5. Utah

Day 22: Saturday, August 2

It really is very pleasant how it cools off during the night at these higher altitudes. Outside the van it was 50F, but the inside temperature didn't go below 60F. It sure made for a pleasant night and it remained cool while I fixed breakfast and then finished putting together the previous section of this journal.

Was on the road by 10:30 AM. Took US 89 for the very scenic drive from Jackson to Alpine and through the Targhee National Forest. The road essentially follows the Snake River -- a Mecca for whitewater enthusiasts. Then came the Star Valley, a very long, very flat, and very green valley that separates the Salt River from the Bridger mountain range. At the south end one climbs up to Salt River Pass (7,630') and the vista is worth stopping for.

Alternated between state roads -- pretty back roads -- and US 89 until I got to Utah, IMHO one of the most beautiful states in the Union. An added northern Utah attraction is that Sprint Cellular seems to work even off the main roads. So I was able to call Antje and download e-mail.

The view from US 89 is often quite scenic, for example:

Especially enjoyable is the stretch from Bear Lake to Logan.

US 89 winds its way through the Wasatch Mountains and then connects with I-15. Just a few miles on the interstate brought me to Willard and the Willard Bay State Park. $12 bought a paved and level site, no hook-ups and disgustingly many cigarette butts on the ground.

It was a hot 99F but the Fantastic Fan seemed to make the heat more bearable. Grilled my last Winn-Dixie hamburger, worked on the journal, and was in bed (i.e. my sleeping bag) by 9:30 PM.

Drove 250 miles, was on the road for 5 hours, and bought gasoline in Jackson, WY at $1.719 for 87 octane. Averaged 18.6 mpg on the last tank, which is probably as inaccurate as the 12 mpg I got a few days ago.

Day 23: Sunday, August 3

There actually were a few raindrops this morning. Not enough to wash the dust off the van, not enough to make the lid of the Fantastic Vent close, but just enough to keep the morning temperature at 72F.

Was on the road by 10:15 AM, I-15, first stop Salt Lake City. Did some sightseeing -- what an incredibly clean and attractive city!

Next stop was Orem to say "hello" to Marsha and her husband -- Marsha is the unquestioned expert regarding exploring Utah on the RVing list on Yahoo. She also has a cable modem - which I was able to use to upload the previous section of this journal. Thanks again, Marsha. Also, Marsha has more toys than Tim Allen of Tool Time would consider reasonable for a toy collector. Motor cycle, off-road jeep, 1957 Chevy, toy trailer, class A monster -- you name it, she has it. Except for the class A and the toy hauler, her husband has the same -- his and hers, so to speak.

Left I-15 south of Nephi to work my way over to US 89. South on US 89 through some very scenic areas.

The above photo shows Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Just south of Panguitch is the Bryce Canyon KOA, and I secured a fairly level site with water and electricity for $26.97. Not cheap, but I haven't enjoyed a comfortable bathhouse in three days. Also, with the evening temperature hovering around 95F, I wanted to be able to run the air conditioner.

Was on the road for about 7 hours and drove 315 miles. Bought gasoline at $1.529/gal in Orem and averaged 16.2 mpg on the last tank.

Day 24: Monday, August 4

Discovered in the morning that the campground has a LAN connected to a DSL. $1 for ten minutes, max use one hour. And they are in the process of installing WiFi for wireless access to the internet!

My travel plan for today was flexible as to final destination, but I had selected the scenic routes carefully. The first loop was west on SR 143, then south on SR 148 to Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Then east on SR 14 past Navajo Lake.

Picked up US 89 north for the brief drive to SR 12 east, arguably one of Utah's most scenic roads. Right at the beginning is the Red Canyon, which doesn't get much attention since the Bryce Canyon area is just a few miles down the road.

I bypassed Bryce -- been there, done that (1999-3 journal) plus the RVs were stacked at the entrance road. Instead continued on SR 12.

SR 12 ends at Torrey, near Capitol Reef NP (where I had camped last year - journal 2002-1). Took SR 24 east, which is at least as scenic as SR12. Unfortunately the road is quite narrow and snakes through canyons, which makes stopping for photography a bit difficult.

At Hanksville SR 24 ends and the incredibly scenic SR 95 south offers lots of eye candy.

SR 95 brought me to US 191 just south of Blanding, and I continued north on US 191 to Monticello. Found the Friedley's Mountain View RV Park and declined the full hook ups, thereby saving me $5. I thought I didn't need air conditioning since the sun was setting, plus the site was well shaded. BTW, it was still 101F out of the shade. The min/max thermometer registered a high of 122F, last night's low had been 49F.

Was on the road for 9 hours, drove 400 miles. Bought gasoline in Panguitch for $1.719/gal and averaged 14 mpg on the last tank.

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