Moab, Utah: Arches National Park

Arches National Park is a red-rock wonderland that features over 2,000 natural stone arches! 

The Windows Arch (North Window)

Upon entering the park we drove up steep switchback roads to come face-to-face with these towering walls and monumental monoliths.

 The Great Wall

Courthouse Towers

Plus there are other amazing formations like soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. 

Soaring pinnacles:

The Three Gossips

Massive rock fins

Giant balanced rocks:

Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

We took a tour in a 4x4 vehicle to get close up views of some arches. Our guide drove us to a less-frequented area of the park where we walked up to the Eye of the Whale Arch. We were the only people there, no lines for picture-taking under the arch!!

Walking toward the
Eye of the Whale Arch

Eye of the Whale Arch

Eye of the Whale Arch

Eye of the Whale Arch

Our tour included an off-road view of Delicate Arch. 

Delicate Arch

Our guide was knowledgeable about the geology and history of Arches National Park. He also provided us with some suggestions for enjoying the park on our own.

When we took our car to the park later, we saw this front view of Skyline Arch.

Skyline Arch

Per our guide, we took a different route behind the arch to get an even better and closer view! 

Skyline Arch (back view)

Skyline Arch (back view)

Our guide suggested that we visit the Sand Dune Arch as it was an easy walk to the center of some sandstone fins.

Path between the fins

Path between the fins

Sand Dune Arch

These photos do not do justice to the beautiful landscapes we saw. This blog is to share our wonderful journey with you. But it's just a small part of our travels. Learning about our world and its inhabitants is what gives these photos meaning. 

To those travelers who are only interested in photo-shoot Instagram moments, I ask that you put the camera down, look around you and talk to a stranger. That stranger could become a new friend! I want to thank our tour guides, Airbnb hosts, and people we have met along the way for helping to create memorable experiences. 

Banff, Alberta: Natural Beauty

Two Jack Lake

Two Jack Lake is a picturesque lake located in Banff National Park renowned for its stunning views of Mount Rundle.

Two Jack Lake is connected to Lake Minnewanka by a dam which creates two distinct lakes from a single, larger body of water. 

Lake Minnewanka

Lake Minnewanka was named "Lake of the Spirits" by the Stoney Nakoda First Nations people. It is the largest lake in Banff National Park. The lake is 13 miles long and 466 feet deep which also makes it the second-longest lake in the Canadian Rockies.

 

We had a beautiful day for a ride on the Banff Gondola. It snowed the night before so it looked like a wintry wonderland on Sulphur Mountain! 

Banff Gondola

SNOW!

At the top, the sun was shining and we had incredible views of the Canadian Rockies and the town of Banff. 

View from Sulphur Mountain 

At the summit we had lunch at the Sky Bistro with majestic views! 

Lunch at Sky Bistro

Nearby British Columbia is home to Yoho National Park. This park is located within the Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide.

It includes the unique Natural Bridge, a rock formation carved by the Kicking Horse River and the mesmerizing, vibrant green Emerald Lake.

Natural Bridge, Lower Falls:

Emerald Lake:

Near Banff is the Bow Valley Scenic Parkway. Since we had another glorious weather day, we hopped into the car to check out more spectacular scenery!

Our first stop was Backswamp Viewpoint:

Backswamp Viewpoint

This scenic overlook offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, including forests and mountains.

Our final destination was Johnston Canyon. Its powerful waterfalls are a popular attraction. We only had time to visit the Lower Falls as it was a 1.5 mile hike and about a 30 minute wait to view the 33 foot falls through a short tunnel. 

The walk featured suspended catwalks through the canyon.

Johnston Canyon, Lower Falls catwalk

We had a great view of the falls during our 30 minute wait!

Johnston Canyon, Lower Falls

This was the cave-like tunnel we waited to enter:

Johnston Canyon, Lower Falls
viewing tunnel

We made it! What an awe-inspiring view!

Johnston Canyon, Lower Falls

We're leaving Alberta, Canada and will be heading south to Utah to visit a red-rock wonderland!

Banff National Park & Jasper National Park

Banff will be our home for 10 days so we have time to explore this beautiful area! 

Here's a view of Banff Avenue from the Cascade of Time Garden!

A short drive from Banff is a lovely view of Bow Falls and the Bow River.

Bow Falls

Bow River

We took a daylong guided tour to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Our guide explained to us how Banff National Park has built these wildlife overpasses so that wildlife can cross over the highway safely. 

Wildlife Overpass

Although rainy and overcast, Lake Louise was picturesque and evoked an aura of mystery and serenity. 

Lake Louise

The low clouds gave Moraine Lake an ethereal appearance.

Moraine Lake

We ended our day with a stop at Vermilion Lakes Viewpoint which offered a stunning view of Mount Rundle.

Vermilion Lakes
with Mount Rundle

Another day we made an early morning start for a drive along the Icefields Parkway. Our destination was Athabasca Falls, a recommendation by a friendly Canadian couple we had met! Here just a few of my favorite scenic views along the way.

Bow Lake is formed by a glacier and this is where the Bow River begins.

Bow Lake

Scenic drive 

Scenic drive 

Athabasca Falls is a powerful 79-foot high waterfall in Jasper National Park. It's known more for its impressive volume of water rather than its height. 

Athabasca Falls

Scenic drive 

Tangle Ridge (9,843 feet)
and Sunwapta River

The Icefields Parkway is known for many glacier views. Most known is the Columbia Icefield which is the largest ice mass in the Canadian Rockies. It covers about 125 square miles and feeds multiple glaciers. The Columbia Icefield straddles the Continental Divide and is located within both Jasper National Park and Banff National Park.

Columbia Icefields

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

 

Waterfowl Lake 

This stunning lake was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area.

Peyto Lake

Crowfoot Glacier

Our day ended with a full rainbow!

More majestic beauty to come!