Tag: Utah

Towaoc, Colorado to Reno, Nevada

Duke and I are home. We drove from southwestern Colorado to Midway, Utah, where we spent two nights with Duke’s brother and his wife. From Midway we drove home.

Soon after leaving Ute Mountain Casino where we spent the night in Towaoc we stopped for coffee and bagels in nearby Cortez, Colorado.

Silver Bean Coffee

Then we spent an hour exploring a bit of Arches National Park.

Balancing Rock in Arches National Park
Arches National Park
We had probably the best meal of the trip with Bill and Berna, in Midway, at Midway Mercantile.

Monday we drove 570 miles west, along Interstate 80, home to Reno.

At the Bonneville Salt Flats Rest Area on Interstate 80.

We travelled a total of 6,458 miles, were in 13 states, saw some great sites and had wonderful visits with friends and family. It was a great four and a half week road trip. Now we only have three weeks to catch up at home, then it’s off to Argentina!

West Wendover, Nevada to Rangely, Colorado

Today we drove across Utah, with a few stretch stops, to Dinosaur National Monument. We parked the car and checked out the Quarry Visitor Center, then took the tram up to the Quarry Exhibit Hall. The Exhibit hall is built right over one of the rock faces with hundreds of fossils still in the rock.

Inside the quarry Exhibit Hall

Next we took the Fossil Discovery Trail back down to the visitor center.

On the Fossil Discovery Trail.

From Dinosaur National Monument we continue on about an hour to the small town of Rangely, Colorado where we are tonight.

Outside our room in Rangely

Quick trip to Utah

Duke and I just made a quick trip to Utah. On Sunday we drove from Reno to Provo, Utah. We stayed in a very nice Hyatt Place Hotel and had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel across the street.

Monday we drove to Price, Utah for a family event. It was sad circumstances but it was nice to be able to visit. While we were in Price we went to the Prehistoric Museum at Utah State University. A lot of fossils have been found in the area. It was pretty amazing to see so many of them.

In Price we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. We had a fantastic, very reasonably priced meal at Uptown Steakhouse. We haven’t had “meat on the stone” in a long time. It was so good. Our very nice bottle of red wine only cost $22. On his way out a guy at a nearby table told us he had paid for our wine! What a nice surprise.

Tuesday we drove to Torrey which is near Capital Reef National Park. We spent two nights at the fabulous Skyview Hotel. Our room had a wall of windows overlooking the mountains. We enjoyed the Skyview Hotel so much that it would be a reason to come back to this area. Tuesday night we ate at a great nearby Mexican restaurant, Chak Balan.

Duke enjoying our room at the Skyview Hotel
Our room
Sunset from the roof deck at the Skyview Hotel

Wednesday we hiked the Grand Wash Trail via the Northeast Trailhead in Capital Reef National Park. The trail goes along the wash. Eventually we hiked up towards Cassidy Arch. It’s an absolutely stunning hike. We got an early start so had quite a bit of shade going out. It was a very hot day. The sun was brutal at the end of the hike. All in all we hiked about 7 miles.

At the start of the hike
Our turnaround point
On our way back

The next morning we started home. We spent the night in Ely, Nevada. On the way we stopped at the site where the outlaw, Butch Cassidy lived from 1880 to around 1884.

Cabin where Butch Cassidy lived
Duke tempting fate in front of our hotel in Ely.

The next day we drove home. Outside of Ely we stopped at the massive KCHM Robinson mine.

The mine site
One view of the mine.