Everyone should float in the Great Salt Lake once in their lifetime. If you can get past the horrible stench, the rocky shoreline that gives way to slime between your toes, the millions of tiny brine shrimp that live in the water, and the incredible sting all over your body as the salt dries once you climb out, you’ll enjoy the extra buoyancy all that salt provides. Everyone should try it. Once. Luckily for us, we did try it – in 2005, so we didn’t have to do it again this trip.
Utah is The Beehive State, which was a nickname the Mormons gave the place from the metaphor they used for themselves and their beliefs. I think I’d call it the Red State – not because of politics, but because of the unbelievable red hues that color the earth.
We entered Utah near the town of Mexican Hat, aptly named for a nearby rock formation.
Our first serious rock encounter was at Arches National Park. The park is filled with over 2,000 gravity-defying arches, but with temperatures reaching 102 degrees, we appreciated their beauty from the cool, air-conditioned comfort of our rental car. We ventured out a couple of times to see the arches up close and wonder how they could ever stay intact (some don’t, of course) and to marvel at their beautiful red coloring.
Just for fun, we stayed in a cabin outside Arches. And it would have been fun, too, if only we were a family of one. A slight mix-up left us with a cabin that was most comfortable from the outside looking in. We managed to squeeze in and sleep, but we were definitely ready to break camp once the sun rose.
Leaving Arches, we drove to Bryce Canyon National Park through some spectacular beauty along I-40 and I-70 and state highways 191, 24 and 12. Desert rocks and cactus gave way to pine trees, aspen groves, and sometimes, quite surprisingly, barren ugliness.
We expected Bryce to be anti-climactic after the Grand Canyon, but we were very wrong. While it doesn’t have the massive scale of the Grand Canyon, Bryce is filled with gorgeous, quirky, bright red rock spires known as hoodoos. (You gotta love that name. I wonder if, once a hoodoo erodes into a pile of sand it is known as a hoodon’t.)
Best of all, at Bryce we were able to hike 3 miles into the canyon for a close-up look at the strange geology. Some of the hoodoos are named like the familiar objects they resemble, like this one: Queen Victoria. She’s wearing a crown and robe, clasping her hands in front of her. We also spotted some rare bristlecone pine trees, which were nearly 1,500 years old. That’s a lot older than 50.
We covered some territory in Utah. From Bryce, we drove straight up the state along I-15 all the way to Salt Lake. Along the interstate, we were a bit unnerved to see an 80 mile per hour speed limit test sign. I don’t want to know how they determine whether 80 mph is a good or bad idea.
After all the rock formations of Southern Utah, we took a look at a different sort of formation in Salt Lake – the man-made variety. We swung by the Capitol building to see the bronze beehives in front, then passed the Mormon Tabernacle.
Before we left Utah, we stopped at one of our favorite West Coast chain restaurants, The Old Spaghetti Factory. We also sampled a Utah scone, which bears absolutely no resemblance to the scones served with your tea. The Utah variety is closer to a donut, or maybe Indian fry bread. The scone is sliced open and filled with yummy stuff like honey butter, cinnamon apples, or even lunch meats for a hearty meal.
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Travel Tip! If you have a special item that you really want to bring on your trip – let’s say a pair of hiking poles that you desperately need to hike through National Parks because your 50-year-old knees don’t work like they used to – it’s a really good idea to actually pack the special item and bring it with you on the trip. You’ll find the special item is much more useful in your suitcase than sitting at home in your attic.
Marriage Tip! Don’t use your spouse as the special item you forgot to pack. His 50-year-old knees will not appreciate it.
2. Utah
Arches National Park