Monday 9/19  Big day ahead.  We dropped Jax off at a dog-boarding facility and headed for Canyonlands National Park.  This park covers a vast amount of land, on the Colorado Plateau, that is divided into 3 very different districts.  The most easily accessible is Islands in the Sky.  It is a broad mesa wedged between the Green River and the Colorado River.  The main road follows the White Rim edge of the mesa.  The views are stunning and at some viewpoints you could see the drop of several thousand feet down. 

Because we didn't have the dog, we were able to hike to a few of the better overlooks.  The first was a half-mile hike to Gooseneck Overlook.  We hiked through a narrow grassy stretch until we reached the wide plateau at the viewpoint.  From there we could see the Colorado River and Dead Horse Point in the distance.  Amazing views.  We could also see the narrow road that was used for moving sheep from the grassy areas on top down to the River below.  It was said that many animals went over the side to their deaths, and it was easy to see why.

Next we drove to Mesa Arch.  This was one of my favorites.  The hike was again about a half mile and  it was rocky and steep in places.  But the reward at the top was worth it. The arch itself was beautiful, but the views through it were incredible.  I really liked this area.

Washer women as seen through Mesa Arch.













We stopped at several more overlooks, Green River, Buck Canyon, and Orange Cliffs.  We saw fields of Indian ricegrass, mesas, and pinyon-juniper forests. There were so many things to see that I am running out of words to describe them.  I wish we could put all of the pictures on the blog.  Not possible. 





Upheaval Dome

At the end of the day, we treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at Pasta Jays.  Wonderful, authentic Italian food.  Another great day in Utah.

Portabella, chicken, and spinach cannelloni for Sue.  Pops had Chicken Parmesan.  Yum!