Before I left Virginia in late 2007 I went on a walk around the Noland Trail and took some photos of the Autumn leaves.

I miss the change of seasons living in Texas. I will move north again somewhere eventually. Autumn is my favorite time of year.

Day Five – April 10th, 2009

From Flagstaff, I drove to Meteor Crater.

Meteor Crater

I think this place would make for a nice sunrise/sunset.

Petrified National Forest

I took a photo of this sign but that’s about it. I asked the attendant at the entrance how long it would take to get through the trail and I recall he said three hours, and unfortunately I didn’t allocate enough time, so I bypassed to head to the VLA. I did stop at a gift shop to get a piece of petrified wood, which looks and feels like a rock – pretty amazing.

Very Large Array (VLA)

This array is indeed very large. You may recognize this place from the movie Contact and many others that include this scenery.

Conclusion

This was an amazing trip and one that I would like to repeat. However, if I go again I would allocate twice the amount of time. Rushing through travel is not fun and one of the reasons I am hesitant to do group travel. I like to be in control of my time and how I spend it. All of these places are worthy of overnight stays – especially for photographers who want to get the best photos during the golden hours of morning and evening.

Day Four – April 9th, 2009

I drove from there to Flagstaff where I had dinner and spent the night. I woke up in the early morning to take a ride to Upper Antelope Canyon.

Upper Antelope Canyon

This place was also amazing. I must go back again as I want to take better photos.

Tips

• Wear pants and a hooded sweater on the trip to Upper Antelope Canyon as the ride over is cool with a wind chill
• See Antelop Canyon Tours for the tour group

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is an absolutely amazing place! I wish I allocated more time. Next time I will go on a hiking tour. I saw the south rim, took some photos, then had lunch in the restaurant there.

Very precarious steps but I would want them to change it. Keep it adventurous!

I asked someone to take my photo.

Next up… Southwestern Adventure 2009 – Day Five