THE GRAND CIRCLE PART II — RANDOM THOUGHTS 1

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers

LIKE ARIAS — I wrote this between hikes and touring through Capital Reef National Park in Southern Utah.  ZION /  BRYCE CANYON / CAPITAL REEF They are all SENSATIONAL in their own ways … and  I mean “sensational” in that visiting each of these parks really thrills the senses — not only the sense of sight, of beauty and of grandeur but it excites our sense of pride in being in America. Plus, a sense of appreciation for our government that preserved these fragile, unique lands, and our sense of thanks for park administrators who (along with most visitors) help preserve these practically unbelievable wonders of nature.

Zion is majestic. It features a variety of textures and colors that make it a visual buffet.

The most common word heard at the overlooks of Bryce Canyon and down among the towering caprock topped “hoo-doos” was “breathtaking.” It is definitely breathtaking, and more … beyond words.

And in Capital Reef, the least known of the great Southern Utah parks, the best I can say is it is “incredibly dramatic.” Philippe calls it “colossal.” All three of these parks are awesome, awesome, awesome!!!

Between these grand natural wonders are hours of farmland, various-hued boulders and mountains, and quaint towns.  For opera-lovers, think of that part of the trip as the lyrics sung between the soaring arias, or for musical comedy-lovers, it’s the dialog that tells the story between the songs that echo in your mind hours or days after you’ve left the theater.  The pastures and barren lands can hold your interest for miles until the next great attraction appears in front you.

PHOTO SUGGESTION – Wednesday afternoon I climbed along a trail upward about 480 fairly strenuous feet along cliffs and overhangs.  Along the way I took about 75 or 80 photographs.  Rocks, escarpments, weeds, water, landscape, etc., etc.  Why so many?  Because in these days of digital photography, every one of those shots cost me nothing.  So after returning from the hike when I downloaded the photos into my computer, I deleted 480 of them.  Cost me nothing to refine my choice of photographs.

In deciding on which to keep and which to “X” out, naturally not all are in focus (often because the auto focus is reading a branch in the

foreground instead of a cascading stream in the distance) or clear enough.  So I dump them.  Some shots are of the same subject taken from different angles or with different lighting.  Others are close-ups of plants that are interesting at the moment but nothing special hours later.  Birds are tough to keep in focus – one out of ten clicks may capture something worth keeping.  I trash the rest of them.  Example, I took about 10 shots of mule deer in a meadow to get one keeper.

And why do I take all these different subjects?  For memories, first of all — each fills in the story of where we were so we can remember it years from now.  Some I send to family and friends in my e-Postcards.  Others are for publication or sale in the immediate or distant future.  And someday, Monique and I may be asked to speak at public events, and it will be the pictures our audiences remember.

This is getting to be too long, so I’ll save a few additional thoughts until a later article, but I want to relate a quick experience from sister-in-law Solveig.  She appreciated it when she walked into the ladies restroom at Bryce Canyon where two ladies were talking.  When she entered, one said, “Welcome to the party.”   A small thing, but a very positive experience for someone getting used to American friendliness.

I have at least five more random topics plus spectacular pictures to share for another time.  They are the kinds of things that help Monique and me earn our reputation as the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.

© All photos by Barry Zander.   All rights reserved