VIRTUAL TRAVEL FOR THE HIKER, TRAVELER, AND OUTDOORSMAN

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CAPTURE A MOMENT AWAY from it all and enjoy an expedition into the great outdoors. In a photographic virtual world, the UntraveledRoad recreates the experience of scenic national parks, rustic ranching communities, skyscraper-topped cityscapes and hundreds of miles of meandering highways and roads. All 329,529 photographs on UntraveledRoad were taken by human-operated hand-held camera for a real-life effect. In operation since 1999, it is the oldest virtual travel site on the web. Take a look now for that special vacation spot! Below are a few featured locations. Plan a safe and exciting road trip with online auto insurance quotes from Nationwide.com.

The Dolores River Gorge cuts through the remote plateaus of western Colorado, a country with 10,000 foot mountains, redrock cliffs, desert basins and few towns. Running northward from its sources in the San Juan Mountains, it scarecly passes through any level ground in its 100-mile path to the Colorado River.

Colorado Highway 141 crosses the Dolores River at Split Rock, and then rejoins it at its confluencs with the San Miguel River, and follows it to Gateway. This scenic drive begins with the highway on a ledge halfway up a cliff, then the highway descends to the canyon floor, rimmed by thousand-foot redrock cliffs on either side.

Gateway is so named because of its position at the entrance to the Dolores Gorge as well as the beautiful and unusual Unaweep Canyon, and is home to the Gateway Canyons Resort, where adventurers come to explore this scenic area.

Looking into the Grand Canyon from South Rim is one of the most breathtaking scenes in the world. The Colorado River, a mile lower in elevation, is not even visible, being lost in the depths. But layer on layer of cliffs and colored rock stretch from horizon to horizon on the canyon walls, punctuated by fantastic formations with fanciful names like "The Battleship" and "Zoroaster Temple."

For some a visit to the Grand Canyon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For those who have the opportunity to return frequently, there is no end to the opportunities for exploration. An easy day at the Grand Canyon would involve a stroll along the rim next to Grand Canyon Village, with stops at gift shops and eateries. For a seasoned Grand Canyon explorer, it would involve grueling overnight hikes on trails like the Kaibab or Bright Angel trails.

Don't forget the North Rim, especially if you prefer to avoid crowds. But allow time for the five-hour drive to get there from South Rim. Fabled view like Point Imperial and Bright Angel Point await you there.

Yosemite Valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth for a vacation destination. At 4,000 feet in the Sierra Nevadas, it is covered with alpine meadows and forests, with the Merced River running through the middle. Granite cliffs line the valley, reaching as high as 3,000 feet above the floor, giving it its patented, stunning scenery. Numerous waterfalls tumble from the heights; and formations, such as El Capitan and Half Dome, are famous icons.

Beyond Yosemite Valley, the towering peaks of the Sierra Nevadas reach into the 13,000-foot range, capped by Mount Whitney on the park's eastern boundary. Mount Whitney is the highest point in the continental United States 151; at 14,491 feet in elevation. Yosemite National Park includes hundreds of thousands of acres of alpine paradise amongst those peaks, with brooks wandering through grass and forest and monolithic granite peaks as a backdrop.

Explore Yosemite's beautiful scenery and plan your vacation to this unique mountain paradise. Yosemite Valley was photographed in May, when the waterfalls were at their maximum flow, the grass was green, and the wildflowers were out.