SouthWest USA Travel - Epicurean Destinations

Southwest USA Travel

Zion Overlook

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Find Utah fall color gold on the road less traveled. Often overlooked for New England or the Smoky Mountains, Utah’s national parks and woodlands– combined with live performances and plays– offer not only stunning colors but a rich cultural experience.The color component includes Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks and Kolob Canyon. Here Mother Nature’s paintbrush sketches a brilliant palette of orange, gold and scarlet set against a backdrop of soaring red rock towers, deep canyons and massive monoliths. The cultural gold glitters in nearby Cedar City at the annual Utah Shakespeare Festival now in its 56th season. Here are my top tips for a Utah fall color gold getaway.

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. I’m not sure if it was “Purple Hills II” or “Lavender Hill with Green 1952” that gave me the itch but, when a friend gifted me with a coffee table book commemorating Georgia O’Keeffe’s New Mexico artwork, I knew I had to set foot on the land that inspired so many of her paintings. The urge to roam the red rock hills of O’Keeffe’s American Southwest and breathe its sultry air was palpable. Was it O’Keeffe who called out to me or was it New Mexico? Perhaps both, but O’Keeffe and her artwork embodied the message and the messenger.

Photographing Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Part One.

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Arizona’s slot canyons have long held a fascination for me. Especially notable for their beauty are the Antelope Canyons, both Upper and lower, located near Page, Arizona on the land of the Navajo Nation. Formed over millennia by flash floods that eroded the Navajo Sandstone, the canyons are easily accessible and considered the most visited and photographed of the Southwest’s slot canyons. Antelope Canyon is actually two separate canyons, Upper Antelope called “The Crack: and Lower Antelope, known as “The Corkscrew.”

Photographing Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Part Two.

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. One of the important elements in any photography travel adventure, including slot canyons like Antelope Canyon in Arizona, is the preparation done at home before the trip. Prior to departure, I received a packet describing the workshop and what I could expect during the trip. One of the high points for me was the assurance of a small group of no more than eight participants. The packet included a list of suggested equipment for film and digital photographers with tips for making the trip a success. I have included a list of suggested equipment below.