Moving from Moab, Utah, to Rock Springs, Wyoming
Oh, knew it was going to be a long day with 330 miles on state roads, probably taking 6-7 hours or so. We also decided to stop by the Dinosaur National Monument, so there's another hour at least, but worth it. Departing Moab at 9 a.m., we enjoyed the ever-changing landscape--what an amazing country we live in.
Train below the buttes.
Anna enjoys the ride her own way.
What lies beyond the wall?
More walls.
A guest teepee?
After a few hours Alex announces a sudden, urgent need to stop. Well, if you've ever travelled on back roads in the west, you know that civilization is sparse. And with the terrain, there are few places to pull off the road, especially with a 42' trailer in tow. But we did manage to find a wide place on the shoulder, and everyone hops out for a break (we use the rig facilities). We also find out that we missed a turn somewhere, being distracted by rocks and wildlife, and are a half-hour off course. Dang. Now we need to turn around, on this narrow steep curved hill we found, and backtrack. There goes another hour. Oh well.
We find our missed turn-off next to a working coal mine, and another train, or the same train. It was hard to tell.
The new road is a new adventure. Even narrower, curvier and steeper than the mild state highway we had been on. Soooo glad that G is driving. And so thankful for our truck's exhaust break, which gears-down the engine on long hills. Needless to say, it's slow going.
After many miles and hours, we find a little town, gas up, and take off toward the dinosaurs. It's my turn to drive, so naturally it starts raining. The road goes through a few small towns, but is wide and flat, but low speed limits and traffic lights make it slow. We reach the monument around 4 p.m., seven hours after our departure.
The Dinosaur National Monument is what's left over from a huge excavation site. About a third of it was left open and intact. Then they built a building around it. There are bones from hundreds of large dinos, that were all piled up on an ancient riverbed. It was so cool. Go if you get a chance.
Anna being 14.
We were allowed to touch a real bone. Cool.
Alex fills out a Jr. Ranger booklet.
Shuttle bus and storm clouds.
Alex and this Ranger discussed the inaccuracies in "Jurassic Park."
Getting his Dinosaur Jr. Ranger badge.
Upon leaving the monument, the wind and rain picked up. A small flock of birds was blown backwards into a field. Great. At lease G had rested enough to drive again. On to Rock Springs! Checking the map we found a short cut through the rural area near the dinos. It looked wide and straight enough to give it a go. Then about a 1/3 mile down, we saw a bridge, and the sign beside it: weight limit 6 tons. Humm. The trailer itself is 6 tons empty. oh boy. So, G gets to master a new driving skill -- backing up a narrow country road for 1/3 mile. It took 20 minutes and about 20 days off my life, but we didn't end up in the ditch. We did have a spectator or two:
O.K. so much for saving time. It's back to the main roads for us. Looking forward to the scenic drive through Flaming Gorge Park. Let's check the map:
Holy hairpin turns!
There were about 10 of these in a few short looong miles.
Mr. Cool under pressure. Nice gorge out your window. But no looking around for the driver.
Striped hills.
Even the dam is curvy.
Finally in Wyoming.
Mountain shadow.
With the scary roads behind us, we enjoyed the open range where we saw more deer than cars. Oh and we also saw a few range cows, who seem to think they're mountain goats.
Look closely at the guardrail.
Crazy cows.
The long and winding road.
Roadside church?
Eight hours and 55 minutes since we departed Moab. We're The interstate and a few buildings are in sight. Almost there. I think I can see the KOA sign in the distance. Then we see the orange barrels, and warning signs: Width Restriction 9 feet. Guess how wide our rig is? 8 feet. Yup, we have a mere 12 inches, that's only 6 for each side, to spare getting across two bridges. We have to laugh. And, yes, G got us through like a pro. Not a scratch. I bet the guy behind us was impressed, too.
The gods are testing us.
Finally get to stop at 9 p.m. Exhausted. Good night.
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