The day after my visit to Canyonlands I was treated to another dose of Utah National Park/Wild West goodness with a trip through nearby Arches National Park. I’d purchased Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire: a Season in the Wilderness at a Moab bookstore for some dinnertime reading the night before, which really primed me for my beautiful, blue-skyed day in the awe–inspiring landscape (and also made me feel just a teeny bit guilty about being part of the horde of visitors passing through by car along miles of paved roads, which Mr. Abbey had foreseen with dread in 1985…).

I took a ton of pics and stopped by recognizable landmarks such as Balanced Rock and Delicate Arch before continuing my journey back East along the Colorado River to Grand Junction.

Oh, and I’m being reminded I went a little time lapse crazy at the park: one, two, three, four.