Clarion Coll Victorian Charm In Kanab

... years ago) was made from 92% iron! You see i8n the previous entry Paul trying to lift that small fragment of the meteorite? That single piece weighs over 1000 lbs!! Also, (we felt some wind up there let me tell you), but the wind that passes over the rim of the crater can sometimes exceed 150mph, stronger winds that Hurricane 5!

I agree with Paul about the Grand Canyon - when you first see it, the only thing you can say is 'wow'. It's so vast ...

... mountain pass to the top of a peak where we encountoured another unbelieveable drive. There happened to be a trail at the top called The West Rim Trail and a campground called Lava Point. Both of which we highly recommend. We hiked the trail for about 4 miles, maybe more, and Steve's boots started to bother him. So we had to turn around. We hiked back and headed back into the park. Upon our arrival Steve found out he lost his phone. We ...

... were perfect to be walking on the dunes: cloudy, a little breeze, sand packed by the rains earlier in the night and day. Under those conditions, it was fun to be walking in sand dunes. In the evening, we visited the Crescent Moon Theater, an old restored movie theater, famous for its western movies. The small city of Kanab, Utah is called the "Hollywood of the West" because of all the western movies filmed in the area. The Parry Lodge near the theater provided the lodging ...

... being out of shape, I was still able to make it to the top! I met Kevin up at the final viewpoint where he had already spent 20 minutes soaking up the view. A stunning 360 degree view of the surrounding canyon was the reward after such an arduous hike. For almost an hour, we just sat there eating the sandwiches we brought, warding off the friendly chipmunks, and drinking our celebratory beers. All while enjoying the awesome view. The hike back down to Scout's ...

... Then we had to drive down the very windy, very steep road into the town of Zion. I was so happy that I didn't have to make that drive - our driver Ron seemed to handle it with ease. I had no idea of what to expect from the town of Zion, where we would be spending the night, but driving through it I immediately regretted not being able to spend more time there. The main drag was lined with cute house ...

... and as such there don't seem to be any entrance fees. Bill Clinton awarded Grand Staircase Escalante with its National Monument status in 1996 much to the disappointment of the state of Utah, who had plans for a coal mine in the area. At the western end of the "monument" we passed through the "Vermilion Cliffs", beautiful pink-hued cliffs with fantastic striations. According to the leaflets and guides we have read there are even more stunning ones than what we saw. We ...

This morning we rode the shuttle around Zion Canyon. Both Bryce and Zion (and the Grand Canyon and all the other Utah National Parks) are on the Colorado Plateau, a huge sheet of rock pushed up to 9000 feet many millions of years ago, and now cut through with canyons and gorges due to rivers and weathering. Unlike Bryce ...

... like little ants. I've no doubt the view would be to die for, but that's just what some of them do every year, when they fall off! Anyway, we got to the end of the road, and got off the bus to start the mile long walk to the river in the 90 degree heat! The kids were so excited. "It's showtime!!" said Cian. Just as well we'd hired the sticks, as there were none left when we got to the river. It was lovely to get into the cool of the river, from the heat of the trail. We ...

One of the photographers that I hung out with at Erica's funeral is Paula Lerner. I had heard her name when I first got into the editorial photography business, and always imagined her to be this older, brassy New Yorker who'd been there, done that in a predominantly male-dominated world. I wasn't terribly off base, but she's from Boston. I was asked by Erica and Ed to sit on a panel discussion at Photo Plus Expo in New York a few years back when ...