Planning
The Trip out - Days 1-3
As with any trip from Iowa, Day 1 is pretty dull. We have probably driven the route to Tulsa a dozen times, and with my time attending Grad School at Oklahoma State University, you can probably add another dozen trips on that route. Of course, as is a normal part of our trips, my wife plans possible stops along the drive, and the "post drive" locations in the overnite town where we can unwind, enjoy a "few refreshments", and check out some establishments. The choice for Tulsa was the Prairie Brewpub, located in Tulsa’s Historic Brady District in Downtown Tulsa. With our early start, we were settling in for a few beers about 3:30pm, avoiding the pending Friday night crowds. After finishing dinner, it was time to head to the hotel, and rest up for an ~ 10 hour drive to Albuquerque, NM.
Miles Driven - 580 (9 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0
Day 2 had us on the road by 6:00am, travelling I-44 out of Tulsa, and I-40 to Albuquerque. This route was also very familiar to us. In 2013, to celebrate Sue's retirement, we traveled the old Route 66 route from St. Louis to Santa Monica (to read the story of our Route 66 journey, Click Here). I-40 essentially follows the same path of Route 66. However, this time, rather than taking the original portions of Route 66, we stayed on I-40 all the way. The only observation of note on the drive was the speed limits. Iowa' Interstate Hiways are 70mph. Oklahoma and New Mexico were 75mph, and Texas was 80mph! Other than a bazillion semi trucks using this route, the drive was not bad at all.
Once in Albuquerque, my "tourist guide" suggested we take the Sandia Peak Tram to the top, and enjoy dinner in the restaurant on the peak - Ten-3 (referencing the altitude of the restaurant - 10,300 ft above sea level). The only access to this restaurant is by the Sandia Peaks Tram. Imagine, all the food and beverages being transported by tram! In fact, the guide on the tram says they haul hundreds of gallons of water nightly to the top! He said, had it not been for that "heavy" requirement, the tram cars likely would have been designed with glass bottoms.
The view was fantastic. The side we rod up on was rocky and dry. However, on the opposite side of the peak is the Sandia Peak Ski Area! So while we enjoyed some craft drinks and dinner, we could watch the skiers and snowboarders!
After we finished, we hopped on the tram for a 15 minute ride to the base, and headed out for our hotel. Day 3 would bring us to Scottsdale and more adventures.
Miles Driven - 650 (10 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0
Day 3 was a shorter day of driving, so Sue planned for a stop at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Having been sitting on our butts during our 3 days of driving, we opted to do a couple short hikes in the park. After the hikes, and knowing we had limited time, we drove a portion of the park's scenic drive, checking out some petroglyphs, great views and an old car place near where the old Route 66 had been routed.
After the Petrified Forest, it was on to Scottsdale for some R&R.
Miles Driven - 400 (6.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0
Relaxing in Scottsdale - Days 4-6
We were fortunate to be able to stay at the home of some great friends, who, along with another couple we would spend 3-1/2 days relaxing, exploring, and enjoying great food.
Day 4 was low key, starting with a leisurely breakfast and ample coffee enjoyed outside. We stopped to visit some dear retired friends from Waterloo who now live in Scottsdale, After a stop for "refreshments" (the wives did some shopping), we made it back in time to catch the live streaming of our local high school's girls basketball state tournament 1st round game (which, by the way, they won in a thrilling ending). We ended the day with dinner at one of our favorite places - The Spotted Donkey.
Day 4 was low key, starting with a leisurely breakfast and ample coffee enjoyed outside. We stopped to visit some dear retired friends from Waterloo who now live in Scottsdale, After a stop for "refreshments" (the wives did some shopping), we made it back in time to catch the live streaming of our local high school's girls basketball state tournament 1st round game (which, by the way, they won in a thrilling ending). We ended the day with dinner at one of our favorite places - The Spotted Donkey.
Even though we were on vacation, I had to get in my morning walks each day. A tad bit brisk (upper 40's-low 50's), but the sunrise was wonderful!
Day 5 we hung close to home, enjoying a fabulous breakfast before buckling down to some serious competition, playing "corn hole", putt-putt golf, and trivia. Our gracious hosts prepared an amazing dinner, followed by "fire pit" time, where we reminisced of times gone by. A wonderfully relaxing day!
Day 6, our last day in Scottsdale, was a full day. After coffee and light breakfast, we headed out to meet some more Iowa friends for lunch. After lunch, the guys spplit off from the women to check out some cars.... these are not your average cars. There's a strip of dealerships owned by Roger Penske. The Automall includes Volkswagon, Audi, Mercedes, Land Rover, Porsche, Lamborgini, and Bentley. In the middle of these dealerships is the Roger Penske Racing Museum. This museum is filled with cars which won races in all classes - NASCAR, Indy, stock cars, etc. The museum has memorabilia (trophies, photos, racing gear, etc.) from the Penske past. Its pretty cool, and worth the stop if you are in the Scottsdale area. Oh, and its free to visit museum, and wandering thru the various car dealerships admiring the cars of the "rich and famous"!
Our day wasn't finished. We headed to The Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse in Cave Creek for dinner. What we thought was just another good ol' western dinner turned out to be not only that, but VIP seats "over" a real bull riding ring! At 7:30, 8 different riders (including volunteers from the audience) would get their chance to ride a real bull! The arena was small, but had the clowns to attract the bulls, an announcer, and bleaches for those at the saloon to view the rides. Our VIP viewing spot not only include up close viewing, but also "all you can eat barbecue (brisket, ribs, smoked sausage, mashed potatoes, etc.), and a server taking drink orders at our convenience! Next to us was a group including a 30 something mom (and her 2-3 year old child) and then what appeared to be her parents. Guess who volunteered to ride the bull - the mom!! (She did fine.. maybe 2-3 seconds before she slipped off the bull). I think the bull had done this so many times, he just wasn't "into it" that night! It was a very fun evening (and great food)!
Our stay in Scottsdale came to an end. A truly wonderful time (and great to enjoy warm temps after a long, cold Iowa Winter). We headed home to pack. We'd be hitting the road at 6 to begin our hiking adventures in Utah!
Exploring Utah's National Parks - Days 7-10
least stop to stretch our legs... and lose a few $$ in the slots. We didn't head to the strip, but a really nice resort and casino in Henderson, NV called Green Valley Ranch -Resort, Spa and Casino.
After leaving our "donation", we headed up I-15 to St. George. St. George is a looks like a nice community. Population is about 87,000, and its economy is primarily driven by tourism, with its close proximity to several National Parks. An interesting tidbit about St. George - St. George received the brunt of the fallout of above-ground nuclear testing at the Yucca Flats/Nevada Test Site northwest of Las Vegas. Winds routinely carried the fallout of these tests directly through the St. George and southern Utah area.
We arrived about 2:30pm leaving us enough Snow Canyon is approximately 15 miles North of St. George. Based on the bike trail that runs along the hiway, this is a popular destination for bikers, runners, and hikers in the St. George area. Not knowing anything about Snow Canyon, we parked the car, put on our hiking shoes and took off.
time to "break in our hiking legs" at Snow Canyon State Park.
There were some beautiful sights along the trail. The trail was a good one for us, as it wasn't steep or rocky, but rather an undulating paved/packed dirt trail which runs for about 4.5 miles. We hiked about 2-1/2 miles out before turning around. It was a great hike - blue skies, temps in the 60's and beautiful scenery. But it was time for some nourishment.. and beer!
Our stop for the night was at 700 Degree Artisan Pizza. A couple beers and a delicious pizza, and we had successfully completed another day on our trip!
Miles Driven - 430 (6.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 5.3
and hit the Visitors Center for information. We learned that a portion of a trail that we had planned to hike was now closed due to a retaining wall collapse. Plan B was set into action. We would hike the Queen's Garden Trail out and back. Its deceiving entering the park. All you see are evergreens and some open spaces. However, after parking the car and walking about 500 yards, you come upon an amazing sight! You are on the rim of a series of natural amphitheaters or bowls, carved into the edge of a high plateau... and a bunch of what they call "Hoo-doos". With the blue skies, the sight is incredible!
Having a 2-1/2 hour drive to our hotel, we decided to hit the road. Our drive would take us on Utah Hiway 24, which travels along and thru a portion of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park. The amazing views just didn't stop! Fortunately, there was little traffic on the winding 2 lane road thru the mountains.
Our 2nd National Park visit of the trip was in the books. Bryce Canyon is a must see. We hope to revisit it again, and check out some of the other hiking trails throughout the park.
Miles Driven - 250 (4.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 5.0
Day 9 - Capital Reef National Park (CRNP)was on tap for the day. Capital Reef National Park "...is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles...". Since we were so close to it, we decided to spend a day exploring it.
Our plan was to hike to two different arches, and then drive the Park's scenic drive, before heading on to Moab, UT, our next overnight stop. Our motel was only 15 minutes from the Park. So when we saw a sign "Panorama Point, Goosenecks" we decided to check it out. A short 1/4 mile on a dirt road, and we were at the parking area. Only one there other than one of those old conversion vans you saw back in the 70's. We heard sounds coming from it, be we just ignored it and headed up the trail. Both of us wondered if we'd get back to our car and find it broken into, but we hiked on (it was gone when we
returned to the car). It was a short hike before we came upon a cliff overlook of Sulphur Creek. Since we were there shortly after sunrise, the views were wonderful.
After about a mile hike, we hopped back into the car and headed to the CRNP Visitors Center to get the latest information on the Park. Our 1st hike was to the Cassidy Arch. The arch was named for turn of the century outlaw Butch Cassidy, who is thought to have hidden occasionally in Grand Wash.
When we arrived in the parking area, there was already a group of 6-8 hikers "gearing up". It looked like they were heading out
to do some rappelling somewhere in the area (we passed them later on the trail and they said they were heading to the "Cassidy Arch Armpit" to do their repelling). We headed out about 9am, and after a short walk down the canyon wash, we began our climb up the side of the canyon wall. The hike is approximately a 3 mile RT (out and back), with a 700ft elevation climb. Weather again was perfect. Clear skies, temps in the 50's and little wind. We were the only ones on the trail until we got close to the arch. Suddenly, there was a female hiker not far behind us, which we greeted at the arch. She had come up on a different trail, which joined our trail close to the arch. Get this, when asked where she was from, she said "Iowa". Hmmm... then we asked what city, and she said "Waterloo". Really?? The we ask where she went to high school, and she said
"Waterloo West, graduating in 2005", which was a year before one of our sons. Incredible! Out on a mountainside in Utah, and we run into someone from our hometown! She had served in the AirForce, and upon leaving, saw a job opening for a forest ranger in Utah, and applied. She had started the job a couple weeks earlier, and decied that on her weekends, she would go exploring. This weekend, she camped near the CRNP Visitors Center, and was just spending the day hiking trails in the park! I was so envious. Very neat that she was following her passions.
At the arch, you had a good view of the sight, as well as the surrounding canyon. But I had to see if I could get out on it. Sue wouldn't go any nearer. If you look closely in the picture, you can see me out on the arch. Actually, it was even hard to know you were on the arch when I was out there, until you walked close to the edge.
After about 15 minutes, we began heading back down the trail. By now, hikers were starting to fill the trail. In addition to passing the rappellers we saw
in the parking lot, we probably passed another 10-15 others heading to the arch. It was only about 10am! At the bottom, we once again ran into the woman from Waterloo, and she was gracious enough to take a photo of Sue and I after conquering the Cassidy Arch hike.
Since we were just off the "scenic drive" of CRNP, we decided to take a hiking break and do the scenic drive. The 16 mile (RT) drive drove along side the massive, sheer cliffs of Wingate Sandstone, and the rugged western escarpment of Capitol Reef.
Once we finished the scenic drive, we headed "Hickman Bridge". This trail was not nearly as difficult at the hike to Cassidy Arch. But knowing we'd already hiked 4 miles of some pretty good rock climbing, it was a perfect trail to be doing. This trail was alot busier. Many more families with younger kids exploring the surroundings.
back up to Utah Hiway 24, and made a quick stop to see the Fremont pictographs (painted on rock surfaces) and petroglyphs (carved or pecked into the rock) just past the Visitors Center. From there, we headed to our second hike of the day - the Hickman Bridge. This trail was only .7 miles (1.4 miles out and back), and not nearly as steep. Having already hiked 4 miles on some pretty rocky trails, this was a great afternoon hike. There was considerably more traffic on the trail, with alot more families and little ones exploring the surroundings. There's something about the degree of difficulty of the trail that increases the magnificence of the landmark. The Hickman Bridge was cool, our favorite was the Cassidy Arch due to the hike.
We made our way back down to the car, and began our 2-1/2 hour drive to our next overnite stay in Moab, UT. By now, after 3 days of hiking and 700 miles of driving from Scottsdale, settling into the car seats felt good. That, and the drive was mostly 4 line roads.. an easy drive. As we got closer to Moab, it was obvious that this area was a popular "off roading" destination, as you could see dust flying from motorcycles and 4 Wheeling/ATVs blasting thru the desert and over the surrounding hillsides. As we entered town, pickups pulling 4 wheelers were everywhere. Obviously, there was something going on. Either that, or the cabin fever was causing everyone to get out "in the dirt" for a beautiful weekend in March.
Sue found The Moab Brewery for our post hiking/driving nourishment. The beer, the onion rings and burger definitely hit the spot. One more day of hiking and exploring national parks to go!
Miles Driven - 160 (2.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 6.0
Day 10 - Our last day of exploring and hiking would be in Arches National Park. Arches is landscape of contrasting colors, land forms and textures unlike any other in the world with over 2,000 natural stone arches and hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. After visiting Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef it was had to imagine the spectacular sights could still get better.
The main attraction, in many people's opinion (and is displayed on the Utah license plates) is Delicate Arch. So that was our first place to go. I think Sue thought I was crazy when I told her we were heading out at 6:30am, in the dark! Our drive into the park and to the Delicate Arch trailhead only took us 30 minutes. Surprisingly (or not surprising), there were 10 other vehicles already there, sitting in the dark. There were even people heading out on the trail to Delicate Arch with headlamps, guessing they wanted to be there at sunrise. Us smarter hikers waited until it was light enough to see the trail, and at 7:20am we headed out on the trail. The distance to the Arch is only 1-1/2 miles, but the majority of the trail is climbing up/down huge bare rock boulders. Temps were in the mid 40's, with a bit of a wind blowing. The morning was our 1st overcast day of the trip, so we assumed that we would not see the sun rise over Delicate Arch. However, as we approached the last climbing section to bowl
surrounding the Arch, the sun peered thru a small cloud opening, lighting up rocks around the Arch! We definitely hit it at the right time! Once in view, there were probably 20-30 others already there, jockeying for the best viewing location to take photos. There were a handful of crazies, who made the dangerous climb to the top of surrounding boulders for a better view. Being up on this open space, the wind was really howling. So Sue found a shelter spot while I wandered out for some photos. Unfortunately, the sun didn't hit the Arch, but rather the rock
behind it. No matter, it was still a neat sight! After about 15 minutes and photos from just about all angles, it was time to begin our decent, and to get Sue out of the wind!
By now, the stream of people hiking up to the Arch was constant. It was Sunday, and I suspect the good weather in March made this a prime attraction for those visiting Moab. By the time we mad it back to the trailhead parking, the main lot was 3/4's full! Time to stay ahead of the crowds and head to our next site - Landscape arch.
Landscape Arch "... is the largest arch on the planet, beating out Zion National Park’s Kolob Arch by a scant 3 feet. Pieces of Landscape Arch have broken off during the past few centuries, some chunks the size of automobiles...". It was a short drive to the Trailhead, and once again, a short 1 mile hike on a relatively flat crushed rock trial. You can't get much closer than about a 1/4 mile, but there's great viewing along the trail.
As we were viewing the arch, in the distance some rain could be seen falling, which prompted us to head back to the car and move on to our next sight (Editors note: we never got rained on!).
We made a brief stop at the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint. This area is hikeable, but only "ranger-led" hikes. As you can see from the image, it would be easy to get disoriented hiking amongst all the narrow cracks and ledges.
By now, it was mid day, and we had one more area to checkout before beginning the drive toward Waterloo - The Windows Section. "...The Windows Section is considered by some to be the beating heart of Arches National Park. The area contains a large concentration of arches and is one of the most scenic locations in the park. North Window, Turret Arch, and Double Arch are just a few of the awe-inspiring expanses you’ll find in just over two square miles. Other named features in this area include Garden of Eden, Elephant Butte, and Parade of Elephants..." Given our time constraints, we chose to take the trails that got us to Double Arch, the North and South Windows, and Turrent Arch. This was a relatively short hiking area, with all trails either paved, or of packed dirt. This was definitely the most popular area, based on the number of people there (there were cars waiting for a parking space), but provided access to multiple arches without a long hike.
the Windows Section.
With a 2 hour drive to Grand Junction, we made one last stop at the Aches National Park Visitors Center before hitting the hiway.
I can't speak for Sue, but I think we crammed as much hiking and sighseeing we could in 3-1/2 days, and I think we were beginning to wear down. Once we arrived Grand Junction, we made tracks for the Kannah Creek Brewing Company to relax and grab our daily beers and a small pizza. It really hit the spot!
Our adventures in Utah had finally come to an end. So glad we hit all the places we did. We will definitely plan a on return trip to Southern Utah again!
Miles Driven - 120 (2 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 6.5
Our drive home would take us on I-70 thru the Rockies and Denver, CO, before hooking up with I-76 to I-80, and on to Kearney, NE for our last overnite. Of course, I would be remiss not mentioning our "dinner spot" in Kearney - Thunderhead Brewing Company, for a micro brew, and a stone oven pizza. Day 12 we took off by 6am, and pulled in to our driveway at approximately 12:30pm. You know that last day of vacation. You think about everything you need to catch up on. For us, we were ready to pick up our dog Chester, who had to bear 13 days in the kennel. I am sure he was ready to be home too!
We took a ton of photos, but I tried to weed out as many as I could to only give you a good sample of what we were able to enjoy. To view those photos, click on the links below.
After about a mile hike, we hopped back into the car and headed to the CRNP Visitors Center to get the latest information on the Park. Our 1st hike was to the Cassidy Arch. The arch was named for turn of the century outlaw Butch Cassidy, who is thought to have hidden occasionally in Grand Wash.
When we arrived in the parking area, there was already a group of 6-8 hikers "gearing up". It looked like they were heading out
"Waterloo West, graduating in 2005", which was a year before one of our sons. Incredible! Out on a mountainside in Utah, and we run into someone from our hometown! She had served in the AirForce, and upon leaving, saw a job opening for a forest ranger in Utah, and applied. She had started the job a couple weeks earlier, and decied that on her weekends, she would go exploring. This weekend, she camped near the CRNP Visitors Center, and was just spending the day hiking trails in the park! I was so envious. Very neat that she was following her passions.
At the arch, you had a good view of the sight, as well as the surrounding canyon. But I had to see if I could get out on it. Sue wouldn't go any nearer. If you look closely in the picture, you can see me out on the arch. Actually, it was even hard to know you were on the arch when I was out there, until you walked close to the edge.After about 15 minutes, we began heading back down the trail. By now, hikers were starting to fill the trail. In addition to passing the rappellers we saw
in the parking lot, we probably passed another 10-15 others heading to the arch. It was only about 10am! At the bottom, we once again ran into the woman from Waterloo, and she was gracious enough to take a photo of Sue and I after conquering the Cassidy Arch hike.Since we were just off the "scenic drive" of CRNP, we decided to take a hiking break and do the scenic drive. The 16 mile (RT) drive drove along side the massive, sheer cliffs of Wingate Sandstone, and the rugged western escarpment of Capitol Reef.
Once we finished the scenic drive, we headed "Hickman Bridge". This trail was not nearly as difficult at the hike to Cassidy Arch. But knowing we'd already hiked 4 miles of some pretty good rock climbing, it was a perfect trail to be doing. This trail was alot busier. Many more families with younger kids exploring the surroundings.back up to Utah Hiway 24, and made a quick stop to see the Fremont pictographs (painted on rock surfaces) and petroglyphs (carved or pecked into the rock) just past the Visitors Center. From there, we headed to our second hike of the day - the Hickman Bridge. This trail was only .7 miles (1.4 miles out and back), and not nearly as steep. Having already hiked 4 miles on some pretty rocky trails, this was a great afternoon hike. There was considerably more traffic on the trail, with alot more families and little ones exploring the surroundings. There's something about the degree of difficulty of the trail that increases the magnificence of the landmark. The Hickman Bridge was cool, our favorite was the Cassidy Arch due to the hike.
We made our way back down to the car, and began our 2-1/2 hour drive to our next overnite stay in Moab, UT. By now, after 3 days of hiking and 700 miles of driving from Scottsdale, settling into the car seats felt good. That, and the drive was mostly 4 line roads.. an easy drive. As we got closer to Moab, it was obvious that this area was a popular "off roading" destination, as you could see dust flying from motorcycles and 4 Wheeling/ATVs blasting thru the desert and over the surrounding hillsides. As we entered town, pickups pulling 4 wheelers were everywhere. Obviously, there was something going on. Either that, or the cabin fever was causing everyone to get out "in the dirt" for a beautiful weekend in March.
Miles Driven - 160 (2.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 6.0
Day 10 - Our last day of exploring and hiking would be in Arches National Park. Arches is landscape of contrasting colors, land forms and textures unlike any other in the world with over 2,000 natural stone arches and hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. After visiting Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef it was had to imagine the spectacular sights could still get better.
The main attraction, in many people's opinion (and is displayed on the Utah license plates) is Delicate Arch. So that was our first place to go. I think Sue thought I was crazy when I told her we were heading out at 6:30am, in the dark! Our drive into the park and to the Delicate Arch trailhead only took us 30 minutes. Surprisingly (or not surprising), there were 10 other vehicles already there, sitting in the dark. There were even people heading out on the trail to Delicate Arch with headlamps, guessing they wanted to be there at sunrise. Us smarter hikers waited until it was light enough to see the trail, and at 7:20am we headed out on the trail. The distance to the Arch is only 1-1/2 miles, but the majority of the trail is climbing up/down huge bare rock boulders. Temps were in the mid 40's, with a bit of a wind blowing. The morning was our 1st overcast day of the trip, so we assumed that we would not see the sun rise over Delicate Arch. However, as we approached the last climbing section to bowl 
behind it. No matter, it was still a neat sight! After about 15 minutes and photos from just about all angles, it was time to begin our decent, and to get Sue out of the wind!
By now, the stream of people hiking up to the Arch was constant. It was Sunday, and I suspect the good weather in March made this a prime attraction for those visiting Moab. By the time we mad it back to the trailhead parking, the main lot was 3/4's full! Time to stay ahead of the crowds and head to our next site - Landscape arch.
Landscape Arch "... is the largest arch on the planet, beating out Zion National Park’s Kolob Arch by a scant 3 feet. Pieces of Landscape Arch have broken off during the past few centuries, some chunks the size of automobiles...". It was a short drive to the Trailhead, and once again, a short 1 mile hike on a relatively flat crushed rock trial. You can't get much closer than about a 1/4 mile, but there's great viewing along the trail.As we were viewing the arch, in the distance some rain could be seen falling, which prompted us to head back to the car and move on to our next sight (Editors note: we never got rained on!).
By now, it was mid day, and we had one more area to checkout before beginning the drive toward Waterloo - The Windows Section. "...The Windows Section is considered by some to be the beating heart of Arches National Park. The area contains a large concentration of arches and is one of the most scenic locations in the park. North Window, Turret Arch, and Double Arch are just a few of the awe-inspiring expanses you’ll find in just over two square miles. Other named features in this area include Garden of Eden, Elephant Butte, and Parade of Elephants..." Given our time constraints, we chose to take the trails that got us to Double Arch, the North and South Windows, and Turrent Arch. This was a relatively short hiking area, with all trails either paved, or of packed dirt. This was definitely the most popular area, based on the number of people there (there were cars waiting for a parking space), but provided access to multiple arches without a long hike.
I can't speak for Sue, but I think we crammed as much hiking and sighseeing we could in 3-1/2 days, and I think we were beginning to wear down. Once we arrived Grand Junction, we made tracks for the Kannah Creek Brewing Company to relax and grab our daily beers and a small pizza. It really hit the spot!
Our adventures in Utah had finally come to an end. So glad we hit all the places we did. We will definitely plan a on return trip to Southern Utah again!
Miles Driven - 120 (2 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 6.5
The Trip Home - Days 11-12
Our drive home would take us on I-70 thru the Rockies and Denver, CO, before hooking up with I-76 to I-80, and on to Kearney, NE for our last overnite. Of course, I would be remiss not mentioning our "dinner spot" in Kearney - Thunderhead Brewing Company, for a micro brew, and a stone oven pizza. Day 12 we took off by 6am, and pulled in to our driveway at approximately 12:30pm. You know that last day of vacation. You think about everything you need to catch up on. For us, we were ready to pick up our dog Chester, who had to bear 13 days in the kennel. I am sure he was ready to be home too!We took a ton of photos, but I tried to weed out as many as I could to only give you a good sample of what we were able to enjoy. To view those photos, click on the links below.
Thank you so much for all the pictures - wonderful!!! My daughter and husband need to see all of this
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