I’ve never spent much any time in Utah. When you grow up in Colorado, why would you leave other than to put your toes in the ocean?

But, as we started climbing in elevation and the higher we got the more at peace I felt. I loved watching the scenery change from desert to mountains (okay, high desert?). We stopped around the Zion overlook to let the dogs (and the Bree) out to run and play. And we did.

The dogs explored and I soaked it all in. There was a stream somewhere near by reminding me that I had to pee. I love the way the air smells in the mountains (deep breath in… can you smell it?). The mountain air is crisp even when it’s warm. Also, I love Aspens. When we were little my mom planted a “mountain space” in our front yard that had wild flowers and an Aspen tree that we had uprooted from somewhere on Pikes Peak {the secret to replanting an Aspen we learned is to make a notch on the North side of the trunk and replant it with that notch facing North.})  I love that Aspens are the largest living organism.  It’s so beautiful to see them standing close to pine trees like lovers holding hands (very Romeo and Juliette?  Tony and Maria?  Flipper and Angie?)  Anyways, I really love it here.  Utah is beautiful!

Matt is having a harder time loving this area/time.  He’s bored and tired.  I think he’s a little depressed since leaving the constant grind that is Vegas (a life he loves).  His lack of energy may also be due to the fact that we are pretty high up in elevation.  I get exhausted just walking up a small hill.

We skirted along the bottom of Utah and visited some really great National and State Parks.  We started ouside of Bryce and boondocked through the 3rd and 4th of July.

It was perfectly peaceful and no fireworks (in SD we get fireworks every night from Sea World, so I don’t really look forward to them on the 4th that much and they weren’t missed — especially by Cali!).

After a couple days adjusting we scooted over to Bryce Canyon.  We intended to hike a bit, but had to abort because the sky looked dark and ominous.

We made it back to Dolly just as the clouds opened up and dumped!  It sounded like a perfect time for a nap and so I snuggled in and drifted off to sleep with the raindrops dancing on the RV roof (one of my favorite sounds in the world along with keys jingling in the air toss them up and listen).  After a bit, Matt woke me and the rain had stopped and the sun was back out working to dry up the land.  We began our adventure.  We took the Navajo Loop and Queens  Trail hike and found ourselves deep in the hoodoo’s.  It was really fun!  Oh, and side note to the Vortex seekers of Sedona, there are a crap load of twisty trees on this trail!

After our hike we hopped over to Kodachrome Basin just in time for the sunset (around 9:30pm!).  We were lucky to score a site with the best view of Penis Rock.  (I’m just typing what everybody is thinking!)

When we woke up we saw that we had a million tiny gnats in the RV since we had slept with the windows open. They fit through the screen.  We though, “NBD, we’ll wait for them to die and clean them up.”  Turns out it WAS a BD (big deal)!  Who knew gnats bite??  Well, actually it turns out that most people know that.  But we didn’t.  Matt and both the dogs are COVERED in bites.  I have a couple, but the gnats don’t want the lean blood when they can dine on Matt all night.  Poor thing had a really bad allergic reaction to them too.  My couple bites looked like mosquito bites, not Matt’s.  They grew to welts about the size of a quarter and blistered.  It was so bad.  They are going away now though thank goodness.  I know it must have been miserable because Matt said (with anger in his voice) that he was starting a website called Benedryldoesn’tf’ingwork.com.

Our last stop in Utah was Capitol Reef National Park.  The scenic view in was AMAZING!  And the park was not only free (camping was $10) but the campsite is in the middle of an orchard and when the season is right you can pick and eat all the fruit you want!  I picked cherries!!  :)

The best and worst part of Utah was that we didn’t have phones or internet access.  It was really quiet and great…until I wanted to Google something or text someone!  Poop!

After a few days in Utah we entered Colorado and made our way to Durango!!  I’m going to make this a separate post though since we’ve already had fun with horses, chickens, and cows!!  :)  I truly love this area and I may never leave!  I feel here they way I think Matt does in Vegas.  Perhaps we are a little like Tony and Maria?  “I feel pretty!” ;)

xoxo

Mountain Mama Bree.