The Southwestern United States has some magical places that seem almost surreal.
This book can help you find some of the best spots.
by Leon Pantenburg
The Grand Circle is located in southern Utah and northern Arizona. It is a drive-able circle that includes national parks, state parks, national monuments and countless other natural and archaeological wonders.
Photos can’t do justice to these magnificent places – but some artwork can come close.
Since I retired from my day job at Central Oregon Community College, my wife and I have been through the Grand Circle area on three different occasions. So I was very interested when Anderson Design Group produced a series of National Park postcards. The artwork is incredible, and the cards represent some of the most scenic areas in the United States.
Then Anderson Design came out with “The Grand Circle: An Illustrated Guide to Exploring Western Wonders” It is a large, quality soft cover coffee table-style book that incorporates some of the magnificent artwork from the postcards.
My wife Debbie grabbed the book as soon as it arrived in the mail and read it cover to cover. She loves the descriptions of the areas, the history and the interesting facts scattered throughout.
Here is the good stuff:
Want to plan a trip to the southwest and don’t know where to start? The Grand Circle is a practical resource for deciding what to see.
“This is better than the tour book we had last year,” Debbie commented. “It looks like we missed some really good locations.”
Great educational read: Learn about the history, culture and importance of the Grand Circle. I wondered why people would settle in these desolate, arid areas until I read the book. There were a lot of good reasons why the area was inhabited for thousands of years.
Make your bucket list of things to see and experience so you don’t miss anything.
It’s a great keepsake to remind you of the amazing beauty and environmental diversity of the area.
The postcard collection covers most of the National Parks in the United States.
Postcards: I send a lot of postcards. They go to friends, complete strangers, shut-ins, or someone who could use some encouragement.
Postcards and postage are donated, and I do my best to have a variety of cards for different people. Recipients range in age from a seven-year-old boy with an incurable disease, to a 98-year-old lady with dementia.
The National Park cards are a big hit with all the recipients, and I really enjoy telling how we visited some of the parks.
Should you buy this book and postcards?
Well, to start with, both products are really, really well done. They would be wonderful gifts for people who love to travel, and for armchair adventurers.
The strength of the book is the excellent, informative writing coupled with world class art work. I have enjoyed reading the book, looking at the pictures and planning our next tour through the Grand Circle.
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