Steerpike

Using my elderly mom's visit as an excuse, I finally made it to three places I've been wanting to see for decades. We first drove up from Scottsdale to Monument Valley (AZ/UT border). Monument Valley far exceeded my expectations, and we spent hours on the dirt road drive around the base of the monuments (helps that I finally bought myself an AWD vehicle!). Tip to travelers - you are staying on the Navajo Nation, and there is NO ALCOHOL for sale anywhere (not even hotels, restaurants, etc) - so bring a pre-stocked cooler!

The next day, after seeing the monuments, we visited "Gooseneck State Park (a small gem!) and then on up highway 191 to Moab. I've always said that US 395 in Eastern CA is my favorite road to drive; I think that has been displaced by 191 in Utah - it's fast, devoid of traffic, and simply chock-full of gorgeous views - never boring.

Moab is an amazing town; a real surprise. I've been on road trips in Utah before, and while the scenery is fabulous, the towns suck (no alcohol in many of the restaurants, no life). Moab, on the other hand, has microbreweries left and right, and plenty of lively dining joints. I cannot explain this, but all mainstream bottled beer in Utah has to be 3.2% or less alcohol, but these bars are legally advertizing 9.3% this, 7.4% that ... go figure!

From Moab, you are only 20 miles away from the entrance to TWO top-class, jaw-dropping National Parks - Canyonlands, and Arches. We first went to Canyonlands. It is amazing; a bit like the Grand Canyon but on a more accessible scale, with tons of trails and viewpoints, and more variety (and VERY FEW people). Then we went to Arches ... Oh My God ... I have never seen such a beautiful place. I thought Bryce Canyon was the best NP ever, but Arches has displaced that now - endless formations of red rock, many of them arches of course, but much, much more. More popular than Canyonlands, but - you can see why and it's worth every second you spend there.

After Moab, we needed to head back to CA for mom's return flight, so we simply cut across Utah on Highway 50 towards Nevada; another spectacular road, not as delightful as 191, but in perfect condition, divided, and - virtually NO traffic! We were asking ourselves ... why did they build this road?! We spent a rather dull night in 'Ely, NV' then continued along Highway 50 all the way to the Bay Area, via Reno and Tahoe. Highway 50 in Nevada has the designation 'the loneliest road in America' and you can see why - we could drive for 10 minutes and not see a single car ... this is just unheard of! Again, we wondered, why did they build this road! The drive was quite beautiful, except a few dull bits in the middle, and then it turned to utter crap about 20 miles east of Reno, and stayed crap till you got into CA at Tahoe.

Once again, Utah has reinforced my opinion that it is visually the best state to visit (but I'm not done exploring yet!).

Pulaski

Sounds like a cool trip, and one I must do some time. I have wanted to visit Arches NP since I first heard about it, but I was not aware of the others.

AmerLisa

Awesome pictures! I must admit we haven't ventured too far from our usual trips down to Cali or Oregon. Would love to go east some day and see other sights. I've been that way, but never my husband or daughter.

joto

I'm jealous. Those places are on my bucket list. Glad you had a great trip.

BunnyGirl

Photos are amazing! Sounds like you had a fab time

Jerseygirl

We have photos exactly like the first two. Monument Valley is amazing...also been to Canyonlands and Arches. What a great experience for your aging mum.

SultanOfSwing

Nice one. I'll get out there myself one of these days.

I've developed rather an interest in visiting the southwest over the last couple of years, these kinds of pictures help reinfoce it.

N1cky

Thanks for this, this is a trip I would love to do too and spent some time researching last year. I decided we couldn't do it justice and would be too knackered to enjoy it with only 7 days available though, so put it off until another time.

SanDiegogirl

I am doing this exact same trip in May.

We have visited Zion and Bryce before, taking in a bit of Canyonlands, but have not been to Arches. So looking forward to it.

We are driving up via Las Vegas. Get in a bit of the crazy night life before heading off for fresh air and hiking.

Bob

Sounds fantastic!

Would love to do something like that myself.

We are driving out to Indiana and then coming back via Chicago and Niagara Falls this summer, which would be my longest road trip, but don't think the sites will quite be up to that.

We did just do the old coastal Rt1 route up to Bar Harbor last week, up in Maine, which is a lovely drive, heading off the motorway at Brunswick, by Freeport. Wasn't any traffic so only added about a 30 hour or so, compared to I-95 to Augusta and then Rt1 via Belfast, but it's a good couple hour detour in the summer holidays and about an hour or so more than going I-95 to Bangor and heading east from there.

Fun driving past Thomaston and the prison there, which was where Shawshank Redemption was set.

What was a shame was the observation deck on the bridge from Stockton Springs to Verona Island was closed, as was Fort Knox, the original fort, as it's a cracker of a view. Can get a good view of the fort from across the river in Bucksport and it does look fab at night though, for anyone that'll be in the area

lansbury

Is this a sign posted road, or are there maps to it? We are planning a trip there and as Mrs L has difficulty walking being able to drive that sort of road would greatly enhance her enjoyment. Just trying to plan ahead.

Great photos, really fired me up to go asap.

SanDiegogirl

You can happily drive around Monument Valley on paved roads and see everything there is to see. Also around the other parks.

If you want to get up really close and perhaps do some hiking you sometimes need to take a dirt road.

lansbury

Thanks that sounds good for us.

MMcD

" I wouldn't make a Western on the backlot. I think you can say the real star of my Westerns has always been the land" - John Ford

.....and not just any old land.
Monument Valley is integral to many, many of Fords masterpiece classics - including "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", "My Darling Clementine" etc.

kins

We did a similar trip - except we did a flight over Canyonlands which was incredible.

Utah is amazing.