Side-blotched Lizard, male at KCL Campground, Carrizo Plain NM

During my recent visit to the Carrizo Plain National Monument, I camped at the KCL Campground, roughly in the middle of the area. The campground has a healthy population of this species, the side-blotched lizard. The males are more colorful than the females. This male was hiking under a shrub that had a big gap in the middle, so I had a clear view of him. There was also the opening to a burrow being used by a young antelope ground squirrel. As the lizard moved around, he had his tail hanging down across the opening and the squirrel came up and wondered what was going on.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Butler Wash Cliff Dwelling in the Bears Ears National Monument

This is an area within the Bears Ears National Monument. You reach by parking at a turnout off of Road 95, west of Blanding, Utah, and then taking a short hike, about 1/2 mile or 1 km) to reach this viewpoint. It's called Butler Wash and has an Anasazi cliff dwelling at the upper end. The end of the trail has a steep dropoff, so there is railing there, which also makes it easy to know where to stop. There's no developed trail in to the ruins, but it is possible to get to the bottom of the wash and work your way there. We were on our way to Natural Bridges National Monument and couldn't spend as much time here as we would've liked. We definitely intend to go back.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Sheep Rock at the John Day Fossil Beds in Oregon

While visiting Oregon to get in position for the Great American Eclipse, we visited the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, which consists of three units. One of those units is named after this feature, Sheep Rock. The line of totality included this area, with the center line not far north from here. We went through the visitor center looking at many paleontological displays that prove the scientific value of this area and why the National Monument designation was well-deserved. The other two units are the Painted Hills and Clarno. The river is named for John Day, but he didn't discover the fossils, nor did he even explore this far upriver. The person considered responsible for establishing the scientific value of this area was Thomas Condon. The visitor center in the Sheep Rock unit is named after him.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Bears Ears, as viewed from the visitor center of Natural Bridges National Monument

These buttes are called the Bears Ears. They are in southern Utah and can be seen for miles around, possibly as much as 50 miles. A new national monument bearing their name was declared by President Obama in December 2016 with the support of conservationists and five Native American tribes. The reason the tribes supported this is that there are many historical sites, such as cliff dwellings within the Bears Ears area, that were once homes to their ancestors. From a distance, it's supposed to remind you of the top of a bear's head with its rounded ears showing.

This view of the buttes is from the visitor center of Natural Bridges National Monument, site of three of the largest natural bridges in America, all in the same area. We visited the area over our spring break, early April 2017.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!