Boomer at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah
What started out as our spring trip turned out to be Boomer’s and my only trip together last year. It was disappointing that Boomer stayed home for the rest of the year but we did have an enjoyable time on our spring trip together. Below is a wrap up of our Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Wyoming adventures together.
Capitol Reef National Park
On the first leg of our trip we returned to Utah, a state we had visited two years earlier, stopping in Park City where I tried out a new brewery and visited with a friend of mine who happened to be house-sitting while I passed through.
Boomer and I also visited some new places while in Utah with stops at Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Capitol Reef National Park. Due to the denial of Boomer on most trails in the National Parks, we made a few stops at the Utah State Parks Dead Horse Point learning the history behind the strange name of the park and Goblin Valley State Park where Boomer and I wandered around the monster like creatures for the afternoon.
Sometimes I wish I could be in four places at once
Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park
The second leg of our trip had us headed in to Colorado. This was the first time Boomer and I had ever been to the state of Colorado. We spent only a few days there where I visited Mesa Verde National Park and Boomer and I both visited Hoovenweep National Monument. Where we were visiting, the beer scene was not overly impressive so I am looking forward to visiting Colorado again, but visiting places like Denver and Fort Collins who are well versed in beer.
Lower Antelope Canyons near Page Arizona
The third part of our trip had us heading to Arizona. Our stop in Arizona was most memorable for me out of the entire trip. I visited Lower Antelope Canyons, a photographers paradise. Boomer got to take a swim in Lake Powell, which is probably the earliest in the year that he has ever been able to go swimming. He thoroughly enjoyed romping around in the water while we enjoyed the 90F degrees (32C) in April. We also got to visit Horseshoe Bend, located just outside of Page. It is an iconic spot that is also photographed often and dog friendly!
Monument Valley
Depending on how you slice it, was also visited Monument Valley. I say depending because the park can be considered to be in both Utah and Arizona. Regardless of which state gets to claim this gem it was visual eye candy. As was The Valley Of The Gods, just east of Monument Valley.
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
We headed back into Utah for our fourth leg of the trip, stopping at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM). Out of all of the repeat offenders we had on this trip, Grand Staircase Escalante was by far the icing on the cake. It clocks in at 2900 + square miles (7510 square km) so I could probably spend weeks in the monument and still have places to visit for many years to come. I am also a big fan of GSENM because it is dog friendly. Boomer and I took advantage of this luxury and hiked in some slot canyons. We had fun until something scared the B’jesus out of us.
Boomer and I then returned to Bryce Canyon National Park, a spot we had visited two years prior. I have not explored much of Bryce because both times that I have visited I had Boomer with me, which kept us mostly on the scenic road tour of the park. Maybe in the future I will drop Boomer off for day care and take in a hike into the hoodoos.
We also stopped by Capitol Reef National Park, which meant that we officially completed the Mighty Five, visiting all five national parks in Utah. We had visited Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park on our first visit to Utah two years ago and the remaining three on this trip. Out of all of the five Zion is my favorite. The rich orange colors that contrast against the lush green plants is something to be seen first hand.
Boomer and I doing what we do best
photo courtesy with permission from Judge Roy Beans Old Time Photos
The next leg of our trip had us stopping in Jackson Wyoming. I had not been to Jackson since I was a child and it was nice to reminisce as I walked around the town’s streets. Boomer and I also partook in our tradition of taking old time photos, which was also something that my family and I use to do when we visited Jackson during my childhood.
Grand Teton Mountain range
While visiting Jackson we took a short day trip up to Grand Teton National Park, one of my favorite National Parks. The mountains were still covered in a blanket of snow and the lakes were frozen over which limited some activities except for the ones with people stopping on the side of the road trying to capture up close photos of themselves with a real live wild animal. It is funny to me and not in a laughing kind of way, why people do not understand that they should not approach wild animals. I guess they will figure that out when said animal charges them?!?! Although no buffalo were seen on this spring trip we did see some moose, elk and deer. I of course was more excited about the animal sightings than Boomer, who may or may not on purpose looked the opposite way when I pointed out the animals to him. It is one draw back of traveling without a human, but instead with a stubborn dog.
Jackson Wyoming
So that wraps up our spring trip of tasting beers, visiting new states and having decent weather, especially for April where rain is common, but rarely dashed any of our plans. Our last day did come with a snow storm as we departed Wyoming, which if we had to have one day of bad weather I guess having it be on the last day was not too tragic.
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