roadtrip 2019     

This time of year, prickly pear cacti bloom here and there, but this little garden was stunning. Above average rainfall has resulted in above average blooming of all kinds. It's a rare occurrence. Right-click on the image and select ":view image": for a larger image.

They come in colors...

... and more colors...

This is the one you see in all the printed material about Canyonlands National Park. It's a short hike from the parking lot, and very popular. Generally there is no parking, you wait for someone to leave and then you take that spot. People behind you get annoyed because you're not moving, but there;s no point in moving because then you're just back on the road. This photo is just a portion of the arch because there were a dosen people sitting on the slope under the arch on the other side.

Overuse has been a theme, not the only one. in the national parks we've visited so far. The staff in the parks say there was a huge spike in interest when the National Park Service turned 100 on August 25, 2016 and it seems interest has remained high. Most obnoxious are the tour buses, huge RVs and trucks towing camper trailers (mostly big). I don't know what the answer is, but for sure it is not more parking lots...

A variety of rock formations fill canyonlands.

An easy trail along the canyon rim.

A pinyon pine tree. If you've ever eaten pine nuts (and you should, they are delicious, especially lightly toasted but be careful, just a little heat and short toasting will do it because they are high in fats), this is the tree they come from. From Wikipedia:

"Each pinyon cone produces 10 to 30 seeds and a productive stand of pinyon trees in a good year can produce 250 pounds (110 kg) on 1 acre (0.40 ha) of land. An average worker can collect about 22 pounds (10.0 kg) of unshelled pinyon seed in a day's work."

Now you know why they cost so much!

This one you really do need to right-click/select "view image." The National Park Service provides a huge amount of information about every national park, with alerts, basic information, maps (pdf format), brochures, at >> https://www.nps.gov/index.htm. The National Parks have been called "America's best idea" and the National Park Service is an example government at its best.

Text and images copyright 2018 Thomas D'Alessio and Jocelyn Boor