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
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 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
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