We crossed the state of Idaho and arrived in Utah (10122 miles / 16290 km in our trip so far):
In Idaho we went to the
Craters of the Moon preserve defined around a volcanic area (flood basalt):
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| Before arriving to the Craters of the Moon, we drove through this plain (notice the rain showers on the right). |
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| We spotted a pika—we had to be very careful to not scare it before taking this picture! It made a funny squeaky toy sound that sounded just like this. |
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| We climbed the "Inferno Cone". |
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| Spatter Cones, a series of mini volcanoes. |
Next we headed toward Utah:
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| On interstate highway 15, driving south, past Pocatello, ID. |
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| In Utah we had to drive through a mountain pass high enough that temperature dropped close to freezing and it started snowing. |
Our first stop in Utah was the magnificent
Bryce Canyon:
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| 3 mile hike into the valley. |
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| An arch named "Natural Bridge". |
After that we headed toward the eastern part of the state, driving on
Utah State Route 24, which offers great views of the incredible landscape:
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| We stopped here where petroglyphs from Native Americans can be seen. |
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| Close-up of the petroglyphs (in the center of the image). |
We went to
Arches National Park:
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| Landscape Arch, the 5th longest natural arch in the world (290.1 ft / 88.4 m). |
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| Fiery Furnace—an area of maze-like narrow passages and tall rock columns. |
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| Panorama of Fiery Furnace. |
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| Delicate Arch. |
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| Double Arch. |
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| North Window. |
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| Balanced Rock. |
Then we drove through
Monument Valley on
US Route 163 (yet another absolutely stunning landscape!):
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| "Mexican Hat" rock formation. |
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| Monument Valley. |
Next stop: Arizona.
