I’m Mark Houston a professional photographer based in Ferndale Michigan. I’ve spent the last twenty years of my career working for DTE Energy in Michigan. Prior to DTE Energy, my photographic focus was primarily automotive based, with clients like Toyota, Chrysler, Audi as well as many suppliers to the automotive industry.
Well for first time in 19 years my wife and I found ourselves without a child to accompany us on vacation. My son opted out, apparently we are just not as exciting as his friends. Ok that’s fine one less plane ticket, one rental car upgrade (it was well worth it)
This year we headed out west. Our plan was to fly into Vegas, drive to the Grand Canyon followed by a raft trip through Glen Canyon. Then up to Bryce Canyon and finally Zion. It was a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time.
Route 66: No drive from LasVegas to the Grand Canyon would be complete without a trip up Route 66 from Kingman, AZ to Seligman, AZ. It’s 84 miles of desert, funky tourist traps, and quirky Americana.
Grand Canyon National Park: Overwhelming is the best descriptor I can think of for Grand Canyon National Park. I’ve been there several times and I can never get over the immensity of the place. If you going to visit the Grand Canyon see if you can get a room at the El Tovar Lodge. The lodge sits 100 feet from the south rim of the Grand Canyon. El Tovar offers an outstanding breakfast and in the evening a lounge where you have a cocktail and watch the sunset over the canyon.
Grand Cayon National Park Website
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: What could be better then a raft trip down the Colorado River though the Glen Canyon.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Website
Bryce Canyon National Park: Bryce is famous for the large collection of hoodoos that have been craved into edges of the plateau by thousands of years of erosion. This was our first trip to the park, we only had a day and a half there, so it was more of a scouting mission…I’ll be back.
Bryce Canyon National Park Website
Zion National Park: I’ve been told for years that “you gotta go to Zion”, “Zion is amazing”, “Zion is one of the most beautiful parks in American”. Well, we went, those folk were right and I completely fell in love with place.
