"Half Dome" follow up!

"Half Dome" finished at #5 in last week's "It's a Snap!" travel photo contest on MSNBC.com.  Thanks for your votes!

Vote for "Half Dome"!

 A photo has been chosen from the Traveling Sol archives for this week's "It's a Snap!" photo contest on MSNBC.com.  Don't forget to cast your vote!

VOTE HERE!

Stop #2: The Grand Canyon

The second stop of the road trip was the the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Lodging at the canyon was limited (reservations need to be made far in advance) so we stayed about an hour south of the canyon in Williams, Arizona.  Historic U.S. Route 66 runs through this small town, which seems to have been frozen in time.  Little bits of history pepper the small town, especially one particular antique shop called "Lonesome Dove Antiques."  There were a few lodging options in town but restaurants were limited.  We ate in town at Cruiser's Cafe 66 Bar & Grill, which had typical diner food that went along with the "50's feel" of the place.  In the future, I'd like to stay at one of the lodging facilities within the park.  A list of lodging facilities can be found here.  Williams is about an hour south of the canyon.  The drive is scenic and enjoyable but traffic was very heavy in the evening, which is why I would like to stay closer to the canyon if I'm able to visit again.

As for the canyon, the pictures speak for themselves. The canyon appears like a movie screen with a massive landscape painted on it. The canyon dwarfs everything and is deadly still. The only movement you can see are the shadows from clouds passing above or an occasional bird gliding through the air. See for yourself...

 South Rim Sunset

 Bright Angel Trail

 South Rim Sunset

 Canyon from Bright Angel

 Sunset over South Rim

Road Sign Update!

Between the road trip last summer and my trip across the Midwest and part of the Great Plains, I need to update my state sign collection! So here it is:

 ARIZONA

THE GRAND CANYON STATE WELCOMES YOU

 Welcome to Indiana

Crossroads of America

Lincoln's Boyhood Home

 Welcome to NEW MEXICO

The Land of Enchantment

(This one happens to be one of my favorites-- I love the Chili Peppers!) 

 

 Welcome to Nevada

 

 Welcome to California

(This sign was off of a rural highway and looks like it had seen better days!) 

 Missouri

 Oklahoma

 Welcome to Texas

Drive Friendly the Texas Way

 Pennsylvania Welcomes You

 

 Welcome to Ohio

So much to discover!

 

Welcome to Illinois

Land of Lincoln

(I wish this picture was more sign and less car.  However, in our efforts to capture the sign and reach the shoulder of the road, we ran over a bungee cord hook and shortly after this had a flat tire.  So this picture will have to do!) 

Santa Fe Videos

The above videos show some of the "Wind Art" that can be found in Santa Fe.

This third video shows The Pink Adobe, which is a restaurant in Santa Fe.  If you look closely you can see the paper lanterns on the ledges.  The San Miguel Mission is also pictured, which is said to be the oldest operating church in the United States.  (It was undergoing a structural renovation at the time.) The "Oldest House" is also pictured. (It's the oldest house in the Southwest Region, not the entire United States.)