Bond Falls - Paulding, Michigan

photo by mrbturner

Bond Falls near Paulding Michigan is a little over an hour from where I live. I have seen it several times, but each time I go, I notice the falls from a perspective I hadn't noticed before. There is a boardwalk that runs on the side of the falls that has six different viewing platforms. Each one is worth stopping at and enjoying.

photo by mrbturner

In my opinion, the best time to see Bond Falls is in Autumn. During peak color, the area is absolutely amazing and the falls are breathtaking.

photo by mrbturner

photo by mrbturner

I would highly recommend visiting Bond Falls. It's a great place to hike, have a picnic, or take some amazing photos. If you go later in the afternoon, you can hang around until dark and then go and check out the Paulding Light.........spooky.

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Lake of the Clouds, Porcupine Mountains - Michigan's U.P.

Lake of the Clouds is a lake in the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that sits in a valley and is surrounded by trees. You can see Lake of the Clouds from different vantage points. The easiest way to see it is from an overlook that is very accessible from a really nice boardwalk. This is how we saw Lake of the Clouds the first two times that we visited the Porkies. The picture below was taken from the overlook.

photo by mrbturner

The third time that we went to the Lake of the Clouds, we hiked the Escarpment Trail. In my opinion, this 4 mile trail is the best hike in the Porcupine Mountains. The sheer cliffs and the view of the lake far below are definitely worth the work it takes to make it up (or down) the frequently steep trail.

www-personal.umich.edu

The best time to see many places in the U.P. is in the Fall. Lake of the Clouds is no exception. It is an absolutely amazing sight once the leaves on the trees have changed colors.

photo by dturner

photo by mrbturner

I am always surprised when I go to the U.P. that it's never crowded. In fact, my wife and I have hiked many times for several hours without seeing another person. I remember a conversation that we had when we were staying at a resort near the Porcupine Mountains. We were sitting in some lawn chairs at the edge of Lake Superior. I looked around and said to my wife, "It's kind of crowded here." She just laughed. I said, "What?" She said, "There are six other people here..." I guess I had gotten a little used to having the U.P. all to myself.

photo by mrbturner

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Presque Isle River, Porcupine Mountains - Michigan's U.P.

photo by dturner

I love Michigan's Upper Peninsula - especially the Porcupine Mountains. One of my favorite things to do in the Porkies is hike along the Presque Isle River down to Lake Superior. There is a boardwalk on the west side of the river that makes the hike accessible to just about anyone...as long as you don't mind stairs. If you follow the boardwalk upstream, you will be able to see two different waterfalls. Manabezho Falls, pictured below, and Manido Falls.

photo by mrbturner

Once you have hiked to Manido Falls, you have come to the end of the boardwalk. This is a great place to take a break and catch your breath. If you hike back downstream toward Lake Superior, the many stairs will eventually lead you to a suspension bridge that spans the river. From the bridge, you can see an amazing unnamed falls. It is in this spot that you can see what is, in my opinion, the coolest thing about the Presque Isle River. The fast moving, spinning action of the water has carved the most unique whirlpool shapes into the stone of the river bank.

photo by mrbturner

photo by dturner

Once you cross over the suspension bridge, you can hike on the unpaved trail through the woods to Lake Superior. The beach is covered with rocks of all different colors. It's a great place to picnic and take in the beauty that is Lake Superior. Don't forget to look for agates while you're there too.

photo by dturner

I've been to the Presque Isle River several times, and every time I go I see something interesting that I hadn't noticed before. It's an amazing place to go to enjoy nature, hike to some really awesome waterfalls, and see Lake Superior.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah is undeniably one of the coolest places I have ever been. It's a geological wonder and the only place in the world where you will see anything like it. Frost, ice, and rain have shaped the sandstone of Bryce Canyon into really interesting shapes called "hoodoos."

photo by mrbturner

Hoodoos are tall rock spires of varying thickness and heights. Some hoodoos in Bryce Canyon are a little taller than the average person, and others are about one hundred feet tall.

photo by mrbturner

The most famous hoodoo in Bryce Canyon is probably Thor's Hammer. This hoodoo, pictured below, is 150 feet tall and very impressive.

photo by mrbturner

We spent six days in Bryce Canyon. We went on some really great hikes and took some really awesome pictures. My favorite hike was the 8.2 mile Fairyland Loop. My father-in-law and I hiked this strenuous hike in about 4 hours. There weren't a lot of people on this trail, so it was really peaceful and quiet.

photo by mrbturner

photo by dturner

My most favorite thing about Bryce Canyon, though, is not what you can see during the day. It's what you can see at night that is most fascinating. Bryce Canyon's sky is one of the darkest in the country. The high elevation, clean and dry air, and very little light pollution make Bryce one of the best places to see the stars. Some say that Bryce is the last grand sanctuary of natural darkness.

We were there during the new moon phase, so the sky was really dark. One night we went to a ranger talk about the night sky and were fortunate enough to be able to look through four huge telescopes. We saw Mars, Saturn, a globular cluster, and a twin star. We took a night hike and sat near Thor's Hammer for over an hour trying to get a good picture. We aren't very well equipped for night sky photography but decided that we would try anyway. We didn't get the shot that we were looking for, but we had fun trying, and there's always next time! Here's an image that I found online.

nightscapephotos.com

I would recommend Bryce Canyon National Park to anyone who enjoys hiking and camping. Even though we got to see most of the park and hike on several trails, I will definitely go back there. The geology is unlike anything you will see anywhere else.

Antelope Canyon, Page Arizona

Upper Antelope Canyon - Page, AZ

The Antelope Slot Canyon in Page, Arizona is truly a marvel of nature. It is definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It's a slot canyon located on the Navajo Indian Reservation near Page, Arizona. There are actually two different slot canyons on the reservation, Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. We took a tour of Upper Antelope Canyon while we were on vacation last summer.

photo by s.cook

Antelope Canyon was formed from water erosion due to flash flooding. Sand particles that are carried in the wind also account for some of the erosion over time. The result is a slot canyon that you can walk through. The walls are smooth and form really impressive flowing shapes in the stone.

photo by s.cook

The only way that you can see Antelope Canyon is by guided tour. Tours to the canyons run several times a day. There are a few tour companies to choose from. We bought our tour directly on the reservation. Our tour guide's name was Henry, a Navajo native. He was a great guide who helped show us great spots to take pictures and shared with us some Navajo history as we walked through Antelope Canyon. We went during midday so that the sun would be high in the sky. This makes for some pretty impressive beams of light in the canyon.

photo by mrbturner

Antelope Canyon is truly a photographer's dream. I will definitely go back and tour Lower Antelope Canyon. It's hard to believe that before seeing my first slot canyon I never knew that such a thing existed. It's a pretty amazing experience.

photo by dturner

Most people have heard of orbs before. To many people, orbs are known to be circular artifacts that show up in pictures in which a flash is used. But what about when an orb shows up in a picture in which NO flash was used? How about the same orb showing up in three different pictures taken by three different people on the same day at almost the exact same moment? Some people believe that orbs are more than just artifacts in a picture. Some believe that orbs are spirits or energy sources. The following three pictures were taken at the entrance to the Upper Antelope Canyon. The first one was taken by my wife, the second one by my father-in-law, and the third one by me. Notice the large orb in each picture in almost the exact same location.

photo by dturner

photo by s.cook

photo by mrbturner

What do you think?

Canyon Overlook - Zion National Park

By now you know that Zion National Park is one of the most amazing places that I have ever been to. There are so many things about Zion that I could write about. It is really hard to pick out just a few to put on my blog. The last place in Zion that I want to talk about is the Canyon Overlook Trail. We did this hike on our first evening in Zion. It's a pretty easy hike, and the view from the top is really incredible. We watched the sun go down and the moon rise. It was a great way to end our first day.

photo by mrbturner

 When you get to the top of Canyon Overlook, you are standing on the very top of the above structure. Notice the natural arch in the picture. This picture is taken from the road right before going though the Mt. Carmel Tunnel.

photo by dturner

 Of course, there were many opportunities for great pictures on the Canyon Overlook trail.

photo by dturner

photo by mrbturner

photo by dturner

photo by dturner

It was fun to climb to the top of this rock and get some fun pictures as the moon was rising.

The Narrows - Zion National Park

photo by mrbturner

Hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park was something that my wife and I looked forward to doing from the moment we booked our plane tickets for our vacation. Everyone we talked to before we went to Zion told us that The Narrows was a must-do.

You might be asking, "What is The Narrows?" The Narrows is a gorge that was carved by the Virgin River in Zion National Park. It is 16 miles long, up to 2,000 feet deep, and sometimes only 20-30 feet wide.

It's an awesome hike! Even the Riverside Walk Trail, which is the half mile paved trail you have to hike to get to the beginning of The Narrows is cool. We did that the first day that we were in Zion. My father-in-law recommended that one of the first things that we did in Zion was to take the shuttle all the way to the Riverside Walk Trail. This was a great way to see Zion for the first time. This paved trail is really easy hiking and you get to see up close the awesome red rock that Zion is known for. Here's us getting ready to take our first hike in Zion National Park!

photo by dturner

The hike to The Narrows is really peaceful and beautiful. There are several spots along the trail where you can see the Virgin River. We saw a lot of wildlife along the way, including deer. A few days into our stay at Zion, we decided that it was time to rent the the boots and poles that are recommended for hiking the Narrows. We made a trip to Zion Outfitter to rent neoprene socks and boots and a lightweight walking stick. We got a good night's rest and headed out bright and early for the trek of a lifetime.

photo by mrbturner

Hiking The Narrows means hiking in the Virgin River.  More than half of the hike is spent wading, walking, and sometimes swimming in the river. This is where the socks, boots, and poles come in handy. The river current is sometimes really swift, and the rocks on the river bottom are extremely slippery. The boots were designed specifically with The Narrows in mind. They support your ankle really well, and the bottom of the boots are kind of grippy.

photo by dturner

photo by dturner

photo by mrbturner

 The coolest thing about hiking The Narrows is that the sunlight changes the color and the character of the rock constantly. Every turn in the river brings a new experience. 

photo by dturner

We hiked 3.5 hours in one direction before turning around. We got to a point in the river where the water was so deep that we would have had to swim to continue our way up The Narrows. We were pretty tired and had to return our rental gear before dark, so we decided that it was time to head back.

photo by mrbturner

photo by mrbturner

Hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park was pretty amazing. I can't wait to go back and do it again. Next time, though, we are going to hike from the top down instead of from the bottom up. The hike from the top down takes you two days and requires a back country permit.

photo by mrbturner

photo by dturner

What do you think? Does this look like something you would enjoy doing?

Angel's Landing - Zion National Park

Zion National Park is by far the most awesome place I have ever been too. We did so many amazing things while we were there that I may have a few blog entries about Zion. The absolute highlight of Zion for me was hiking Angel's Landing. This hike is exciting, a little intimidating, and totally exhilarating - all at the same time. Even though the Angel's Landing hike is short - only 2.4 miles each way, it's the ascent from Scout's Lookout to the top that really gets your heart pumping. The hike begins with a series of long switchbacks that eventually lead you to Refrigerator Canyon and then onto Walter's Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks.

Walter's Wiggles - Angel's Landing, Zion National Park

Here's a short video that my wife took while we were hiking Walter's Wiggles. 

After Walter's Wiggles, Scout's Lookout is a good place to catch your breath and make a final commitment to push on to the summit. The last half-mile is strenuous and exposed to sharp drop offs and narrow paths. Chains are provided on some parts of the trek to the top, which sits at 5,790 feet. There have been deaths on Angel's Landing, so there are signs at Scout's Lookout that warn hikers of the cautions of continuing on.

photo by dturner

photo by dturner

The picture below is my wife and my father-in-law at Scout's Lookout just before we started hiking to the top. Ready or not...here we go.

photo by mrbturner

The chains give you some security while climbing.

photo by s.cook

  My wife said she never looked down while we were hiking/climbing to the top.

photo by s.cook

 The picture below gives a really good perspective of how steep it is.

 

photo by s.cook

 Making it to the top of Angel's Landing was one of the most exciting accomplishments of my life. The hike is both physically and mentally challenging - two of the reasons that we wanted to do it. The view from the top is unbelievable. Seeing Zion National Park from this perspective is a must-do.

photo by dturner

photo by mrbturner

This was the third time that my father-in-law hiked to the top of Angel's Landing. It was the first time for me and my wife. I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be the last time for any of us!

photo by dturner