My wife and I vacationed this summer in Utah “Exploring the Mighty 5 National Parks” Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion. Staying at the Gonzo Inn one of the coolest and quirkiest hotels ever — it’s located in Moab, Utah.

We started our trip in Arches National Park, a geological wonderland of natural sandstone arches, massive balanced rocks and soaring pinnacles.

Later we dined at the Red Cliffs Ranch nestled on the banks of the Colorado River, surrounded by magnificent 2,000-foot cliffs — it is truly a hidden treasure of the west. The Ranch is home to the Moab Film and Western Heritage Museum, which showcased the rich Hollywood history of the Moab region.

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” starring Harrison Ford, Park Ridge, Illinois native, was filmed in the Moab area. He is featured in the Art Deco poster “Epic in Stone” that is part my “Legends of the Pickwick Theatre” series.

One of the most exhilarating parts of our trip was “Highway 12 Scenic Byway” in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Especially the epic switchbacks of “the Hogsback” a section where Route-12 climbs the side of a sandstone cliff before it plateaus atop a razor-sharp ridge with cliffs dropping steeply into narrow canyons on either side — its terrifying!

Our trip ended with hiking and wading through the Virgin River — called the Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah. The speculator Narrows was one of our most inspiring hikes of our lives.