Days 11-12

Now the new plan was to route through Moab, Utah. We thought we could get a quick motel, and see the Arches National Park the next day. We drove from Durango through Silverton and Ouray over to Moab, Utah for several hours of winding roads and beautiful scenery; we passed up many great shots along the way. In a mere few hours we drove from luscious mountain valleys to a desert on fire. We saw the sky filled with smoke horizon to horizon.

Finally we arrived in Moab, the home to the Arches National Park. The last time I was there was when my now twenty-four year old daughter was one year old. My wife and I took turns carrying her up a three mile round trip hike. We trudged through the hot desert on a steep climb to the Delicate Arch. And of course I was carrying a heavy pack of photo equipment and dragging two other children along the way.

This time it was hot, windy, dusty, and crowded with people from all over the country. Evidently the Moab area is also a mecca for people who compete in ATV events. Well we got there and all motels were booked. We tried to get a campsite, all booked up. We hit a couple of shops, ate, and decided to go see the Arches. Well, wouldn’t you know it; the car line was several hours long. So we said, “heck with it”, we drove north, dodging fires, to the next open motel in Price, Utah, 115 miles away. Thus, ending the first bad day of our trip; day eleven. 

We could have camped at a road side park and had better accommodations than this motel in Price, but we got up the next morning, ate breakfast at Denny’s, and put the previous day’s experience in our rearview mirror, and off we went with Yellow Stone on our mind. We drove up through Provo, cut east around the mountains and across towards Interstate 80 through Heber City when, wouldn’t you know it, one of our tires went bad. 

After a couple of hours, we were back on the road, got on Interstate 80 headed for Wyoming. We crossed state line and became detained as authorities as they inspected and licensed our kayaks to enter the state.  Then we stopped to eat Mexican food in Evanston, bad idea.  Anyway, we finished the day’s drive through Jackson Hole, Wyoming, up to Grand Tetons National Park which is right next door to our new ultimate destination, Yellowstone National Park.