Bringing my mom and girlfriend Jen on a national park birthday road trip for their 75th and 37th birthdays in May. We’ll be hitting up White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountainsβ€”and maybe even sneaking in a stop at Gila Cliff Dwellings if time permits. All will be first visits for them.

There’s a 300-room pueblo ruin complex within sight of I-17…and it’s named for a duck.

Looking forward to another kayaking adventure soon.

Where will YOUR next trail beer be?

I need more waterfalls like this in my life.

Woven hat on display at Heard Museum

There aren’t many places that can compare to the views from Glacier Point.

Oh deer.

Found this off the Geronimo Trail, a dirt road that skirts the US-Mexico border in southeastern Arizona between Nogales, Arizona and the New Mexico state line. Thank goodness I had a quarter handy!

Auto-generated description: A coin-operated pony ride is set outdoors on a dirt path next to a sign offering rides for five minutes at 25 cents.

In Soviet Willcox, all your golf balls belong to us…

I brought Jen to see The Thing?

Auto-generated description: A roadside attraction features a large yellow sign with the words THE THING? prominently displayed above a row of parked cars. Auto-generated description: A cinder block display with a glass top is set under a colorful banner that reads HERE LIES… THE THING? WHAT IS IT? IT’S A MYSTERY… IT’S A WONDER! Apparently, this is The Thing

Ruins of Fort Bowie, Arizona

Made a return visit to Fort Bowie National Historic Site for Jen, one of the few national park units that requires a hike to get to the visitor center. #fb

Delicate

Missing this view.

Zebraface

That time you brought six duraflame logs backpacking to ensure you’d have a campfire.

Hidden in the darkness

#whyaz

‘Ohe’o Gulch, aka Seven Sacred Pools, near #Hana on #Maui #Hawaii