…nor the US Capitol building it"s named for. Utah"s Capitol Reef National Park—first established as a national monument this day in 1937—is named for its massive rock domes that reminded explorers of that famous rotunda back in Washington, DC. Why Capitol "Reef," though? Because the imposing formations were a major obstacle to travelers through the region, the same way a coral reef is an obstacle to sailors.
This reef is nowhere near the sea…
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Here’s why landmarks are going dark
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Penguin Awareness Day
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A ‘city’ within Valencia
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Illuminated Uluru
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
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National Mushroom Month
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Gardens by the Bay nature park, Singapore
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Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park turns 103
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The Great Blue Hole, Belize
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You re feeling sleepy
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World Donkey Day
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A tribute to the ancestors
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The last thing seen by Wile E. Coyote
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Mardi Gras
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Glacial rivers in Iceland
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A bridge that rocks
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Autumnal equinox
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Lizard of mystery
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Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
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Great wildebeest migration at Mara River, Kenya
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The puffin-rabbit connection
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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River otters at Acadia National Park, Maine
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Three Musketeers Falls at Iguazú Falls, Argentina
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Perseid meteor shower over Oregon
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Happy World Whale Day!
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National Hammock Day
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Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
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Summer solstice