Arches National Park

I have been to Arches National Park a few times now. The first time I went It was just for a quick stop. I also had forgotten the battery to my camera. I still took some photos with wife's (I was dating her then) point-and-shoot camera. I think it might have been the most frustrated that she ever saw me. It was frustrating. I was going to arches National Park for my first time and I was unable to use my camera! When we went to visit Delicate Arch we took the short trail because we were traveling to Idaho. If you take the short trail you end up quite far from the arch with a chasm between you and it which dwarfs the arch. It is breathtaking but taking the trail to the arch is well work it.

Delicate Arch at sundown - Arches National Park

The second time I went to Arches National Park It was extremely windy and a bit cold. We took the trail right up to Delicate Arch. The wind had gust of 60-80 mph! Many people lost hats, sunglasses, and jackets. It was quite frightening to get right up near the arch because you were afraid you would fall into the giant chasm (or get blown horizontally against a rock wall). The wind was constantly changing intensity and directions in a wreak less manner. We made it through and the whole way back to the trailhead we warned people of wind and to hold onto clothes and small children. I have some of the images from this visit on my blog HERE on the Panoramas page.

This last time we went to Arches National Park the weather was perfect. There was only the slightest breeze, it was sunny, and it was the perfect warmth! It was marvelous!

We didn't get here till the middle of the day. We had some things we had to get done and we were traveling from the direction of Bluff, Utah. 

We got ourselves a National Park Pass and we hope to use it throughout the year. A Year National Park Pass is $80. But a day pass to Arches is only $5! Other national parks cost more to get in (i.e. Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon cost $25 for a one time entrance). However there are other options that fall between a year pass and a one day entrance.

NOW BACK TO ARCHES! 

Delicate Arch with flexible girls posing for photo. I was waiting for the girls to move but it was a great subject so I took a shot. - Arches National Park

Delicate Arch is the iconic arch for the park. We did visit it but we also visited Landscape Arch, Devil's Garden, Double O Arch, and the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint (among other places). Below are the photos I took on that day.

Fiery Furnace - Arches National Park

 10 photo panorama (57.1" x 15.8") - Fiery Furnace - Arches National Park

Rock formations near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

Rock formation near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

Trail near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

Tree near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

Rock Texture near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

Rock formation along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Rock formation along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Landscape Arch - Arches National Park

Landscape Arch - Arches National Park

7 photo panorama (40.0" x 17.5") - Rock formation East of Landscape Arch - Arches National Park

Landscape Arch - Arches National Park

5 photo panorama (31.3" x 14.0") - Landscape Arch and Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Devil's Garden Trail (La Sal Mountains in background) - Arches National Park

6 photo panorama (55.6" x 17.0") - Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Flowers along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Flowers along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Flowers along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

7 photo panorama (53.0" x 17.3") - Devil's Garden - Arches National Park

Devil's Garden - Arches National Park

Devil's Garden and Devil's Garden Trail along rock formation - Arches National Park

Double O Arch - Arches National Park

My lovely wife near Double O Arch - Arches National Park

Double O Arch (and my lovely wife) - Arches National Park

5 photo panorama (30.6" x 16.8") - Devil's Garden - Arches National Park

Rock formations of Devil's Garden - Arches National Park

3 photo panorama (30.4" x 11.8") - Rock formation along Devil's Garden Trail with La Sal Mountains in background - Arches National Park

Rock formation along Devil's Garden Trail near Landscape Arch - Arches National Park

Rock formation along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Rock formation along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park. (I would call this Jello Mold Rock)

Rock formation along Devil's Garden Trail - Arches National Park

Rock formation near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

Rock formation near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

Rock formation near Devil's Garden Trailhead - Arches National Park

7 photo panorama (42.1" x 17.4") - Small gully just north of Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

Texture of rock (ground) near Delicate Arch. Also one photo from the panorama above. - Arches National Park

6 photo panorama (39.2" x 17.3") - Small gully just north of Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

22 photo panorama (47.2" x 38.9") - Delicate Arch with people - Arches National Park

Moon coming up over rocks near Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

Moon coming up over rocks near Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

9 photo panorama (23.6" x 25.1") - Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

33 photo panorama (46.7" x 36.6") - Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

One single photo from the 33 photo panorama above of Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

9 photo panorama (52.3" x 16.7") - Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

13 photo panorama (57.1" x 16.8") - Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

 Delicate Arch Trail looking away from Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

Temple Square - Salt Lake Temple, Tabernacle, Conference Center, Downtown Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is a unique place. It has the Headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). It also has one of the biggest and most iconic temples of the LDS church. 

The Salt Lake Temple is made from solid granite which was quarried from the canyon about 20 miles away. It took 40 years to build and it was done all by hand. It is also the central point for the entire road system of the Salt Lake Valley, which is based on a grid system. 

4 photo panorama - Salt Lake Temple, Gray Sky (Taken Oct. 3, 2011)

The Salt Lake Temple is not the only thing to see in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. There is the entire Temple Square (including the Tabernacle, Assembly Hall and well known Christus Statue in one of the Temple Square visitor centers), Conference Center, other LDS buildings, the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the First Presbyterian Church, Saint Marks Episcopal Cathedral, and other churches. There are also malls like the Gateway and the new City Creek Center, theatres, museums, libraries, restaurants, Washington Square (and the Salt Lake City and County Building), and parks... Just to name a few.

LDS Salt Lake Temple after General Conference (October 2, 2011), Salt Lake City, Utah

LDS Conference Center after General Conference (October 2, 2011), Salt Lake City, Utah

Flowers at Temple Square (October 2, 2011), Salt Lake City, Utah

Flowers at Temple Square (October 2, 2011), Salt Lake City, Utah

LDS Conference Center Spire from atop the Conference Center (October 3, 2011), Slat Lake City, Utah

LDS Conference Center Spire from atop the Conference Center (October 3, 2011), Slat Lake City, Utah

The remainder of these photos were taken on April 11, 2012 

Flowers and LDS Church Office Building, Salt Lake City, Utah

Tulip and Flowers, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah

Leaves through window and the Beehive House, Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah State Capitol Building - Salt Lake City, Utah

8 photo panorama - Salt Lake City and University of Utah

11 photo panorama - Utah State Capitol Building, Salt Lake City, Utah

13 photo panorama - Temple Square (Salt Lake Temple, Tabernacle, Conference Center) Salt Lake City, Utah

3 photo panorama - Salt Lake Temple and Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah

Window and glass fixture indie LDS Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

Inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Conference Center

7 photo panorama - LDS Conference Center interior

8 photo panorama - Salt Lake Temple view from atop Conference Center

8 photo panorama - Salt Lake Temple view from atop Conference Center

Monument Valley, Mexican Hat & Valley of the Gods

Monument Valley is a beautiful place. It is located on the Utah/Arizona border on the Navajo Reservation. The part we went to was the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. There are the Iconic buttes and there is a nice view from the visitor center. It is just five dollars to get in! We did not spend much of the day there but we were there long enough to take photos and look around a bit. I have been wanting to take photos in Monument Valley for a long time. Now I just have to do it on a morning just as the sun is coming up!

West Mitten Butte

Merrick Butte

West Mitten Butte

 You might notice that I am now saying how many photos it tool to make the panoramas. This is to help you realize how big these images can be. They really are huge!

12 photo panorama - Monument Valley looking South from US-163 in Utah looking South at the Utah/Arizona border.

17 photo panorama - Monument Valley with the West and East Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte just South of the Utah/Arizona border

4 photo panorama - Butte in Monument Valley

59 photo panorama - Monument Valley with the West and East Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte just South of the Utah/Arizona border

Wife and I

Good look at the rocky terrain 

Lines and Texture of desert in Monument Valley

Desert hills in Monument Valley

30 photo panorama - Monument Valley with the West and East Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte

 West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte framed in the visitor center windows

8 photo panorama - Monument Valley with the West and East Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte just South of the Utah/Arizona border

Mexican Hat got its name because it looks a mexican sombrero (hat) on a mexican al wrapped up in "Mexican" blankets. You can see this from the highway (US-163). Another cool thing that you see along this drive is a certain group of mountains. They have next to no vegetation on them so you can see all of the rock and its different colors. In some of the photos you can get a little glimpse of some of these mountains behind Mexican Hat. However, I would highly suggest seeing them in person.

Mexican Hat, UT

Mexican Hat, UT

Valley of the Gods is a place I want to go to some day... in a Jeep or other 4x4 vehicle. We did not get to see much of the Valley of the Gods except for what could be seen from the highway. We had had a long day and could only go to so many of all of the awesome places to see.

Small butte rock formation on the side of US-163 near Valley of the Gods

21 photo panorama - Valley of the Gods Panorama seen from US-163

The Moon was looking beautiful as the day was coming to an end. Speaking of the Moon... Tomorrow night the Moon is supposed to appear 14-16% larger and 30% brighter because it will be a little closer to Earth. The moon will come within 221,802 miles of Earth on Saturday night (May 5, 2012) ; technically at its closest at 9:34 p.m. MDT. So if you want to get a good sight of it head out tomorrow night!