The Photography of Kurt F Fink (kfink.portfolio.com)

 

  Verde Canyon Railroad is a Southwestern adventure that takes passengers on a ride through Arizona’s backcountry, only accessible from the comfort of this train. This legendary “boutique” attraction allows members of groups an uncommon view of a wildly-wonderful red-rock canyon. The  Verde Canyon , featuring an abundance of native flora and fauna, rugged, high-desert rock faces and spectacular vistas, is only accessible by rail. As you step aboard this popular excursion, complete with  luxurious coaches  and  open-air viewing cars  pulled by vintage diesel engines, expect to be captivated by this untouched and unspoiled canyon. The ride from  Clarkdale  to the turn-around point of  Perkinsville  is scheduled so passengers may enjoy the progress of daylight as it dances over the rippling green waters of the  Verde River , then tiptoes across the canyon floor through canopies of foliage before escaping up the towering canyon walls in...

 

Petroglyph National Monument  stretches 17 miles along  Albuquerque, New Mexico 's  West Mesa , a  volcanic   basalt   escarpment  that dominates the city's western horizon. Authorized June 27, 1990, the 7,236 acre  monument is cooperatively managed by the  National Park Service  and the  City of Albuquerque . The western boundary of the monument features a chain of dormant  fissure volcanoes . Beginning in the northwest corner, Butte volcano is followed to its south by Bond, Vulcan,  Black  and  JA volcanoes . Petroglyph National Monument protects a variety of cultural and natural resources including five  volcanic cones , hundreds of archeological sites and an estimated 24,000 images carved by Ancestral  Pueblo  peoples and early Spanish settlers. Many of the images are recognizable as animals, people,  brands  and crosses; others are more complex. Their meaning was, possibly, underst...