In the car and driving west on I-70 from Denver.   We are in Utah.

We are in Utah

There is a lot of big empty space here.   You know about The Great Salt Lake and Park City, former host of Winter Olympics.   You probably also know about Salt Lake City, with Temple Square, the Mormon Tabernacle and the famous choir.    But that is not the Utah we will show you today.    Our first stop is Green River, Utah.

Green River, Utah

These sculptures explain the history of Utah.    I-70 enters Utah mid way between north and south.   On I-70 we will travel south west to I-15 and then into Arizona.   Rock formations like these dominate the landscape near Green River.

Green River landscape

The highway takes us to the San Rafael Reef, a great rock wall formation.

San Rafael Reef

We will cross the San Rafael Swell.   This is a large anticline where the earth’s crust has been heaved from below to form a great dome of rock layers.

San Rafael Swell

Erosion has sliced and sculpted steeply tilted layers of hard sandstone.    A few miles further and another 1,000 feet in altitude, we stop to view Black Dragon Canyon.

Black Dragon Canyon

Some of this sedimentary rock was deposited over 250 million years ago.   Continuing southwest on I-70, we admire the mountains, and the cows.

Contented cows

This photo shows several layers of what we see.

Variety of landscape and rock formations

The grass, the trees, desert looking mountains and snow capped mountains.   There is so much beauty in the untouched landscape.   Leaving Green River, we saw a couple signs advising us that there were no services for 103 miles.   We have a full gas tank and many bottles of water.   This rugged land of canyons and badlands allowed outlaws such as Butch Cassidy, Elza Lay, Flat Nose George, Kid Curry, Joe Walker and others to elude the lawman.

Perfect for outlaws

We are fascinated by the changing rocks and colors.

Love the red

Red here.   Almost looks like they were carved.   Now white rocks.

Love the white

The minerals in the rock determine the color of the rocks and mountains.   These mountains with red and white made us smile.

Various colors on same mountain. Minerals give color to rocks

Utah also has 5 national parks, so plan to stay here awhile to enjoy many wonders.   We will be back to Utah again.   It seems that mom is trying to get somewhere else on this trip, too.