Click images to see more on each area...
In mid-September, 2007, we dropped down from Wyoming into northern Utah where we saw the
bright reds of Flaming Gorge National Park juxtaposed against the turquoise-green water of the
Green River. From there we went to Park City where autumn was in full swing. The gold, orange and
red hues of the leaves caught our eyes, but the arrival of an early blizzard chased us out of town.
At the end of September, 2007, we stopped in Green River which we used as a base camp to explore
the San Rafael Swell. The redrock cliffs were home to all kinds of petroglyphs and pictographs and
we even had a chance to see a dinosaur footprint in the rock.
Continuing south, in October 2007 we visited Goblin Valley, a landscape filled with redrock creatures.
During our nights here the moon was nowhere to be found and the stars filled the sky like a dense
mist. The Milky Way stretched from one horizon to the other in a thick white band that braced the
sky.
Those October nights in 2007 got cold and we continued on south to Kodachrome Basin and Zion
National Park where there was still a little warmth. The redrock cliffs continued to awe us and we took
several hikes and bike rides to see more of southern Utah's redrock beauty.
We loved Utah so much that in July, August and September, 2008, we returned, roaming through the
many isolated and remote areas in Southern Utah. The small towns of this region are loaded with
charm. First, we visited Kanab, population 3,800 (a "city" in this part of the world). Then, after a long
stay at Bryce Canyon, we dropped in on Alton, population 134. We were warmly welcomed by lifelong
residents in each town, and we relished the strong community spirit and quiet pace of life we found.
Utah has two very special animal sanctuaries. In July, 2008, we followed signs leading from Kanab to
the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. We were so impressed with what we found at the end of their road
that we stayed for four days to take in all the tours and sights of this unique domestic animal shelter.
Over Labor Day weekend, in Parowan, Utah, we discovered the good works of the nearby Southwest
Wildlife Foundation, which is dedicated to rehabilitating and releasing injured native animals and birds.
In July and August, 2008, we spent a month just outside Bryce Canyon. This fairyland canyon is like an
immense bowl filled with glittering crystals of pink and orange and whilte. We hiked along the rim,
looking down at the vast array of spires and spikes, and we hiked down into the ampitheater, our heads
thrown back as we wandered among the peaks towering above us.
Just before Labor Day weekend, 2008, we arrived in Parowan, Utah, pop, 3,000. While I was busy
getting my bearings at the Visitors Center, trying to sort out where Second Left Hand Road was (given
that First Left Hand Road was signed "5 Mile Picnic Area" and referenced as "Vermillion Castle" in my
guidebook), Mark discovered the town was hosting a huge county fair all weekend, complete with a 5K
running race. Before I had gotten my directions figured out, he had signed us both up to run the race!
Utah always delivers spectacular scenery, and our quick trip down I-15 in mid-September, 2009, was no
exception. A drive over Logan Pass, north of Salt Lake City, rewarded us with gorgeous views of Bear
Lake. A little further south at Nephi we drove the Nebo Scenic Loop, where we saw tiny red rock
formations that must have been stolen from Bryce Canyon. In Cedar City we rode our bikes down a
pretty path under some hot air balloons.