Frozen Lakes and Peaceful Deserts

As I sit here reflecting on our time traveling, I can genuinely say that we have seen some beautiful landscapes, and some country that was beautiful in its own way but didn’t really appeal to me.  I have learned what I like and what I don’t like.  For instance, I am not a city person, I don’t mind visiting but, there are too many people, with a lot of negative energies bouncing off all those people and for a person like me who is more of a homebody it quite frankly exhausts me, I guess I really am just a small-town girl. I also learned that frozen lakes sing at night it is kind of eerily beautiful and I can only say it reminds me of the sounds of whales or something like that. Even my dog wasn't really excited to go outside when the lake was making those noises.

I discovered that I loved the peacefulness of the desert, I developed a picture in my mind of what it would have been like to be there a thousand years ago, living off of that barren land and making due with what nature offered and it gave me a profound respect for the people who survived and thrived and for those that continue to do so today. 

I felt my blood sing with an energy and an emotion that I have yet to put my finger on, as we drove through Canyon Lands, there was something deeply inspiring about the place and I wish we could have spent more time just absorbing the area.  I should have known it was going to be special the minute we came upon Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument as we were headed to Canyon Lands.

As we made our way southwest, we found ourselves at Gooseneck State Park and it was there that I felt like I could sit and watch the sunrise forever.  I have seen thousands of sunrises, but I don’t know that I have seen a sunrise as majestic as those I witnessed for those few days while we were there.  It truly made me believe that the sky is but God’s Canvas and those are some of the most beautiful paintings I will never forget.

Then there is Monument Valley, if you have ever been then you know, that there are just no words to really describe it, you must see it for yourself.  It is awe-inspiring and you should do yourself a favor and read the Navajo Legend surrounding the area before you go because that puts it into a whole different spin on the area and if you like legends and lore of our native people, the first people to see these formations and try to explain why they are just there.

We checked out the Wickenburg area and then we decided that our next stop and stay was going to be at Lake Havasu, what a cool place to be. Did you know that London Bridge is in Lake Havasu, it was moved over from London in the early 1960s a very cool sight to see! We rode on ferry from Arizona to California lost some money a casino and then back to Arizona we went!

From Lake Havasu to Las Vegas baby! A few days there was all we needed, we gambled a little and we took in the sights, from historic Fremont Street to the Pinball Hall of Fame.  We said goodbye to Vegas, and we found ourselves back in Utah at Sand Hallow Lake by Hurricane not to far from St. George, again we were not disappointed.  We took a quick trip through Zion National Park and drove through the longest tunnel I have ever been through. Zion- Mount Carmel Tunnel is 1.1 mile long with windows carved out of the mountain, and I believe it is the only tunnel of its kind in the United States.

Now that we are home, and I have had some time to get back into my routine but have also just had the opportunity to reflect on this little adventure. Between the travel and having to make sure we were able to have the ability to do our jobs, I believe this is something that both my husband and I would like to do again!