Edith, Jolly and I found ourselves visiting two Southwest canyons in the Colorado Plateau this time: Zion National Park, in southwestern Utah, and Grand Canyon, in northern Arizona. In Zion, one looks up the canyon walls, while at the Grand Canyon one looks down into the landscape. I absolutely love traveling in this part of the country, because no one ever gives a second look when they see a buck roaming around. There are plenty of other native mule deer around to distract the bipeds.
Read MoreVirgin River
The classic view of Zion - looking downstream along the Virgin River toward the Watchman formation.
Canyon Overlook
View to the south from Canyon Overlook. State Highway 9 can be seen meandering up the incline.
East Zion
One of the many side trails in the less crowded east side of Zion.
Ephemeral Stream
Rain in Zion means streams and waterfalls come to life, sometimes for just a few minutes.
Emerald Pools
The waterfall after rain.