James says:
Day 5: We made it out of Utah today, but not before enjoying some more of the scenery. Heading west, we set out for Goosenecks State Park. The park showcases a point in the San Juan River that winds back and forth. The rivers winds for more than 6 miles yet covers less than 2 miles of distance. It is viewed from above, so you look 1500 feet down into the canyon to see the river. Pretty impressive...and a bit scary.
We then headed for Valley of the Gods, a site with more sandstone formations. The entrance access road was more than any of us wanted to risk, and we were able to view and photograph most of it from the surrounding roads. As we left heading for Natural Bridges National Monument, the road seemed to run directly into a bluff. As we got closer it, we found out that the road actually climbed the bluff using a series of switchbacks. Adding to the thrill was the fact that the road was gravel,and rarely more than a lane and a half wide. We climbed about 2000 feet vertically and only made about 75 feet of forward progress. The similarity to Goosenecks was not lost on me. Nearing the top, we were able to gaze back upon Valley of the Gods. Great view.
Natural Bridges was another great park. There are 3 stone formations that nature has sculpted into large stone bridges. The park is laid out in a 9 mile loop that gets close enough to each bridge so that only a short hike is needed to view them, somewhat longer to get to them. We more more than satisfied with the viewing. A big plus of the park was that we learned a fair amount of the geology of the area and it helped in explaining the differing features, formations and terrain that we had viewed over the past days.
Off again to Glen River Canyon and our old friend the Colorado River. More great scenery, extreme elevation changes and those friendly speed limits. Through the canyon, we headed for Salt Lake City. I thought that it would be nice to be back on the interstate, but it was clear the the scenery was pale in comparison to what we had been seeing. It's good to make some miles though, and we were able to make it to the Nevada border before quitting for the day. We found a pretty good deal in Wendover, Utah/Nevada. The town straddles the border and its easy to discern where the border is by the casinos. The casinos have good hotel prices, and since none of us are big gamblers, we took advantage of a decent room and dinner.
Tomorrow is a stop at Bonneville, followed by a sprint across Nevada.
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