Honeymoon3 - UTAH: The Beehive State

Bryce Canyon National Park

......continues from NEVADA....

After crossing the border, we head straight for the small national park of Bryce. We pass through the town of St. George and continue north. We begin to savour the silence and calm after all the noise of deafening Las Vegas. The vast spaces, the trucks, the colours. Finally, the United States we love most. We enter the Red Canyon region right after the lunch stop, and so we decide not to stop at the village but to continue directly to visit the park. We drive through all of it, stopping at every available viewpoint, from which ever-new, fascinating panoramas reveal themselves. In reality, there are four or five that shouldn't be missed, among them Rainbow Point, Bryce Point, Sunset Point. Compared to the snowy scenery we saw in the dead of winter, this is certainly more beautiful, but the crowds of tourists are far larger.

Admiring the spires, the famous hoodoos, from the terraces and their colour shades is the first strong emotion of this trip. And even though it is one of the smallest parks, it still manages to make you feel small. Small before the masterpiece that water and wind have created. Once we've finished the viewpoints, we set off on the Navajo Rim Trail, which starts at Sunset Point. The view as you descend through the red sand into the chasm of the canyon is even more imposing. Absolutely not to be missed. With the sun now low, after admiring the deepening red of the rocks, we go to settle into our hotel. Here we stay at the Bryce View Lodge, just a few miles from the park entrance. It's the typical American motel, with small and rather spartan rooms, but clean and more than sufficient for a single night. In no time the weather changes and a fine summer storm breaks loose.

From 46 degrees this morning, it's now 12, and the atmosphere is truly that of high mountains. To eat, we choose a family-style steak house along Highway 12; in fact, eating at the village turns out to be impossible, since all the tourists present gather at Ruby's Inn, creating endless waits! Here a nice hot soup is welcome, as is finding ourselves under the quilt very early... ready for another intense day.

Towards Monument Valley......passing through Arizona

We leave early and turn south, along the 89, with our final destination being the Navajo Tribal Park, that is, the legendary Monument Valley. But this will only be the end of our day, which includes a first, intense pass through Arizona.

.........continues in ARIZONA..............

........continues from ARIZONA..............

When we are close to the park entrance, we cross the border with Utah again, in San Juan County. Before us looms a huge storm cloud, which seems to be getting closer and closer. Numerous lightning bolts begin to fall in front of us, making the panorama even more attractive. We would like to stop and attempt the shot of the century, but the wind kicks up the sand, so we prefer to go straight to the hotel and settle in. For the overnight stay we have chosen Goulding's Lodge, a historic tradepost, an outpost of the valley's history and of cinema. The Lodge is very nice, nestled beneath one of the majestic red rock walls of the area. Our room is large, carefully detailed, with a small terrace with table and chairs, whose true must is the view. Before us is the wonder of what all the westerns have celebrated.

Since the weather shows no sign of improving, we postpone the visit to the Monument to tomorrow and spend the rest of the afternoon at the Lodge, visiting its museum. Here there is the life of Mr. Goulding and his friend John Ford, and there is the history of western cinema and not only. There are so many films, more or less famous, that were shot here; just think of Back to the Future, Forrest Gump and many others whose protagonists were all guests of the lodge. The confusion with the times at the state change makes us lose track of the fact that the restaurant is about to close. In fact, the hotel restaurant, even in high season, closes at 10:00 p.m. sharp. So we have dinner and then enjoy a night-time view lit by the moon of what is, for me, the most beautiful scenery in America.

BEST of UTAH

Even without an alarm, it's very early when we open our eyes. The desire to watch the sunrise from our terrace is so strong that by 6:00 we are already in position. Piping-hot coffee and camera. All around, only silence and immensity. One of the most magical moments this trip has given us. This morning the weather is wonderful, not hot and with a clear sky. We couldn't have wished for better to undertake the 17 miles of the loop inside the Navajo Tribal Park. Without any hurry, we stay almost an hour on the terrace in front of the visitor centre to fully enjoy and truly internalise what is before us. The time allows us to do it on our own, and this aspect may seem silly, but it makes all the difference. It takes us about three hours to complete the loop.

Every point is a surprise, every corner is different, every minute that passes helps you understand a little of the sacredness of the place and what it represents for the Navajo who live there. We're sorry to leave. Very. But another road awaits us. The second emotion of the day comes early. We stop along US Scenic 163, at that exact point that has so many times represented the postcard and the very image of the United States. Once again the marvellous sense of freedom and peace overwhelms us. You have to try it to believe it. We continue north. We pass near Mexican Hat and then north again, towards Moab, our final destination. In reality, our next lodge is not in the town itself, but about 18 miles away, along US Scenic 128. The road runs alongside the Colorado River, venturing into a canyon with steep, very red walls. Thus we reach the Red Cliff Lodge, a resort more than a lodge.

Its "cabins" are all nestled on the banks of the Colorado in an isolated setting of rare beauty. Our room was enormous, with separate living area, bed and bathroom. Large, comfortable, spotlessly clean, in perfect country style. The terrace, also large, had direct access to the garden. Dream view. The fully equipped kitchen allowed us to avoid the restaurant for two evenings, and to enjoy romantic dinners by moonlight directly in the room. Our day doesn't end here. It's around 4:00 p.m. when we reach the entrance to ARCHES national park. We will drive all the accessible roads, stopping at the different viewpoints. The park is not as big as many others, it is compact and certainly very beautiful. The formations found there differ within just a few miles of each other, and this makes it appealing.

But honestly, we expected much more, if you compare it to the advertising and the hype made about it. The natural arches present are not easily visible or reachable, some not even from a distance. Especially those in the most remote area of the park. The famous "Delicate Arch", reproduced everywhere, even on the state symbol, is geologically a marvel, but if you don't want to face a strenuous climb at forty degrees, it is visible only from afar, and that diminishes it a bit. Another famous spot is the "balanced rocks" area, this one easily accessible. Anyway... too overhyped. This area has much better to offer. We return to the hotel rather tired, and spend the evening there.

CANYONLANDS & ..........

Today the day is dedicated to the two jewels of the Moab area. We leave early, the weather is wonderful. Before reaching Canyonlands national park, we detour to the very small Dead Horse Point State Park. Here the "Park Pass" is not valid and we have to buy a ticket, but they could ask even triple considering what it's worth! There are only two observation points, but both truly leave you breathless. The park is little known, most tourists continue on to the nearby and far better known Canyonlands, which allows you to witness the spectacle in almost complete solitude. Instead, if you're short on time, you'd do better to do the opposite. It is here that the final scene of "Thelma & Louise" was shot, and not in the Grand Canyon. We stayed at the overlook for almost two hours, without noticing time passing.

Losing your gaze and mind down there in the void is a balm for the spirit, hard to explain, but you feel good. We too continue towards Canyonlands. This park, on the other hand, is enormous, divided into three remote areas hundreds of miles apart from each other. Here the "Island in the Sky" region is visitable. At the visitor centre, images of the other two are visible, and we are saddened that we cannot go to "The Maze", the most isolated and unreachable one..... Here too we drive all the available miles and stop at the various viewpoints. The most beautiful is certainly the Green River Overlook, where we stay quite a while looking at the immensity of what is before us. Unfortunately, the heat is beginning to become unbearable, and this reluctantly forces us back into the car.

Fulfilled and happy, we go to lunch in Moab, where we look at a few little western shops and do some shopping to prepare another romantic dinner at our lodge. We spend the afternoon in complete relaxation, alternating a good book on the terrace with the pool. Tomorrow we set off again, and we fully enjoy this paradise.

Towards COLORADO

This morning we set off again. Destination Colorado. Only about a hundred miles separate us from the border. We say goodbye to Utah and its wonders, until next time...

.......continues in COLORADO...........