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JUNE 1988 I began my 1988 summer vacation by myself.  On day one I drove to Topeka, Kansas. The state capitol is pictured above.  I began vacation day number two with a short drive to Abilene, Kansas, where I visited Eisenhower Center. Pictured above is the boyhood home of America's 34th President.  By the end of day two, after driving almost 1100 miles, I had reached the Rocky Mountains. Pictured above are some of the towering redstone formations in Colorado Spring's Garden of the Gods.  I spent four days in Colorado Springs visiting many of the area attractions. I rode the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak. The view from the summit is pictured above.  Seven distinct falls cascade down a steep canyon at Seven Falls. The above photo was taken from the Eagle's Nest.  Above is the world's highest suspension bridge. The one-lane toll bridge spans Royal Gorge 1053 feet above the Arkansas River.  One of the last places I visited near Colorado Springs was the U.S. Air Force Academy. The academy chapel is pictured above.  I made a quick stop in downtown Denver. The state capitol is pictured above.  I spent two nights in Boulder, Colorado. From there I visited nearby Estes Park. I rode the Estes Park Tramway to the summit of 8700-foot Prospect Mountain, from which the above picture was taken.  I made a short stop in the historic town of Georgetown, Colorado. Pictured above is a 1920s steam-powered train which takes passengers through silver mining country.  I spent my next night in beautiful Vail, Colorado. I rode the Lionshead Gondola in Vail. From the top of the mountain I got the above picture.  My brother Dan joined me for the rest of the trip in Grand Junction, Colorado. Above is the Colorado National Monument which is near Grand Junction.  We followed the Colorado River on our very scenic drive to Moab, Utah. The above photo is from Arches National Park near Moab.  Near Salt Lake City we rode the tramway at the Snowbird Ski Resort. The above photo was taken from the 11,000-foot summit of Hidden Peak.  Above is the world famous Mormon Temple located in downtown Salt Lake City.  Above is Cedar Breaks National Monument. Below the amphitheater's 10,000-foot rim the slopes fall sharply away in rugged walls, spires, columns and arches.  Bryce Canyon National Park (above) was our next scenic attraction.  Utah's scenic wonders never cease, above is Zion National Park.  Next we arrived in Las Vegas for our first visit. We stayed at the Las Vegas Hilton. At the time, it was the largest hotel in the world.  After Las Vegas it was on to Arizona. Pictured above is Dan standing at the rim of The Grand Canyon. Due to the total cloud cover it was hard to get a good picture.  Above is Dan standing next to a large cactus on the grounds of the state capitol in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.  It was a LONG drive to our next destination, El Paso, Texas (above).  We headed north out of El Paso. We spent two nights is Albequerque, New Mexico. Near Albequerque we rode the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway above the deep canyons and spectacular terrain of the Sandia Mountains.  We spent one night in Oklahoma City. The state capitol is pictured above.  We spent one night in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The above picture was taken from our downtown hotel.  The Ozark Mountains of Arkansas were next. The above photo was taken at Petit Jean State Park.  Above is the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock.  We spent our last night in Memphis, Tennessee. The above picture was taken from Mud Island, which sits in the middle of the Mississippi River. Click the banner below to see more of Utah, Arizona & Colorado on my 2010 trip.  
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