Up and at 'em to St. Paul's Episcopal Church for their 9 AM Service:
Then down the road to the Dinosaur National Monument:
The Monument is actually 2 parts: Fossil Bone Quarry (the west/Utah section) is the original Monument, established to protect a specific area where dinosaur bones have been exposed and excavated; it was established in 1915. In 1938 the monument boundaries were expanded from the original 80 acres area surrounding the fossil beds to over 200,000 acres. This was the protection/inclusion of the east/Colorado section (Canyon Area), to protect the beauty of the Green River and Yampa River areas.
It is fun up at the Quarry Visitor Center:
To manage people/traffic (and eliminate the need to construct another parking lot), everyone takes a bus ride up to the actual quarry site:
It is a nice 10 minute-ride, through some cool rock formations:
The actual Quarry Exhibit Center:
was built to cover the side of an excavated hill, preserving "bones in place" for the education of future generations:
and it is Pretty Cool inside:
After returning to the parking area, I head east to Josie Morris Cabin, where I was going to do 2 short hikes to Box Canyon and Hog Canyon:
Although I did do a little rock-climbing on my 1-mile-round-trip hike into Box Canyon, it isn't as crazy as it looks:
looking back down from up inside Box Canyon:
I then hiked to Hog Canyon - Well, Isn't It FUN seeing both hikes together:
It was a beautiful day to be out-and-about:
You exit this part of the Monument/park by going over the Green River:
Down, out, and east to the Canyon Area by 2:20
The Island Park Overlook has a great view west:
Um, things seem a little GREENER in their photo.
And then I got to the end of the road, at Harpers Corner:
It is a WONDERFUL little trail (2.4 miles round trip) that goes straight out on a slightly-wooded ridge:
(viewing from the other direction):
Sometimes Google Earth is SOOOO COOL!!!
It is a lovely trail:
With a GREAT VIEW down the left/west side (of the Green River):
and down/out the right/east side:
Since I like putting people in my pictures for perspective, can you see the rafters down on the Green River?
Here is a view of the area I'm going to drive down into (Echo Park):
I then headed down Echo Park Road:
It is a great road up top:
until you drop down into the canyon. Sometimes I get to share my selfie with RTLHUM:
I don't know if the road is more DANGEROUS or more AWESOME:
It is REALLY COOL down in Echo Park:
Echo Park Campground is at a horseshoe bend in the Green River, and the beauty speaks for itself:
On my way out of the park, traveling the speed limit on smooth blacktop, there was a deer on the left-hand side of the road. I saw him and he saw me. I was going past him when SUDDENLY HE JUMPED OUT AT MY CAR! He banged into my left front side above/in front of my front wheel, then bounced back into the road. In my mirrors I could see him get up and head off into the field. I'm sorry God. It was so irrational and unexpected, and did shake me up. As of the writing of this blog, I'm fine, but it is difficult having to deal with an extra layer of unexpected/irrational action-possibilities when I drive - I'm even more vigilant than usual.
Back to the Super 8 in Vernal for night #2 (Salt Lake City and Wendy tomorrow!) Thank you God for these Wonderful Adventures; please bless the deer.
Blog music at the hotel was:
Chick Corea Akoustic Band - Alive, 1991 live album
Driving Music was LOCAL RADIO!
105.5 KLCY
KLCY is a Country formatted radio station licensed to serve Vernal, Utah. I have now definitely had enough Country Music to last me a year!
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