, click on the photo.

Frommer's National Parks of the American West (Park Guides)

Frommer's National Parks of the American West (Park Guides)

"Frommer's Complete Guides* America's #1 bestselling travel series* More full-color guides than ever before* Foldout maps in annual guides* Outspoken opinions, exact prices, and insider tips.     Table of Contents
List of Maps xi 1 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO THE NATIONAL PARKS OF THE AMERICAN WEST 1 2 ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UT 16 3 BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, SD 31 4 BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TX 40 5 BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK, CO 54 6 THE BLACK HILLS: MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, JEWEL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT & CUSTER STATE PARK, SD 61 7 BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK & GRAND STAIRCASE--ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT, UT 82 8 CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK, UT 98 9 CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UT 109 10 CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK, NM 121 11 CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CA 132 12 CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, OR 146 13 DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK & MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, CA 156 14 DEVILS TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT, WY 173 15 GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT & WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK, AB 179 16 GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ 199 17 GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WY 230 18 GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK, NV 255 19 GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE, CO 264 20 GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, TX 271 21 JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, CA 279 22 LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK, CA 292 23 MESA VERDE, HOVENWEEP, CHACO & OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF THE FOUR CORNERS REGION 300 24 MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA 314 25 NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK, WA 330 26 OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WA 345 27 PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK, AZ 362 28 POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE, CA 370 29 REDWOOD NATIONAL & STATE PARKS, CA 379 30 ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, CO 388 31 SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK, AZ 405 32 SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, CA 415 33 THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK, ND 435 34 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY & LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT, MT 444 35 YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA 477 36 ZION NATIONAL PARK & CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT, UT 505 37 FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN WILDLIFE 523 38 AIRLINE, HOTEL & CAR RENTAL WEBSITES 529 Index 531

About the Authors

Residents of northern New Mexico for more than 40 years, Don and Barbara Laine have traveled extensively throughout the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest, exploring the mountains and deserts with their always-curious dogs. The Laines have authored or contributed to a number of Frommer's travel guides, including Frommer's Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks and Frommer's Utah. They have also written Little-Known Southwest, New Mexico & Arizona State Parks, and Best Short Hikes in Arizona for The Mountaineers Books; and The New Mexico Guide for Fulcrum Publishing.

A Denver-based freelance writer, Eric Peterson has contributed to numerous Frommer's guides covering the American West, and has written Frommer's Montana & Wyoming, Frommer's Colorado, Frommer's Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks, and Ramble: A Field Guide to the U.S.A. Peterson also writes about travel and other topics for such publications as ColoradoBiz, Delta Sky, and the New York Daily News. In his free time, he's an avid camper and hiker, a lifelong Broncos fan, and a part-time rock star (at least in the eyes of his niece Olivia and nephews Mitch and Sam).

Jack Olson, a longtime resident of Denver, wanders the Rockies and the entire country as a freelance photographer and writer. He writes travel articles and supplies photographs for AAA magazines, and his photos have been seen in such publications as Backpacker, Audubon, Sierra, and National Geographic Books.

Shane Christensen has written extensively for Frommer's, including in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Originally from California, he knows the American Southwest well and returns each year to the Grand Canyon to explore its wonders and ensure the accuracy of this guide. Shane has also held a variety of diplomatic assignments with the U.S. Department of State, and he is currently a research scholar and faculty advisor at Columbia University."










Friday, August 3, 2012

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is Just Gorgeous


Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is just gorgeous.

It's shared by both Utah and Arizona and it's a very special place whether enjoyed from the land, the water or the air (I thoroughly recommend that way as detailed in a previous post).


The signs around Glen Canyon National Recreation Area are almost as impressive as the natural beauty which they highlight.

I left my campground and went for a drive around part of the lake until I came to this spot at the Coves. The painted part of the sign is mirrored in the stone which supports it.

Very creatively designed to make a statement about the place.

Photographing signs on a trip actually defines where the photos were taken, breaks up the series of photos taken e.g. all landscapes, and some are just worth photographing anyway.

Click on the photo to enlarge it and enjoy both the sign and the scenery behind it.

I can definitely feel the urge to create some interactive jigsaw puzzles about Glen Canyon and Lake Powell. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, check out my "Canyon Country" post.