Into the canyon we go to find a waterfall.
Utah the "beaUTAHful". That is my new term, cheesy as it may be. But, if you have had the pleasure of discovering Utah then you understand that there are no words to describe it's beauty so you have to make them up. From the skyscraping mountains in northern Utah to the massive red rocks in southern Utah, the beauty is surreal. I told my husband that I wish I was an owl so I could turn my head 270 degrees and see everything because I didn't want to miss any of it. Plus, owls are cool, and I am a Chi Omega, owls are our mascot, so it only makes sense.
About a month ago, we went to southern Utah with a group of mostly new friends. We hiked the Capitol Reef/Cathedral Valley National Park and Kodachrome Basin State Park. I was blown away! It reminded me of Sedona...on steroids. Massive red rocks with hues of cream, purple and gold. The canyons seemed to go on forever and of course the crazy arch we sat on gave me butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I absolutely loved it! I had never seen rock formations like the ones in Cathedral Valley. How did they get shaped that way? I am sure it has to do with wind, rain and general weather elements.
Cathedral Valley
If you like to hike, then this is the place to go. There was no one out there but our group and one other car. For a few minutes I was worried that if we ran out of gas, we were in trouble. But, we made it out just fine, enlightened and changed for the better. How can anyone see this magnificent area and not be changed? It is really eye opening as to the beauty this country has. I had no idea. I still haven't been to the really popular parks, such as Bryce Canyon or Zion, but I will get there, hopefully next year.
The northern green mountains with layered hues of white and tan, were a stark contrast to southern Utah. I imagine it is what Switzerland looks like, but on a smaller scale. The area around Sundance was ridiculously beautiful! I had to explain to fellow hikers that I must stop and take pictures every few minutes because we don't have that kind of green in the Phoenix valley. Nor, do we have the Aspen trees.
We were really fortunate because the wildflowers were blooming and fields of yellow daisies and purple blooms stretched for miles as we were driving. It felt like Spring was in the air. We got to spend six days there and thoroughly enjoyed mountain biking and hiking to waterfalls.
You can't go to Utah without taking a trip to the Great Salt Lake. It is...well, it is a lake. Nothing to write home about if you are just looking at it, but if you watch the educational video in the tourist shop, it is quite amazing. So amazing that whales once lived there! And of course there are legends of water monsters. All great lakes must have water monsters! I love monsters.
You may be wondering why I say Utah is "almost perfect". It is more beautiful than Sedona, a mini Switzerland, has the saltiest lake on earth, one of the world's greatest dinosaur museums and the friendliest people. What on earth could it be missing? There is only one thing that I think would make this state 100% perfect: the almighty saguaro cactus. Utah is my new favorite state. I am so glad we live within driving distance. If you do not, I strongly encourage you to get on a plane, pack some hiking shoes, and discover Utah, the "beaUTAHful". Let's go!
#utah #travel #hike #explore #capitolreef #cathedralvalley
