We’re at the very western edge of Colorado, at another amazing national monument. Feels like we’re seeing one after another of these places while they’re still protected. From Our Campsite Tracy scored a spot at Saddlehorn Campground, which is in the monument and therefore tricky for two reasons. You have to pass through roughly blasted […]
Month: May 2025
While This, Then That
Last pictures while looking here, and thoughts while seeing that.
Surrounded at Three Borders
The three borders of our current spot—where Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado meet—is the reason Wild West outlaws used to hide out here. If the law from one state was chasing them, they’d simply ride over the line to another state where the fellers chasing them had no jurisdiction. And, at this spot, they’d have two […]
Campground Surprises at Dino
Unexpected small joys (and one small rattlesnake) at Dinosaur National Monument.
Bone Jam and Ram Jam at Dinosaur National Monument
The bone jam I’m taking about is from the Jurassic period, when this specific area in Utah was wet (attracting dinosaurs), then dry (killing dinosaurs), then wet again, at which point a river flowed through, washing a whole lotta bones into this small canyon, where they got caught in the mud, then covered by sediment. […]
Trying to Stay Amazed in Utah
I saw this graffiti on a bench above Angel Peak badlands in New Mexico, and I’m trying, random person with a magic marker defacing public property, I’m trying. Islands in the Sky at Canyonlands I struggle with sensory burnout when we see so much so often. I’m not complaining, but I am staying back at […]
Arches, Moab, People
A day spent in Arches National Park, Utah
Seeing Green in Canyonlands Nat. Park
Canyonlands is a big national park in southern Utah that we’re tackling in sections; we’re camped near the south section now and we’ll move to the north section tomorrow. It’s got a lot of interesting rock formations, petroglyphs and pictograms, but—big deal to us now—a lot of green. It’s been since we were waylaid in […]
Life in the Valley of the Gods
Valley of the Gods was part of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah when Obama designated it; Bears Ears was the first national monument created by request of and with input from Indigenous tribes. The protected land size was reduced under Trump, restored under Biden, then reduced under Trump again, and, thanks to lobbying from […]
Goodbye for Now, New Mexico
Yesterday, we pulled away from our campsite—looking out over the Angel’s Peak Badlands—and we headed north, out of New Mexico. For me, it was hard to say goodbye. At this last campsite, a spot Tracy chose for access to Chaco Culture, we were on BLM land looking at snow capped mountains in the distance, the […]
