Spiritofthewest

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Alcatraz – The Rock

Alcatraz – The Rock

As is well known, there is no accounting for taste. But when asked which city is the most beautiful in the world, one name always comes up: San Francisco. The “Belle of the Bay” fascinates with its location along a bay on the Pacific, its mild climate or the steep streets lined with Victorian-style houses…Read More

Bosque del Apache – A refuge for fauna and flora

Bosque del Apache – A refuge for fauna and flora

Bosque del Apache is Spanish for “Forest of the Apaches” and is rooted in the time when the Apaches, who routinely camped in the floodplain forests, were observed by the Spanish. Today, Bosque del Apache is one of the most spectacular wildlife refuges in North America. The skies darken each fall when cranes, Arctic geese, and…Read More

Canyon de Chelly – Hidden Beauty

Canyon de Chelly – Hidden Beauty

Tourists visit Yellowstone National Park, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Bryce, or Zion in droves – until now, Canyon de Chelly has been spared from hordes of visitors for the most part. While close to 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon annually, latest records indicate that just a couple hundred thousand included Canyon de…Read More

1880 Town – Cowboys, Costner and Camels

1880 Town – Cowboys, Costner and Camels

South Dakota is known primarily for its history carved in stone – to be more specific, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial with the four heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln; and the monumental Crazy Horse Memorial, which is still being chiseled, hammered and blasted to completion. However, the state…Read More

Adam Beach – Native trails in Hollywood

Adam Beach – Native trails in Hollywood

Hollywood stars like to adorn themselves with the fact that they have Native American ancestors. But most Native Americans are played by made-up palefaces in Western movies. It’s different with Canadian actor Adam Beach, a native Anishinaabe Indian. In recent years he has been climbing the career ladder and we will certainly hear and see…Read More

Lake Havasu Hot Air Balloon Festival

Lake Havasu Hot Air Balloon Festival

Update: It was not meant to be. Unfortunately, due to too strong winds, the Balloon Glow and the Drive In movie had to be canceled. Such a pity. The 10th Annual Lake Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair was canceled due to Covid-19 concerns, but the event’s organizers have planned four smaller, more socially distant events…Read More

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park

Deep in the west of Texas, the remote beauty of Big Bend’s rugged mountains, canyons and expansive desert wilderness unfolds. The landscape looks like the backdrop for a John Wayne movie. Here, the Rio Grande forms the Mexican border. Although Big Bend is one of the largest US national parks, it is still a well-kept…Read More

Juneau, Alaska – Small Capital with Big Adventures

Juneau, Alaska – Small Capital with Big Adventures

Even the approach to land in Juneau is most impressive. Smaller and larger islands appear intermittently in the vast waters before the pilot safely passes by the dense forests of Douglas Island, crosses the Gastineau Channel, and sets course for the international airport. The camera is already clicking a few times, despite the slightly dirty…Read More

Sturgis – Biker Rally of Extremes

Sturgis – Biker Rally of Extremes

Soon, it’s the time of the year again! Every year in August, a small town nestled in the prairie of South Dakota, becomes the dream destination of hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists: Sturgis – also known as “Motorcycle City USA”, then turns into the party mile of Harley buffs. Half a million bikers make the…Read More

Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix

Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix

If you are traveling to Phoenix, visiting a botanical garden is not necessarily on your list of things to do. Right in the middle of the desert? When everything is in full bloom at home? You will certainly change your mind if you visit the Desert Botanical Garden. Plan on spending half a day there,…Read More