Four Corners Part 2: Moab meanderings
DAY 3
Thursday morning was a sunny but cool dawn. Breakfast choices were austere at the Inn so we decided to Starbuck it. Gold Coast. Yeah baby.
Kathleen pointed out that we needed some vino for the days ahead so we ambled over to the local distributor just a few doors down. Nice selection. Many of our local Monterey offerings abounded. I, of course, had to peruse the ale offerings. Oh look Breckenridge bottles with cute labels and... zounds! The inestimable Green Flash West Coast IPA! Kathleen suggest I get two six packs. She's the best. I'm so happy I want to sing. YMCA right David? [It's an inside joke folks]
Thoroughly stocked with lubricant we head west on 70. No this is a lovely drive that follows the Colorado river along essentially a gorge that cuts very roughly east/west through central Colorado. Very scenic.
About 30 miles along we come into the mythical Vail. Vail is a myth because its not really a town. It's ski slopes that run right into lodges at the foot of some very large mountains in a gorge along the highway. Frankly I did not see the appeal but then again it was summer and I hate skiing anyway.
But there's no town. Oh there is Mid-Vail, Vail and West Vail. But as far as I could tell that meant 5 lodges, 25 lodges and 8 lodges clustered at the foot of trails. Oh and some sad looking golf courses.
We continued on through towns like Avon, Eagle and Gypsum. Each little more than a cluster of stores and lodges.
Then the canyon walls started to close in. The turns became twistier, and the road beneath us became elevated as there was little ground below us save the river itself. It was like driving 50 mph through an enormous green slot canyon. Stunning really.
Suddenly we arrived at the "rest stop" of what we discovered was Glenwood Canyon. Turns out this place is a very popular destination in itself. The rest stop. As we stretched our bones bikes full of frolicking families wizzed by. Rafts full of paddlers, people tubing, sunbathing, stone throwing, flower smelling, hiking, jogging...
Wow what a rest stop.
The only thing missing was a landing strip and a Subways.
Further west we went and sadly the canyon opened to a larger valley through which we passed the towns of Rifle, Parachute and De Beque. As the valley floor opened we dropped further. Frisco was at about 9,000 feet and by the time we descended into Grand Junction we were at the better ventilated 6,000 or so. The canyon walls became somewhat more distant red cliffs and the green became dry. We were approaching desert country.
Grand Junction is named for its confluence of rivers but served mostly for a source of lunch. We grabbed sandwiches and headed for the Colorado welcome center just off the highway. Turns out this is the base of Dinosaur Diamond, named for the land area that runs through here and parts of Utah that have become famous for their Jurassic finds. Nearby us was a dinosaur museum but turns out it was animatronic dinos for the kiddies. We lunched instead and moved on.
As we continued west on 70 (now titled the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, I kept looking for Fred, Barney and Dino) the desert floor continued its gradual drop and it dawned on us that we were entering a land that, save Grand Junction, had changed little since those critters clambered about in their now fossil fuel selves. I have no towns to list in the next 50 miles of driving. There weren't any. Just vast, empty desert. We crossed the border into Utah uneventfully. There was a sign. There was little else. The sign said the Utah Welcome area was in 5... nope... 56 miles. There's a warm welcome for you.
We finally came to Crescent Junction / Brendel. I don't know why it has two names. It didn't have enough buildings for one name. It didn't have any buildings. It was just a left turn off the highway and an underpass. Oh there's a gas station. That must be why it's called Brendel. Whatever.
South we went on 191 (still the DDPH) towards Moab. Big sky, big country. Many more miles of empty, high-desert road. Hmmm... there's an airstrip on the right with buildings even. More desert. More desert.
OK so they land here and then...?
More desert.
A sign! Canyonlands National Park to the right. It's about 3pm. Let's give it a shot. So in we drive. Turns out its 20 miles in just to the visitors center. We drive up a series of curves through red stone canyons up on top of an enormous mesa. This area, we discover, is called Island in the Sky. We get the quick lowdown at the visitors center and head further in. Beautiful country here. Winding roads, scrub brush, sun and a series of precipitous drops to the canyon floor 1,200 feet below. We climb higher.
The views get longer and longer and finally we land at the edge of the mesa at the Grand View Point overlook (it's the loop on this map, zoom in). We park and amble to the edge for a look. Words can't do this justice.
There were multiple layers of canyon. There was the initial drop off of some 1,000 feet and then there was the White Rim canyon that dropped off far below that. It looked like a two mile long dinosaur footprint.
Off to the right was a trail that led off to the west rim with an enormous ledge over the canyon. Of course we had to take it.
The kids got a closer look over the drop.
We walked along the ledge for about 20 minutes, climbing and gasping at the view. It's an incredible place. The kids were tired and rested under a tree while Kat and I continued a bit further to the far end and a view of the western rim. Wow.
We hurried back to the monkeys and made our way along the rim towards the car.
Well we did want to see some other parts of the park but as usual we started at the high point.
We headed out to another area called the Upheaval Dome overlook. A fine, desolate hike along a solid stone walkway to a very large crater of upheaved rock. Jackrabbits springing about, the sun starting to set. Very idyllic. [There were so few visitors to this park. A shame that more people don't know about this place.]
Our last stop was Mesa Arch. A circular loop up into the hills that landed you here:
We scrambled and ogled. On the way back to the car Mitchell spotted a sizable jackrabbit. I got confused and missed my shot but boy that critter was the size of a beagle.
We drove out of the park along that winding road and saw a very large storm approaching. As we exited, turning south again on 191, the heavens opened and the deluge began. Gallons of water hitting the windshield every second. An absolutely silly amount of rain. I slowed to a crawl. A truck had pulled over. The road seemed to slide to the right with all the water pouring over it. Animals were pairing up and heading toward Noah.
And it stopped. Just like that. Leaving us a rainbow and a sense of awe.
South into Moab. A smallish town with quite a bit of tourist support. We drove through, noting the Moab Brewery naturally, and landed at the Sleep Inn. A smallish chain. The place was clean and well appointed. Our room had the equivalent of a jailhouse window on the side of the room that peculiarly looked directly out to another window that went back onto a hallway across from the room so that if the curtains were open folks walking down the hall looked directly into our room. Whatever, it was cheap and comfy.
The Moab Brewery had $2.50 pint nights. No IPA but a Scorpion Ale made with "5 different kinds of hops" and a real "sting."
It sucked.
Of course it took me 20 minutes to discover this as they were so packed on a Thursday night that we had to play a game of Flag the Waitress just to get served. Snacks were on par.
Bed.
CLICK HERE for the next part of our Four Corners trip.
Thursday morning was a sunny but cool dawn. Breakfast choices were austere at the Inn so we decided to Starbuck it. Gold Coast. Yeah baby.
Kathleen pointed out that we needed some vino for the days ahead so we ambled over to the local distributor just a few doors down. Nice selection. Many of our local Monterey offerings abounded. I, of course, had to peruse the ale offerings. Oh look Breckenridge bottles with cute labels and... zounds! The inestimable Green Flash West Coast IPA! Kathleen suggest I get two six packs. She's the best. I'm so happy I want to sing. YMCA right David? [It's an inside joke folks]
Thoroughly stocked with lubricant we head west on 70. No this is a lovely drive that follows the Colorado river along essentially a gorge that cuts very roughly east/west through central Colorado. Very scenic.
About 30 miles along we come into the mythical Vail. Vail is a myth because its not really a town. It's ski slopes that run right into lodges at the foot of some very large mountains in a gorge along the highway. Frankly I did not see the appeal but then again it was summer and I hate skiing anyway.
But there's no town. Oh there is Mid-Vail, Vail and West Vail. But as far as I could tell that meant 5 lodges, 25 lodges and 8 lodges clustered at the foot of trails. Oh and some sad looking golf courses.
We continued on through towns like Avon, Eagle and Gypsum. Each little more than a cluster of stores and lodges.
Then the canyon walls started to close in. The turns became twistier, and the road beneath us became elevated as there was little ground below us save the river itself. It was like driving 50 mph through an enormous green slot canyon. Stunning really.
Suddenly we arrived at the "rest stop" of what we discovered was Glenwood Canyon. Turns out this place is a very popular destination in itself. The rest stop. As we stretched our bones bikes full of frolicking families wizzed by. Rafts full of paddlers, people tubing, sunbathing, stone throwing, flower smelling, hiking, jogging...
Wow what a rest stop.
The only thing missing was a landing strip and a Subways.
Further west we went and sadly the canyon opened to a larger valley through which we passed the towns of Rifle, Parachute and De Beque. As the valley floor opened we dropped further. Frisco was at about 9,000 feet and by the time we descended into Grand Junction we were at the better ventilated 6,000 or so. The canyon walls became somewhat more distant red cliffs and the green became dry. We were approaching desert country.
Grand Junction is named for its confluence of rivers but served mostly for a source of lunch. We grabbed sandwiches and headed for the Colorado welcome center just off the highway. Turns out this is the base of Dinosaur Diamond, named for the land area that runs through here and parts of Utah that have become famous for their Jurassic finds. Nearby us was a dinosaur museum but turns out it was animatronic dinos for the kiddies. We lunched instead and moved on.
As we continued west on 70 (now titled the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, I kept looking for Fred, Barney and Dino) the desert floor continued its gradual drop and it dawned on us that we were entering a land that, save Grand Junction, had changed little since those critters clambered about in their now fossil fuel selves. I have no towns to list in the next 50 miles of driving. There weren't any. Just vast, empty desert. We crossed the border into Utah uneventfully. There was a sign. There was little else. The sign said the Utah Welcome area was in 5... nope... 56 miles. There's a warm welcome for you.
We finally came to Crescent Junction / Brendel. I don't know why it has two names. It didn't have enough buildings for one name. It didn't have any buildings. It was just a left turn off the highway and an underpass. Oh there's a gas station. That must be why it's called Brendel. Whatever.
South we went on 191 (still the DDPH) towards Moab. Big sky, big country. Many more miles of empty, high-desert road. Hmmm... there's an airstrip on the right with buildings even. More desert. More desert.
OK so they land here and then...?
More desert.
A sign! Canyonlands National Park to the right. It's about 3pm. Let's give it a shot. So in we drive. Turns out its 20 miles in just to the visitors center. We drive up a series of curves through red stone canyons up on top of an enormous mesa. This area, we discover, is called Island in the Sky. We get the quick lowdown at the visitors center and head further in. Beautiful country here. Winding roads, scrub brush, sun and a series of precipitous drops to the canyon floor 1,200 feet below. We climb higher.
The views get longer and longer and finally we land at the edge of the mesa at the Grand View Point overlook (it's the loop on this map, zoom in). We park and amble to the edge for a look. Words can't do this justice.
There were multiple layers of canyon. There was the initial drop off of some 1,000 feet and then there was the White Rim canyon that dropped off far below that. It looked like a two mile long dinosaur footprint.
Off to the right was a trail that led off to the west rim with an enormous ledge over the canyon. Of course we had to take it.
The kids got a closer look over the drop.
We walked along the ledge for about 20 minutes, climbing and gasping at the view. It's an incredible place. The kids were tired and rested under a tree while Kat and I continued a bit further to the far end and a view of the western rim. Wow.
We hurried back to the monkeys and made our way along the rim towards the car.
Well we did want to see some other parts of the park but as usual we started at the high point.
We headed out to another area called the Upheaval Dome overlook. A fine, desolate hike along a solid stone walkway to a very large crater of upheaved rock. Jackrabbits springing about, the sun starting to set. Very idyllic. [There were so few visitors to this park. A shame that more people don't know about this place.]
Our last stop was Mesa Arch. A circular loop up into the hills that landed you here:
We scrambled and ogled. On the way back to the car Mitchell spotted a sizable jackrabbit. I got confused and missed my shot but boy that critter was the size of a beagle.
We drove out of the park along that winding road and saw a very large storm approaching. As we exited, turning south again on 191, the heavens opened and the deluge began. Gallons of water hitting the windshield every second. An absolutely silly amount of rain. I slowed to a crawl. A truck had pulled over. The road seemed to slide to the right with all the water pouring over it. Animals were pairing up and heading toward Noah.
And it stopped. Just like that. Leaving us a rainbow and a sense of awe.
South into Moab. A smallish town with quite a bit of tourist support. We drove through, noting the Moab Brewery naturally, and landed at the Sleep Inn. A smallish chain. The place was clean and well appointed. Our room had the equivalent of a jailhouse window on the side of the room that peculiarly looked directly out to another window that went back onto a hallway across from the room so that if the curtains were open folks walking down the hall looked directly into our room. Whatever, it was cheap and comfy.
The Moab Brewery had $2.50 pint nights. No IPA but a Scorpion Ale made with "5 different kinds of hops" and a real "sting."
It sucked.
Of course it took me 20 minutes to discover this as they were so packed on a Thursday night that we had to play a game of Flag the Waitress just to get served. Snacks were on par.
Bed.
CLICK HERE for the next part of our Four Corners trip.
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