Imagine Utah...Imagine the West.....

  

For weeks I have kept a journal of our travels and adventures.  We have had a wonderful time.  We almost overdosed on beauty, if that can be done.  Each state in the old West is a rock hounds slice of heaven.  I am a rock hound of the first degree and I have been high on beauty for 4,889 miles.  

Tommy and I had many conversations about pioneers, the Oregon Trail and Lewis and Clark. I look at the scenery and can not fathom how they crossed the mountains, traveled the rivers or survived the desert. What looks beautiful to me, was a beautiful danger to the early settlers.  The danger is still there.  We are blessed with a better way to navigate.  However, there were many places where cell phones did not work.  As we were entering Utah, there was a sign that said, "No food, water, gas for 100 miles."  We took that sign seriously and made sure we had plenty of everything.  It was an odd feeling to know that if we broke down, we were at the mercy of strangers, or on our own.

Colorado, Utah, Arizona all have the same continuous scenery.  Each turn in the road seems to become prettier than the last. I had an incredible time.  I gave my imagination free reign and let my muse ramble anywhere she wanted to go. I think she spent most of her time in Vegas.  I was pleased with the results.

Utah resembles a child's work of art; nothing fits exactly like a man would create.  Neat, conformed, safe, efficient... no way.  Utah is rugged, huge, exotic and dangerous.  Rocks can be found in all shapes sizes, colors and heights. Driving through Utah and the old West one gets the feeling of being on another planet at times.  The mountains, crevices, vivid  colored rocks  and buttes have little in  common with other areas of our country.

I asked Tommy his impression of the West, "It was like the finger of God painted the perfect portrait."  Melodi replied, "isolated beauty" and my impression was, "other worldly".   We were all on the same page with what we were seeing.

This is a country where a giant would seem small. The roads are steep, curvy and at times scary and exciting all within the same second.  The colors of  sunrise and sunset glow on rocks, trees and bushes, causing different colors to be reflected.

Around one curve a traveler will be faced with huge red rocks, thrown about like someone played pool,  making the first shot and scattering everything in its path.  Round boulders are everywhere. The red rocks were my favorite. They were tall, massive as high as I could see, competing in ancient beauty. 

While on this trip I checked off many, many things on "My Bucket List". One item was to actually drive through the mountains. I did it!!  I was holding the steering wheel so tight my hands hurt when we changed drivers.  But I did it!  I enjoyed it too......now that it is over:)

Words and photographs cannot do justice to the West. It has to be seen for yourself.  The hot winds need to catch your breath, the mountains need to make a person seem small and insignificant. The vastness of the mountain ranges need to surround you for hours and hours. It is stepping back to an era that most of us do not see on a daily basis.   It is the old West and I love it.