When I was 26 & 27; 1979, 1980.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park -
Oh, the Mesas, Buttes, and Spires; Nature's sculptures. We drove the 16 mile loop in the Valley. Nearly glowing reddish at sunset. A friend, and I slept over night in our sleeping bags. We woke up at 3AM, the full moon had set, and The Milky Way spanned, and sparkled across 2/3rds of sky!
Grand Canyon -
Shocking disappointment at first bc I arrived by bus near noon, and everything beyond the ground, and first reddish rocks down turned into a very flat looking "diorama" of pale, pale blues, blues, and purples! ????!!!!
Finally around 3PM in my last hour before back on the bus the sun was angled enough to bring out the yellows, orchers, oranges, and reds we normally associate with The GC! Gloriousness appeared!
Echo Lake -
Has some official State name. It's West something of Denver around 10,000 ft up. My cousin studying at Denver U took us up by motorcycle! What makes it a wondrous scenic area is northwest from our vantage point was Mt Blue Sky/formerly Mt Evans 14,000 ft high. Still covered with some snow cap in ?mid July.
Then, to our northwest in atmospheric blues, and snow capped was a parade of peaks: The Continental Divide! Stunning!
I was gifted 2 very different, incredibly wonderful, surprise vacations 25+, and 36 yrs later.
But these 2 first big ones, wjich I carefully saved for; while briefly staying with 2 different cousins, my dad's friend's, and sharing 2 nights with a friend; the rest of these two 2 week vacations by bus pass (unlimited on & off!) I researched it there were more cities, parks, gardens museums etc, I visited, and hotels, motel to get reservations to, and a few nights sleeping on the bus, sometimes w 2 seats to myself.
They were magical!
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