When we were invited to my grandniece Callie’s high school graduation in Spring Creek, Nevada, it was a perfect opportunity to investigate visiting some of the National Parks of Utah…definitely a bucket list item. After some research, I chose South West Adventure Tours. The small group format, opportunity to do some hiking and a one-week duration fit the bill. The tour started an ended in Salt Lake City, which was our flight destination.
We arrived in SLC late Sunday afternoon and checked into our hotel (Courtyard by Marriott) and found a great restaurant for a light dinner (Settebello Pizzaria) for some authentic Napoletana pizza…YUM!
We were ready to go at 7 am Monday morning and found our guide, Joe in the lobby along with our 9 travel mates for the next week – Barb and Gus (Ohio), Madelon (Ohio), Louise (Ohio), Janice (Pennsylvania), Scott, Mick and Aiden Warner (Grandfather, Father and Son from Ohio), Enid (New Jersey). And off we went!
Day 1 – University of Utah – Price, Canyonlands, Moab
Driving down Hwy 15, Joe explained that we would stop at the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price, Utah to get an appreciation of the lands and life that were 3 billions years in the making. We would be visiting and walking on these lands over the next week.
While in Price, Joe took us to Tangerine Eatery to order lunch for a picnic in Canyonlands National Park. Great little restaurant…the breakfasts looked amazing. Lunches resided on the back seat of the van, next to Aiden. There was some concern about having a teenager looking after them but they were well guarded!
Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky
Our visit to Canyonlands focused on the Island in the Sky . This section is flanked by the Green River to the west and the Colorado River to the east. It creates a mesa that appears to be an “island”, boasting views of horizons over 100 miles away.
We stopped at the White Rim Overlook to have our picnic lunch. It took a few passes to find a group leaving their picnic table. Once we parked and started setting up for lunch, we realized how windy it was! Everyone had one hand on their box lunch as they ate with the other! The sand was blowing everywhere.
After lunch we had some time to explore. Craig and I started on one trail with the others, but decided to walk the Gooseberry Trail that Joe recommended (about 30 – 40 minutes out and back). The varying terrain, interesting rock formations and views of Gooseberry and Monument Canyons are stunning, even with the gusty winds. We didn’t realize that none of the others had decided to take this trail. They were sheltered from the wind and sand in the van and Joe set out to find us. We were almost back when we met him. Oops!
Next stop was at the end of the Island in the Sky Road at the Grand View Point Overlook. We could see the definition of the White Rim which is a sandstone bench about 1200 ft below. Also visible is a section of White Rim Road which is about 100 miles long used by 4-wheelers to explore the area.
White Rim and the meandering road 
No, we will not take a step back! 
What a photographer does to get a great shot!
Final stop was at Mesa Arch, a famous photography spot at sunrise. An easy 15 minute walk brought us to this popular site and even in the afternoon, the views were amazing. Not too many people around late in the afternoon so we were able to get some good shots. Shout out to Gus (a fellow photographer in our group) for using my camera to take pictures of Craig and me.
We didn’t have time to have a look at Dead Horse State Park to see where the final scene of Thelma and Louise were filmed. It is located just outside the park boundaries. Next time…
Moab and an unfortunate discovery
Onward to Moab where we would spend the next two nights. Time for a shower before heading out for a group dinner. It was a this time that I noticed my wallet was missing. I thought it must have fallen out of my backpack in the van – but it wasn’t there. What can you do? I resigned myself to cancelling credit cards right away and replacing my driver’s license and other ID when I got home. Fortunately we still had Craigs credit and debit cards to use.
Dinner was good, but service was extremely slow. I’m thinking that Joe will be finding a different venue for the next tour group. Back to the hotel for a quiet evening. The hotel was spacious and comfortable and close to everything. Homewood Suites Moab
Next Post – Day 2 at Arches National Park
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