Since the weather was not cooperating in Utah, we thought we would try to make it to the Valley of Fire in Nevada for sunset. It was a great idea, and we were there on time, but the clouds had only grown worse. Luckily, I-70 in Utah is a beautiful drive. These photos were taken in the San Rafael Reef area of Utah, which was a big uranium mining area in the 1950’s. Back to San Rafael Reef Photos Back to San Rafael Reef Photos
Our last day in Utah, we decided that we would go ahead and venture into Arches National Park. We had visited it last year, but Tanya’s storage drive failed and she lost a significant number of the photos she took. Since there was a threat or rain, the clouds were moving in; and while clouds can add an interesting perspective to photos, they also dampen the bright colors that might otherwise be available. Tanya said she just wanted to drive to the first arch, then we could leave. About three hours later we decided we really should head out before …
When we left Natural Bridges National Monument we had two options. We could backtrack, or we could continue on towards Lake Powell and just make it a large loop for the day’s drive. Since the road ahead of us looked pretty amazing, we opted for taking the long way back to Moab. While the scenery was magnificent, it appeared to me that the lake’s water level was way down. I later asked a “local” and she told me the level was actually up. I guess we were at the wrong part of the lake. That is okay, the lake is …
I am not really sure what happened. The last I heard, we were going to Arches National Park. After all, that is why we stayed in Moab. Right? Apparently not. I guess Tanya was surfing Google images after we got settled in. She found a couple places we had not yet seen that appeared to be quite photogenic. The fact that it was a four hour drive each way mattered little. One of the locations was Natural Bridges National Monument. Discovered in 1883, it is Utah’s first National Monument. It is also a location that we will return to. In …
When we originally laid out our planned road trip, Tanya said she wanted to go back to Arches National Park. We had gone there last year, but she suffered a failure on her external hard drive that resulted in the loss of many of her photos. Since this trip was for her birthday and it was on the way anyhow, it was decided we would stay in Moab, UT for the night and go to Arches the next day. We got a very nice room at the La Quinta and it happened to have a microbrewery right across the street. …
Last year, Tanya and I made a 30 day, 20 state, 8,000 mile road trip. One of our favorite establishments we encountered during the entire trip was Main Street Brewery in Cortez, CO. To be honest, our entire trip centered around going back to Cortez just to dine and drink there. I was looking forward to seeing Rudy, the owner, however I discovered he retired last September. I met Janet, the new owner. She assured me that they still used the same beef and retained the same brew master, so all was good. We even returned the next day to …
Since we ended up doing a loop around the Grand Canyon, it dropped us off in Navajo land. It is really beautiful there. It is pretty obvious that there is a lot of poverty, but the people I spoke with truly appreciate the land their reservation is on. One of the highlights of the drive was coming across a roadside attraction that had dinosaur tracks, bones, eggs and droppings. It was very cool. I also had an epiphany and could totally relate to how pissed the Native Americans must have been to have a railroad cutting through their land. Had …
As we continued towards the Grand Canyon, we were given two options. Grand Canyon Village or Desert View. I did not know where I wanted to go. Desert View sounded cool, so I took the turn fully anticipating to go a few miles, then backtrack to Grand Canyon Village. As it turned out, the turn towards Desert View was definitely the right way to go. We just followed the road all the way around the park. Back to the Grand Canyon Photos Back to the Grand Canyon Photos
When we left Flagstaff, we decided to avoid the Interstate and took the 180 Hwy towards the south rim of the Grand Canyon. On the way we saw a sign for the Arizona Snowbowl. I had never heard of it, but had seen it mentioned around Flagstaff, so naturally, I had to take the turn off to check it out. These photos were taken at the Arizona Snowbowl. Back to the Arizona Snowbowl Photos Back to the Arizona Snowbowl Photos
After leaving Sedona, we took a scenic drive up Arizona Hwy 89A to Flagstaff. When we were at the Oak Creek Brewing Company in Sedona, the owner told us about the Lumberyard Brewing Company in Flagstaff, so that is where we headed for dinner. Their food was so-so, but priced as such, so it was okay. Their beer was very good and priced right. Tomorrow, the Grand Canyon. These photos are from Flagstaff, AZ and the Lumberyard Brewing Company. Back to the Photos of Flagstaff Back to the Photos of Flagstaff
