Tuesday – July 7
Day 33
The landscape changes every hour in Utah. Today we saw the most diversity I’ve ever seen in a 5 hour drive. We came down from Bryce Canyon, leveled out into desert and painted rock, then ascended it what seemed to be Ireland. The trees changed, grass began to emerge, and the temperature plummeted. We saw nothing but pine and an abundance of aspen. As soon as it appeared, it disappeared, giving way to red stone. In fact, in one of the mountain pictures, you can see the desert below. It was a gorgeous drive.
There’s always time to squeeze in another national park. While in Utah, why not just complete all of the big 5? Between Bryce and Moab you have the opportunity to pass through Capital Reef National Park. We didn’t stop to see any of the sights. But we did get an apple pie. Apparently, growing apples was a big thing at the Gifford Homestead. And since the ham we packed for lunch was frozen, apple pie was on the menu for lunch.
Route: Bryce Canyon City to Moab via Hwy 12 and Hwy 24
Campground: Portal RV Resort
Time: Left 8:30 MT. Arrived 2:30 MT 6Hrs
Wednesday – July 8
Dan Mick is the bomb! If you are ever in Moab, make sure you book time with Dan Mick. He, his son, and is brother-n-law, are the nicest people, very knowledgeable, and very capable. They showed us dinosaur tracks; took us down declines that made you feel you were going to flip forward; took us up inclines that made us feel like we were going to flip backward; and amazingly put Jennifer at ease with the whole thing. Dan Mick is a legend in Moab. Companies send him parts to test out on his jeeps. His 100K modified jeep is basically sponsored by other companies. And the kids absolutely had a blast. I don’t think there was a moment they weren’t grinning ear to ear.
Part of Utah is frozen in time. These are petrified sand dunes. We were off roading on these (called slick rock formations) all day. You can actually see the wind marks in the dunes.
Dinosaurs are frozen in time too. Dan’s son, Richard, showed us at least three types of dinosaur tracks, all in the same area. You could almost imagine what was taking place between them all. There was a raptor, a stegosaurus, and something that would eventually turn into T-rex.
When they say ‘red rock’ they aren’t kidding. After our adventure with Dan, we journeyed through Arches to get a glimpse of our next day. Storms chased us out. But before we left, we saw dark, blackish red cliffs, Balanced Rock, and a whole host of treasures waiting for us over the next few days.
Itinerary: Hell’s Revenge Trail with Dan Mick; Arches National Park
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