OK, I'll confess. The greatest-named town in Colorado, Dinosaur, is…not really that cool. A couple of rundown, abandoned dinos-made-of-cement parks and well, not much else to write home about. The good news? You're super close to Dinosaur National Monument and it's grrrrrreat! To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. The National Park Service does dinos? How would that even work? However, I sensed we were on the right track to something cool earlier in the day as we passed through towns that had added dinosaurs to every sign possible (pictures above). When we finally arrived at the main NPS Dinosaur National Monument visitor center (visitor center…like in Jurassic Park!), I could tell the trip was going to be totally worth it. I'll quickly add that Dinosaur National Monument is a giant and amazing park even without the dinosaurs - hiking, biking, camping, rafting, you name it. It stretches across the border of Utah & Colorado. The Yampa & Green rivers cut through the park and leave steep cliffs and white-watery goodness all over the place. But come on, we're here on this trip for one thing…dinosaurs! Just like in Jurassic Park, there's a little anticipation that builds after the visitor center…no fossils yet...they put you on a trolley! This is where the magic happens - the Quarry Exhibit Hall. If your trolley doesn't get bulldozed by a T-rex on the way up the hill, you'll make it to this fancy building built literally on the side of a mountain…a mountain side full of dinosaur fossils and real live paleontologists digging…spared no expense! Park rangers are all about the place answering questions and laser pointing cool stuff on the fossil wall. Some fossils you're even allowed to touch! Some skeletons are assembled opposite the wall and more are in giant slabs. Our minds are officially blown. The park is amazing and worth the trek over from Moab, even with the not-so-great Dinosaur, Colorado detour. Next tour through dino country we're definitely driving the entire dinosaur diamond…until then, the road trip continues!!!
~Paul & Amber ETC Links: Dinosaur National Monument Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway Our full road trip route
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After a great week in Utah we've got to get moving. Man, do we love this area in the summer! Our routine of hike early morning, chill by the pool in the afternoon, eat out for dinner and hike again in the evening makes for a great combo. If you haven't been to Moab or Southern Utah in general, we highly recommend it (a lot of folks enjoy the Spring or Fall for not so hot temps). We hoped you've enjoyed our Moab posts - tomorrow: Dinosaur, Colorado!
~Paul & Amber ETC Links to our Moab posts: #7 Sand Dune Arch #8 Devils Garden #9 Island in the Sky #10 Park Ave Trail #11 Morning Glory Bridge #12 La Sal Mountain Loop Road Trip Post #12: La Sal Mountain Loop Road, Utah - wineries, rivers, & cool mountain temps!9/17/2013 Moab's best kept secret, in our opinion, is the La Sal Mountain Loop Road Scenic Byway. It's a 70 mile loop that takes you along the Colorado River, through the scenic Castle Valley, into the Manti-La Sal National Forest, & up the La Sal Mountains. Wineries, rivers, and cool mountain temperatures await! We started out the drive next to the Colorado River and discovered the many raft/kayak put-ins along what locals call "The Moab Daily" (pictures below). Since it was summer the river was running super slow - we actually saw people floating down the river for fun…not floating on tubes…just floating…people floating! Although they seemed like they were enjoying themselves, we don't recommend it! We also stopped by the Red Cliffs Lodge, a cool City Slickers-esque hotel right on the river. They have tons to do there - a restaurant, winery, cabins & rooms, horseback riding, and plenty of gorgeous views from all rooms. The real gem on this trip is when you make it to the La Sal Mountains. Warner Lake Campground is located along the route - a perfect place to get a break from the desert heat of Moab. It rests at 9000 feet - the pictures look like they're from a different season all together but they're not! Heading back into town we stopped by Spanish Valley Vineyards, a low-key vineyard with tasty wines close to Moab. What a trip! The 72 mile loop (with the Warner Lake pit-stop) takes about 3 hours - plan for more so you can make stops and soak it all in! Also, gigantic RVs might want to sit this one out as sharp turns in the mountain part of this drive make it a little tricky for the compact-challenged vehicles. One more post from Moab tomorrow, then off to hunt some dinos in Colorado!
~Paul, Amber, Dad ETC The cool thing about Moab is there are quite a few trails to explore outside of Arches & Canyonlands National Parks. One that we've done a few times is the trail to Morning Glory Bridge, called the Negro Bill Canyon Trail (there's talk of changing the name to the Granstaff Canyon Trail - named after Bill Granstaff, who ran cattle on this land in the late 1800s). It turns out the natural rock bridge at the end of the trail is the 6th largest natural rock span in America! The Morning Glory Bridge (pictured above) is amazing and the 6 mile roundtrip trail to get there isn't too challenging. It starts just up from the Colorado River, only about 6 miles from Moab (driving map here). The trail starts out by following a stream through lots of green patches and towering rock walls. Some of the green patches are poison ivy…watch your step! The trail opens up about halfway to the bridge allowing the morning sun to creep in. We hiked the trail in the summer and started at sunrise to avoid the high temperatures of the afternoon. This part of the trail has a small elevation gain, but nothing too strenuous. The bridge is tucked away in a tranquil little natural rock amphitheater. Water trickles out of the wall near the rock base. It's an awesome place - make sure to plan some chill time into your hiking plans to soak up the views (and try to get a picture of the entire bridge!). Watch the clock if it's summer however, you don't want to get caught hiking back in the heat of the day! ~Paul, Amber, Dad ETC |
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