My Top Five

Several bloggers have recently done posts on five places they are glad they haven't missed in their travels, and five places they still have on their "bucket list." I thought I'd give it a shot...

I'll start with 5 of my favorite places. These are places I have gone more than once, and would be happy going back to every year. Follow the links to my original posts on each place.


1. Southern Utah

I fell in love with the 5 National Parks in Southern Utah almost 20 years ago. Even before I started RVing, I used to fly there every year. The Devils Garden trail in Arches National Park, where you walk on top of fins, is the trail that got me hooked on hiking.


Canyonlands National Park is wide open. Just when I thought I'd seen everything, a friend took me to "False Kiva," a little-known, almost secret hike.


The trail to the top of Angel's Landing, in Zion National Park, goes up that ridge, and is quite an experience.


2. Highway 395

My last 8 posts have been about this favorite - Highway 395 between Bridgeport and Lone Pine in California. I still have one post left to do.


The area is chock full of beautiful hikes, fine hot springs, and natural wonders.


3. The East Side of Glacier National Park

Where the West side of Glacier is heavily wooded, the East side is wide open. This year I finally got to do the hike to Grinnell Glacier, certainly one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done.


A few years ago I hiked to Iceberg Lake and saw grizzly bears along the way. What an experience! Both of these hikes leave from the Many Glacier section of the park.


4. The Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington

My favorite place here is on the Skyline Trail at Mount Ranier. A short-but-steep trail goes straight up the mountain. Wildflowers are everywhere!


And the Cascade Lakes auto loop outside of Bend, Oregon has some fantastic sights - volcanoes and volcanic rock among beautiful lakes.


5. The Wave

The Wave is a sandstone formation in northern Arizona that is very popular with photographers. To go there, you need to get a permit, and they are given out by lottery - only 10 per day on the internet, and 10 per day in person. I've been pretty lucky and have been able to go 4 times over the last 12 years, but I'd be ready to go again tomorrow.

Now, what about the top 5 places on my "bucket list." Hmmmmmmm..... I can think of a couple, Havasu Falls and Copper Canyon come to mind, but I can't come up with 5.

What's wrong with me? Have I seen everything? Is it time to get off the road?

No, I don't think so. I've been on the road a long time and have seen a lot. But maybe I need some new ideas. So, how about it, folks? Post your top 5 and maybe I'll find something to add to my list!