Day 4 Utah Road Trip

Do you know what happens when you go to bed by 8pm? You wake up at 3am! I had a reserved slot to enter Arches National Park at 11am but did not want to wait for 8 hours so decided to get up and be there for sunrise. Reservations are not needed if you arrive before 7am so off I went. There were only a few cars out and about this early. I have been here before but could not imagine not at least stopping by for a short hike. As I drove, the sun started coming out and it was gloriously beautiful!

I did a quick stop and walk at Balanced Rock

Then on to Sand Dune Arch. I had it all to myself which was nice. I am realizing that not only does the early bird get the worm but the solitude and beauty of nature. 

It has to be the shortest and easiest hike in the park even though towards the end it was a bit tough hiking in the sand!

It was so dark when I entered that I missed the sign but caught it on the way out.

The roads were packed with people trying to beat the 7am entry before required reservations! I was so glad I came early and canceled my 11am time slot! I decided to head back into Moab for breakfast at Jailhouse Café. While the eggs benedict may be famous, I can confirm that they are not the best in my opinion. It was still too early to call it a day so off to Canyonlands National Park to do another short hike. Here is one of the open range roads with cows.

The drive to Canyonlands National Park was easy and not much traffic. I had read people who don't plan ahead to go to Arches National Park end up here so be prepared for crowds.

A quick hike to Mesa Arch. I wanted a photo with no people which was not possible when I arrived so I sat down on a big rock and ate some pistachios. I enjoyed people watching and some people forget they are not the only ones that exist. I swear one family took photos, wandered off, back they came for more photos, and then proceeded to stand in the way of other people’s photos.

I made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some food and fill up the car before tomorrows early morning getaway. I enjoyed the afternoon lounging by the pool!

Driving Map Day 4

Day 3 Utah Road Trip

Well good morning Monument Valley! The sun was so bright at 645am. I am not a huge breakfast person but since I was going on a three hour tour decided to go grab a light snack. I was there as it opened and I have never seen grown adults fight over a prepackaged muffin or rubbery pancake! The free continental breakfast was a herd of people who seemed to not have eaten in days. I have never seen grown adults be so pushy for subpar food that was not anything to get excited about that is for sure. I grabbed a bagel and brewed me some fresh tea and headed back to my room. I have two hours until my tour so I took my hot tea to my room and made it iced tea. Perfect! One thing I miss when I travel is brewed iced tea . . . none of that Gold Peak or Arizona fake stuff for me; I want the fresh stuff which means that I often make my own hot tea and find an ice machine to make it iced. I checked out of the hotel and made my way to the tour waiting area. So anyway . . . I decided to take a guided tour of Monument Valley so I could enjoy and not have to drive! I booked a three hour tour with Tribal Tours and the guide Jameson was excellent! He was a great storyteller and his musical skills were amazing. The tour went off the beaten path to areas only allowed with guided tours so I did not have to drive the entire loop which was fine. Our guide told great stories and many related to music and weather. I learned the 

flute=wind            drum=thunder        rattle=rain  

The guide took a fun photo with time lapse . . . I don't know how to do all that but appreciated him taking the photo.

It was back on the road and I was a bit hungry. Of course I stopped at Twin Rocks Café because it was so good yesterday. I love a good Navajo Taco and well it is Tuesday so Taco Tuesday it was!

I had one last detour to visit Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs. It was a bit far off my travel path but glad I made the effort. There was only one other family there so it was nice.

This was probably one of the best preserved site I have ever seen. When  I make random detours like this it makes me wonder what else is out there that has yet to be discovered? This was literally in the middle of nowhere on a  backroad to a national park but if not for this road, would this have ever been discovered? It has been a long couple of days driving. I am so excited to be at the same hotel the next two nights! I have been to Moab before but I am amazed at how much it has changed and grown . . . a bit too much actually as it was busy with traffic! I was in bed super early which was fine by me.

Driving Map Day 3

Day 2 Utah Road Trip

It was a lazy start since the room was a delight and quiet! My first stop did not open until 9am so I did not want to leave before 8am. The drive was scenic and way off the beaten path. 

The best advice I read was follow the signs not the GPS. At some point I sort of wondered if I was on the right road but figured as long as the road was paved and followed the signs that was a good sign. My first stop was Hovenweep National Historic Site.

It was touching to see the flag on this Memorial Day . . . of course there is a lot on my mind but honestly I think about Sean all the time not just Memorial Day. I was looking forward to getting out. I got an early start but it was already getting very hot outside. What I did not know was I could have hiked the trails at sunrise even though the official opening time was 9am; oh well! I took the Square Tower Group Trail hike and it was good. 

As you can see there is no shade and it was already blazing hot! I really liked seeing the Hovenweep Castle . . .

I was so glad that I got an early start because by the time I was finished I was out of water and very hot! I stopped in the Visitor's Center to watch the movie and cool off before I got back on the road. Since there were only a few small towns on my route, I had planned for a lunch stop at Twin Rocks Cafe. It did not disappoint! I mean anything with fry bread is delicious.

Made a roadside stop at Sand Island Petroglyphs Panel . . .

 

And this is where I had to make a decision. Again, I could not check in to my hotel until 3pm and it was only noon. As I was driving I saw a sign for Canyon de Chelly National Monument. I have tried to visit here several times but it was just too far out of the way. So I pulled over and did a map check . . . it was 96 miles south of my hotel for the night. I was not sure it would be worth it but decided why not? So I drove there and made it about a hour before I thought it closed. The only thing that closed was the Visitor's Center parking lot so I grabbed a map and made a plan. There are two main loops and I picked one trail on each loop. First up was the North Rim Drive for Antelope House Overlook.

Then on to South Rim Drive for Spider Rock Overlook.

Since it was late in the day, there was no traffic. One thing that I have noticed with all the driving is that Utah is open range for livestock. There are signs posted everywhere warning to be aware of livestock and some highways have cattle guards that you pass over going fast. As I was cruising back to my starting point to return a horse slowly galloped into the road . . . this is exactly why the speed limit is 30! Thankfully I was able to slam on my breaks as he slowly made his way across the road with no cares in the world. My heart was beating so fast and I was thankful no one was behind me and that I was paying attention! It was back on the road 96 miles north to The View Hotel for the night in Monument Valley. Not a bad view if I may say so . . .

. . . tomorrow I explore, because today I am tired!

Driving Map Day 2

Day 1 Utah Road Trip

As you can see my titles aren't so creative! I am once again on a little solo road trip. It is my first official solo trip since I quit my teaching job! I still can't believe that after 23ish years that I have walked away. At this point, I have zero regrets. Colin decided to stay home and relax! I arrived to Grand Junction, Colorado to a rain storm and got to Utah as quick as I could for my overnight stay. Nothing exciting just a place to stay but can't wait to get on the road tomorrow morning.

Well, good morning Utah! It is a cool 44° and not much traffic. However, my stay last night was anything but enjoyable. I hate to be negative at the beginning of a trip, but there were some issues with my accommodations last night. I stayed at a random Comfort Suites off of I-70. As I was going to bed I decided to make sure the connecting door was locked . . . it was not so you can imagine the panic that set in. The deadbolt would not lock no matter how much I wiggled and adjusted the door. I knew the hotel was sold out so not much that could be done at 11pm. So I rigged up some sort of wall of stuff in front of it that would prevent the door from opening. Of course I did not get much sleep but was happy to be up early and on the road at 6am! 

I am on the road to a place that has been on my list for years, Goblin Valley State Park. Since it is such an early start, there is hardly anyone on the road and the pay station was not even open. 

Of course the map makes it look so large, but in reality, it is pretty compact and easy to get from point to point. It did not disappoint that is for sure. As I entered I saw a pronghorn.

I just love seeing wildlife in the wild. I made my way to Valley of the Goblins and wandered around for a while. Everywhere I looked it was just so cool!

My final stop was a quick walk on the Three Sisters Trail.

It was back on the road and still super early! The views on Scenic Byway 95 are amazing! One thing that I have noticed is Utah must have the highest concentration of Sprinter Vans because they are everywhere! I can assume that Utah is a boon docker's paradise to just pull over and park on the side of the road to camp with all the amazing views. I love the U.S. National Park Service and Utah is full of places to stop! I stopped at Natural Bridges National Monument which became Utah's first National Monument in 1908. 

There are three main bridge viewpoints. I liked the fact that it was a one way loop drive with easy parking to get out for a quick walk to see each bridge:

Sipapu Bridge

Kachina Bridge

Owachomo Bridge

Since I am way ahead of schedule, I adjusted my plans and stop at a few places on the list for later in the week. My hotel tonight does not allow check in until 3pm and it is barely noon! The lack of sleep is catching up with me, and I am sleepy so need to get outside. In the town of Blanding, Utah, I popped into the Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum. I always try to find something that I find interesting and this place had a lot of cool stuff but this macaw river sash that dates back to 1050ad-1150ad was still so colorful.

. . . and the ruins of a Great House with a Great Kiva . . .

And it was finally time to check into my roadside motel for the night, Bears Ears Inn. I love small family owned places that are so clean and cute. This place was perfect; clean, newly remodeled but not a bargain. 

Driving Map Day 0 and Day 1