Utah Vacation–Natural Bridges NM

The plan for today was to visit Natural Bridges National Monument. Unlike most destinations we have visited, Natural Bridges has two possible routes from Green River. We decided to take the westerly route through Hanksville and return the easterly route.

Along the route, we entered the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The Colorado River flows into Glen Canyon and creates Lake Powell behind the Glen Canyon dam in Page, Arizona. With the recent droughts, the lake was extremely low, and we only saw the river. We stopped at a boat ramp that was once on the lake to take a closer look. The water was well below the ramp and what was left was extremely steep and nearly unusable for anything other than rafts. In addition to the steepness challenge, the current was very swift due to the increased spring flow.

Further down the road, we passed an air strip near the river crossing. We stopped by the bridge and imagined what it must look like with the water level at its former level. While there, we heard something unusual, like the sound of an airplane. I didn’t think anything more about it.

When we left the bridge to continue our trip, I decided to go back up the hill and get a closer look at the air strip. To my surprise, there was a Cessna 182 parked beside the strip. I stopped and got out to get a closer look. The owners were nearby looking into the canyon. When they came back, we started talking. Soon, it was time for them to leave. We watched as the pilot taxied to the end of the runway, turned around, accelerated down the sloping runway, and took off. Who says money can’t buy happiness.

We continued along our route and eventually arrived at Natural Bridges National Monument. We first stopped at the park sign, then continued to the Visitor Center, where they had just enough wi-fi to check in with my National Parks application.

David and Susan at the park entrance

While eating our picnic lunch, we studied the park map. The park is a nine mile loop with several stops along the way. We wanted to hike to Sipapu Bridge, but hiked to Kachina Bridge instead.

The hike to Kachina Bridge was short with several hundred feet of vertical elevation change, including a ladder. Along the descent, we passed a cute little arch.

David standing beside a small arch

After the descent, we continued along a dry wash until we reached the bridge. Although we could see the bridge from above, the reveal on the trail was breathtaking. I can’t recall ever standing beneath so much rock. It was truly unbelievable.

David standing below Kachina Bridge

Andrew and I explored the area beneath the bridge for awhile, then turned around and headed back to the trailhead. The climb back up was pretty strenuous, so we decided to skip the trail to the Sipapu Bridge, which includes even more vertical elevation change.

Andrew standing on a rock near Kachina Bridge

Back in the car, we continued the loop and stopped at Horse Collar Ruins. On the opposite side of the canyon, we could see the remains of tiny dwellings high up the canyon wall.

Our final hike in the park was to Owachomo Bridge. This hike was much easier and quicker. Susan joined us on the short hike to the relatively smallish bridge.

After the hike, we returned to Hanksville rather than Moab. The word on the street was that the Hanksville side of the loop was more scenic. We already knew it was scenic, since that is the way we came. I think the deciding factor was the opportunity for another shake from Stan’s Burger Shak. We also stopped at Hollow Mountain convenience store. As the name implies, the store is cut into the side of a hill.

Susan and David exploring Hollow Mountain

Finally, we were back on the road to Green River. The drive back was uneventful for the most part, until we got onto I-70. By this time, the sun was already below the San Rafael Reef, but there was enough light to see a coyote run across the interstate in front of us.

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Utah Vacation–Rainy Day

Today, our favorite little grocery store was closed, so we stopped at Shady Acres Gas & Groceries for gas, buns, and M&Ms. The weather was predicting rain today for the past several days, so we really didn’t have a solid plan. We were in impromptu mode, hoping to see some water in the many dry river beds.

We started by heading east. Outside Moab, we turned west and drove towards Canyonlands National Park. Along the way, we were treated to some distant lightning strikes and cloud to cloud lightning. In a few cases, the rain actually made it the ground and we got the opportunity to use the wipers.

At the intersection with the road to Dead Horse State Park, we entered an open range area – one of many we’ve driven through – but this one was different. We crested a small hill and were confronted by about a dozen cows near the highway. Considering the lack of any signs of life, it was shocking to see an animal, let alone a small herd.

We continued along the highway towards Canyonland. While still a mile or two out, we came to the end of the line a cars waiting to get into the park. We sat and watched the light show in the sky for a little while, then decided we’d come back on a less crowded day, after the holiday weekend.

On the way back towards Moab, we stopped at Moab Giants. This is a little tourist trap that has a café, a dinosaur exhibit, and most importantly, a bathroom.

With everyone comfortable again, we continued towards Moab. As we approached, we thought it would be nice to have lunch at the Lions Park again. We pulled in and found an empty picnic table close to the parking spot, and under a shelter. We ate lunch while a group of mountain bikers waited out the storm. 

With Susan awake, we decided to explore the Colorado River valley to the east again. We followed it up to Sandy Beach and beyond. We passed Red Cliffs Lodge, which looked like a nice place to stay if you are into riding horses. Then we turned right and headed towards Castle Valley. We continued on the La Sal Loop Road up to La Sal lookout point. As the road climbed higher, the environment changed dramatically from dry desert to vibrant forest. The temperature continued to drop as we climbed and we started to wonder if we would see snow on the ground.

On the route, we saw a sign for Forest Service 0076 to Oowah Lake. This sounded interesting, so we turned off the loop road and headed up. At this point, I started feeling like I was no longer in Utah. We were very close to the bottom of the cloud layer and driving through a forest. On the side of the road, we noticed a small stream cascading. We stopped and Andrew and I ran down to get a better look at a set of small waterfalls.

Water cascading down a mountain stream

The road ended at Oowah Lake. There were a few campsites nearby and hiking trails leading higher up into the mountains. The lake was formed by an earthen dam on the small stream we saw earlier. We explored the area briefly, then returned down to the loop road.

David standing near Oowah Lake

Back on the loop road, we saw a sign for Geyser Pass. We turned onto Forest Service 0071 and followed it until the road became too muddy to continue. We were now above 10,000 feet and inside the cloud layer. It was 38 degrees and there was snow on the ground. In one spot, there was a patch of snow on the edge of the road. I swerved to the right a little to drive through it. Man, was I surprised by the jolt we took after hitting it. It was as solid as a rock.

We turned around and again headed down to the loop road. There was another branch off to Gold Basin, so we followed it for a short time, only to be turned off by the worsening conditions.

Back on the loop road, we continued to wind along the face of the mountain. At one pull-off, we saw a funny sign. It said something about climbing required; no hiking. Makes me wonder just how bad that trail is.

Finally we descended back into the valley. Andrew had a pin on the map for Faux Falls, so we headed up to the overlook. Here we met some folks in off-road vehicles. The guy told me that in Utah, there should be a law requiring everyone to have one. He loves his and takes it everywhere, including many places that are inaccessible by normal vehicles.

The view of the falls was nice, but Andrew wanted to take some pictures from below, so we continued down to the trailhead in Ken’s Lake campground. Andrew go his shots, then we continued on to Moab.

David and Susan at Faux Falls

On the north side of Moab, we turned to follow the Colorado River west to Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs. We took the short hike up to see the tracks and petroglyphs, then continued to follow the trail. We soon realized that it was too long to continue, so we turned back and returned to the car.

David pointing to one of the petroglyphs

It was now late afternoon, so we decided to head back to Green River. The route passes the Moab Airport, and I decided to stop and have a look. Our timing turned out to be perfect. There was a Delta Connection CRJ-200 preparing to depart to Salt Lake City. We could see it parked on the ramp just on the other side of a large window. We stuck around as the crew shut all the doors, started the engines, taxied to the far end of the airport, then took off in front of us.

Delta Connection CRJ-200

On the drive back in Green River, Andrew checked the Amtrak train locator and discovered that it was nearly to Green River. Of course, we stopped to watch it come into town. While stopped, we met another railfan and he told us that a BNSF train was expected to pass through within the next 30 minutes. We watched the Amtrak pass, then raced west on I-70 to the next exit to try to catch the BNSF train with the sunset. We successfully got our shot, the raced east on I-70 to catch the train passing through Green River.

BNSF train at sunset

In the end, our impromptu day turned out pretty good. We saw a thunderstorm, explored an unexpected forest, found a waterfall, did a little hiking, and watched planes and trains doing their thing.

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Utah Vacation–Capitol Reef NP Day 1

Today we planned to go to Capitol Reef National Park, and possibly Goblin Valley State Park. We got started in the usual way and headed west on I-70 to the Hanksville exit. From there, we headed south on Utah 24. When we reached the sign for Goblin Valley State Park, we turned west and drove towards the San Rafael Reef.

For our first hike, Andrew directed us towards a slot canyon. We travelled about a mile down a very sandy road. The road was clearly not maintained. At one point, the water eroded the road so badly that we had to bypass around the washout. And then we reached the point of no continue. The road dropped about four feet down into a dry wash and I had no doubt we’d not be able to get back out if we went forward. I backed the car about 200 feet until I found a spot to turn around.

Not deterred, Andrew found us another hike to try. This time, the road was maintained, and we parked with a few others at the trailhead. The hike took us along a dry wash up into a small canyon. As we climbed out of the canyon, we could see a large cave in the distance. We decided we had gone far enough, so we headed back to the car.

Next, we backtracked to Goblin Valley State Park. We soon reached the end of a line of vehicles waiting to enter. A ranger walked along the line, talking to each driver. When he reached me, he told me that the park was filled to capacity, and they were letting cars in only as cars left. We decided not to wait. 

By now, it was getting close to lunch time. From Andrew’s investigation, we knew that Hanksville has three highly rated food joints. This was pretty surprising, considering the population of Hanksville is around 200. We pulled into Stan’s Burger Shak. When we walked in, we were surprised by the number of people inside; the place was bustling with activity. The staff appeared to be comprised of half the teenagers in the town. That said, they were quite well organized. We ordered burgers and shakes, then waited for our number to be called. Our shakes came up first. I’ve never seen shakes quite like these. They were so thick that the shake extended a few inches above the top of the cup. Oh, and they tasted great, too. We could see chunks of fruit mixed in. And don’t even think about using a straw; these shakes require a spoon.

Blackberry milkshake at Stan's Burger Shak

Our next destination was Capitol Reef National Park. After driving for many miles across the desert, it was nice to see the Fremont River appear along the side of the road. We pulled off the road just to enjoy the sounds and sights of running water.

Fremont River

Once at the park, we stopped at Visitor Center, picked up the park map, and continued along Scenic Drive. The first branch road was to Grand Wash, but we decided not to hike. Then we stopped at Slick Rock divide before continuing to Capitol Gorge. From here, we drove to the end of the road and hiked the Capitol Gorge Trail up to The Tanks.

David standing outside the Capitol Reef Visitor Center

Andrew and I did this hike ourselves. The gorge was narrow with steep walls. This gorge was used by settlers and at one point, we passed a wall with names engraved in the stone. At the end, we reached The Tanks. The Tanks are a series of potholes eroded into the sandstone. Each tank overflowed into the tank below in what would be a series of waterfalls if there was enough rain to support it. Today, there was very little water in only a couple of the holes.

View down from The Tanks

Above The Tanks, the view was amazing. The mountains and cliffs are stunning in a full 360 degrees.

David ponders the awesomeness of Capitol Reef NP

On our way back out of the park, we entered Fruita Historic District. I had to stop when I saw an old barn with a horse, lit up beautifully by the late afternoon light.

Horse in old barn in Fruita Historic District

A quarter mile further down the road, we stopped at the picnic area when we saw a small herd of deer chewing on the grass. The views of the surrounding cliffs, the trees, and the lush grass reminded me of a similar setting in Zion National Park.

Picnic area in Fruita Historic District

Bridge in Fruita Historic District

Our final stop of the day was at Gooseneck Overlook and Sunset Point. From here, we watched the cliffs light up in the magic light.

View from Sunset Point

By now, I knew I’d be driving home in the dark. This was a new experience for this trip, since it doesn’t really get dark until after 9:00. I figured I didn’t need to worry about wildlife on the highway, since the desert doesn’t support it. That said, we saw a Jackrabbit hop across the road and a Pronghorn near the side of the road.

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Utah Vacation–Colorado NM

Today, it was time for something a little different. After two days in Arches National Park, it was time to go elsewhere. Today, we went to the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction.

To get there, we drove east on I-70. As we passed the Moab exit in Crescent Junction, we saw the Radiation Train parked in a siding to be unloaded. The further east we travelled, the greener the landscape became. As we entered Colorado, we passed through the top of McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. Finally, we picked up the Colorado River again near Fruita and followed it to Grand Junction.

We entered the Colorado National Monument at the south entrance so that we could arrive at the Visitor Center by lunch time. The drive though the park takes Rimrock Road north for about 23 miles. Going north, the canyons were always on the right. In many cases, all I could see was the canyon wall on the other side, as the road came precariously close to the edge, with very few guardrails separating cars from a long, painful fall. Needless to say, I was nervous and focused laser sharp on hugging the yellow line.

Mom, David, and Susan at the Colorado National Monument

The road starts at an elevation of 4,930 feet and climbs to a high point of 6,640 feet. Along the drive, we passed by Columbus Canyon, Red Canyon, Ute Canyon, Monument Canyon, Wedding Canyon, and Lizard Canyon. We also passed through three tunnels carved directly into the stone.

One of our stops along the way included an interpretive trail that defined many of the plants and animals that are native to the region. Another stop had the Egyptian Mummy. Another the Coke Ovens. And another, Independence Monument. At the Egyptian Mummy stop, the far canyon wall was concave, and a sign described the speed of sound through the air and encouraged the reader to time their echo. I gave it a try and yelled loudly. After the “normal” amount of time, I heard no echo. But then the echo arrived and startled me, like hearing a sonic boom after watching a Falcon 9 booster land. You expect it, but it still catches you off guard.

Susan looking down from Otto's Trail

We eventually arrived at the Visitor Center and ate lunch at one of their picnic tables. While there, a busload of athletes arrived and walked past us to the viewpoint. I’m not sure where they were from, but I think I heard an Australian or New Zealand accent.

After lunch, we took the Window Rock Trail, then backtracked south to take Otto’s Trail. On the way out of the park, we descended along the S-curves through Fruita Canyon, passed Balanced Rock, and finally out the north entrance.

Susan at the north entrance to Colorado National Monument

Next, we headed for Grand Junction. Grand Junction seems like one of those small towns that has everything I am looking for in a retirement town. Obviously, it has location goodness galore. The mountains and river are very appealing to me. I wanted to explore it more. Naturally, my first stop was the Amtrak station. While there, we noticed three BNSF engines parked in the yard, which was surprised, given that this is UP country.

Mom was unhappy with her pillow situation at the house, so we went on a pillow hunt. Meanwhile, Susan was looking for something too. We found a shopping center with a health food store and a Ross. Mom found a pillow and Susan found what she needed.

Before leaving town, we felt the need for something sweet. Across the road from the shopping center, we found Freddy’s. We made a quick stop and picked up some frozen custard shakes.

It was getting late, so we got back on the road to Green River. As we approached the exit, I decided that I wasn’t ready to call it a day, since there was still nearly an hour of daylight left. We continued west on I-70 to the San Rafael Reef.

The San Rafael Reef is a mountain range that stretches for many miles north and south. It was created be a swell that pushed the land up, exposing many layers of rock. Over time, erosion exposed many of those layers and they are clearly visible as you drive up through the reef. We stopped at all the viewpoints along the climb and watched as a storm approached from the west.

David and Susan at a San Rafael Reef viewpoint

Back in Green River, the town sign was lit up. This was our first time entering town from the west after sunset, so we hadn’t seen it lit up before. Of course, we had to stop and get a picture.

Susan at the Green River welcome sign

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Utah Vacation–Arches NP Day 2

Today’s plan included another visit to Arches National Park. Our reservation was at 1:00 PM, so we had a little extra time to explore locally. After breakfast, we drove north from Green River along the Green River. We passed several crop circles before entering the canyon. We followed the road about 10 miles until it changed to a dirt road at Swasey’s Beach. There were several people camping beside the river, but no one was swimming. The water was still high, swift, and cold.

Next, we headed back to Green River to investigate a trail I saw along the Green River. We stopped at the John Wesley Powell River History Museum. It has a patio area outside with information boards describing the town, the railroad, and the interstate highway. It also has the beginnings of a trail that follows the river and will eventually be extended further.

David and Susan walk along the Green River trail

With more time before our reservation, we headed to Moab and turned to follow the Colorado River downstream. We entered the Potash boat ramp into the GPS and followed the river as it wound between the sandstone cliffs. Eventually, we reached the Potash railcar loading facility and the boat ramp just a mile further down the road. There was nothing going on at the boat ramp, so we turned around and headed back towards Moab. We made one more quick stop to check out the Jug Handle Arch, then continued to Lion Park.

Lion Park sits along the Colorado River outside Moab. It is very green and has several picnic tables. It also sits on a bike trail that follows the river upstream and goes into town in the other direction. We chose a table and enjoyed our lunch as we waited for our 1:00 reservation time.

David and Susan eating lunch at Lion Park

Just before 1:00, we headed to the Arches National Park entry. The line was longer today, and somehow seemed hotter. We started playing a game to see how long each car took to get through the entry point. One car in particular took over 3 minutes to get through. Even a bus load of people took less time. I made it my mission to get through in less than 20 seconds. I had my ID, Park Pass, and reservation ready to go and was easily through in less than 20 seconds. I like to think that I’m a hero to everyone behind me.

Once inside, we went directly to our first trailhead. The Park Avenue trail is a short trail that starts and ends along the main road. You can choose to do the round trip, or you can do what we did. We got out on the high side of the trail, then Mom drove down to the low side to meet us. This made the hike much shorter and easier.

David and Susan enjoying the Park Avenue trail

Our next stop was the Windows Section. Yesterday, we hiked up to the Double Arch. Today, we hiked to the Turret Arch and the North and South Windows. Then we took the Primitive trail back to the parking lot. This trail goes around the back side of the Windows Arches. I felt like I was seeing the back side of Mt. Rushmore; it was something most people don’t get to see.

Susan near Turret Arch

David and Susan sitting inside one of the Window Arches

David and Susan hiking along the Primitive trail

Our next stop was a quick stop at Devil’s Garden to refill our water bottles, then we headed back to the pull-out for Sandstone Arch and Broken Arch. Sandstone Arch was so different and unique that it will always stand out from the others. You first pass between two fins along a narrow trail wide enough for one person to pass. Then you pass through a little area filled with soft sand before entering a larger narrow room, also filled with soft sand. Then you turn a corner and there you find the miniscule (relatively speaking) Sandstone Arch. It is a great place for families with young kids to hang out. Several kids were playing in the sand and sliding down the sandy hill that leads up to the arch.

David standing under Sandstone Arch

Broken arch was also impressive. It was at the end of a short hike and took a little bit of climbing to reach it. We were followed to the arch by and family with two young girls. The older girl raced up the rocks to reach the top of the hill. I said to her that she must be part mountain goat. She said, “Just a little”.

David standing under Broken Arch

With all of our planned hikes complete, we headed back to Moab to pick up a few things that cannot be found in Green River, then drove back home. The day was complete and the sunset made a nice ending to the day.

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Utah Vacation–Arches NP Day 1

Today I got up early with hopes of seeing the sun rise and the mountain to the northwest get illuminated. I asked Andrew if he wanted to join me, and he did. We walked out of our cul-de-sac and headed north. The sunrise time came and went, yet we saw no sun. Far far away to the west, we could see glowing mountains, yet we were still in the dark. Finally, the tops of our mountain started to light up. The light slowly walked down the mountain. Looking back to the east, the sun finally peaked over the distant mountain.

Back at the house, I wanted to eat as much as possible, since we had a long day planned. Today we were planning to go to Arches National Park. We made reservations months in advance and our reservation for today was for park entry between 12:00 and 1:00 PM. We ate and were on the road before 9:00.

Our first stop was the Moab Information Center. Here we found tons of information about the surrounding parks and activities. With information in hand, we left and walked around town. Surprisingly, we found a marshy area with a trail following a small creek.

Our reservation time was quickly approaching, and we knew there was nothing to eat inside the park, so we looked for something quick and reasonably priced. Our first stop was the Moab Diner. It was very cool but was packed and had a wait. We decided we’d eat here some other time but needed something quicker now. We found Milt’s Stop & Eat.

Milt’s was like going back in time. It was like something you’d see in an old-time 50’s movie. Despite the impression, they were accommodating to Susan’s needs. We ordered and enjoyed lunch under their enormous Sycamore tree.

As our 12:00 reservation time for Arches approached, our excitement ramped up. We drove back through Moab to the park entrance and joined the double line of cars waiting to enter. Slowly we moved forward until we were finally at the booth. I showed the attendant my reservation, ID, and National Park pass and she handed me a brochure with a purple sticker on it. I pulled forward to the roundabout and showed the ranger my purple sticker and we were in. Finally, it was time to start exploring one of my most anticipated national parks.

David outside Arches National Park

View from the Visitor Center

After a quick stop at the Visitor Center to fill our water bottles, we started our exploration. Immediately after leaving the Visitor Center, we started the climb out of the valley and up to the next level. The awe factor of the initial climb was overwhelming. At each switchback in the road, a new scene was revealed. This continued again and again as we wound our way up the mountain.

Arches entry, Visitor Center, and winding road

The main road in the park runs 18 miles from the Visitor Center to the end, at Devil’s Garden. Along the way, there are many pull-outs and several side roads leading to additional attractions. We drove the entire distance and stopped at nearly all of the attractions along the way. Some of the attractions included: Courthouse Towers, Balanced Rock, the Windows, Double Arch, Delicate Arch, Garden of Eden, Fiery Furnace, and Devil’s Garden. Some of the names were perfectly obvious, like Double Arch, but many formations remain unnamed. We had fun giving our own names to formations as we drove along. Some of my favorites include: High Five, Turtles, Mammoth, and Flower Pots.

David and Susan with The Organ and "High Five"

Several of the stops included short hikes whereas others included longer hikes. Since we are planning multiple days in the park, we chose only short hikes for this visit. Our short hikes included: Double Arch and Delicate Arch Lower Viewpoint.

Double Arch

Delicate Arch, as viewed from the lower viewpoint

Eventually, it was time to go, so we left the park and decided to explore the Colorado River valley to the east. As you probably know, the Colorado River is responsible for the Grand Canyon. This is obviously an amazing feature and I highly recommend seeing it in person. However, the Colorado River is responsible for many more canyons. The canyon to the east of Moab is also pretty amazing. We followed the road about 10 miles before we turned around at Sandy Beach.

It was now getting late, so we started heading back to Green River. As we started the climb out of the Moab Valley, we commented on the railroad high on the west bank and noted that the collection of railcars was no longer there. As we continued north, we paralleled the tracks. Just south of I-70, we caught up to the train. After a little research, we discovered that Moab once had a Uranium mill. Over time, it shut down, but the area still has radioactive material. The material is being removed in small containers by rail. So from now on, we will call that train the Radiation Train.

Before returning to the house, we made a few more stops. First, we stopped for gas and were slightly shocked how much it cost to fill the tiny tank of the Rogue. The we stopped at the Melon Vine grocery store to buy a Styrofoam cooler and some ice packs. With the price of things these days, we need to save money wherever we can.

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Utah Vacation–Getting There

Today, we started our two-week Utah National Park vacation. In 2020, we visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park, among others. We wanted to keep exploring but ran out of time. Instead, we vowed to come back and continue the park tour later.

Last year, we were thinking about doing a Utah ski vacation to Park City. We booked a room with WorldMark in Midway. But as time passed, we thought more about the remaining Utah National Parks and the fact that this summer is our last summer with Andrew before he goes off to college. And thus, the planning for this trip began.

The plan needed to include the big three remaining National Parks – Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. Looking on a map, Moab is the ideal base camp, but everyone goes to Moab. We wanted to be a little further from the crowds, so we expanded our search. We discovered a small rental house in the town of Green River and booked it for two weeks.

This morning, we woke up early, as one would expect for a flight out West. Unlike our typical flights, today’s flight was much later. We left the house at 6:45 – well after sunrise. I can’t recall ever wearing sunglasses on a drive to the airport.

Orlando airport was very busy. The days of small lines limited flights is over. The line to check our bags looped around twice and extended into the common area outside the jetBlue check-in area. This line moved quickly, and we moved on to Security. The security line was much worse. There was a sign indicating that the wait was over 45 minutes. Luckily for us, we were early and felt no time pressure.

Our flight was non-stop to Salt Lake City. Soon after departure, we turned West, crossed over Disney properties, and entered the clouds. The clouds remained for nearly the entire flight. Somewhere over central Colorado, the cloud coverage started to break. We were able to see the small town of Granby, where we stayed a few nights while vacationing in 2019. Soon, we started our descent into the Salt Lake valley. The snow-covered mountains got closer, and the turbulence picked up. We flew over Provo and were on the ground at SLC a few minutes later.

Our plane, parked in Salt Lake City

We exited the plane and headed for Baggage Claim. It was immediately apparent that we were no longer in Orlando, as the air in the jetway was cool and crisp. The airport is under construction, but the terminals are fantastic. The walk was long, but soon we were picking up our bags.

Next “stop” was Car Rental. On this trip, we signed up for Alamo's skip the line service. We walked straight the lot, found the compact SUV section, and chose the one we liked best. This is by far the easiest way to rent a car. There were four vehicles to choose from. I chose the Nissan Rogue with Utah plates.

With the luggage loaded and the seats and mirrors adjusted, we were on our way. It was lunchtime in our home time zone, so we were looking for a good place to stop and eat. During our last visit to the area, we discovered a diner that we liked, and I wanted to stop there again to establish a connection. Andrew looked it up and found several in the area. We chose the one closest to our route and entered it into the GPS. Twenty minutes later, we arrived.

Walking into the Black Bear Diner brought back memories from our 2019 visit to Utah, when we were chasing the Union Pacific Big Boy across the state. But there was one important detail that I had forgotten, and I’m surprised that I forgot it. It was the Huckleberry milkshake. There is just something about being out West and seeing huckleberry on the menu. It just feels friendly, like hanging out with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

David with our Nissan Rogue

After lunch, we were back on the road. This time, the GPS was programmed for our rental house in Green River. The route took us along a familiar path towards Helper. We drove this route during our 2019 visit because we wanted to see Soldier Summit and Price Canyon. Somehow, the drive seemed new, other than a few very memorable locations. The drop down into Helper, through Price Canyon, is dramatic and amazing, as the walls of the desert canyon close in around you.

Dramatic rock formation along the drive through Price Canyon

The remainder of the drive was marked by long stretches of windy, dusty, desert highway. Eventually, we reached Interstate 70. It’s funny to think that this is the same interstate that crosses Ohio not too far south from where I grew up. We headed East on the interstate for a few miles, then got right back off at the Green River exit.

Green River is a pretty small town. Within minutes, we were to our rental house. We unpacked the car and started making ourselves at home. Andrew and I wanted to see the Amtrak California Zephyr train arrive, so we headed back out to the car.

From the map, we found a great spot for viewing trains. There’s a park along the river that extends all the way to the train bridge that crosses the Green River. When we arrived, I was surprised to see that the park was also a campground, and it had an admission fee of $7. I told the attendant that I’d be back every day and asked about an extended pass. He said he didn’t have such a thing. I paid the fee and entered the park, feeling a bit sad that this would be our only visit.

We parked near the boat launch and waited for the train to cross the bridge. Meanwhile, a man was tossing a ball into the river and his yellow lab was swimming out and retrieving it. The water level seemed high and the current swift. Given how dry it was everywhere, I asked the man about it. He told me that they are letting more water flow to help with the lack of water in Lake Powell and Lake Meade. I asked about the current and if he was concerned his dog would be swept downstream. He said that she could swim for hours, if he would let her.

While we waited for the Amtrak train, another train crossed the bridge, then backed across the bridge in the opposite direction. Andrew checked the location of the Amtrak train on the app and saw that it was still at least ten minutes away, so we decided to go find a better spot to watch it.

We left the park and headed along another road to see if we could get closer to the bridge. We were able to get close, but there was no good viewing spot. We continued along the road away from the river and soon arrived at the Amtrak station.

David at the Green River Amtrak station

Andrew checked the Amtrak app again and saw that it was still a few minutes away, so I decided to go find the one and only grocery store in town. It was about two blocks from the train station. We went in, checked it out, then realized that it was closing within the hour. I called Susan to see if she was ready to shop and told her we’d be there to pick her up in a few minutes. Back in the car, we made another quick pass past the train station and there it was. The California Zephyr pulled into the station and stopped.

We picked up Susan and Mom and headed back to the Melon Vine grocery store. Although it is small, it has nearly everything one would want. It doesn’t have the variety nor all the organic options that you would find at a typical Publix, but I was impressed. We filled the cart to the tune of over $200.

Back at the house, we started baking the frozen lasagna and chopping the lettuce for a salad. It had been a very long day and we were all tired and hungry. We are all looking forward to our first full day of vacation tomorrow.

Click the image below to see all pictures from the trip.

Congratulations Andrew!

Tonight marked an important milestone in Andrew’s life – he graduated from high school. Andrew has been home schooled since the fourth grade under the umbrella of New Covenant School.

During the days leading up to the ceremony, everyone was busy getting prepared. Susan had recently returned from Virginia with her mother and sister. She was busy running from store to store, buying decorations. Andrew was busy putting the final touches on his valedictorian speech. And I was busy putting together the program for the ceremony and putting in my final hours at work to reach 80 for the pay period.

As the ceremony drew near, Susan and her family left to decorate that hall, while Andrew gathered is cap and gown. Once Mom arrived, we went to the ceremony, too. At the church, Susan’s mom and sister were busy taping pictures to poster boards and decorating the tables. Andrew and Susan were busy with rehearsals.

As the time approached 7:00, guest started to arrive. Two families from our neighborhood attended and were browsing the poster boards. At 7:00, we entered the sanctuary. Susan was struggling to set up her phone on a tripod to stream on Facebook Live. Finally, we got it set up and the ceremony began.

Andrew had one “classmate” at New Covenant. As a result one was valedictorian and the other was salutatorian. Dijae, the salutatorian, gave her speech first. She talked about her “abusive” relationship with math, her experience with COVID, and learning to drive with her grandfather. Then she thanked the teachers, her family, and her friends.

Andrew, as the valedictorian, also gave a speech. Andrew was dealing with a sore throat, so talking was a challenge for him. He started with a few jokes, then talked the plus side of home schooling, like having time to explore his interests and go on trips while others were in school. He also talked about overcoming challenges, like writing a speech. At one point, he talked about overcoming distractions, at which point he pulled out his phone and played with it for a few moments, then realizing that he was distracted, got back to his speech. Andrew's message was, "Loosen up in stressful situations. Don't be too hard on yourself to get things right the first time. It's better to have something that is not quite perfect than nothing at all. You can always improve it later."

After the speeches, the students walked across the stage and received their diplomas.

Andrew with his diploma

After the ceremony, we took pictures, then walked to the reception hall. Susan introduced everyone to her family. Everyone mingled and ate snacks. The kids played with the balloons. Afterwards, we stayed to help clean up, then went to Rita's for dessert.

The program is included below.

The announcement is below.

Andrew's graduation announcement