Bet you've never seen ...

...an African Crested Porqupine which grow as large as 60 pounds. It's quills are like large knitting needles...

...or a Bengal Tiger praying...

...or sticking his tongue out at a passerby...

or the real NASCAR digger.

Welcome to Death Valley

The views in and from Death Valley represent extremes as the picture above and below show.

There is life even in what appears to be an almost desolate wasteland. This coyote demonstrates there is food to be found and the Prickly Pear Cactus bloom below adds a special beauty.

The valley is a never ending series if surprises.

One of the biggest surprises is Furnace Springs, a genuine oasis, a water hole in the desert.

Then there are the great borax flats. This is where the "20 mule team" of Boroxo was used to haul the mined borax from inhospitable valley.

This was mid-April and that temperature reading is accurate. Snow was still visible on the mountain tops surrounding the valley

You might think beach with the dunes but believe me, this is not Kitty Hawk!

If you think of Death Valley as being all flat and boring, forget it.

The valley is a never ending surprise.

As you begin to exit the valley the road is a seeming endless series of sharp curves as well as ups and downs. What a trip.

The fantastic Grand Canyon

Seen from almost anywhere on the South Rim the Grand Canyon is spectacular!

Every where you look the view is breathtaking. No matter how you may try, it is almost impossible to capture its great depth and breath.

That being said, to get the most of a visit it is a must to watch the canyon colors change with the setting sun.

As the shadows the lengthen it is indeed one of natures greatest dramas and should not be missed by a visitor.

Sodona, Arizona

The astounding red rock formations in and around Sodona, Arizona are among the most interesting and awesomely beautiful to be found anywhere in the world.

There's no confusing this giant flightless bird with any other bird. The Ostrich is a bird you can certainly look up to.

The giant White Rhino is enjoying a nap in the sun.

The marking on the Zebra make it one of the most easily recognized animals in the wild. Their markings are much like our fingerprints in that no two are alike, and even both sides of the same animal differ.

The Giraffe has the longest neck of any land amimal on earth, but surprisingly, it has the same number of vertabrae as human.

Here's a wonderful example of how well these antalopes can blend into their envirionment. They are Impala (no not the Chevy). See if you can find them all. Let me know your guess.

One of the most beautiful of the antalope family is the Sable Antalope. That's a female in the back, a young in the middle with the male in the foreground. His magnificent well curved horns tell us he is an older animal.

This beautiful animal is the Oryx, or Gemsbok as he is known as in southern Africa.

As boldly marked as the Oryx is you can see how it can become almost invisible in the bush.