We went to the Great Salt Lake next. We were excited to see this salt water lake. I mean we love the ocean and we love the lake so a salt lake was going to be great! It was the complete opposite of great. It smelled awful. There were dead birds on the shore. There were 1.5 billion brine flies surrounding the water. It was complete yuck. The sand was very crunchy, like walking on broken glass. That was cool. But that was all.
We ended the day at a Salt Lake Bees baseball game. Baseball is always fun and we had to be on our toes for the foul balls coming at our heads.
Overall, we would not recommend adding Salt Lake City to your bucket list. Unless your Mormon, then you should go.
After leaving Salt Lake we made our way south as quickly as possible. We made it to Southwest Utah last time and were excited to explore the Southeast. Southern Utah does not disappoint. Ever.
It is simply beautiful. We started our adventure in Arches National Park. It was 4,327 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. A perfect day to hike at noon. After nearly melting a number of times, we saw the arches and windows. Amazing!
Canyonlands National Park was next. Another natural beauty one must see. The hike to Mesa Arch provided stunning views!
We had to rescue a new friend at the top of the mountain. Cathy from Wisconsin and her family were stranded. Their car wouldn't start because it had over heated. (Because it really was 4,327 degrees outside). We have zero room in Patty but we shuffled some things around and took her to the visitors center and (hopefully) phone reception. It all worked out, car got started, and everyone continued their journey!
This little excursion was actually perfect because it put us in the right spot at the right time. After getting Cathy back to her family we headed back to where we left off. It was there we ran into Mindi's aunt and uncle!!! She didn't even know they were traveling! What a fun surprise!
A 4:40 a.m. windstorm nearly took us out. We made it out unscathed and the tent still intact.
We so wanted to visit Four Corners on Road Trip America but it didn't work out. We knew we had to get there this time! What fun!! Four places at once..Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico. There were Navajo Indians selling their jewelry and art. So much talent!! We wanted so much and made sure we bought something from each state! We also had some yummy fry bread before leaving.
We headed the Colorado route out of four corners to Mesa Verde National Park. Oh. My. Goodness. This was IN. CRE. DI. BLE. We were in complete awe of how these homes were built and the way the Pueblo lived. We took the Balcony House tour and it was the best!! We had to climb several steep ladders to get to the cliff dwelling. Be proud of Mindi, she did not want to do this but did not freak out!
Those of you that followed our journey in 2014 may remember a speeding situation that happened in Wyoming. The same situation has happened in Colorado. This kind officer felt the need to give more than a warning. I now owe the beautiful state of Colorado $160. I hope they put my money to good use.
I plan on paying this online so I can keep my citation. It's the most expensive souvenir I've ever bought.
Colorado is home to Great Sand Dunes National Park. This place is AMAZING!! You can rent a sand sled. When we read this online we could not wait!! Sand sledding?!!? That is an adventure we can get fully behind. For $20 you get a sled and wax. Because obviously you want to wax your board for maximum speed. This was THE MOST FUN!!! Climbing back up was exhausting. First, imagine how hard it is to climb back up the snowy hill. Next, imagine how hard it is to run through the thick sand on the beach. Now put those together. Shew! We had a good workout this morning!
We were told to hike to Zapata Falls. Turn right at the sign and take the gravel road for three miles they said. It became very evident very quickly that Kentucky and Colorado have differing ideas on the meaning of gravel. This was not a gravel road. These were medium sized stones. For three miles the car shook so violently my Fitbit counted steps. We then hiked uphill on the same "gravel" path.
We found this at the top.
We could hear a mighty falls but couldn't see it. We learned that you had to wade through the water and go into the cave. It was worth it everyone coming out said. This pep talk was needed because this was the coldest water I have EVER felt. Cold is actually the wrong word but there is not a proper word to describe the temperature. Frigid isn't even close. Obviously we hopped right in. We didn't deal with all that "gravel" to not see a waterfall. The pain that was radiating through my body almost made me cry. My feet hurt so bad. But it was worth it. It was beautiful and rushing and loud. We didn't really get a good picture because I had almost lost the ability to function by the time we got there. We gave the same advice to those questioning the temperature and slippery rocks, totally worth it.
We have encountered 20,000 deer, 13,000 birds, 9,000 rabbits, and a slew of other creatures. Each time we pray they make it to or stay on their side of the road. I must sadly report that a bird did not continue his flight today. At least it wasn't a deer...
We have made it to Kansas. We knew we were getting close because it's wheat for as far as the eye can see.
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