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Post by Fire21 on Oct 1, 2014 9:11:12 GMT -5
Having a fantastic time with our friends here. Had cloudy rainy days for traveling, but yesterday was sunny and cool...COLD up at the 10,000 foot level!! There was fresh snow at some of the higher peaks, but we didn't encounter any.
On Monday we went north of Salt Lake City to Golden Spike Nat'l Monument and saw where they had driven the golden spike on the transcontinental railroad in 1869. They have these two replicas of the locomotives that were there at the originals ceremony. They both run, but did a demo run with just the one on the right. What a neat place!!
This is Cove Fort, Utah, a tiny Mormon square-shaped fortress settlement from the 1860s. The founder made friends with the Indians and avoided hostilities. It was a wayside for travelers, very well equipped for the times to take care of people.This is Big Rock Candy Mountain...a simply stunning vision as it suddenly appears as you come around a corner on the highway. It's north of Panguitch, UT.From an overlook at Cedar Breaks Nat'l Monument, UT. Incredible erosion over the millennia has caused this at 10,450 feet altitude. The views from up here approach 100 miles distance!At Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park, more erosion...lots of strange forms of erosions in this state. Simply amazing.Still at Bryce Canyon, this is called Natural Bridge, but it's really an arch.
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Post by diane44fan on Oct 1, 2014 18:42:42 GMT -5
Looks AMAZING!
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Post by Fire21 on Oct 1, 2014 21:32:31 GMT -5
Wish I could make the pics bigger, but don't know how.......
And yes, it is amazing, fantastic, awesome, breathtaking, incredible, etc.
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Post by Fire21 on Oct 1, 2014 22:06:43 GMT -5
Today we went to Zion Nat'l Park in southern Utah. The formations here are hard rock, compared to a softer form in the other parks we saw yesterday. I cannot explain to you how massive these formations are...they are beyond gigantic!!
This one is called Checkerboard. The lines in it are all natural. No idea why it formed this way.The layers of this region appear to be sedimentary rock, but they were affected by volcanic eruptions too.Looking down to where we will soon be. It was very steep and winding coming down into this canyon. Amazing scenery here!!
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Post by davishaus on Oct 2, 2014 11:59:41 GMT -5
WOW...!! just gorgeous......!! GOD sure does great things.......................
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Post by rudy088 on Oct 3, 2014 6:51:45 GMT -5
I was in Salt Lake City in 1996, we drove out of there to the mountains and I remember how large they were and they had a copper tone to them...they were gorgeous to look at...driving along the highway, you felt like you were miniature in a large world...
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Post by MTwomn on Oct 3, 2014 11:21:20 GMT -5
Have driven through those same areas many times. It never gets old. Amazing geology.
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Post by Fire21 on Oct 3, 2014 18:29:44 GMT -5
Today we moved the campers from Panguitch to Torrey, UT. We have seen some scenery the last few days, but nothing beats what we saw today! The Grand Canyon (yesterday) was simply amazing, but is a different sort of scenery from today. Both are simply stunning and breathtaking. I have no pictures yet today, so will try to work on some maybe this evening.
We didn't stop for any scenery pics today, but are staying here in Torrey for 3 nights, and will do some day trips out to the areas we passed today and will have time for pics. Dragging the trailers didn't allow stopping at the small picture turnouts. We went up some VERY steep inclines...my pickup was in 1st gear on a several of them...fuel mileage really stinks when doing that!! I haven't figured it yet, but it's not good! But we really gained some on the down-grades...one of them was 10%...steep!! More later.......
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Post by 88cars38 on Oct 6, 2014 14:44:20 GMT -5
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. They make me want to break out in song, How Great Thou Art. Thank you for sharing your vacation.
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Post by Fire21 on Oct 7, 2014 23:30:57 GMT -5
Wow, time flies...it's been 4 days since I've been here. No time to post any pics today. Saturday we drove the Burr Trail loop...outstanding scenery, and one of the steepest switch-back roads I've ever driven. Used 4-wheel drive to keep the tires from slipping on the loose gravel. Went to this tiny Catholic church Saturday night in Torrey, UT...the priest couldn't make it that day, so they had a Communion service done by a lay-minister. Cool!! Sunday we went to Capitol Reef Nat'l Park...the canyons are SOOO deep, and vertical walls!!! That afternoon we grocery shopped and did laundry. Monday we moved the trailers to Moab, stopping along the way at Goblin Valley State Park...cool rock formations. Today we went to Arches Nat'l Park, just a few miles from Moab...I'm out of words to describe these sights!!!! We are taking lots of pics, so will post some more when I get time...probably when we get home!! This trip is so fun, but we're beat at the end of each day. Speaking of which, it's bed time. See y'all another time!!
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Post by Fire21 on Oct 8, 2014 21:16:51 GMT -5
Today we went to Canyonlands Nat'l Park and Dead Horse Point State Park, both near Moab, UT. Dead Horse is on the way to Canyonlands, and both overlook the canyons that have been cut by the Colorado and Green Rivers. The scenery is very similar to Grand Canyon, but we all felt today's scenery is more colorful. It is about half the depth of Grand Canyon, and is narrower, which actually makes it more enjoyable because things are closer! We could see the erosion, the rock spires and outcroppings better.
Most of this scenery we've seen during this trip is red, orange, yellow and white sandstone rock. They are all formed from the same geologic formations, but each place has it's own distinct identifying characteristics. They are all incredibly beautiful, yet at the same time, so desolate. There is nothing that anyone could do with most of this region except make a lot of national and state parks. It is high arid desert, but just amazing to see.
Tomorrow we move down the road a ways to Monticello, UT, and will spend 3 days there looking over the offerings from that area.
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Post by Chris18 on Oct 11, 2014 12:57:04 GMT -5
Oh Bob your pictures are absolutely fantastic. I feel like I am along for the ride reading your posts. Thanks for sharing this with us.
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