Welcome to Nature’s Masterpieces: National Park Edition. Explore nature’s art through our lenses. Experience the textures and imagine the scents of the earth. Those who take the time to seek the art of nature will find treasures that are usually overlooked by most people. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through our gallery as we visit nature’s artwork in some of our country’s most beautiful settings.
Abstract Expressionism in the style of Jackson Pollock. Wind paints gold and silver threads chaotically across a patch of earth – Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature ~ Auguste Rodin
Post Impressionism reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh. Here we find desert grasses swirling their way onto a slowly eroding mesa – Petrified Forest National Park.
Art is a harmony parallel with nature ~ Paul Cezanne
Credit Mother Nature herself for this modern sculpture. Her mediums: wind and water on rock. This natural masterpiece can be found at Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own ~ Andy Warhol
Impressionism a la Claude Monet. A colorful, blurred reflection of autumn leaves in Bear Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Abstract art is not the creation of another reality but the true vision of reality ~ Piet Mondrian
Dale Chihuly’s glass artworks are what came to mind when we ran across these delicate Apache Plumes – Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
All art is but imitation of nature ∼ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Paul Cezanne perhaps. A post-impressionism type scene that truly left an impression on us – Badlands National Park
An artist must possess Nature. He must identify himself with her rhythm, by efforts that will prepare the mastery which will later enable him to express himself in his own language ~ Henri Matisse
This serene scene prompts reminders of Georgia O’Keeffe’s fabulous landscapes – Yellowstone National Park.
My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me ~ Georgia O’Keeffe
Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing ~ Salvador Dali
Pop Art. Due to the colors, this one reminds us of a deteriorated version Andy Warhol’s iconic Marilyn Diptych – Death Valley National Park.
Although we could go on and on, we’re going to wrap up the post with one final abstract masterpiece. The photo below was taken in California on our most recent road trip. The image seems to drip, splash, and flow, but interestingly it is not water. Stay tuned for a post about the park coming soon.
California abstract
Man is simply playing by nature’s rules, and art is man’s attempt to imitate the beauty of the Creator’s hand ~ Dan Brown
Perhaps it’s because we’re born from water that we are drawn to it in nature, or maybe we are fascinated because its power can destroy as well as sustain life. In our travels we choose to cautiously enjoy the beauty of water while never daring to take it for granted. Today we are sharing some our favorite photographs of water. Dive in and enjoy.
“A calm water is like a still soul.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
Mirrored greens of spring. Hamilton Pool, Texas.
“Water is the most perfect traveler because when it travels it becomes the path itself!” – Mehmet Murat ildan
The milky Virgin River becomes The Narrows Trail. Zion National Park, Utah.
“Grace is finding a waterfall when you were only looking for a stream.” – Vanessa Hunt
We had no idea of what we might find when we set off on the trail, but we were thrilled to find ourselves alone with a stream and these beautiful waterfalls. Sabbaday Falls, New Hampshire. (Shot from an iPhone 10.)
“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eisley
Magical Caribbean blues with sparkles and steam. Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
“The power of nature can make fun of the power of man at any time!” – Mehmet Murat ildan
The muddy Ruidoso River surges angrily past the bridge its floodwaters destroyed. Ruidoso, New Mexico, 2008. See our post on Ruidoso here.
“Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Sunrise reflections. Lake Mackenzie, Texas.
“Be like water. Flow, crash, fly!” – Md. Ziaul Haque
The sapphire hued Atlantic plays happily among the rocks. York, Maine.
“The fall of dropping water wears away the stone.” – Lucretius
The water-worn stone creates a perfect pour off for this little fall. Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire. See our Franconia Notch State Park post here.
“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.” – Laura Gilpin
Early morning at John Dunn Bridge. Rio Grande River, New Mexico.
“An iceberg is water striving to be land.” – Salman Rushdie
Brilliant blue bergy bit. Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska
“The earth, the air, the land, and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.” – Gandhi
Solitude and reflection. Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
Wildfire smoke created a filter for this hazy evening shot on the Colorado River. Moab, Utah.
We are certainly not professional photographers although we do enjoy photography. Our method is to aim and shoot, and we rarely ever use filters or enhancements for the shots we post. We might crop a few, but we don’t know how to do any other editing. So, what you see is what we saw when we clicked. And once in a while we get lucky! It is a pleasure to share our photos and road trips, and we hope you enjoy seeing them. Let us know which one is your favorite. We would love to hear from you.
Need some road trip inspiration? Click on these great national park sites:
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
Today we’re running away to the mountains! Since our goal is to visit as many national parks as we can, most of our shots are of beautiful park mountains. There are a few that are not in parks because they were too pretty to leave out. Enjoy!
Casa Grande in the rain – Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park
Big Sky Country
Bryce Canyon National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Agathla Peak, Arizona
Zion National Park
Idaho Beauty
Yellowstone National Park
Death Valley National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Today’s featured image at the top of the page was taken at Yellowstone National Park.
Thanks so much for joining us on our mountain getaway. We hope you will return to our site again for more sights, scenery, trips, tricks, and tips. Be sure to sign up to be an e-mail follower so you never miss a post, and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Tell your friends! We want to be friends with them, too.
Happy hump day, everybody!
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
Part of the reason we travel to parks is to see wildlife. We even keep lists of the animals we see on trips because we can’t always get a picture of them – like the badger that ran in front of us on a road in South Dakota. Hey, it was exciting! (Here in West Texas you don’t see too many badgers, although a couple of coyotes ran across the road in front of us near our Walmart one time!) Anyway, all wildlife sightings are a thrill to us. Today we’re sharing some of our faves.
Cute prairie dog at Badlands National Park. Okay, these animals make their homes in nearly every vacant lot where we live – they’re literally everywhere – but we don’t go around taking pictures of them. Besides, this is a South Dakota prairie dog.
We have no idea what kind of bird this is, but it was a beggar. We were at the end of our hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, and as soon as we sat down to have a snack, this guy showed up, like, “Y’all gonna share?”
This is a javelina that we saw in a dry creek bed near Big Bend National Park. We’re sure they serve some purpose, but we don’t know what. Wouldn’t want to snuggle with one.
Petrified Forest raven – not the species, we just took the picture there. Another shameless beggar. He sat right down next to us, and every time we would move over, he would move over too. Pretty sure he was checking out our jewelry. Never trust a raven, they are super sneaky. Trivia: ravens can imitate human voices better than a parrot, and if they like you, they might bring you a gift – probably something they stole out of someone’s purse, but it’s the thought that counts.
We have squirrels in our yard, but these little (Colorado chipmunk) dudes are way cuter… and they don’t eat our fence.
We captured (not literally) this mad mother cactus wren at Big Bend National Park. We’d be mad if we had to live in a cactus, too.
Rocky Mountain National Park bull elk. No lie, this macho man had at least 20 wives and a bunch of kids that he was watching over, but he was so pretty we wanted a shot of him alone.
We didn’t have to go far to find this little hummingbird because he was in our own back yard. Thrilling for us because we only see them if we’re lucky enough to catch them during migration. Trivia: a group of hummingbirds is called a charm.
Here’s a little North Dakota gal that we would like to snuggle.
Boston harbor gull. Undoubtedly, he is waiting for an unsuspecting tourist to walk by with food. These guys aren’t beggars, they’re thieves. Trivia: gulls can smell food up to three miles away, and they can see for up to two miles. A group of gulls is called a colony. PSA: never go near a harbor with a Big Mac.
We’re going to close this post with a bison we saw at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We wouldn’t want to get too close to him, not only because he weighs a ton and could probably kill us with a little head butt, but because we think he would smell terrible – like really terrible. We will keep our distance, thank you.
We hope you enjoyed our post and will come back again for more exciting road trip destinations, a Quick Stop, some tips and tricks, or another Wish We Were There Wednesday. Better yet, come back for all of our posts, and join our family of followers so you never miss one! We can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Happy hump day, everyone!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
In celebration of One for the Money Two for the Road’s first anniversary, we want to share some shots from some of our favorite national park posts over the last year. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate each of you for following us on the blog site and on Facebook. You are the reason we post our adventures! Enjoy the recap…
From our very first post: Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park
Zion National Park
Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park
Bear Lake with Hallett Peak reflection, Rocky Mountain National Park
Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim at Imperial Point
The Three Gossips, Arches National Park
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Death Valley National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Bison grazing at Wind Cave National Park
Badlands National Park
Monument Valley Tribal Park (Navajo Nation)
Gifford Barn, Capitol Reef National Park
The Tepees, Petrified Forest National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Lower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Thank you for joining us over the past year. We hope that you will keep coming back for more fun adventures, tips, and tricks. Oh, and there are sixty-one “national parks” now, and we’ve only covered eighteen of them so far! We will be covering more national parks, national monuments, national historic sites, state parks, awesome camping sites, and some great cities during year two. We’re also going to give you some helpful tips on RVing and road tripping. You won’t want to miss a post, so sign up, buckle up, and let’s go. Until the next trip…
Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road (or at a national park!)
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
Note: a timed entry system may be in effect, so plan ahead for your visit.
Accommodations: Campgrounds for RVs and tents, as well as backcountry camping in the park. Additional hotels, campgrounds, and other amenities, including restaurants, available in Estes Park, Grand Lake, Lyons, and Loveland.
What to do: hike, bike, climb, backpack, fish. Spectacular scenic drives. Horseback riding is also available in the park (seasonal).
When to go: Anytime. Summer and early fall are the best times to go, however, the park is most crowded during these times.
It’s no wonder that almost 4.5 million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park in 2021, with almost one million people visiting in July alone! The park is spectacular from top to bottom and everywhere in between. We can’t figure out why it took us so long to get there, but we’re so glad we finally went. In fact, we didn’t want to leave, even after spending several days in the park. Rocky Mountain National Park is a UNESCO international biosphere reserve and is home to a multitude of animals and birds, as well as glaciers and one of the few alpine tundra ecosystems in the lower forty-eight states. So, pack your bags and hop on board for our tour of one of the great treasures of the national park system.
Rocky Mountain National Park is approximately:
70 miles from Denver, Colorado — 470 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah — 500 miles from Amarillo, Texas — 515 miles from Albuquerque, New Mexico — 740 miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Getting There
Our trip is going to start from Denver, Colorado, the closest major airport city to Rocky Mountain National Park.
⇒From Denver, take E-470 (toll road) to I-25 north toward Longmont, Colorado. Continue north to Loveland, Colorado. At Loveland, take US Highway 34 west to Estes Park. Drive time between Denver and Estes Park via this route: 1.75 hours.
Travel tip: the drive from Loveland to Estes Park is very scenic through the Big Thompson River Canyon. The road was rebuilt and reopened in 2018, and the scenery should not be missed.
⇒At Estes Park, continue on US Highway 34 west to the Fall River entrance and visitor center OR take US Highway 36 to the Beaver Meadows entrance and visitor center.
⇒Alternate route: from Denver, take I-25 north to Highway 66 west toward Lyons, then take US Highway 36 to the Wild Basin entrance station and continue north to Estes Park. Drive time between Denver and Estes Park via this route: 1.5 hours.
Travel tip:the Fall River entrance (US Highway 34) leads to Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved highway in the U.S and designated All-American Road. Weather permitting, this road is a must-do while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. For spectacular views, stop at all of the pull-outs along the road, as well as the Alpine visitor center which is about half-way between the east and west sides of the park. A cafe is available at this visitor center seasonally.
View from Alpine Visitor Center
Destination: Rocky Mountain National Park
We are taking the Highway 34 (Fall River entrance) to start our tour. First stop: Sheep Lakes area for a little elk watching. Elk rutting or mating season occurs during the first few weeks of fall, and we were able to see several elk bulls with their harems during our time in the park. What a thrill to see nature at it’s best! The ones above are young bulls.
Our next stop is at the Alluvial Fan. This fan was created during a natural dam break at Lawn Lake in the 1980s, which sent trees and boulders tumbling four miles down the mountain and flooded the surrounding park areas and the city of Estes Park with millions of gallons of water. Today, this is a popular hiking and picnicking area featuring the Roaring River, cascading waterfalls, and huge boulders.
Alluvial Fan
Now we begin our climb to the top of Trail Ridge Road, along which are several scenic pull outs with amazing views. Here are a few of our favorites taken from below the treeline.
Ypsilon Mountain (13,520 feet)
Fall Colors
And our favorites from above the treeline in the alpine tundra as we make our trek up to the Alpine Visitor Center.
Late summer on the tundra (Sundance Mountain – 12,466 feet)
Terra Tomah Mountain with glacial cirque and icy remnants (12,723 feet)
With only about a six-week summer season, it is amazing that wildlife and plants can survive at this elevation, but they do. Did you know that the cute little animals below spend 80 percent of their lives hibernating?
Yellow-Bellied Marmot
Pika
In addition to these animals and the elk, we also saw big horn sheep, deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, many different birds, as well as trout in the clear water of the alpine lakes. And speaking of alpine lakes, Rocky Mountain National Park has a lot of them. We loved hiking to and around several of the lakes on the Beaver Meadows side of the park. There are numerous hiking trails throughout the park, providing adventures for every level of hiker, backpacker, or climber.
Sprague Lake with Hallet Peak, Tyndall Glacier, and Flattop Mountain in the background
Bear Lake with Hallett Peak Reflection
Bear Lake with changing trees
Nymph Lake with water lilies
Dream Lake
Emerald Lake and Hallett Peak
The hike from Bear Lake to Emerald Lake took us about four hours round trip, including stops. There is about a 600 foot elevation gain along the trail. The elevation at Emerald Lake is 10,110 feet.
Travel tip: the parking lot at Bear Lake fills quickly during peak seasons. Arrive early in the morning to secure a parking space, or take the shuttle from either the Estes Park Visitor Center or the park and ride lot near Glacier Basin inside the park. Don’t forget that a timed entry ticket is required for the Bear Lake area and most other sections of the park.
Bull elk and part of his very large harem
It was wonderful getting to see the park as it was changing into its fall colors. Doesn’t the picture above remind you of autumn? This bull had about twenty cows in his harem, plus their calves.
Over on the west side of the park, which is accessed via Trail Ridge Road, there are many pull-outs and scenic vistas, along with several trailheads and the Holzwarth Historic Site, which is open from mid-June through September. Here’s a link: Holzwarth Historic Site. Drive time between Estes Park and Grand Lake via Trail Ridge Road: 1.5 hours without stops.
Bonus stop:Estes Park. This beautiful mountain town is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. It features unique shops, wonderful restaurants, and a multitude of lovely hotels. The most famous hotel, The Stanley, opened in 1909 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. A stay at The Stanley inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. We recommend taking one of the interesting tours of the hotel. Parking is $10.00 plus the cost of the tour.
The Stanley Hotel
During peak seasons, parking can be difficult in downtown Estes Park, but there is a large free parking lot next to the police station. The restaurants we recommend are Claire’s on the Park – 225 Park Lane, and Hunters Chop House – 1690 Big Thompson Avenue.
⇒Side trip: Loveland.This city has a small town feel with big city amenities. Loveland has great shopping (The Promenade Shops at Centerra), a state park, beautiful city parks, and natural spaces. There are also many nice hotels (Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn, among others) and RV parks (Riverview RV Park, which is located next to the Big Thompson River). Take an after-dinner stroll around Lake Loveland, or take a Sunday afternoon walk through the Benson Sculpture Garden. (Website link: Benson Sculpture Garden.) One of our favorites was an early evening hike on Wild Loop trail at Devil’s Backbone Open Space. (Website link: Devil’s Backbone Open Space.) The restaurant we recommend is McGraff’s American Grill -1602 E Eisenhower Blvd. Drive time between Estes Park and Loveland: 40 minutes.
One of the beautiful sculptures at Benson Sculpture Garden
Devil’s Backbone Open Space
We will end this post with one last picture. Below is Longs Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, standing at 14,259 feet.
Thank you so much for joining us on our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park! We always love having you along for the ride. Until the next trip…
Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.
