Blogs from Utah, United States, North America

Perhaps no more iconic scenic landscape exists in the American west than Monument Valley, Utah. It appears in auto commercials, travel advertisements, and most notably, the Forrest Gump movie. I think it is the most "American" of all American scenes. Besides an iconic symbol of the American west, Monument Valley is the "sacred heart" of the Navajo Nation. Is it the pure beauty, the ruggedness, or the Navajo spirits that draw us here? Yet, it looks so familiar since we have seen it so many times on TV, and the internet. And those who know say it looks the same, whether 300 or 3000 years ago. The sky might be a different shade of blue, since we are ruining the environment, but the canyons are as deep and the sandstone buttes as towering. The magic of ... read more

We are off to Moab, Utah to see more for our nation's natural wonders, specifically in the beautiful state of Utah. Moab boasts both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks within easy reach. Did you know Moab got its name from the Biblical name for a land that is just short of the Promised Land? It was the Mormon settler's in the 1800's that gave this beautiful area its name. There are 137 Bible verses where Moab is named. Arches National Park has over 2000 natural sandstone arches. The most famous is Delicate Arch, seen in countless photos and advertisements. The forces of nature for millions of years creates a unique and breathtaking scene. But no evidence of dwellings in Arches has ever been found. The first reliable date for Arches is June 9, 1844, by a ... read more

Weather: Sunny and 40s States: Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah Miles: 935 Hours: 13 hrs and 25 min Capitals: University Campus: Restaurant: Coyote Creek Hotel/Home: Residence Inn SLC Movies: Audible: A Phone call from Heaven by Mitch Albom (finally over) We began the day with our daily Marriott breakfast bar. Pretty much what we do on our road trips. Big money saver to get a free breakfast at Fairfield’s, Springhill Suites and Residence Inns. At breakfast, we met a nice family from South Dakota. After Paul chatted and kept running into the man, Randy, they decided to exchange cards. Fate was telling them to connect. Then we hit the road. We are now headed on the long road to Salt Lake City. We have been there already and really enjoyed our stay. We swam in the Great Salt ... read more

What to say about Utah? Lots. But before we get to that, let me tell you how we got here. I realized early on that if I was going to plan this trip, it was going to be a lot more fun if I invited someone along. And I also realized that I was going to be spending basically the same amount of money while I was here, whether I was alone or with someone else. Because hotels and rental cars don’t care if it’s just one person using their service, or two. The only thing that would take extra money was the flight out to Salt Lake City, and once I found cheap flights, it was pretty easy to ask someone to come along. Enter my friend Nick. His only task was to get us ... read more

Last summer (2018) we did it: we drove from Los Angeles to Williamsburg, Virginia. Like an old country tune, or perhaps 1960s SITCOM open (See Beverly Hillbillies if you're still guessing), we loaded the family of six, complete with dog and cat, and hit the road. Triple digits screamed from the vehicle thermostat, and three stations cycled on the FM dial (or whatever the modern equivalent is to the "dial"). Once we outpaced the city traffic and cruised the Vegas strip, family-style, we entered an alien landscape carved and painted by years of erosion and geological transformation: Utah. Driving by way of Interstate 15, we wove and wound through valleys of orange and red sand shaped in the most amazing formations. Like cloud-gazing, it was fun to imagine donuts, dogs, lions, and more while craning in ... read more

About three miles West of Utah 63 (Bryce Canyon NP) on Utah 12; I turned Southbound on FS 087 (the primary road across the Paunsaugunt Plateau) of the Dixie N Forest.I drove to the second crossing of FS 088 to make my camp for the night. I cooked my dinner and watched a nice sunset. Then I watched the moon rise. I got on my bed and had a nice sleep for the night. The next morning I had a nice coffee break. Then it was time to drive across the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Back on FS 087 Southbound I quickly got to the nice Tropic Reservoir. There was time to enjoy the views of the lake and shoot a few pics. On the South side of the reservoir there was the Tropic Spring open free to ... read more