Explore · Reflect · Connect · State Parks Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire State Park is located northeast of Las Vegas and was Nevada’s first state park. The red Aztec sandstone outcroppings contrast vividly with gray and tan limestone. Colors swirl around jagged towers and gnarly terrain, creating a landscape that makes you feel like you’re inside of a painting. Valley of Fire offers some great scenic drives with overlooks where you can stop and take in the park. Several short hikes offer opportunities to see petrified trees and petroglyphs. The...
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Reflect · Explore · Connect · Hiking The Narrows
Harmon and I only had a day and a half for our visit to Zion National Park. We knew that we had to get in two legendary hikes … Angels Landing and The Narrows. The Narrows is unique in that the trail is plotted by the Virgin River itself. Specifically, the North Fork of the Virgin River carved a narrow, steep slot canyon into the surrounding Navajo Sandstone. We took the bottom-up route, hiking upstream from the Temple of Sinawava. To hike The Narrows, you need some specific gear and an...
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Explore · Reflect · Hiking · National Parks Santa Elena Canyon
Amy and I weren’t prepared for the imposing rock walls of Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park. The immense limestone walls rise straight up around 1500 feet at almost perfect 90 degree angles. There is no transition, no gradual slope. The Rio Grande flows through the canyon and forms the border between Texas and Mexico. Hiking the Santa Elena trail is an easy 1.7 mile trek, but getting to the trailhead definitely takes some time. Big Bend is vast. Amy and I wound our way through the...
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Challenge · Connect · Hiking · National Parks Angel’s Landing
Angel’s Landing is the only hike that has given me pause and trepidation. The ascent up the legendary chains section is daunting, yet incredibly rewarding. Angel’s Landing is a tangible representation of a risk versus reward adventure. The challenge itself is part of what we came to find, and this hike brought it. It demands effort long before the famous chains section begins. The switchbacks known as Walter’s Wiggles are more than a warm up. The summit was spectacular, but the reward was...
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Explore · Connect · Hiking · National Parks The Window
Amy and I absolutely loved the famously splendid isolation of Big Bend. It is a special place that inspires curiosity and awe around the geologic forces of our planet. The Chisos Mountains are near the heart of Big Bend. They are like a mountainous sky island in a large desert sea. The entire Chisos Mountain Range is contained within Big Bend. The must-do hike in The Chisos is The Window Trail. The Window Trail traverses the Chisos Basin and ends at a pour-off point; The Window. Water...
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Explore · Hiking · National Parks · Family Sand Dune Arch
My son and I were geared up and fired up with our list of several must do hikes when we visited Arches National Park in May of 2025. Between a couple of strenuous hikes on our first day in the park, we wandered through Arches searching for an easy hike and a mid morning break. We found ourselves at the trailhead of Sand Dune Arch. Sand Dune Arch is a simple .3 mile out and back stroll, so we didn’t expect too much. We were coming off a phenomenal sunrise hike to Delicate Arch and thinking...
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Connect · Challenge · Hiking · National Parks Delicate Arch
There is no more iconic National Park than Arches, and there is no natural formation more emblematic of the National Park System than Delicate Arch. There are more than 2000 arches in the park, and Delicate Arch is the largest free standing arch among them. The arch opening is much larger than we expected. The primary sculptor of the arch was actually the slow cycle of water, freezing, and gravity interacting with the ancient Entrada Sandstone. The hike up to the arch is a nice 3 mile...
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Preserve · Explore · Learn · National Monuments Monumental Mammoths
The Waco Mammoth National Monument preserves some extraordinary fossils of Columbian Mammoths. Columbian Mammoths were the larger cousins of Woolly Mammoths, and they ranged across the more temperate southern portions of North America during the ice age. This incredible fossil find represents the only recorded fossil site of a family group of Columbian Mammoths, known as a nursery herd, in America. In all, more than 30 mammoth individuals have been discovered at the site. The story of this...
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Reflect · Hiking · National Parks Mesa Arch
Not far from Moab and Arches National Park lies another natural wonder; Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands is an expansive park with four separate districts, and there are no roads that connect the districts. The Mesa Arch is located at the edge of the Island in the Sky District. It’s a natural picture frame in the Navajo Sandstone sitting on the precipice of some vast canyon country. It’s a window into the past. As we looked through the arch and took in the impressive view, my son and I...
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Reflect · Preserve · Hiking · National Parks Haleakalā: Above the Clouds
It’s difficult to articulate the feeling of watching the sun rise from above the clouds atop the summit of Haleakalā on Maui. What a unique and otherworldy place. Our view of the horizon was just beyond a massive volcanic crater at about 10,000 feet. The contrast of tropical coasts, rainforests, and open landscapes that you move through on your ascent to this cold, somewhat barren summit adds to the awe. It was a powerful experience that my wife, Amy, and I were able to enjoy with friends....
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Connect · Hiking · Family · National Conservation Areas Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is about 20 miles outside of Las Vegas. It was the first Conservation Area in Nevada. Red Rock is part of the Mojave Desert landscape, but it’s unique in several ways. Red Rock has rich plant and wildlife diversity. Red Rock has springs, narrow canyons, sandstone cliffs, and rugged peaks. It’s an amazing place. This visitor center is well designed and very informative. Emily and Harmon were able to join me and Amy for the trip. It also happened to...
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Reflect · Connect · Hiking · National Forests Chalk Creek Canyon
Across the country, we have access to some incredible National Forests. None are more impressive than the San Isabel National Forest in Colorado. Theodore Roosevelt set aside the original San Isabel Forest Reserve in 1902. San Isabel now encompasses more than 1.1M acres across 11 counties. There are nineteen 14er’s within the boundaries of San Isabel. It’s a beautiful stretch of the Southern Rockies. Chalk Creek Canyon is within San Isabel. It preserves some of the mining and railroad...
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Preserve · Reflect · Longleaf Pine & Quail Hunting | AE Origin Story Origin Story
I was nine years old when my Granddaddy died in May of 1981. I remember only fragments of that day—the expression on my grandmother’s face, the muffled voices of family and friends, and the sense that someone truly important had been lost. My Granddaddy was an icon. He and my Grandma both embodied many of the values associated with the Greatest Generation: service, hard work, humility, faith, and perseverance. Granddaddy served in World War II, and returned home to become a successful...
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