Day 2 Twin Falls, Idaho to Moab, Utah

Happy Sunday!
The El Rancho Motel will be memorable. Heh… while the beds were very comfortable, the shower was something to behold. The pressure alone coated the entire bathroom with a nice layer of water. I wasn't actually able to stay in there long enough to soap up but I am sure the pressure washer effect of the shower got most of my skin off. LOL I guess now I know how they keep their bathrooms so clean.

Gonna make breakfast and hit the road. Mileage 194885 Salt Lake is an odd place. Everywhere you look the houses are very similar but in general much larger then what you would see in an average neighborhood anywhere I have been. We stopped at the Visitor center just North of Ogden and picked up some state visitors guides. The pictures are devastatingly beautiful. One gave a thousands of years history of the area. The entire are used to be one giant lake. Between Volcanoes and earthquakes the lake drained down to what is now the Great Salt Lake. Apparently the salt Lake has the second most sodium content only to the Dead Sea. The reason given is because the small rivers and creeks that empty into the lake have no outlet so as the water evaporates the content of the lake increases. As we drive through Salt Lake City we are in a valley of sorts with mountain ranges all around. I marvel at knowing we are already 4700 feet above sea level and yet I look around and am still surrounded but snow capped mountains. It is currently 75 degrees according to the sign we just past. This seems to be much better weather then is average for this area for this time of year. I hope my Vacation weather karma holds out!

So as we are driving I begin to notice that in almost every house grouping you see roof… roof… roof… Church Steeple! The first few I kind of ignore but take note of then I realize nearly every single house grouping has a steeple and they all tend to be the same shape and all painted white. Just odd.

We are out of the Salt Lake area, as we drive we start to realize the road we are on runs smack between 2 mountains. It's amazing looking up on both sides and all you can see is the mountain side.

Well we just passed the high point on this road at 7500 feet. I can't remember the Altitude of Paradise on Mount Rainier but I don't think it was this high, some snow still on the ground here and some of the first signs of the Red Rocks.

We reached Arches National Park. Unfortunately the Streets and Maps program we were using for guidance sent us off on a jeep path. LOL We got about half a mile when a stopped a passing truck and asked if we were on the right road. He kind of giggled at us and said the road DOES go there but *he looks up and the down the car* you aren't going to get there in THAT! We find an area to attempt a turn around and get stuck in the sand. I get out and push with all my womanly strength and we manage to get out and back onto the road… unfortunately not with enough time to get to the visitor center before it closed. We are planning to head out early tomorrow and do the hike in the morning. We did however find Moab (the town nearest Arches) to be very friendly. We stopped and got a nice hotel room at the Inca Inn. The lady at the front desk suggested the Moab Brewery and so we stopped for dinner then headed out and got some terrific photos of the area in the fading sunlight. It's been 2 long days of driving. We have much shorter drives coming over the next week but right now we are pretty tired. Funny thing… I don't have to go to work tomorrow… and yet… I will be awake before the sun rises. LOL

Oh! I am also downloading lots of pictures to my flickr account. If you want to see some of the fun we have had check them out here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghgoddess/