Day 11 Tuesday, May 24 Arches National Park / Moab to Torrey, Utah

We had breakfast, checked out and within a half hour we were in Arches National Park.  We climbed up on the huge mesa and proceded to the far end of the park.  Unlike Canyonlands, in Arches you are looking up at the rock formations as opposed to down into canyons.  We started at the Double Windows Arches.  This was a pair of nearly identical arches situated at the end of the bluff similar to Mesa Arch the day before.  Next we hiked to the adjacent Double Arch.  This involved our longest hike of the day at approximately 2.5 miles.  The views at Windows and Double Arch were great and we agreed that if that was the only stop of the day, we could leave the park and feel like it was a success.

We drove past Balanced Rock and Garden of Eden rock formations enroute to Delicate Arch.  Delicate Arch was high on a mountain of solid rock and much higher than either the upper or lower view points.  We climbed the half mile to the upper view point and I scaled the rock for another few hundred yards for a better view.  Delicate Arch looks small from a distance, however viewing through binos revealed tiny people standing in its shadows.  All along the way, we were treated to beautiful yellow, purple, white wild flowers.  We also observed cactus flowers in the park.   We were also fortunate to have bright sunshine which illuminated the red rock formations.  We returned to the entrance of the park after the long desent of switch-backs and left Arches and Moab.

We headed north on 191 out of town and rejoined I-70 west with its 80 miles per hour speed limit.  We stopped in Green River for a late lunch.  Another hour of so we exited onto Utah 72 south.  This was a good road through mountains and valleys and we saw only two cars and a road construction crew the entire drive down to Lyman.  At one point we were nearly 9000 feet elevation and there were remnants of snow and high wind over rocky hillsides that contained no crops, livestock or houses.  

We arrived in Torrey at 5:00 PM.  After unloading, we decided we needed a little relaxation so we sat in the hot tub for a while.  We had dinner at a local restaurant and will be trying to catch up on rest as we hope to get an early start tomorrow.  Signing off for now...  

Day 10, Monday, May 23 Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse State Park Moab, Utah

We enjoyed breakfast and had a nice visit with Jason, the owner of the B&B, and other guests who opted for the early seating.  Our first stop of the day was to the Moab Information Center to get maps of the parks.  Then on to  pick up sandwiches at a grocery store for our day in the parks where there would be no food service.  

We began our excursions by driving to the Grand View Overlook and hiking trail at the far end of Canyonlands National Park.  Here, we covered 2 miles of beautiful scenery as we traversed the top of a bluff until we came to a point where the it ended and we found a drop off to the desert floor.  The canyons that we looked down on had various levels as there were canyons within canyons.  We scrambled up to a high point on the rocks and for a moment were king and queen of the hill!  We enjoyed the various wild flowers that we encountered along the trail.

We returned to the car and drove to the Green River Overlook.  As the name implies, the overlook provided a view of a river and the lush green vegetation which grew along it’s banks.  The next stop was at the Mesa Arch.  Here we did another hike of approximately a mile where we hiked down to a large arch which was at the edge of a high bluff providing a perfect natural frame for pictures.  The background of the picture included white topped mountains as well as the canyon.  We also noticed the area was more desert-like with sand and cacti.

The National Park Pass did not work at our next stop - Dead Horse State Park.  The main attraction here was at the end of a four mile drive and the end of a different bluff.  This overlook also had trails and we hiked another 3/4 of a mile as we explored the rim and took in the views.  One of which was of the likeness of a horse on its side in the rock below.  Another view revealed large salt water pools where they were harvesting table salt.  Like the Utah sky, these pools were very blue and clear.

Due to reservations for our next stop, we returned back to the main road and Moab.  We boarded a jet boat and the next thing we knew we were zipping along at 40 mph down the Colorado River, now looking up at the high rock walls of the same canyon that we had been looking down on.  Our captain and guide had a great sense of humor, which added to the trip and scenery.  Speaking of scenery, we stopped at the famous “Wall Street” - famous, that is to rock climbers from all over the world.  We spotted a half dozen climbers at various elevations on a mile long expanse of rock “wall” gripping the rock or tapping in.  Some were free climbing without the use of ropes.  Our guide also pointed out a jeep traversing a stretch of rock that was just flat enough for attempts to drive it. The challenge was to drive this with your vehicle in tact. At best, you would bang up your ATV or vehicle, at worst, you would overturn, get stuck, or end up in the river!

Another stop was at a series of Indian Writings on the same rock wall further down stream.  These were 1000+ year old carvings of men and animals.  They were 10-15 feet from the ground level, and it was explained that at that time, the floor of the canyon was at that level.  We also went by two arches and Long’s Canyon, where several movies and commercials (Jeep) were filmed.  We turned around at the salt mine and headed back upstream.  The highlight of the return trip was our up close and personal beaver encounters!  We were able to see adults and adolescent beavers going about their business in the wild.  The largest one we saw must have been 70-80 pounds!

The boat ride culminated with a series of high speed turns as a form of grand finale to our trip.  Spray was flying and we were rocking as the jet boat created huge wakes in the river that continued to lap the side of the boat as we nestled up to the dock.  The boat ride also included dinner which we enjoyed in a dining hall along with our fellow passengers Gary and Carol from Michigan who we met on the boat.  Dinner was cafeteria style and include a nice variety of food and was well done.  

Teare noted the time and we realized the Cavs game was probably at a critical point, so we went looking for the game.  We found it at the first place we came to in Moab.  Unfortunately, the Cavs tost their second game of the Eastern Conference final series and now it is tied 2-2.  We drove a very dark, winding road back home to our B&B.   The stars were brilliant out in the dark canyons away from any ambient light.  Mars was a red dot low in the southern sky.  Neither of us had any trouble sleeping….

  

Day Nine Sunday, May 22 Granby, Colorado to Moab, Utah

We enjoyed breakfast with the Stahls and were on the road by 8:00.  We really appreciated their warm hospitality.  Jerry had mentioned a scenic route which would take us along the Colorado River and would reconnect with I-70.  This involved heading west on 40 to Kremmling, then southwest on Grand County 1 to State Bridge, then south to I-70.  This involved about 26 miles on a dirt & gravel road and afforded great views of the Colorado River and snow-capped mountains.  We spotted antelope and were very thankful to have taken the “road less traveled”.

Our route continued west on I 70 through the Glenwood Canyon and all the great sites along the way to our lunch stop in Palisade.  Here we exited the interstate and took Route 6 to Grand Junction.  From here, we accessed the Colorado National Monument.  This was another suggestion that we were glad we pursued.  The cliff-side drive along free standing rock formations, mesas, and the distant vistas provided amazing overlooks.  We spotted golden eagles soaring through the Ute Canyon.  We were able to use our National Park Pass and we were thankful photography has gone digital, because we would have burned through a few rolls of film in the old days…

Exiting the park, we turned west and in a matter of 20 minutes we entered Utah.  The topography of large rock mesas gave way to more wide-open skies for a while as we headed south on Utah 128.  We picked up the Colorado River again, (our travel companion all day long) and returned to an area of bright red rock mountains and mesas.  We turned up a road prior to Moab and checked into the Castle Valley Inn.  This Bed & Breakfast is snuggled right up to some of the most beautiful country we have seen.  After we were situated, we went to dinner at the Red Cliff Ranch, site of many western movies including “Rio Grande” with John Wayne and “Wagon Wheel”.  The cliffs opposite the ranch and the adjacent Colorado River was the famous last scene of “Thelma and Louise”.   We had a great view from our table as seen below.   

After dinner we toured the museum of famous movies shot in the Moab area.  Afterward, we returned to the Inn and Teare researched area sites while I caught you up on the day’s events.  Thanks for visiting the blog and we hope you are enjoying the trip!

Day 8 Saturday May 21 Granby / Winter Park, Colorado

Carolyn served a delicious breakfast and we enjoyed the views from the kitchen table.  We drove the short distance to Snow Ranch YMCA in Winter Park.  This is where the Stahls had served as volunteers.  We started our tour of the nearly 5000 acre complex by climbing up to the single family cabins.  The views looking back at the Western Range were impressive.

We drove down to the main administration building where we met their son, Jeff.  He had Max, his golden retriever with him.  We were going to head up to Columbine Point, but had to turn around  due to the ice and snow.  We ended up having a picnic lunch next to the Administration Building.  We met Truman and Wendy Hoffmeister.  Truman is the director of the YMCA and his wife Wendy helps with various projects.  The wind kicked up and took one of our paper plates for a long distance ride.  No worry when you have a faithful yellow lab with you!

After lunch, we drove to Winter Park and walked the Fraser River Trail.  This was a paved trail which wound along the Fraser RIver through spruce trees.  The trail ran next to a beaver dam and a few clearings, but most of it was through the trees.  We ended up hiking nearly 6 miles.   

We returned to the Stahl home, cleaned up and drove to the Grand Elk Golf Club for dinner  as the full moon rose above the mountains.  We returned home and visited until the end of the day.  Another great day in Colorado!

Day 7 Friday, May 20 Denver to Granby, Colorado

Our Hampton provided a breakfast and we took full advantage of it.  After some phone calls, we headed West on 470 and I-70.  Traffic was moving well and we did not have any rush hour issues.  We stopped a couple times to take in the views as we picked up 40 toward Granby.  We made a stop in Winter Park and took a short walk to stretch our legs.  Soon after, we arrived at our destination; the Stahl residence in Granby.  Their home is on the side of a hill so the views of the mountains and the town of Granby below are even better.  Jerry and Carolyn and their dogs (Belle and Jody) provided a tour of the neighborhood.  The ‘neighborhood” includes hiking trails, beautiful views, and a ski area in their back yard.

Next we headed east on US 34 to Shadow Mountain Lake where we took a short hike down to the headwater of the Colorado River.  We spotted some eaglets in a nest but mom and dad must have been out fishing at the time.  Afterwards we continued on what becomes Trail Ridge Road once you are in Rocky Mountain National Park.  We came upon a field where a cow moose and her calves were grazing.

Next we came to Grand Lake and the Village which nestles up to the lake and mountains.  We drove past the Stahl’s former condo which had excellent views of the lakes and village.  Our next stop was at Adams Falls within Rocky Mountain National Park.  This popular spot is an easy walk and the falls are well worth the effort.

Our final stop was Grand Lake Village.  The downtown area could easily double as an old west town movie set with it’s wooden sidewalks and wide street.  The shops and restaurants are very much alive and it looked like a welcome oasis after a day of fishing or hiking.  

We returned to the house and had a delicious pasta dinner and a great time catching up with the Stahls.

Day 6 Thursday, May 19 North Platte, Nebraska to Denver Colorado

We were up early, had breakfast in the hotel and listened to the continuing saga of our audio book as we pointed the car westward.  We stopped once in Brush, Colorado for a pit stop and coffee and continued on through the plains of eastern Colorado.  We arrived at our designated lunch location, AVANTI’S, a little early.  We chatted with the hostess, Caroline, while we waited.  Soon our lunch friends all arrived; Megan Rybacki (former neighbor in Seville), Brandon Fast and Tom Milewski (former Westfield associates), and later on, Ryan, (Megan’s friend).  Avanti’s is a two story building which houses a half dozen separate food operations and a full bar.  It is located in the Highlands section of Denver and the second story open air seating affords great views of downtown Denver.  We enjoyed lunch and our visit!

After lunch, we followed Megan to her apartment near the foothills,  jumped in her Jeep and drove the short distance through Morrison to RED ROCKS.  There was a graduation ceremony at the actual ampitheatre, so we contiuned on to the hiking trails.  The trek to the top was approximately 2.5 miles.  We had a perfect day for this hike, and the sunshine on the rock made it very clear how the area was named.  We enjoyed the easy climb and the beautiful views.  At the top, we took a brief rest and looked out over Denver and the southern suburbs.  I brought binos and we could see the airport from our rocky perch.

We spotted a couple mule deer on the way down and returned to Megan’s place.  We drove around 470 which was full of traffic now as it was rush hour.  We just had enought time to check into our Lone Tree hotel before meeting Tom and Brandon at BROTHERS just up the road.  We enjoyed our visit, dinner, trivia contest (where we were soaring then crashed and burned), all while watching the Cavs beat the Raptors in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

What a great day of exploring, friends, and hiking in beautiful Colorado! 

Day 5, Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Des Moines, Iowa to North Platte, Nebraska

We now resume the TRIP ACROSS AMERICA portion of our adventure…

We retrieved the car from a nearby parking deck and loaded up for the trip west.  Our first stop was DRAKE UNIVERSITY on the northwest side of town.  We drove around the campus, parked Paula the Impala, and found an open gate to the DRAKE STADIUM, home of the Drake Relays.  We met up with one of the grounds keepers who informed us they were hosting the Iowa State Track Meet the next day.  The Drake Bulldog Stadium is distinctive in that it has a blue track.  Next, we walked through the Drake campus quad to a fountain and refection pool and then returned to the car and I-80 West.  

Our next stop was CRACKER BARREL just outside of Des Moines west of town in Clive, IA.  Our stop at a Cracker Barrel confirms that we are truly on vacation as this was always a tradition during our family vacations where road trips were involved.  

I-80 has an exit for Van Meter, Iowa.  This is an especially small town probably a half hour to 45 minutes West of Des Moines.  As a Cleveland Indian fan, I was pulled by strong gravitational forces toward Van Meter as it is the home of a former Indian legend and the museum which honors him.  That legend is Bob Feller.  The museum shares a small brick building with City Hall.  I remember reading about the museum in the paper and now we were seeing the Feller/ Cleveland Indians memorbilia.  Apparently, Bob had been a good friend of Ted Williams as there were several photos of the two of them long after their playing days had ended.  The amazing fact about Feller, other than his opening day no hitter at old White Sox Comiskey Park in 1940 was that he was a major league starter for the Indians at the age of 17!  Teare also enjoyed the small museum and we were glad we ventured off the highway for this oasis of Cleveland sports history.

We crossed the Missouri River and the sign read NEBRASKA - our fourth state out of Ohio.  Welcome to OMAHA.  For some reason, Peyton Manning came to mind…  We drove downtown and stopped at the visitor center.  We chatted with the guy from the Visitor Center for a while, then headed back to the river and the suspension walking bridge over the river.  We walked the bridge to the middle and there was a line which represented the state line between Iowa and Nebraska.  We had our picture taken with one foot in each state.  It was a pleasant warm day and walking felt great.  

Back in the car, we  drove past the College Baseball World Series stadium and then explored CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY.  You know by now we like to visit colleges...  We bid farewell to Omaha and headed for Lincoln.  We drove down to Lincoln and we pulled off at NEBRASKA MEMORIAL STADIUM - home of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers Football team.  We were surprised to find the complex was visitor-friendly and have a self-guided tour around the facility.  The tour included a video of Nebraska Heisman Trophy winners, statues of famous coaches, awards from National Championships and Bowl Games. evolution of the Nebraska uniform, etc.  The tour also wound around to the track and field complex which was very impressive as it was framed in by the old columns of a stadium which was never built but now resembles Roman ruins.  Perhaps the best part of the tour was the gate which is left open to the public to enter the stadium and walk to an overlook over one of the end zones with a great vantage point of the rest of the stadium.  The stadium reminded us of the shoe at Ohio State or Illinois Memorial Stadium - concrete icons of their era and impressive venues.

Afterward, we drove to the State Capitol Building but chose to simply view but not enter as we still had many miles to go before we sleep…

We drove to Kearney, Nebraska via I-80 and stopped at a Pizza Hut for dinner.  From Kearney, we drove to North Platte, Nebraska.  It was starting to get dark and we spotted owl, deer and coyotes in the fields enroute to our final destination.  After a brisk walk, we called it a night and updated the account of the day.  Our goal for tomorrow is an ambitious one…organize, breakfast, drive, and arrive in South Denver by lunch time….   better get some rest…   We’ll fill you in tommorrow night from Colorado!