I love Utah! The view in the photo is from I-70 as it travels across the San Rafael Swell in Utah.

Three years ago, we spent seven glorious weeks meandering through the Colorado Plateau, eventually arriving in Las Vegas with 1,700 more miles on the Subaru’s odometer than when we left home. These eight blog posts tell the story.

That was then. This trip was different.

1. It was out and back to Vegas instead of one way.
2. We had just four days of drive time instead of seven weeks.
3. The other half of “we” for this excursion was my sister Janice rather than my usual travel companion – hubby Bill.

Our road trip was both the prequel and sequel to my most recent article: Wayward Women Celebrating Big Birthdays in Sedona. A swell adventure in itself.

Anyway, the point is that we had a lot of ground to cover to get to Vegas (and back), but we set aside time for a couple of nature fixes along the way, with half a day at Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah on the way out and half a day at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada on the way back. Plus more, all coming your way. We took a ridiculous amount of photos, but I’ve narrowed it down to just a few of the best.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks, in southwest Utah, features a stunning geologic amphitheater that looks a lot like Bryce Canyon, except smaller. Just 35 miles east of I-15, it’s easily doable for a half day visit if you have flexibility in your schedule.

Cedar Breaks sits at 10,000 feet elevation, and weather conditions in October can be harsh. We were prepared for cold, windy and possibly even snowy conditions by wearing wool shirts with puffy jackets, hats and gloves available if needed. But with sunny skies and a high temperature of 86 degrees on the day of our visit, we should have worn shorts and tee shirts! One just never knows.

If you’re curious about the geological context for Cedar Breaks, it’s a tiny piece of the Colorado Plateau – 130,000 square miles of unparalleled natural beauty that includes parts of Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.

At 10,000 feet, Cedar Breaks is situated at the high point of the rock layers of the Colorado Plateau known as the Grand Staircase. This cool graphic shows the progression all the way from about 2,000′ elevation, but it’s a little tough to see. Try clicking on it for a closer look at the details.

Cedar Breaks National Monument – a perfect choice for a stop during our journey!

On the return trip to Colorado about 1.5 hours outside of Vegas, we found another great diversion . . . .

Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire is a short detour from I-15, only 21 miles east of the highway. And easy to miss, because it’s completely hidden until you’re right there.

This was my second visit to Valley of Fire, so once inside the park, I knew where to head for a short, OMG hike – the Rainbow Wave Trail.

Just as amazing the second time as it was the first.

We noticed a sign to continue onto the Seven Wonders Trail to make a loop totaling 2 miles. Sounded like a good idea, so we did, and it was WOW. Vibrant and other-worldly, with pink, gold, orange, lavender and occasional glimpses of green rocks.

We had fun in a couple of short and shady slot canyons.

Although spectacular, our trek wasn’t without a few challenges. Even with the OnX Backcountry tracker app (yes, I’m shamelessly promoting the company our son works for), we had trouble finding and staying on the trail. There were a few prominent trail markers at first, but not for long. The dashed aqua line below traces our actual path.

What it doesn’t show is the massive rocks we scrambled up, over and around to follow our best guess of where the trail was. Somehow, we managed to traverse 3.3 miles of terrain instead of the expected 2. This photo depicts “trail” conditions that were all too common on our hike.

We had quite a few “YIKES, what have we done?” moments, but all’s well that ends well. We came, we saw, and we conquered without any falls or orthopedic injuries, and the scenery was epic! Including these two guys:

Friendly advice: During hot weather, many hiking trails are closed, so be sure to check the Valley of Fire website for more information before you go. And spend the night before your visit near the park so you can get there early. We found only one option – North Shore Inn in Overton. Convenient, comfortable and friendly, with a relaxing and inviting outdoor pool.

Bonus Content – Red Rock Canyon, NV

Pictographs and petroglyphs:

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located just a few minutes west of Las Vegas.

From the Bureau of Land Management website: “In marked contrast to a town geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock offers enticements of a different nature including a 13-mile scenic drive, miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, picnic areas, nature observing and visitor center with indoor and outdoor exhibits as well as a book store.” An accurate description.

After enjoying lunch in Vegas with our cousin Fred, Janice and I had free time before meeting a friend for dinner. We were close to Red Rock, so off we went. Even though a timed entry ticket was required, the gate attendant let us in without one. Perhaps because it was 102 degrees that day and the place was virtually deserted???

We didn’t venture far from the car. The heat was brutal, plus we were still wearing our lunch attire. The dresses were fine, but the sandals not so much. We may have looked a little out of place, but what a lovely feast for the eyes. (The views, not us.)

Would love to return for some actual hiking when it’s cooler.

Bonus Material #2 – Glenwood Springs, CO

Our road trip to Vegas (and ultimately to Sedona AZ) began and ended with stunning drives through Colorado’s high country on I-70. That drive . . . never . . . gets . . . old, even after living here for 40(!) years.

The section of I-70 through the Glenwood Canyon hugging the Colorado River is truly special. On the way to Vegas, we made an extended stop at the expansive Grizzly Creek Rest Area to stretch our legs, admire the views, soak up the sun and enjoy a picnic lunch.

On the way home, we spent an overnight in Glenwood and had a little time to explore. We started at Two Rivers Park, which is appropriately named, since it sits at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers.

The park features a heartfelt memorial to the 14 firefighters who lost their lives just outside of Glenwood Springs in the Storm King wildfire of 1994.

We took a long walk on a path alongside the Roaring Fork River, with fall colors on full display.

The last picture is the Amtrak depot in downtown Glenwood, where passengers can disembark after a scenic 6-hour journey from Denver that features 29 tunnels. It’s a popular weekend trip among people who live on the Front Range but only one piece of the California Zephyr line that travels between Chicago to San Francisco.

And just like that, the first Janice + Carol road trip was over. I wonder when and where we will go for our next one?

Thanks for coming along with us!

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