Road Trip to Virginia (California Through Colorado)

The plan was to leave Tuesday morning and arrive in Ashburn Virginia sometime before 8:30am the following Tuesday, and of course make a few stops in between. Our first major stop was in Yosemite, and major meant we stopped, ran up a granite hillside and took some pictures; traveling over 2,800 miles in less than a week does not allow for too much stoppage time, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t appreciate the beauty of the valley.

We ate a mid-afternoon dinner at the Whoa Nellie Deli. The half pound burger and fries hit the spot; it was impressive, I should have taken a picture. I was still full the following morning. Driving across Nevada was rather uneventful, however I did see some wild horses, I should have taken a picture of that too, but it’s tough to slow down or snap a picture when you are the only driving a straight road where the speed limit is 75mph…

We woke up in Ely, NV and drove out to Moab Utah. Although stopping in Moab would mean that the next two days had to be twelve or thirteen hour drives, it was worth the stop. Moab is nestled right along the Colorado River in between Arches National Park and Canyon lands National Park. I could of spent weeks there, however an afternoon would have to suffice. With four hours of daylight left, the arches won out when choosing between the slick rock, the arches, the river, the canyon lands, and a myriad of other outdoor activities.

We hiked almost every trial, and saw every major feature. It was beautiful, and I would love to return; the park and the surrounding land begs to be explored.

The drive out of Moab was just as stunning. We took the State Scenic Byway 128. This road fallowed the Colorado River turn for turn up the canyon and then pops one out into the desert; it was amazing. We came across some incredible little ranch/resorts with their own gardens, crops, and grazing lands, and of course horses, looked like an incredible place to live and work.

This was one of our long days. The short version: we went from halfway across Utah, straight through Colorado, and halfway across Kansas. The best part of this drive, other than the early morning drive up the 128 was taking the I-70 up into the Rocky Mountains. Leaving the desert of Utah for the green forests and majestic rocks of western Colorado was a sight to behold, a breath of fresh air, a drink of cool water. Perhaps it was this contrast of high desert to an evergreen forest speckled with aspen trees, that fed my astonishment, but Vail, Colorado and the surrounding mountains are certainly a location that I wish to return to.