Well, THAT was a long break, wasn't it? I just lost my blogging momentum there for awhile, even though I was enjoying sharing our "Last Hurrah" western adventure with you. But I'm back now, to begin sharing the last half of our three-week vacation to some of our western states last October.
Our lodging for this part of our trip was at the Dinosaur Inn & Suites in Vernal, Utah, and was, hands down, the best room, best breakfast, and best rates encountered at any other stop. I highly recommend this facility for anyone looking for a place to stay in Vernal.
Vernal was chosen for its proximity to Dinosaur National Monument, which was the focus of our activity on October 9, 2018.
Entering Dinosaur National Monument, the first stop is the Quarry Exhibit Hall. It's an enclosed exhibit, built around a rock face in which approximately 1,500 dinosaur bones are embedded and preserved where they were found.
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| This is a view of the surrounding landscape as seen from the Quarry Exhibit Hall |
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| Inside the Exhibit Hall |
Dinosaur National Monument encompasses more than 210,000 acres of rugged, colorful, and beautiful landscape. We were there on a perfect day, when the sunshine highlighted the gorgeous colors in the rocks.
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| This one is called "Turtle Rock." |
Another fun place to visit within the National Monument is the Josie Morris homestead. Josie was a woman alone who, at the age of 40, established her home in this remote area in the 1900s. She wanted to be self-sufficient, raise some livestock, and grow some produce. Here, she found the water and other conditions she needed to survive. She built her cabin and lived there until she died in 1964, at the age of 90.
A path from Josie's cabin led to one of two box canyons where she pastured her cattle. She was able to easily corral them with a simple fence over the narrow opening to the canyon.
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| Box Canyon |
There were also a number of places where petroglyphs could be viewed on the rock faces in the National Monument. Petroglyphs are forms of rock art left by ancient peoples who created them by removing part of the rock surface.
I'm including the following image of one such rock wall and have added arrows pointing out the many petroglyphs I found in just this small area. Most are lizards. One appears to be a man. Our attention was drawn to this wall by the very clear representation of a large lizard in the middle of the photo. Then we began spotting several others in the same area.
The next day, we drove to Moab, Utah, where we visited Dead Horse Point State Park, another amazingly beautiful place, that afternoon. But more on that next time.
A very interesting place to visit with gorgeous scenery and fabulous rock formations. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks kindly, Margaret. And a blessed weekend to you, as well.
DeleteYou've given us another place to add to our list of sites to visit if we ever get out that way again. The scenery is absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't know what to expect here, George; but we'd both been wanting to check it out. Since we weren't sure we'd ever be back that way again, we decided this was the time to do it. The Exhibit Hall is very interesting, but I think we enjoyed the outside things the most. I hope you can get there someday.
DeleteFascinating. I have been in Vernal Utah, but my memories from that time are not good. I was going through an emotional break down and just not able to enjoy the beautiful scenery.It would be nice to go back now, under better circumstances.Your pictures help me do that in part.
ReplyDeleteThe Dinosaur National Monument is actually about 20 miles east of Vernal, Ruth; but Vernal is the closest place to stay. I'm sorry for what you were going through on your previous visit. Maybe there's a better visit in your future. ;)
DeleteWow I need to go there, love it when the fossils are still intact in the soil and rock. NE has Ashfall State park in the northeast corner of the state. there are camels, horses and hippos among the many one can view in their exhibit hall. Our family hobby was centered around these discoveries. My oldest at 4 helped capture a turtle found when putting a stairway in with the head of the department. It was a fossil when all the animals displayed were still alive. We wanted to join the Leakey's in Africa but at a lecture were told they only used Harvard students, darn
ReplyDeleteWell, Steve, it sounds like you and your family would really enjoy a visit to the Quarry Exhibit Hall. And it wouldn't be terribly far for you. You need to schedule it! No Harvard degree required. :)
DeleteHow very interesting: dinosaurs' bones, Josie's cabin, petroglyphs !
ReplyDeleteThe pictures you've managed to take are fascinating!
Thank you, Duta. It's a fascinating place to visit.
DeleteOh, look at those clouds in that beautiful blue sky! It looks as if you could just reach up and touch them! And, that Josie Morris was truly a pioneer of sorts!
ReplyDeleteThe day we spent at Dinosaur National Monument was one of the prettiest of the whole trip.The blue skies and white fluffy clouds added to the beauty of the surroundings. Josie Morris would have been a colorful person to sit and talk with, I think.
DeleteBoth the dinosaur bones and petroglyphs are very interesting, Linda. And Josie Morris... she must have been an adventurous woman, I tip my hat to her courage. A real pioneer indeed.
ReplyDeleteThis whole day was an interesting experience, Petra, from the Quarry Exhibit Hall to the Josie Morris homestead. It was a full and fun day. And I found myself tipping my own hat to Josie's courage and determination.
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