from rscottjones

Missing these Hawaii sunsets.

Where there’s smoke, there’s lava.

It’s sometimes a bit surreal to visit places you learned about in elementary school, like Valley Forge. It seems like an obscure fact until you arrive and experience the landscape for yourself.

The crater of Haleakala is simply unworldly.

I had a dream about this canyon recently. As an Arizonan, I take some issue with its name, but it’s also hard to argue with the assessment of it being rather grand.

Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness is probably the best beginner backpacking trip in the state. You have an amazing canyon, great campsites, plenty of water, and it’s not a hard walk. You’re also sure to see bighorn sheep, and there are plenty of side canyons to explore.

Dante’s View, overlooking Badwater Basin.

The Salt River snaking its way towards Roosevelt Lake, and Phoenix’s water supply.

Ever wanted to safely walk behind a roaring waterfall? Here’s your chance—the falls at Horseshoe Lake are currently flowing! Here’s my complete guide to visiting, including driving directions, custom map, plus videos and photos of what you’ll see. Located not far from metro Phoenix.

These guys crack me up. #hawaii #findyourpark

This might have been the least foggy shot I got at Shenandoah National Park. We managed to show up during a storm that obscured most of the viewpoints. Nonetheless, we stopped at every single one to create a tongue-in-cheek album of 70+ foggy vistas.

Death Valley is a national park of beautiful barrenness.

Sipapu Bridge is one of the largest natural bridges in the world. One of the centerpieces of Natural Bridges National Monument in southern Utah, the natural bridge features a memorable hike to its base—complete with two ladders and steps carved into the sandstone. Its name refers to an “emergence hole” in Puebloan culture. I named my dog after a sipapu when we rescued him from the desert near the Arizona-Utah border.

An overnight trip on the West Rim Trail in Zion yields some mighty fine views as you approach the canyon.

Owachomo Natural Bridge is one of the most accessible natural bridges in Utah.

I’ve got the San Juan Mountains on my mind.

Sometimes, you just go for it.

At Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, you can tour the world’s first nuclear reactor. I mean, that huge panel on the right is where two guys would actually push in each of the radioactive rods. Crazy!!! It all seems so…unsophisticated, like they were just throwing things together and figuring it out day by day. Oh wait, that’s kinda what they were doing… This was one of the most intriguing national park tours I’ve taken.

Delaware Water Gap is kinda dreamy.

This is the site of the Henry David Thoreau’s famed cabin at Walden Pond. — “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”