Devils Tower National Monument

We visited Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. It was America’s first National Monument, but made famous by the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Passport stamp outside the visitor center:

Passport stamp outside visitor center

Model:

Model

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Visitor center

Trail info:

Trail info

View from West Road:

View from West Road

View from West Road

There’s a prairie dog town on the way to the tower; these burrowing ground squirrels create massive underground colonies. We stopped on the way back:

Prarie dogs

Prarie dogs

Prarie dogs

Prarie dogs

Prarie dogs

Prarie dogs

Prarie dogs

A video of prairie dogs:

Devils Tower is unusual in that you pay on the way out, probably to avoid a line blocking the KOA campground and shops immediately outside:

Devils Tower is unusual in that you pay on the way out

On the next day, we went back to do a hike around the tower:

Model

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

View

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

View

A peek of our coach in the KOA from the tower trail:

A peek of our coach

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

Rock

Devils Tower

Devils Tower

A timelapse video of hiking around Devils Tower:

Alpenglow view from West Road:

View from West Road

View from West Road

Such an iconic monument.

Yellowstone Old Faithful area

We continue our tour of Yellowstone National Park with the popular Old Faithful area:

Old Faithful map

Old Faithful Visitor Education Center:

Old Faithful Visitor Education Center

Old Faithful Visitor Education Center

Old Faithful Visitor Education Center

Old Faithful Visitor Education Center

Old Faithful Visitor Education Center

Old Faithful General Store:

Old Faithful General Store

Old Faithful Inn:

Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn

We had dinner at the Old Faithful Inn dining room, another reservation-only restaurant:

Old Faithful Inn dining room

Old Faithful Inn dining room

Old Faithful Inn dining room

Beverage menu:

Beverage menu

Dinner menu:

Dinner menu

Appetizers:

Appetizers

Mains:

Mains

Dessert menu:

Dessert menu

Dessert:

Dessert

Old Faithful Post Office, where we mailed a Grand Prismatic Spring postcard to Mom:

Old Faithful post office with Grand Prismatic Spring postcard

Old Faithful geyser:

Old Faithful geyser

On another day:

Old Faithful geyser

A bison wandering through near the geyser:

Bison

Looking back at the inn from Old Faithful geyser basin:

Old Faithful geyser basin, looking back at the inn

Hiking around the geyser basin; there’s more to the Old Faithful area than that popular geyser:

Old Faithful geyser basin

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

River

River

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

The Black Sand Basin is also nearby:

Black Sand Basin

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

Geyser

See also a video from this area.

Joshua Tree National Park day 1

We visited Joshua Tree National Park several times while staying in Palm Desert.

On the first day, we visited all five of the visitor centers, drove though the park, and did a shortish hike.

First up, Black Rock Nature Center in Black Rock Canyon Campground:

Black Rock Canyon Campground visitor center

Visitor center

Do Not Die Today:

Do Not Die Today

Welcome to Joshua Tree (the city, not the park):

Welcome to Joshua Tree

The main Visitor Center outside the park:

Visitor Center

Visitor Center

Passport stamp:

Passport stamp

The Joshua Tree Cultural Center:

Joshua Tree Cultural Center

Joshua Tree Cultural Center

Joshua Tree Cultural Center

The Oasis Visitor Center, which is permanently closed, but still has the Oasis of Mara trail available:

Old visitor center

Kinetic artwork:

Kinetic artwork

Picnic:

Picnic

Oasis of Mara trail:

Oasis

Entrance sign:

Entrance sign

Joshua trees:

Joshua trees

We did a hike to a mine, past some ruins:

Ruins

Ruins

A nice pic of me:

David

Jenn:

Jenn

Mines (look for the metal covers):

Mines

Old winch:

Old winch

Old bucket:

Old bucket

Flowers:

Flowers

Me:

David

Selfie:

Jenn and David

A fun dirt road, with Joshua trees and mountains in the distance:

Dirt road, Joshua trees, mountains

Dirt road, Joshua trees, mountains

Joshua trees

Joshua trees

Joshua trees

Joshua trees

Joshua trees

Ocotillo:

Ocotillo

At the southern entrance, Cottonwood Visitor Center:

Cottonwood Visitor Center

Cottonwood Visitor Center

Recent rains brought out a profusion of wildflowers:

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

The Windows in Arches National Park

Once again we went back to Arches National Park, for one last time (for now). This time, we headed to The Windows, a part we quickly visited on the first day. But this time we did some hiking to the various arches.

The entrance sign again:

Entrance sign

Animal sculptures by the visitor center:

Animal sculptures

Animal sculptures

Info signs for The Windows:

Info sign

Info sign

The Windows from the start of the trail:

Windows

Rocks

Heading towards an arch:

Arch

A small arch off to the side:

Small arch

An interesting tree:

Tree

North Window arch:

North Window arch

View through the arch:

View through the arch

Under the arch:

Under the arch

North Window arch

North Window arch

Turret Arch:

Turret Arch

Turret Arch

Turret Arch

South Window Arch:

South Window Arch

South Window Arch

South Window Arch

North and South Window Arches:

North and South Window Arches

Turret Arch:

Turret Arch

Turret Arch

Wedding couple:

Wedding couple

Wedding couple

Wedding couple

Turret Arch

A parking lot sign caught my eye:

Parking Lot sign

A fun closer view of it:

Park

North and South Window Arches:

North and South Window Arches

North and South Window Arches

Double Arch trail:

Double Arch trail info

Sunset

Sunset

Info

Sunset

Double Arch

Double Arch

Sunset and tree

Double Arch

Double Arch

Double Arch

Double Arch

Double Arch

Double Arch

Double Arch

Double Arch

Landscape Arch in Arches National Park

We went back to Arches National Park the next day, driving straight to the end of the park, to do the Landscape Arch hike. This is a fairly easy 1.9 mile (3.1 km) stroll along a mostly flat gravel and sand path, though there were some short steep hills.

The line of cars to get through the entrance station; we continue to believe that all parks should have an express line for people with park passes; most of the holdup is due to people paying and/or asking questions:

Entrance queue

Looking downhill at the entrance station and switchbacks:

Switchbacks

Switchbacks

Switchbacks

Rocks:

Rocks

The parking area for the Landscape Arch and Devils Garden hikes:

Rocks and parking

Info on the trail, and also how the fins are formed:

Info

Start of the hike:

Start of the hike

Path

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Path

Rocks

A first look at the Landscape Arch; a little hard to see against the backdrop of rocks:

Landscape Arch

Info:

Info

Closer:

Landscape Arch

Easier to see with sky behind it:

Landscape Arch

Another nearby arch:

Arch

Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch

Jenn taking a picture of me:

Jenn

The path used to go under the arch, but that is closed since part of it collapsed:

End of the path

Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch

Jenn & David

Landscape Arch

On the way back, we took a half-mile side path to Pine Tree arch:

Pine Tree arch

Pine Tree arch

Pine Tree arch

And the Tunnel arches:

Tunnel arches

Tunnel arches

Back at the start of the trail:

End of the trail

Afterwards, we had a picnic dinner at a nice spot:

Picnic dinner

Picnic dinner

We were rather hot, but had come prepared with cooling headbands; I kinda look like a hippie:

David with cooling headband

Finally, some fins:

Fins