TravelDreamWest

08/26/2025

Our many National Parks are a unique treasure of natural beauty and cultural importance that brings people closer to nature and are an irreplaceable part of our country, often quoted as "America's Best Idea"! They are open to everyone and not limited to the wealthy. They also play a vital role in the tourism economy of smaller towns and their businesses close by. It is the people's parks, not for sale, and should and will serve future generations the way we know and thankfully experienced them. Cutting operational expenses by the federal government will deplete them and will have a very negative impact on the dedicated rangers and on us, the visitors. Please know that our treasured national parks only cost us 1/15th of 1% of the federal budget and any argument that they are too expensive cannot be supported. Please make your voice heard!

07/31/2025

From the Tent Rock National Monument we proceeded on to Bosque Redondo, a concentration camp for Navajo tribal members who ended up there after the Long Walk. There were also Apache Natives interned...a depressing historic place. On to the Inn of the Mountain of Gods, a wonderful hotel on the Mescalero Apache reservation. Here we visited the Sierra Blanca and the Apache church St Joseph's.

07/25/2025

We enjoyed one day in beautiful Santa Fe, the Capitol of the state of New Mexico. All buildings are constructed in the Adobe style, in a warm natural color and soft contours. The many excellent galleries invite you to surround yourself with unique art. Not far away there is Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. With some patience, you can get permits from the Cochiti Pueblo and the National Monument administration and wander through this natural wonderland.

photography

07/14/2025

El Rancho Hotel represents the 1930s and 49s when movie stars were filming Western movies in the area. Acoma Sky City, also called the ancient City in the Sky offers tours to their pueblo perched on a rock going back to 1100 A.D . Highlight was the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, Nrw Mexico, where over 500 tribes of North America get together to celebrate the largest powow of the year.

07/09/2025

Next highlights were the colorful Coalmine Canyon on the Navajo Reservation, the Tepee Hotel along Route 66 , Hotel La Posada, and Canyon de Chelly on an impressive Navajo guided jeep tour at sunset.

07/07/2025

Day 3 of our small group adventure was devoted to the many highlights in Grand Canyon National Park on the South Rim. A stop at the Desert View Watch Tower, an elk feeding on a Juniper tree, the Grand Canyon Steam train arriving at the Rim Village, were highlights. Aftet a hike along the Röim Trail, some of our group went on a helicopter ride over the grandest of all canyons. At the end of the day, we witnessed the unparalelled sunset at Grand Canyon before driving down to our hotel at Cameron Trading Post for the 2nd night. We enjoyed a Native prepared, delicious Navajo Taco.

07/06/2025

Day 2 of our adventure tour included a hike near Sedona in the Red Rocks including the prominent Bell Rock. On to the San Francisco Volanic field, a hike at the Sunset Crater, on the Horizont the sacred, snow covered San Francisco Peak. The Anasazi ruins of Wupatki are impressive, especially the ball court, an unusual feature, pictured here. We spent two nights at the Grand Canyon Hotel at the historic Cameron Trading Post. The hotel is run by Navajo Natives and features beautifully decorated rooms...a well deserved rest.

02/23/2025

One of the most scenic drives in the North America is the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff National Parks. We stopped at several waterfalls and beautiful view points, hiked at Athabasca Glacier, a toe of the Majestic Columbia Icefield. The viewpoint over turquoise Peyto Lake and the Icefields Parkway is well worth the short hike.

12/30/2024

We choose a day tour from Jasper to Miette Hotsprings along the wide winding Athabasca River where the Subalpine Fir forests are still heallthy and have not been affected by the huge fires this summer. Many bighorn sheep are in this area. They cross the road to get to the river. We enjoyed a lunch picnic like most days.

12/29/2024

We stopped at an often overlooked viewpoint of the wild and scenic Athabasca River. The place is called Goats & Glacier Lookout. It was partially closed to the gigantic fire that has ravaged in and around Jasper starting in July 2024. The fire distroyed many building and old growth forests covering an area of 130 square miles, a total tragedy.

12/26/2024

11/28/2024

Dutch Lake in Clearwater, BC, right in front of our cabins, our base camp for Wells Gray Provincial Park. Today was the only day of our tour it was raining in the morning. When it is nice weather, we are renting kayaks here and, with a bit of luck, can spot the rare Painted Turtles and different water birds.

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