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Fisch on Tour

Sabbatical 2023 June to December in Western Canada and the US Read more
  • Corona Arch

    October 26, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Exploring the lower Colorado River Scenic Drive today with short hikes to Corona, Bow Tie and Pinto Arches, roadside Jug Handle Arch and some ancient remains. Sitting at Ford Moab this afternoon waiting for my csr to be repaired (need a new low tire pressure sensor)…Read more

  • Canyonlands NP Needles District

    October 27, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    This part of the national park is accessed from the south end quite remote, it takes an hour to drive through wonderful landscape to get to the entrance. In the park, I did a five hour hike to the famous needles. Getting there required climbing through quite a deep canyon, and getting out the path went through a crack in the rocks The Joint . Challenging hike, and very nice place!Read more

  • Hovenweep National Monument

    October 28, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Another day spent visiting various locations with ruins from the Ancestral Pueblo people that also settled Mesa Verde. They are the ancestors of many indigenous peoples in the south west today. They had a vast trade network from southern Mexico to the northern US.Read more

  • Goosenecks SP / On the road

    October 29, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    On the road from Moab (Arches NP) to the next highlight Monument Valley. There are not a lot of settlements and a lot of landscape. Part of the road leads through the Navajo Nation, the largest Indian reservation in the US.Read more

  • Monument Valley

    October 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 -7 °C

    I arrive at Monument Valley on the 29th in the evening, spending a night at The View campground. The view was wonderful, great sunset and even better sunrise, but the night was very cold with -5°. The next day, I take a full day guided tour through Monument Valley, Lower Monument Valley and Secret Valley. This place is really a “must see”.Read more

  • Monument Valley - Secret Valley

    October 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    Secret Valley is separated from Monument Valley by a small mountain range (a Mesa), yet the landscape is quite different. Here, there are a lot of arches, ancient ruins, and petroglyphs, as well as smooth sandstone formations. After the tour I drive to Navajo National Monument, protecting three Cliff dwellings similar to the ones in Mesa Verde.Read more

  • Lower Antelope Canyon

    October 31, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Yes, Antelope Canyon us as wonderful, famous, gorgeous as it’s reputation. I had my doubts, but is IS unbelievable. Tour guide Eger played the Native American flute for us in the canyon, it was magic.

  • Page / Lake Powell

    November 1, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    I spent two nights in Page, a town that exists because of the Glen Canyon Dam and is the tourism hub for Antelope Canyon and water-based recreation on Lake Powell, 2nd largest artificial lake in the US after Lake MeadRead more

  • Grand Canyon North Rim

    November 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    The North Rim is usually closed this time of the year due to snow. No snow yet, so it’s open for date visits only. It’s an hour to drive in, an hour to drive back, but it was virtually empty of people. Very nice to experience the grandiose Grand Canyon in peace.Read more

  • Vermillion Cliffs / Lees Ferry

    November 4, 2023 in the United States

    Driving from Grand Canyon North rim towards page you follow the magnificent Vermillion Cliffs for about 50 miles. The bridge over the Colorado River at Marble Canyon was the only one in >650 km for decades! A detour to Lees Ferry, the only ferry for 80 years until the bridge was built. Up close and personal with the River…Read more

  • Canyons small and grand

    November 5, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today I hike Cathedral Wash, a small canyon requiring quite some climbing, at Lees Ferry before driving to Grand Canyon South Rim, visiting the Desert Watchtower and Viewpoints along the Desert View DriveRead more

  • Grand Canyon - Rim Walk

    November 6, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Today I walked and took the free shuttles to explore the South Rim around the Village. I also like the 30s park architecture! Of course nature is the star.

  • Grand Canyon - Hiking down

    November 7, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    I hike the famous South Kaibab Trail to Skeleton Point, 9,3 round trip, 618 vertical meters… totally worth the experience to be “inside” the canyon though. The rest of the day I relax!

  • Arizona - Ancestral Pueblo Ruins

    November 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    I’m going south, it’s getting way too cold on the high elevation Colorado plateau. Skipping Flagstaff and Sedona for now, I nonetheless took short detours to more ancient Native American (Ancestral Pueblo) dwellings: Wupatki National Monument and Montezuma Well/Castle with a nature stop in the form of Sunset crater. It’s like visiting medieval castles in the Mediterranean. And I like that kind of stuff!Read more

  • Camp Verde

    November 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    I drive to this small town in the Verde River Valley to see the old Fort, but end up spending a lot of time there as I also go to the library and enjoy lunch in this lovely small town.

  • Phoenix / Scottsdale

    November 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    City Life! Phoenix is the first time I really spend time in, go shopping and hit the museums. On the first day I went to the Museum of Musical Instruments, really great concept where you can see a Country’s traditional instrument, listen to music samples, and learn about the cultural influences on the music. Yesterday I went to the Heard Museum of Native American Art. As it was Memorial Day, there are even at some performances in the courtyard. Today I’m in Scottsdale to go to the museum of Western Art and enjoy the downtown gallery and shopping area. And great food!Read more

  • Goldfield Ghost Town

    November 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Not really a ghost town… an old mine saved by turning it into a tourist attraction - well done! I spent the night in their campground so you see photos with morning and evening light

  • Superstition Mountains

    November 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    North-East of Phoenix wilderness starts suddenly… After my visit to Goldfield I drive up the Apache Trail to the most amazing saloon in Tortilla Flat (almost ghost town), then hike in Bullfrog Canyon. The next morning I hike up to Fremont Saddle with views of Weaver Needle. Amazing on the way up, hot and difficult on the way down… no shade in the desert…Read more

  • 3 Botanical and Bird Gardens in 3 Days

    November 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Tuesday afternoon I visited Arizona’s oldest botanical garden, Boyce Thompson Arboretum from 1929 with Desert plants from deserts around the world. Yesterday I drove towards Tucson and walked around Oracle State Park, a former ranch with a Mediterranean inspired house and great birding thanks to feeding stations. Today: a whole day in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, half zoo for native animals, half botanical garden. It was absolutely great! And tonight it’s raining… desert rain…Read more

  • Organ Pipe Cactus NM

    November 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Very close to the Mexican border in the south western part of Arizona lies the only area in the United States where organ pipe cacti grow. I really love the landscape of the Sonoran desert and greatly enjoy the scenic drives and hikes in this national Monument. However, driving along the border fence, I saw at least 150 assumedly illegal immigrants, who seem to have no problem crossing the fence and were walking towards a Border Patrol EncampmentRead more

  • Yuma

    November 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I visit Yuma, the border city between Arizona and California, and for lots of years the most important crossing on the lower Colorado river. There is a state park with an old prison and an old army depot, from here supplies were shipped to army outposts
    all over the southwest.
    Read more

  • In the desert, really?

    November 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Driving from Organ Pipe Cactus NM to California you are in the Sonoran Desert. Except today it’s one of the most productive agricultural areas of the US - all by irrigation from the big dams in the mountains hundreds of miles north. And there are other weird things… whoever built this is certainly crazy, but to raise the money, for all of this is quite a featRead more

  • Salvation Mountain

    November 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    In the vicinity of Salton Sea a former hippie community has turned into Slab City full of people that you would call Aussteiger in German. Interesting how their housea made of trailers and cardboard today have the size of middle-class homes, including yards. There are some interesting art projects though!Read more