<p>My family enjoys traveling, primarily by auto, but we have also taken our sons across the country by Amtrak. Visits included a number of stops at several National Parks. During a recent trip from California, I was impacted by our spectacular South West geography. The images haunted my mind until the idea blossomed to write about them. I chose to appeal to young people, and to inspire them to learn about, and visit many beautiful parts of the United States. </p>