Utah, A Smorgasbord of National Parks

We made it to Utah. We entered Utah at the beginning of May and left 12 days later.  Everything changed once we crossed the San Juan River on our way from Arizona. Canyons with Mountain Views in every direction. During this time, we visited 10 National Parks and Monuments in Southern Utah.  We should have spent at least a month here.  It is an expansive area where one can easily get lost spiritually for a lifetime.  The place is overwhelmingly beautiful.  There is just so much to see.  This was the heart of our trip to California.  Utah is a picturesque scene of geological formations that, once seen, leaves an indelible impression on one's soul.

Eastern Utah

Here, we are based in Monticello, Utah, at an RV park on the edge of town.  From here, we will do day trips to all the major sites.  It was a short drive from Canyon De Chelley and Monument Valley.  

Canyon Lands National Park and Newspaper Rock, near Monticello, UT. Canyon Lands is

a colorful landscape formed by the Colorado River into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes.  On the way here, we stopped at Newspaper Rock, a petroglyph site with multiple rock carvings.  One of the more interesting facts is the carvings with feet with six toes, also known as polydactyl.  "A team of anthropologists excavated 96 skeletons from the nearby site of Pueblo Bonito and found that 3.1% of the skeletons had an extra toe on the right foot.    There is a significantly higher rate of polydactyly than is seen in current Native American populations.    Here was evidence towards those with six toes being buried with items associated with higher social status, like an ornate bracelet, and turquoise."

Natural Bridges National Monument. After driving through Bears Ears National Monument, we drive the loop at Natural Bridges National Monument. After looking at all the marvelous natural stone arches, we leave on Utah 261 to drive off the Colorado Plateau and drop down into the Valley of the Gods. The road turns to dirt as you wind down the escarpment into the Valley of the Gods. It's a scary one-lane road down the Mesa. These red sandstone butte formations are similar to those found in Monument Valley. We are on our way to Gooseneck State Park, where the Colorado River wraps around itself. The river has cut a deep crevice, creating an unusual view as it makes a series of hairpin turns on its way to Mexico.

Hovenweep National Monument

is known for its Ancestral Puebloan villages located along a shallow canyon.    Here is evidence of occupation by hunter-gatherers from 8,000 to 6,000BC.    Puebloan cultures settled in the area and remained until the 14th century.    Here, we hiked the 2-mile loop trail through several of the villages and formations.    After visiting Hovenweep, we went to the BLM Center and museum in the Valley of the Ancients near Cortez, Colorado.  The museum was very informative.  The Valley of the Ancients encompasses a large area, including Mesa Verde National Park, a place we visited a few years ago. 

Arches National Park and Moab UT.     On our last day in eastern Utah, we visited Moab and Arches National Park. Participated in the American Volksmarch Association 5K walk in Moab and then visited Arches, located 5 miles north of Moab. Moab is the nation's capital of Jeep and ATV trail riding. They are everywhere; you can see them in the hills around the town, in the streets, and at the gas stations. It's Gatlinburg for the ATV crowd.

After our walk, we visited the Food Truck court, which was quite impressive. A dedicated block with food trucks facing a center courtyard with tables.  

Arches National Park. This national park was crowded, even with timed entrance tickets for 3 PM. Aches National Park is an incredible place, renowned for its natural beauty. We went to the Visitor Center and drove along the access roads. We hiked to a couple of natural arches. It was a great day all around. It is a must-see National Park.

Our time in southeastern Utah was filled with new sights and adventures. Wish we had more time, but now the adventure continues to Western Utah.

Western Utah

It was a big travel day to Western Utah. Our drive through central Utah on I-70 was stunning, passing by the San Rafael Reef and the Sevier Valley. Our base camp for western Utah is in Circleville, located in the Circle Valley. Circle Valley is bordered by mountains, except where the Sevier River enters and exits the Valley to the north. It's a small town whose big claim to fame is that it's the boyhood home of Butch Cassidy. The famous western outlaw of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid fame. This puts us close to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef National Parks, and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument.

Bryce Canyon National Park is a unique place known for its red sandstone spires; however, it was crowded. We were able to complete our short hike and had a packed lunch at an overlook.. This park was located about 40 miles south of where we were camped in Centerville. It's beautiful, the red sandstone spires that line a valley escarpment. It was worth the trip, and the hike among them was breathtaking.

Capital Reef National Park. It is 90 miles from our camp in Circleville to Capital Reef. On the way there, we got caught in a snowstorm, but it passed as quickly as it started. The park is located within a geological feature known as the Waterpocket Fold. A fold in geology is a structure formed when sedimentary rock is folded by natural forces. It has created a unique geological formation that is represented at Capitol Reef. Once we arrived at the visitor center, we discovered that most of the inner park road was closed due to construction. Drove up the road as far as we could before taking a side road to Cassidy's Arch. After a bad lunch at a Mexican restaurant, we drove up to an overlook on Highway 12 that gave us a bird's-eye view of the park, with the Summit Ridge Mountains in the background.

Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument: Highway 12 continued through the Staircase. Along the way, the road followed a ridge up to an escarpment. Highway 12 had sheer drop-offs on both sides of the road. It was a very hard-pounding experience. The Staircase is a series of cliffs that gradually climb in elevation. It extends from the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River to Bryce Canyon. It forms a natural geological staircase. It was a long day, but we got some good pictures as we drove a big loop back through Bryce Canyon to Circleville.

Zion National Park. We weren't going to go to Zion. I'm sure glad that we did. It's a very scenic park that allows you to get up close to the geological formations. We entered through the east gate, drove down to the Visitor Center, and went through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. Along the way, we were mesmerized by the dramatic geology, including Zion Canyon and a labyrinth of deep, brilliantly colored Navajo sandstone canyons. It is one of the American must-see destinations.

Our 12 days in Utah were incredible. Visiting these National Parks and Monuments has been on my mind for a very long time. Finally felt good to get it done. We're on to California, but first, the loneliest road in America: US Highway 50 through Nevada.

The Great Basin National Park's Lost Winchester 1873

One of the coolest things we saw on our 80-day trip to California and back.  On this trip, we visited 32 National Parks and Monuments.  The drive across Nevada had unexpected beauty.  Along Highway 50, nicknamed the loneliest road in America, sits the Great Basin National Park, which is full of surprises. 

The Great Basin of the Western United States encompasses most of Nevada, as well as large portions of Oregon, Utah, and California.  The National Park is an Island of tree-covered mountains in the middle of a desert landscape.  

"In the Park, an archaeologist discovered a Winchester Model 1873 rifle leaning against a juniper tree in 2014.  The gun, manufactured in 1882, was found in a remote area during a habitat restoration project.  It was left in place for research and preservation, and its discovery has become a popular story, even going viral on social media. 

The rifle, a Winchester Model 1873, is a lever-action centerfire rifle chambered in .44-40 caliber.  It has a 24-inch octagonal barrel and a magazine that holds up to 12 cartridges.  The gun was found with a round of ammunition dating from 1887 to 1911, suggesting it had been there for many years.  It was later x-rayed, revealing a live cartridge in the buttstock. 

The rifle's backstory remains a mystery, contributing to its allure.  The area where it was found was known for hunting, prospecting, and sheep herding.  While the exact reason for its abandonment is unknown, it has become a symbol of the American West and its history.  The rifle is now on display at the park's visitor center.  "

I was very impressed with the drive through Nevada on Highway 50. Nicknamed the loneliest road in the nation, it was filled with big vistas that contained mountains in a desert landscape.  We didn't spend much time Great Basin National Park, but it was a great stop that proved to be very informative.  Plus, we got to see the Winchester 1873.