Posted by Jason Hussong on Thursday, September 22, 2011,
Stradling the border between Colorado and Utah, Dinosaur National Monument sits on the far western - or eastern, depending on your perspective - side of the state. It is for this reason that I had not traveled there - the drive from Denver was just too long. But this past week I finally made the park I coveted for so long,  getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the new visitor center and museum before Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar attends the grand opening on Tuesd... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Wednesday, September 14, 2011,
It is no secret that I love the national parks of the United States. I make it a point to go to as many as I can each year, driving to most thanks to my parallel love of road trips. And after seeing so many impressive places through the years, I figured it was high time I put together a list of the locations in the western United States which touched me the most. The impressive natural beauty, peaceful nature, and uniqueness of these spots ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, August 22, 2011,
I left Hawaii Volcanoes National Park by taking a left out of the entrance, heading southwest on the highway. I felt disappointment. No, it wasn't because the lava wasn't flowing during my time in the park - instead, cooled into a black blob of swirls. I was saddened by how little time I had available to explore such a fantastic destination. I had anticipated that the better part of two days would be enough, but I was sorely mistaken. And I came to th... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, August 1, 2011,
Everyone warned me, but I wouldn't listen. I mean, it's a climb of less than 600 feet straight up the side of an extinct volcano, what could go wrong? I'm from Colorado after all, I know how to hike; and 560 feet really isn't that big of a deal, when it comes to elevation gain. Sure, I thought, I'll bring a little water, but I don't need everything else people have told me to take. But, the helicopter rescue I witnessed at the start of my hike made me think twice.
As part o... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Wednesday, July 13, 2011,
I stood at the edge of the Dantes View overlook soaking in one last moment at Death Valley National Park. The valley floor, covered in salt sediment, sprawled out before me from south to north; I was 5,475 feet above sea level. I wanted one last moment with the park, however fleeting, before I continued my drive east to Las Vegas. The previous day had been good and I wanted to remember it and wish for a quick return.  I climbed the Panamint Mountains (above) early t... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, May 16, 2011,
The eastern side of California continued to attract me. But, instead of driving through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite National Park, I turned the wheel of my car toward Joshua Tree National Park. I knew it was greatly different from the parks to the north of it, but knew virtually nothing about the place and was hungry to learn more. I sped across the desert, wondering if I'd make the next gas station. I had left San Diego with a full tank, but was nearly empty as ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, May 2, 2011,
I only allowed myself two days to drop into San Deigo and visit with my sister and her family. Her sons were not yet on spring break and I didn't want to disrupt their classes. Yet, it seemed foolish to drive all the way to California from Colorado and not stop by to say hello for at least a couple of days. So, after long drive down from Yosemite National Park, I dropped in and spent a weekend with the family. 
We woke up early by my standards on Saturday morning, took in the boys' basebal...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, April 18, 2011,
I stood at the Valley View overlook and felt a twinge of disappointment. The view was one of the most impressive I had witnessed during my short stay in the Yosemite Valley, but I was disheartened nonetheless. And it had nothing to do with my departure. It was because I failed at my attempt to hike to the top of the highest waterfall in North America, the Yosemite Falls. It angered me that I couldn't complete the hike, unlike others who I'm sure did on the same day, and I ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, April 4, 2011,
In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt camped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the south side of the Yosemite Valley at a place called Glacier Point. Three years later he signed a bill creating Yosemite National Park (above). It was to be approximately three-quarters of a million acres in protected wilderness. With Roosevelt on the camping trip was naturalist, preservationist, and co-founder of the Sierra Club, John Muir. I wanted to learn more about John Muir, so...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, September 13, 2010,
It's entirely possible that I was one of only a handful of kids ever to grow up in Minnesota and not go to the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park. At least I don't ever recall having gone to the park. I know I've traveled to Bemidji, Minnesota before to see Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, but I don't remember a trip to see where the great river begins. So, when I  recently found myself in Bemidji, I seized the opportunity to do so. It all started with a desire to ...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Tuesday, July 27, 2010,
A year ago I purchased an annual pass for the U.S. National Park Service, (left) and made it a  point to hit as many places as I could during the life of the pass. I wanted to get out and experience more of the natural world around me, as well as learn about the history of important events and places that I maybe didn't know about before I purchased my pass. Some of the places I had visited before, like Rocky Mountain National Park (above)here in Colorado, but overall I'd give it the big ol...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Wednesday, July 7, 2010,
I wrestled with the idea of hiking to see the gorillas of the Virunga Mountains in northwest Rwanda. On one hand, an African safari was high up on my bucket list and going to see the gorillas in their native habitat would be nothing short of spectacular. On the other, what would happen if one of these critically endangered animals acted in a way that's only natural if, for some odd reason, they felt a member of their group was threatened by one of us?
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Wednesday, May 19, 2010,
In the northern part of Arizona, just east of Page, on Navajo Indian land is one of the most interesting places I've ever photographed. And I say photographed, rather than seen, because what's really spectacular about the place comes about when seen through the right exposure on your camera.  There's really no other way to see Antelope Canyon, in my opinion, than with a few good pictures. I know that sounds a bit weird, but without the extra exposure from your camera lense, Antel...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Friday, May 7, 2010,
Just south of the Utah state line with Arizona sits the town of Page, and just south of there the Colorado River decides to make a sharp U-turn on itself. This spot is known as Horseshoe Bend, famous for the one great photographic opportunity it offers after a short hike from a parking lot right off of Highway 89. I was interested in stopping and enjoying the view for a bit, so I swun  g off the road after leaving the Grand Canyon earlier that morning. I made good time on the trail, t...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Thursday, April 29, 2010,
A friend of mine told me before I left on my big birthday road trip that he took four days to see the Grand Canyon with his family, and it wasn't nearly enough. Because of that, I figured  I'd be able to see one little section of the south rim, and see it well, while I was there for a full day. But, in this instance, it just wasn't true and I was able to see the length of the south rim that's under the protection of the National Park Service in the full day. There are other sections of...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Sunday, April 18, 2010,
More than anything else I found myself saying "another time" as this trip through the Colorado Plateau was more of a highlight tour than a real get to know you trip. In all these places I  stopped thus far I really spent no more than four hours in any one park. I wanted to spend a lot more in each of them, but there just wasn't time as I wanted to see as many places, at least the highlights, in the little time that I had; so everything else had to wait for "another time." Sadly enough, Zion...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Monday, April 5, 2010,
I was ready to kick back and relax after a long day of driving to Bryce Canyon National Park. Sure, it was a beautiful drive and I had an absolute blast doing it, but I was looking forward to a relaxing night at the hotel reading a book or watching a movie as I looked forward to exploring a b  it of the canyon the next morning. So, with that said, imagine my surprise when one of the park rangers told me that I could see the park in its entirety in about three hours. Yep, that's three hour...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Thursday, April 1, 2010,
I tend to be a bit of a planner, something I get from my father. My brother reminded me of this after seeing the "office" room in my house when he was out here this past fall for a visit. In my Las Vegas road trip I thought I did an excellent job of planning all the stops out and was positive I hadn't missed a think. Well, when I was looking at my national parks book in Blanding, Utah on a stop one night, I realized I totally skipped over something unintentionally: Natural Bridges National Mo...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Wednesday, March 31, 2010,
The Grand Ciricle is a series of national parks that can certainly be visited one at a time, but are many times put together in one great, or grand rather, trip around the Colorado Plateau throughout Utah, Arizona and Colorado. On this road trip I visited the four that are traditionally included in the Grand Ciricle - Arches, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde - along with a few others that are more than worth a look. The first stop one I stopped at was Arches National Park. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jason Hussong on Friday, September 4, 2009,
See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon, the sun, how they move in silence. ~ Mother Teresa
The Devils Tower, declared the first national monument in 1906, is one of those places I'm just not sure I can wrap my head around. So much of it seems so contradictory that it just doesn't fit together for me. One thing is certain though, I did enjoy my brief stop and would recommend the Devils Tower to anyone.
The natural beauty is not at all what I wo...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
Driving through the vast plains and farm fields of  western Kansas it's difficult to believe such a place exists. It seems totally and completely and in every other way inconceivable that a 100 acre lake, created from a dam in the 1930s, could sit here amongst the wooded bluffs. It...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
I had anticipated spectacular views as I hiked along the mesas, likely an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. I  thought it'd offer great wildlife viewing and opportunities to relax and appreciate a great day in Oklahoma. I had expected so much from a spot that is actually lower in elevation than Denver at a whoppin...
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Posted by Jason Hussong on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
New Mexico's Clayton Lake State Park, just east of the Capulin Volcano, is well worth the visit south of state lines. But, I had very low expectations to start, thinking it'd just be a r  eservoir for boating and fishing. I must admit though, I was pleasantly surprised. To start with, boating and fishing is offered at the 170 surface-acre lake. It's considered a popular spot for such activities in the northeast part of the state. And I can't say I blame anyone going there for such things. ...
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