“Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it”. – Theodore Roosevelt

After a very busy wedding and portrait season, we decided to take a few days off and explore. A family trip to Utah was the answer.  We packed the kids in the car and off we went. The Polar Express near Flagstaff was our first stop. Second stop was Zion. A stay at Zion Mountain Ranch was the perfect location for exploring the area. As you drive towards the park entrance at Zion, the scenery just unfolds right in front of you. A meandering drive through the park, a stop here, a stop there, each view different yet equally impressive, a white tailed deer walking along side the car, a pack of rams climbing out of the scenery. Simply gorgeous.

Next stop was Bryce Canyon. Completely different scenery. A couple feet of snow eliminated the hiking option but we were still able to take in the majestic snow capped view and be in awe of nature. A must visit in warmer weather so that we can explore all the trails that I imagine lead to all sorts of great stuff.

I had always heard of the Vermillion Cliffs – but for some reason they have never made it on our sightseeing radar. On our drive back into Arizona, we chose a different route to return and all of a sudden as you drive down from the North Rim entrance of the Grand Canyon – the Vermillion Cliffs are right there. Just right out in front of you. The scenery changes from a forest to a scene out of a Hollywood western. Stunning.

The whirlwind National Park Tour of 2011 came to an end at The Grand Canyon. It’s hard to say what Park was the most beautiful but what is so remarkable is how different each park is. Only a couple hundred miles separate all four parks and the diversity was incredible.

Keith decided to bring only a rangefinder on this trip. No digital, no auto focus. The above pictures were taken with a manual camera, nothing auto.  The good old days of film, relying solely on your judgement to take each photograph. This is just a handful of some gorgeous photos taken of some really gorgeous scenery.

The ages have been at work a long, long time – the result is true perfection. (Just like film and a good camera!)