We Made it to Utah! Home Video Tour

It’s only been a week since we left Texas, but it seems like we’ve been gone for much longer. I’m coming to the conclusion that when you experience a lot of variety, time seems to go more slowly than if you are surrounded by the same environment and routine day after day. Maybe this is the reason time seems to fly as you age? Something to consider I guess.

Roswell, New Mexico

We pulled out of Georgetown on Friday around 8 am and made it to Roswell, New Mexico in the late afternoon. On the way, we made two stops, Midland and Seminole. We felt like we had to stop in Midland since we know so many people from there, and Seminole is where Dale lived from grades 8-10. His Dad was music minister at a local church there. While in Midland we stopped by a life-size replica of Stonehenge, which was pretty cool. It’s located on the UT Permian Basin Campus.

Flagstaff, Arizona

Saturday morning we continued west to our next overnight stay in Flagstaff, Arizona. The last time we were in Flagstaff Jordan was with us for our first visit to the Grand Canyon. It was March 2020. I’ll never forget the date because of COVID. When we left Texas we had heard about the virus, but when we arrived back home, just three days later, all the toilet paper and other basics were gone and there were long lines at the HEB. I was like, “What in the world happened while we were at the Grand Canyon?”! Thankfully this visit was pandemic free.

On this leg of the trip we also stopped by Petrified Forest National Park which is located on the traditional Route 66 Highway, running from Chicago to Los Angeles. We spent a couple of hours driving the main scenic road and exploring some of the stops along the way. At the end of the visit we walked a path that has huge petrified trees lying all over the place. It was a pretty neat stop.

Grand Canyon National Park

On Sunday we headed an hour and a half north to the Grand Canyon. We didn’t hike but we did walk quite a bit along the Rim Trail. It’s still just as grand as when we visited three years ago. We ended up spending several hours there and still had several hours to go to get to our place in Utah.

The Grand Canyon has a South and North Rim. The South Rim is where most people visit. The North Rim is closed much of the year due to winter weather. When we left the South Rim, we had to swing wide to get around the Canyon so we could head north. The drive from the Grand Canyon to Cedar City, Utah was extraordinary. It was so different than anything I’ve seen. It was beautiful, but I think I still prefer forests to deserts.

During this drive we were able to enjoy a complete sunset in a desert environment. I told Dale that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a complete sunset. Traveling along deserted desert roads is somewhat surreal. While in the Corps I lived in the Mojave Desert (MCAGCC Twentynine Palms) for several months and the most vivid memories for me were the sunrises and sunsets (and the lack of grass). But, I never took the time to watch one like we did while in the car. Shortly after dark we had to stop in a sparse town to get gas. The old store was closed but the pump was on. It was like something off of a movie, or an unsolved murder documentary. Ha!

One other thing I won’t forget about that drive is the poverty of the people who live along those desert highways. I guess it is possible they aren’t as poor as they appear but their homes are so ramshackle and temporary looking, surrounded by years of broken-down machinery and other junk. Every American who feels sorry for the poor who live in foreign lands should take a drive down some of the remote roads of America and see that not everyone is living the “good” life.

Cedar City, Utah

When we arrived in Cedar City late Sunday we were definitely ready to get settled in, but before we could do that we had to go forage at the local Walmart – after all, we aren’t savages. Monday morning, Dale was settled at the table working and I began my normal routine as well. Maybe I should do a separate post about my daily routine. It would be a very short post indeed!

And now, here we are on Friday morning, sitting at a coffee shop called “The Grind”. My overall impression of Cedar City is a small town with all the necessary stores and restaurants surrounded by beautiful mountain and desert-like vistas. I like the small-town vibe and the people seem really kind. And as you may expect, there are quite a few LDS churches around town. We plan on attending Red Hills Southern Baptist Church this Sunday morning. One other notable observation is the weather. It’s still pretty chilly here and it appears that Spring arrived not too long ago. We’ve also learned that we can’t rely on any of our normal weather apps for the forecast or temperature. It’s warmer than they report and it isn’t raining when they say it is. Maybe the weather station is on top of the nearby mountain! Ha!

We have quite a list of activities for our stay here including camping at Zion National Park and a back country hike and camping trip at Bryce Canyon National Park. You’ll definitely see these trips in my future posts.