We stayed at Portal RV Park in Moab and the Arches was just a 5 minute drive down the road. Wow….I really liked the Arches National Park. There is so much to see. We went on two different days and there were still many places to go. It was really “HOT” over 100 degrees  but we still hiked to Delicate Arch. It is considered a strenuous trail for a 3 mile hike…up hill….in the sun. We made it no problem. When you get to the top and you stand under the arch in the shade with the breeze blowing and you watch the clouds go by….I thought it was breathtaking and worth the hike. Even though there were numerous people there….it was still peaceful….to look around and think about the energy and force of nature to create the landscape.

Delicate Arch

Arches National Park

Driving in the park

Driving in the park

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch

Our second day in the park we took easy hikes. We hiked to Skyline Arch  which was only .4 miles round trip and then to Broken Arch which was 1.3 roundtrip. Those hikes are considered easy trails. On the Broken Arch trail there was a bonus side trip to Tapestry Arch, which of course we took the trail. If you have Verizon, you have cell reception….as we were exploring Tapestry Arch, my phone rings…….I was shocked….so I thought it was kinda funny to be what seems so far away and yet so close. We continued on and made the loop to Broken Arch. It was a quiet trail, we only met a few on the trail. After we finished that trail we headed over to the Windows section of the park to do those hikes. It was so crowded there was no parking so photos of Turret Arch and the Windows are all from our truck. I look forward to returning and seeing more beautiful arches.

Skyline, Tapestry, Broken Arch – Windows Section

Skyline Arch

Skyline Arch

Tapestry Arch

I love cool looking trees – I think it is a Juniper Tree

Broken Arch

Broken Arch

Broken Arch

on the trail loop

All of the below photos where taken from the truck because there was no parking available to do the hikes…maybe next trip back.

Turret Arch

Double Arches

North Window

Double Arch and Cove of Caves

We where staying in Moab, Utah and decided to drive to Natural Bridges. It was 119 miles one way……it was worth the drive. We took the girls with us because we knew we would be gone to long to leave them home. Since we had the girls with us we couldn’t hike the trails to the bridges but we could see them from the overlook areas where dogs could go. They do have a beautiful primitive campground in the park. We stopped and had a nice snack in the campgrounds before leaving. While sitting there having a snack, I could image all the stars you would see if you camped there…..you never know…maybe on another trip There are three bridges in the park and it is just beautiful.

Natural Bridges

Natural Bridges National Monument

Sipapu Bridge

Horse Collar Ruin Overlook

Love the texture and color of these canyon walls. If you took the hiking trail you would find Puebloan ruins.

Kachina Bridge

This bridge is difficult to see in the photo…it is in the shadows, but is back behind the trees in the canyon.

The girls – We are trying to get them to sit…but people are coming up the trail

Owachomo Bridge

How Bridges and Arches differ – Natural bridges are formed by the erosive action of moving water. Arches are formed by frost action and seeping moisture, which also enlarge natural bridges once stream erosion forms them.

So on our way out of the park there is this house on a corner…you just have to love the slide from the second story deck…had to take a photo…

Unique way to get down from the second story.

Canyonlands National Park

We stopped at Canyonlands National Park on the way back to Moab. Canyonlands is divided into several sections and we visited “The Needles” area. Our next trip back to Moab, we will visit the “Island in the Sky” and hopefully “The Maze”. There is so much to see here. As you are traveling into the Canyonlands, you can stop and read the news at the Newspaper Rock Archaeological Site….it is really cool to see all the petroglyphs on the wall.

Newspaper Rock

Newspaper Rock

Newspaper Rock

Newspaper Rock

It is amazing to think how long the drawings have been on the wall….totally cool.

Canyonlands

The Needles

There are hiking trails and campgrounds in this park too….this was all in a single long drive day. The girls and Kelly were ready to get back to camp. I think we drove over 350 miles in one day. We saw a lot of magnificent rocks and canyons and valleys. I never grow tired of looking at the natural beauty that surrounds us.

Today we drove the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown. What a beautiful road. Our first stop was Yorktown Victory Center. I love how the parks are so interactive with the visitors. Great actors everywhere. We saw what the army encampment would have look like…I am very grateful for todays nice camping gear. They also had a work farm, where they make everything as they did back in time….drying fruits and tobacco…it was a great stop.

We also visited the Yorktown Battlefield….it is truly amazing to stand there where our country was born…our freedoms. The trip included visiting the Moore house were the negotiation for the surrender terms for Cornwallis’s army took place. There is so much history, we do not have enough time to do it all. Enjoy!

Colonial Parkway

Yorktown Victory Center

One of the tents in the army encampment

Army camp

Nice cooking area

Working farm

Inside the farmhouse

Drying fruit and vegetables in the farm smokehouse

Some of the tool they use

This is a tobacco farm…drying tobacco leaves

One of the farm chickens cruising around

Visitor Center for the Battlefield

One of the cannons on the battlefield

Yorktown Battlefield

The Moore House

Wow…today we spent the day exploring Colonial Williamsburg. There is so much history here…the actors and re-creations are excellent. We started at the Governor’s Place. The armament inside the palace was amazing…it was there to protect the palace. We then wander down the street and went through the Bruton Parish Church which is still an active church…since 1715.  We toured the Capitol and the courthouse. General George Washington arrived and inspected some of his troops. The did a demonstration of firing their guns and cannons.

We enjoyed all the period actors who made it very realistic. They are very dedicated as today the temperature was 95 with humidity and they are dressed with the period clothing which looks so very hot.  The Fife and Drum team was excellent….you could hear the drums coming down the street a long ways away….The people who work and volunteer here actually make everything by hand, just as it was done back in the day.

The Governor’s Palace

Governor’s Palace

This is how most of the walls in the palace look like.

More weapons to protect the palace

This is Bruton Parish Church, which is still used today…beautiful.

Burton Parish Church

Bruton Parish Church

Sign on the Church Door

Inside the church

Lovely garden

Wheelbarrow in the garden

The Courthouse

Local woman playing a game

The Capital

The Capitol

Red Coat Soldier

Sewing a tent for General George Washington

Kelly…in the stockade…don’t think that would be a place to be

Waiting for General George Washington

Soldier

Fife and Drum

Soldiers waiting for inspection

General George Washington

Troops

Drummer

Firing their guns

Firing the cannons

Troops preparing to march to Yorktown

marching to Yorktown

It was an amazing day…very enjoyable.

After 15+ years of coming to College Station we never had the time to visit the Bush Library….now that we are retired we enjoyed the library. I must have forgotten or didn’t pay much attention before…President George W.H. Bush was an impressive man. The library displays the history extremely well…..I wanted to share some of the many jobs he held during his career;

• Youngest World War II Navy Combat Pilot
• Yale graduate in economics
• U.S. RCongress – two terms
• US Ambassador to the United Nations
• Director of CIA
• Vice President for two terms with President Ronald Reagan
• 41st President of the United States

We truly enjoyed the library……I wasn’t able to capture a lot of good pictures……here are a few of the better photos…enjoy.

Bush Library

Bush Library…they were cleaning the fountain today

Presidential Seal

Father and Son portrait

Presidential Quote

Kelly talking with President Bush…not sure who is giving who advice….

I think Kelly looks good sitting behind the desk…very Presidential. I would vote for him!

Kelly and June in the Oval Office

Quote from his Inaugural Address

DNA display in the library

Bronze Horses in the courtyard

Bronze Horses and the replica of the Berlin Wall

Wow…the museum is a must see. We went to the National Naval Aviation Museum, there are so many planes and helicopters, starting with World War I through the current planes. You have the Blue Angels, you have a Tomcat, to name a few…I do not know the names or types of some of the aircrafts I have posted below, they were all just really cool. They have aircraft from the Coast Guard and the Marines too. You actually get to walk around and up close to most of the aircraft. They have some really good display scenes too. We didn’t get a chance to ride the trolley onto the museum’s flight line……hopefully next time we can. We also didn’t get a chance to go to the Imax theater. We did have lunch in the restaurant at the museum…it is cool because it is full  of plaques from different units from the Philippine’s Officer Club which no longer exists due to a volcano….

After the Aviation Museum we went across the street to the still working Pensacola Lighthouse…we did go all the way up 177 steps up the spiral staircase…nice view…it was a wonderful way to spend the day…….plus I got a stamp from the lighthouse in my National Parks Passport…whoo hooo

We didn’t have time to stop in Alabama to see the USS Alabama which is now a museum, but this is a photo while driving by on the highway…look forward to going back and taking the tour.

USS Alabama – retired

Naval Air Station – Pensacola, Florida

National Naval Aviation Museum

One of the many displays

Here are a few photos of the some of the art painted on the aircraft…love them.

Flying Tiger

Bomber Nose Art

Flying Duck

This was on the plane (aka: Navy One) that President Bush used to land on Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln for Mission Accomplished

The Turtle

Viper – this is on a helicopter

Blue Angel display – these are real planes

Kelly and the Blue Angels

Blue Angels

Amazing

Old time candy

Old time candy

War Bonds

Tomcat

Pensacola Lighthouse

Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum

Historical Marker

The Lighthouse

The stairs to the top

The view to the Gulf from the lighthouse

Painted Pelican at the base of the lighthouse.