Road Trip 2013: Wells, Nevada to Moab, Utah

9/24:  415 miles, and camped at Canyonlands Campground in Moab, Utah.

Wells, Nevada to Moab, Utah.

Site 77, Canyonlands Campground.

We left the campground in Wells about 7:30 in the morning.  As we crossed the state border into Utah, the time changes to the Mountain Time Zone, so we moved the clocks ahead an hour.  The sped limit on Interstate 80 across Utah is an unbelievable 80 miles per hour!! We didn't even try it.  In fact, not many vehicles were going that fast.  Maybe Utah is short on police, so they just raise the speed limit, and therefore don't have to issue speeding tickets.  :-))

80 speed limit sign.

As we approached St. Lake City, the Bonneville Salt Flats appeared.  The flats are a layer of densely pack salt pan, and is the site of many land speed records.  Interestingly, because of the salt mining that is occurring there, the flats now cover only 30,000 acres instead of the original 90,000 acres.

After leaving the flat landscape of the salt flats and Great Salt Lake, we crossed the Wasatch Mountains and headed south toward the red rock formations that make up Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

Pass through the Wasatch Mountain Range.

Entering the red rock formations of Moab.

We walked main street Moab for a bit and did some shopping.  Then it was just a short 10 minute walk from the campground to the Moab Brewery for dinner.

Wednesday 9/25: Drove 131 miles today.  We left the campground early in morning and arrived at Arches National Park by 7:15.  Good thing, because by 11:00, the park was mobbed with cars, campers and tour buses.  I have been to Arches twice before, but I have never seen so much traffic.  I don't know why it was so busy.

Delicate Arch

Trail to Sand Dune Arch.

Sand Dune Arch

Hiking to Broken Arch.

Broken Arch

Balanced Rock

Parked at a viewpoint.

Moon still showing in the sky.

The Three Gossips formation

After lunch in the camper, we moved on to Canyonlands National Park.

Monitor and Merrimac formation.

Geen River Overlook.

Green River canyons.

Pothole depressions, with Monitor and Merrimac formations in the distance.

We ended the day back at the campground and grilled a steak for dinner.  Thursday we head for Fort Collins and a tour of the New Belgium Brewery.  We will spend the night with Stan and Betsy (Koch) Johnston.  Getting closer to home........................