Life on the Diagonal, Part 2 - Tuesday, July 28, 2020

First order of business...Happy Birthday to my sister, Jan. She's having a grand day today at Oregon Gardens with her friend, and then going out to eat and collecting free birthday treats. It sounds like fun. I love you, Jan!

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This morning, we left Towaoc, Colorado, at 10:00 a.m. and headed to Provo, Utah. I am taking the first driving shift today. 

Again, we are traveling diagonally across the western United States. We headed north on U.S. 491 toward Cortez, Colorado. Bob and I reminisced about the time we went to Mesa Verde together a number of years ago. We didn't have a lot of time there, so we went to the museum and drove to the overlooks. He didn't get to go on any of the cliff-dwelling tours.

In 2010, for Mom's 80th birthday, my sister and I took Mom on a three-week hiking vacation around the Southwestern United States (her major bucket list item). On that trip, the three of us did one of the tours at Mesa Verde. We climbed down ladders and crawled through a tunnel in the cliff-face to look at some of the great Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. Mom loves hiking and we took her to some beautiful places. But I digress.

We did not have time to go to Mesa Verde this year. It takes a long time to drive to the top of the Mesa! That's where all the cliff dwellings are. 

From Cortez, Colorado, we took U.S. 491 northwest toward Monticello, Utah. This part of the trip was through farmland with distant dramatic mountain views. I drove for two hours, so I don't have photos of this part of the trip. Traffic was so light that for miles I didn't have anyone behind me on the highway. 

At Monticello, Utah, we turned north onto U.S. 191. We took that highway through Moab and past Arches National Park. We were being teased in that we couldn't stop and hike at Arches, Canyonlands, etc. (NOTE: We have hiked in those areas on previous trips, but there's always something new to see.) Currently, we're on a mission to get to Gig Harbor, Washington, where Bob will start a temporary assignment on August 3.

Bob and I switched places and he drove when we got past the turn-off to the Newspaper Rock State Historic Site/Canyonlands National Park Needles District. The scenery was awesome along U.S. 191 when we got into red rock territory. (All photos are by Susan Alton unless otherwise noted.)

We made it to Utah. 
(Photo by Bob Alton.)

(Photo by Bob Alton.)

(Photo by Bob Alton.)

This looks like a beehive!
(Photo by Bob Alton.)

Wilson Arch on U.S. 191 in Utah.

"Hole in the Rock" tourist attraction.

Approaching the entrance
to Arches National Park.

The entrance road to
Arches National Park.

U.S. 191 north of Arches National Park.

Rock formations along I-70 west.

U.S. 6 heading north from I-70.

Thunderheads building up as seen
from U.S. 6 heading north from I-70.

The rest area on U.S. 6 in Utah.

U.S. 6 - Castle Gate, Utah.

U.S. 6 - Balanced Rock by Castle Gate.

Train tunnels next to U.S. 6 in Utah.

We made it to Lakeside RV Park in Provo, Utah at 5:00 p.m. We will be here for two nights. Tomorrow, we had planned to go to the state capital in Salt Lake City, but it is closed to all tours. I may have another blogging day!

Thank you, Bob, for helping with picture-taking today during the two hours I drove. You did a great job.