Welcome to the second largest desert in North America! The Chihuahuan Desert occupies some parts of Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico of which the latter is the major holder. Its landscape is geologically complex, which is composed of a plethora of basins cut by the small mountain ranges, plateau forests, desert springs, low valleys, gorges, rivers, and deep canyons. With this feature in mind, World Wide Fund for Nature has regarded the Chihuahuan Desert as the most biologically diverse arid region on the planet. As it is on a very high elevation as compared to the Sonoran, the desert witnesses  very mild temperatures with cool winters and extremely hot summers. Receiving rainfall less than 10 inches during the late summer monsoons, the desert is best visited in winters. Just similar to the Great Basin Desert, the Chihuahuan Desert  [...]

If you are in Arizona no matter for what purpose, you just cannot miss a tour of its majestic natural wonders now preserved as national parks. A genuine nature lover will love to behold the sights of these giant structures that reflect how nature plays a major role in shaping things in this world! One such place of wonder, magic, and marvel is the Navajo Tribal Park near Page, which is the home of the most photographed slot canyon named Antelope! Why to visit? The Antelope Canyon Arizona, the most-portrayed sandstone canyon, has one more name that reveals its inner twisted features: the Corkscrew Canyon. So, what makes it the most-photographed backdrop? Well, its luminous array of orange as well as purple colors that light up the narrow fissures sculpted by the wind as well water gives the canyon this honor. The illumination of the  [...]

Nestled at the main entrance and off the Utah Route 9, the Zion Canyon is the most visited site in the Zion National Park. This deep as well as narrow gorge sculpted naturally by the Virgin River persuades the tourists to either hike or drive over its meandering routes to explore the myriad of attractions. Ending at the Temple of Sinawava that is a vertically deep amphitheater, the Zion Canyon takes one on its southward trip (16 miles) via the Narrows the North Fork above a high waterfall, forest, Pine Creek Canyon outside the park, and the Springdale settlement before meeting the Virgin after 100 miles. Passing through the canyon are the two key roads: Zion Canyon Drive and Zion-Mount Carmel Highway of which the former ends at the Temple of Sinawava from where the hiking trails start along the river, descends into the Narrows featuring  [...]

Are you wondering at the name? Can’t make out as whether it is a city or a museum? Well, Taos Pueblo is the sole surviving as well as largest multi-storied structure of the Pueblo in America. It is an old pueblo meaning a community of apartment-like edifices composed of primarily adobe mud and stone and holding multiple storeys flanking an open plaza certainly made by and for the Pueblo People. Nestled outside the legendary site of Taos, today, Taos Pueblo in New Mexico is the sole Native American community that is a National Historic Landmark as well as World Heritage Site. Structure Always being occupied for more than 1,000 years, this amalgam of multi-storied adobe edifices was erected for the purpose defense. Taos Pueblo’s most famous architectural aspect is its residential, reddish-brown complex split by the Rio Pueblo,  [...]

Until now, I have seen many unusual and bizarre stone carvings. But, what have most captivated my mind are the Mount Rushmore face carvings. Yes, you have understood it right – human talent on the peaks as well as slopes of a mountain. Nestled in South Dakota in USA, the Mount Rushmore National Monument features the incredibly replicas of the previous United States Presidents’ faces sculpted into the Black Hills. Besides indicating the 150 years of the America’s history, this famous mount is not only a work of art, but is also an icon of freedom as well as hope. All thanks goes to Doane Robinson who is regarded as the ‘Father of Mount Rushmore’ for his own innovative notion of a huge carving into these mountain ranges. Today, Mount Rushmore draws thousands of tourists from all over world, which was the desire of this creative  [...]

Regarded among the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon is now more than a millionaire! Yes, I am saying this because it has become the most-visited attraction drawing more than million tourists every year. Besides itself being a natural wonder, the Grand Canyon is also the home of many natural attractions of which the Havasu Falls is just a colorful paradise. Flanking red, green, and brown cliffs and the bottom sky-blue waters render this place a heaven. This absolutely stunning waterfall in a distant canyon of Arizona acts as an oasis in dry Arizona. Just as its beauty is beyond imagination, its accessibility is also beyond words. By this I mean that it really takes effort to reach here backed by scenic and swimming rewards. The picture perfect cascade is really difficult to reach via hike that involves in driving  [...]

The sole Spy Museum of America is in Washington D.C where it houses over 200 weapons, gadgets, cameras, vehicles, bugs, and technologies that are utilized by intelligence across the globe. Know what microdots are, marvel at something called as the invisible ink, discover the buttonhole cameras, learn about the bugs of all kinds, and unveil the tales of spies from Moses to George Washington. As the International Spy Museum is a special one, your entry will also not be like the usual ones in other museums of the world. Its controlled entry will offer you 5 minutes to recall one of 16 spy synopses with an assumption of fictitious name, birthplace, age, and so on. This one will then be your ‘cover’ with which you proceed into the museum. So, you literally become that assumed spy via this cover that also has mission assigned to it  [...]

Arizona is the land of many natural monuments such as the Grand Canyon, which pull thousands of visitors each year. Today, I will take you on a tour of one such wonder called the Navajo National Monument nestled on the northern Arizona’s Shonto Plateau that looks over the Tsegi Canyon in Navajo. The Navajo National Monument is known among the tourists for its three most integral cliff dwellings that belong to the ancestral Anasazi tribe of the Puebloan folks who resided here in the 13th century. Currently, the Navajo inhabitants here refer to these ancient people as only ‘Anasazi’ meaning the ancient people. Trails The monument offers a visitor center, two small campgrounds, two short self-guided mesa trails, and a picnic area. On my trip here, I followed the 1.6 km round trip Sandal Trail facilitating the self-guided walk  [...]

There is an acceptable reason why a majority of tourists including me visiting the Banff National Park in Canada would say that Peyto Lake is the most charming lake on the planet. Although there are many beautiful lakes in this area competing for the title, this one is the hot favorite of the most in the Canadian Rockies. The reason for this is not something to be said in words, but is something that is to be experienced after reaching there. Nestled at a distance of 26 miles from the famous Lake Louise, the stunning Peyto Lake boasts a unique milky blue color that is surprisingly does not remain throughout the year. The color keeps on changing not only with the seasons, but also within a day with changes in time offering different colorful views at intervals. Well, this might be one of the reasons as to why I entitle it to be the  [...]

If you are a great fan of nature and want to explore an untouched Mecca, then a trip to the Moraine Lake is a must! Nestled in the province of Alberta in Canada, this one is the typical Rocky Mountain lake fed by the glaciers in the Banff National Park. It is accessible within just 20 minutes from the scenic Lake Louise village and is nestled in the most celebrated forested Valley of Ten Peaks. Moraine Lake, flanked by complete wilderness, boasts several ‘to-see’ sites and ‘to-do’ things. The main highlights here are the shimmering clear blue waters as well as the magnificent mountain scenery. The mountain here is the third highest of its kind in the Canadian Rockies. Speaking about the activities, you will surely enjoy walking, canoeing, hiking, and photography. In fact, your journey to reach the Moraine Lake itself is scenically  [...]