Got an early start today-left at 9AM (OK, early for us) and drove 287 miles in 6-3/4 hours. Yes, we stop a lot.
Hit traffic on I-15 south at first through Provo and Orem, lots of construction, too. Then the traffic thinned as we got out of the cities and back to farmland. Saw a huge lavender farm, I bet it smells great when they bloom.
At one of our stops we were higher than a field and a hawk was circling us almost at eye level. He had something in his sight on the ground but we had to leave him and move on. The speed limit in some parts here is 80 again, like in Texas.
Passed lots of cattle and sheep farms and then turned east on Rte. 20 at Beaver, Utah, where the mountains started again. At first nothing grand and then when we turned on Rte. 89 they were really outstanding again. We found out yesterday in Salt Lake City that this is the called the “black hills” because the little trees, which are a dark green, make the hills look black. After about 50 miles we turned onto Rte. 12, which is a Utah Scenic Highway and then we started to see red rock mountains and we’re in Red Rock Canyon. They come up on you so fast it’s breathtaking. Drove through this for a while and then the rocks turned beige with red stripes and green splotches and red again and, Oh My!!!
Very windy here but the campground owners, the nicest people ever, said it will die down soon. We already laid a fire and plan on staying here at least 3 nights, maybe more. We need to chill and this seems like a great place to do it. We’ve got a great sight with a great view of the rocks and the weather in wonderful-78 and sunny today. Tomorrow we’ll go see Bryce Canyon, only about 10 minutes from camp, then maybe drive up Route 12, which they say has some great views and stop offs. That might be a whole day trip, though. We need to find out more about Zion Nat’l. Park. We had planned on driving through there on the way to Las Vegas but found out there’s a tunnel that we’d need an escort for and it’s a treacherous road. Might have to rethink that and go around a different way, which would be out of our way and a lot of backtracking, forget Zion and go on our way, or a few other options. Options are great. But we’re not gonna think about that for a few days, we’re just gonna relax. There’s a heated pool here, too.
We’re in the sticks here (or should I say the rocks), we have wifi but no cell service and the closest Wal-Mart and grocery store is 90 miles away, glad we stocked up yesterday. Harry’s sitting outside with a beer and a magazine and I’m about to join him.