To say we covered a lot of ground on this trip would be an understatement. When planning this trip we knew the big stops we wanted to make and didn't plan much else so we were sure to have plenty of time to hike and just enjoy the beautiful scenery. Utah is a beautiful state and one I would encourage everyone to go and visit. And now, photo overload!
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Outside of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Visitor Center (y'all know I had to stop & get my National Park stamps!)
One of the 'to-see' spots on my mister's list was the Devil's Garden. The Devil's Garden is located 13 miles OFF the main (paved) road. This was, in some spots, a very rough ride but completely worth it to see the Devil's Garden.
There is a small parking lot at the end of the 13 miles and a short hike through Devil's Garden.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park.
Utah's state parks are a must if you have time on your journey through Utah. Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It was a little tricky to find as we thought we had turned onto a residential road/drive-way but all the way at the end of that road is the entrance to the state park. This state park is small but offers great information on the petrified forest.
Petrified Wood.
After our quick stop at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (there is a hike that you can take (straight uphill) to view more of the petrified forest) we continued on our journey to our last big stop of the day which was Capitol Reef National Park.
Our drive to Capitol Reed National Park took us once again through Dixie National Forest, which quickly became one of my favorite places. I was constantly amazed how the terrain was constantly changing.
And of course, I was making friends everywhere we went!
When this is your view while driving, it's hard to get anywhere fast.
Welcome to Capitol Reef National Park.
Petroglyphs! Petroglyphs have been on my 'to-see' list for years. I first became interested in petroglyphs in college. I attended/graduated from USC and while I knew I wanted to major in history (of course!), I wasn't so sure on my minor so I started out in Comparative Literature. However, while looking through which classes to take my first semester, I decided to take an anthropology class. Throughout this class we learned about petroglyphs and I was instantly hooked so much so that after my first semester I switched my minor to Anthropology and the rest is history!
I completely nerded out when I saw these petroglphys and I'm pretty sure I talked my mister's ear off about them for the rest of the night!
Hope you enjoyed these photo overload! Our next adventure takes us to a John Wayne theme restaurant and exploring goblins.
Happy Travels,
Amber
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