As mentioned in my previous Banner Story post, some have expressed interest in knowing the story behind the banners I display on my rickety blog. All the photographs were taking either by my wife or myself, on vacation mostly. Here are the last 18. Click on the banners below and you will see the photographs from which they were derived.

My son Paul and my wife Jill on the Angels Landing Trail in Zion National Park, Utah. This trail is popular and well maintained and starts unspectacularly just north of Zion Lodge halfway along the scenic drive. It initially follows the road through shady, tree-covered land then crosses the Virgin River on a footbridge. Shown here are Paul and Jill ascending Walter’s Wiggles.

Climbers are seen here at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado.The unique and spectacular landscape was formed slowly by the action of water and rock scouring down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Fort Bridger was established by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez in 1843 as an emigrant supply stop along the Oregon Trail. It was obtained by the Mormons in the early 1850s, and then became a military outpost in 1858. In 1933, the property was dedicated as a Wyoming Historical Landmark and Museum. By the wagon are four of my five my children Paul, Jake, Daniel, and Sarah.

Not very far from my home can be seen migratory wildlife at the Kaysville Ponds. It contains bass, bluegill, catfish, and rainbow trout which is stocked throughout the summer.

Jill finds her way into this view of Mount Nebo, Utah. From Nephi to Payson, this route has breathtaking views of the Wasatch Range and 11,877-foot Mt. Nebo, its tallest mountain. Sights include Devil’s Kitchen, Walker Flat and Mt. Nebo Wilderness.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial viewed through an approach tunnel. Mount Rushmore is named after a New York City Attorney. Charles E. Rushmore was sent out to this area in 1884 to check legal titles on properties. On his way back to Pine Camp he asked Bill Challis the name of this mountain. Bill replied, “Never had a name but from now on we’ll call it Rushmore.”

Cooling off in a swimming pool in Nephi, Utah are Sarah (daughter), Derek (son-in-law), Kent (brother-in-law), Connie (niece), Byron (nephew), Shauna (niece), Jill (wife), Susan (sister-in-law), and Rick (me). Nephi is a city located in Juab County, Utah. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 4,733. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an agricultural area. Nephi was named after one or more of the people of the same name mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

My son Steven married his sweetheart Adelaide in the Salt lake Temple. They are seen by the pool posing for wedding photographs. The Salt Lake Temple was the first temple built in the Salt Lake Valley and was the only temple dedicated by President Wilford Woodruff. The Salt Lake Temple is the largest temple (most square footage) of the Church. Original plans for the temple called for two angel Moroni statues—one on the east central spire and one on the west. The Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build with its highly ornate interior being completed in just a year. The walls of the Salt Lake Temple are nine feet thick at the base and six feet thick at the top. The temple was dedicated three years before Utah became a state in 1896.

Pictured is a navy ship as we took a cruise around San Diego harbor. We also toured the aircraft carrier USS Midway.

San Diego is California’s second largest city with 70 miles of beaches and a gentle Mediterranean climate. This sunset is taken from one of those beaches. San Diego county’s 4,200 square miles is bordered by Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, the Anza-Borrego Desert and the Laguna Mountains.

The next six banners come from photographs taken at Yellowstone National Park. Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America’s first national park. Located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and a collection of the world’s most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Evidence of Ancestral Puebloans, known as the Anasazi, date from 2,000 years ago; Paiutes from about 800 years ago to present. Mormon settlers arrived in the 1860s. Massive canyon walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion National Park, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon. These unique sandstone cliffs range in color from cream, to pink, to red.

As close as one can get without actually entering my house is this banner showing the flowers along my backyard fence. It is relaxing to sit on the patio with a cool drink and a ham sandwich with a good book and occasionally glance at the hummingbirds around the flowers.