Yellowstone National Park: August 15, 2008:

Simon, Anna, Shawn Maroney, and Brandon Nelson made a fast-paced dash through the biggest attractions at Yellowstone National Park in one day! They covered Upper Geyser Basin, including 'Old Faithful' Geyser, Lower Geyser Basin, Firehole Canyon, Gibbon Falls, Virginia Cascades, and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Grand Teton National Park: August 14, 2008:

Simon, Anna, Shawn Maroney, and Brandon Nelson camped and explored Grand Teton National Park in western Wyoming. These 'postcard' mountains are tall and jagged reaching for the sky.

Borah Peak, Idaho: Part 1, August 13, 2008:

Simon, Anna, Shawn Maroney, and Brandon Nelson climbed Borah Peak the highest point/mountain in Idaho at 12,662 feet. This was a difficult mountain with nearly 2,000 elevation gain per mile for a little over three miles!

Great Sand Dunes National Park, December 4, 2008:

Simon and Anna visited 'Great Sand Dunes National Park', and climbed the second tallest sand dune in the park, High Dune, which is 650 feet tall. Simon and Anna, also, went sledding on the dunes, which still had patches of snow from an earlier snowstorm.

Late September/early October Western United States Trip:

Simon and Anna visited: Humphrey's Peak, AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, Glenn Canyon and Glenn Canyon Dam, AZ, Zion National Park, UT, Extraterrestrial Highway, NV, Devil's Postpile National Monument, CA, Yosemite National Park, CA, Lassen Peak Vocanic National Park, CA, Redwood State/National Park, CA, Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, CA), Kings Canyon/Giant Sequoia National Park/Monument, CA, Sunset Crater National Monument, AZ, and, finally, Petrified Forrest National Park, AZ.