Plowing through Utah

The original plan was to stay two weeks in the Zion National Park area, but family issues in Colorado have somewhat expedited our arrival. Although not super urgent, that need may arise at any moment, so a closer proximity to Colorado led us to take off a week early and plow straight on through Utah on a single day.

Not our longest single-day drive by any means but the new timeline did cause us to skip past Capitol Reef National Park (which I have been too once way back, but Kerri has not). As it had turned out, Kerri had not ever taken I70 across Utah either, which has some of the most scenic rest area views in the country, so we stopped at them all, just for a few minutes each. The Colorado state line was made well before sunset.

Colorado National Monument became our single-night weekend spot. Again, I had already visited the park but it would be another new one for Kerri. After making the drive up the mountain side – trying to avoid all the bicyclists on the very thin road – we setup camp at the Saddlehorn Campground.

Settled in we set out for a short hike around the canyon rim trail and out to see window rock. For experienced hikers this is no major feat, but consider that Kerri has severe vertigo and these cliffs are not easy for her to be around. All fours were required at times…

I joke, but in all seriousness – the fact that she will get anywhere near the edge takes more courage than I can imagine. Her courage is one of the numerous reasons I have fallen madly in love with her.

Later in the evening we drove the length of the park, stopping to gaze out at some of the overlooks, and returned back to camp to complete a much needed relaxing day. To be back in Colorado takes a large wight off my shoulders as well. Since starting my travels back in 2010, I have never stayed away from Colorado more than 6 months, and next week would have marked a full year away if I had held out that long. It’s good to be back!