You never know what you are going to see in the western Colorado sky, but you know that sooner or later it's going to be good.

Right Place, Right Time

If you're in the right place at the right time - and have the right equipment, you can get some pretty amazing photos in the Grand Valley. It might be a beautiful orange sunset over the Monument, or a stunning full moon rising up over the Mesa. Sometimes it's a colorful rainbow following some rain showers or a thunderstorm.

The Beauty That Surrounds Us

Personally, I never get tired of looking at and appreciating the beauty that surrounds Grand Junction. Whether it's the majesty of the Grand Mesa, the sun reflecting off the Bookcliffs and Mount Garfield, or the ruggedness of the Colorado National Monument, they are all beautiful natural wonders. Add in some low-lying clouds, a rainbow, or a sunset and they are even more splendid.

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A Listener Shares the Beauty

A listener who lives up at Glade Park, Chris Autzen, sent some photos to me from earlier in the week. I thought they were pretty cool and so I wanted to share them with everybody.

I missed the rainbow on Monday and so I'm thankful Chris snapped some cell phone photos just to give us a little idea of how amazing the rainbow was. He also gave us a couple of shots of some very strange-colored clouds over his house. I appreciate Chris sharing his photos with us. Remember, whenever you have some cool photos, please share them with us on the radio station app. We'd love to share them with the rest of the Grand Valley.

Rainbow Over the Bookcliffs

We get to enjoy some great sights in Western Colorado. Sometimes it's an amazing sunset over the monument, a moonrise or sunrise over the Mesa, and sometimes it's a rainbow across the Grand Valley. A radio station listener, Chris Autzen, recently shared some photos from me, taken from his residence at Glade Park, where they have a sensational view of the valley -and the sky above it.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

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