3 Flags - Day 6

Start Location: Pinedale, WY
Ending Location: Vernal, UT
Miles Today: 302
Trip Miles: 1746
States Visited: 5
Low Temp: 59 degrees
High Temp: 89 degrees
Min Elevation: 4766'
Max Elevation: 8456'

Route Map:

Our day started out with a trip to the grocery store to buy sunscreen. Did you know that you can get sunburned through a plastic face shield? We are living proof. Next was church and then we hit the road. Starting a little later meant that is was a little warmer. No rain gear for warmth this morning.

The ride south through Wyoming was very similar to what it was like after we left the Tetons. As we got closer to Utah, the scenery changed in color.

Things changed quickly once we entered the Flaming Gorge Recreational Area. We stopped at a campground in the Lucerne Valley for lunch and were met by these deer just wandering around. Just after we pulled in, one of them ambled into the rode and just stood there looking at a truck that was trying to exit. The driver honked and honked and finally the deer moved out of the way. Glad it was a truck and not us. The views of the lake were definitely a Kodak moment. (I wonder if that is still an appropriate expression in this day of digital photography.) We made it all the way to the Flaming Gorge Dam but passed on a tour as we have been on enough dam tours.

After leaving the dam, we spotted a sign that said 10 switchbacks in the next 9 miles. Each one was numbered, so we didn't have to keep track. If you zoom in on the map and use the satellite view, you can actually count them. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to get the first sign, so I settled on the last one. Bob and I agree that Utah has to be one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, states we have visited. The color of the rock, mixed with the vegetation and foliage is awesome.

Tonight we are in Vernal, UT and it is everything that Pinedale wasn't. There ae beautiful parks and flowers everywhere. We checked into the motel around 4:00 and decided it was too early to call it a day, so we headed out to Dinosaur National Monument. Unfortunately, the original visitor center and the quarry are closed. There was a temporary visitor center with several exhibits, but that is all. We did take the auto guided tour and saw some petroglyphics. The closest we came to seeing a dinosaur was this one. We are glad the we went, but it was not the highlight of the day.