The 2005 Vacation season is not that far away, Utah is agreat destination for travel experiences and pictorial photography.

Springtime, April to mid-May especially, can be great in Canyonlands and Arches when the cactus and Indian Paintbrush are blooming. Usually good weather and not quite so many people unless youhappen to hit the Jeep Jamboree in Moab.

The Canyonlands area in June has little biting gnats come out and nothing stops them. The rest of the year is pretty bug-free.The worst photographic time is mid-May through the end of June since it is often hot and crowded and there are rarely any stormy weather days, just deadly clear skies.

Late summer, mid-July thru September, can be great if you get a series of afternoon monsoon thunderstorms with dark skies followed by clearing skies, and a spectacular rainbow.

It is generally hazy when the wind direction is from the southwest, as smog from the LA basin, hundreds of miles away, moves in. It is generally clear with 100+ mile visibility when the prevailing wind is from the west or northwest. Fall can be great for good weather and the colors are usually excellent in Zion around mid- Oct to mid-Nov. Winter can be great if you get a nice snowstorm followed by clearing skies, especially at Bryce and Canyonlands. For some reason the snowstorms are hard to predict in this area, the normal winter light without snow is too hazy and dull.