Tom's Top Travel Pix
USA Favorites
Maroon Bells, near Aspen, Colorado. Aspen is a perfect outdoor playground and the fall colors make it even prettier than usual. I've been coming out here skiing with family & friends for most of my life but had never seen the fall colors until this trip in the fall of 2019. It's my new favorite season out here!
Yosemite National Park. Standing at the edge of the abyss at the top of Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park. One more step forward and it's over 2,000 feet straight down. Yosemite Valley and El Capitan are in the background, with some early-season October snow. Go in the off-season if possible to avoid the large crowds at this and other National Parks. Also, it pays to get off the beaten path when possible - go backcountry!
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. A nice set of Tetons for sure. But covered in snow? It's July!
Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is full of amazing sights and this is one of the best : Grand Prismatic Spring. For the best views (like this one) you need to get some altitude, so climb up the hillside trail behind the spring.
Zion National Park, Utah. Looking down Zion Valley and the Virgin River after an early November snow. Hike up Angels Landing or the Emerald Pools Trail for this (and other) great views of this incredible valley.
Denali, Alaska. This is an old self-portrait (from film/paper print no less!) that I took at the beginning of our 2-week bike ride from Denali National Park back down to Anchorage, via Valdez. This is a popular scenic overlook in the park called Polychrome Pass; this photo was taken from a small peak overlooking the overlook. Check out the state of the art climbing shoes!
Near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A wily coyote sizing me up, eventually deciding he didn't like the way I looked and/or smelled.
Arches National Park, Utah. An arch within an arch. The huge free-standing one off in the distance is Delicate Arch. It's so impressive that it's on every Utah state license plate. Check out the tiny people around it for a sense of scale. The arch in the foreground ain't so bad either.
Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. This was my first really big-big trip : a whole summer spent in Hawaii in 1979 with my native Hawaiian college buddy, staying at his family's home in Kailua. This was mostly an extended surf trip but we did find time to dive and sightsee and do everything that a small-ish island has to offer - many times over. This is one of the best bays for snorkeling and just lazing around..
Bar Harbor, Maine. The foggy and peaceful dawn of a new day at Bar Harbor. This photo was taken in October of 1995. Since this was peak leaf-changing season I got up extra early to avoid the crowds and hit the "hah-bah" with my good camera. I was not disappointed - this place was so scenic you didn't have to try too hard; great photos were everywhere.