Utah Road Trip 2019

On journey out of Seattle we headed East and our first stop was Lake Sacagawea where we camped for the night, ending the day with a beautiful sunset.  Our next stop for the night was Hyrum Reservoir and the following night at Scofield State Park.  We found a great Native American and Dinosaur Museum in the town of Price.  And a well known coffee shop recommended by a friend was in the town of Helper, which used to be a mining town.  We found well preserved petroglyphs in Nine Mile Canyon where we also had a show of a thunder storm.  

Moab

The next day we were off to Moab were we camped at Onion Campground at Fisher Towers.  The next day we headed for Arches where the rock formations were stunning against the blue sky.  Our hike up to Delicate Arch was strenuous and hot, but we made it and rested gazing at the unusual rock formations. Schaffer road was exciting as it was a 1,500 foot drop to the valley floor with sharp switchbacks and no guardrails!   We just hoped that no one else was coming up.  That night we did Horsethief Campground where we had a stellar sunset as cooked dinner on the picnic table.

Moab to Bryce Canyon

From Moab we headed to Bryce Canyon.  Our first day out we stopped at Newspaper Rock and visited Bridges National Park and spent the night at Gooseneck State Park.  The next day we went to Monument Valley and the site where John Wayne’s cabin was for the filming of She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.  We heard about the Lower Antelope Slot Canyon from a couple that said it was a must see and it was incredible! The underground forms are sculpturally gorgeous, especially with the sunlight casting shafts of light on the undulating forms.  

Bryce to Zion

North Rim of the Grand Canyon

After Zion we had a few days and decided to hit the Grand Canyon.

Los Vegas to Home

We contemplated going to Los Vegas before meeting up with Todd and Nazira, although we were not totally into the idea. But since it was on the way to Tahoe we decided to check it out to see how crazy it might be. And what a contrast compared to the serenity of our last weeks….it was like opening a door and entering into a world of “over the top” sensory stimulation!  Walking into the lobby of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino to register we were met by a line of at least 30 people at the reservation desk!  As we walked to the elevator to our room we passed games every 20 feet with loud noises coming from each one!       

First thing was to walk the strip and get in on all the neon and fancy hotels.  Our favorite was hotel was The Bellagio, which was gorgeous inside.   Another that was over the top was The Venetian with mock Venetian streets and even a canal with gondolas!  After one night of overload we were ready to head out.    

We hit Death Valley on a scorchingly hot day, with the wind blowing the sand so forcefully that we decided we couldn’t walk out onto the dry lake bed to experience its vastness.  A photo next to the sign stating we were standing at 282 feet below sea level was all we took time to stop for. Death Valley has the hottest temperatures in the world and is the lowest point below sea level in North America.  

We met Todd and Nazira at a campground with them driving in randomly at the same time!  Across from our campground was a natural hot spring that we walked to and plunged into 100 degree water, before heading back to fix dinner in their warm RV, as the temperatures were dropping.  We woke up to ICE on the inside of the Tear Drop and Ron looked at the temperature and it registered 11 degrees!  Right then the decision was made to skip a second night and instead head to Tahoe for a night and then home.