Utah- Surprise, Surprise!

When I left Yellowstone I tried to gauge a halfway mark between Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. I really wanted to stay on Salt Lake, but read some reviews and opted to stay in the mountains. All the lake locations appeared to be flat and basically parking lots and most of he reviews talked about mosquitos and flies, so I looked up a place called North Fork State Park just outside of a small town called Ogden. Great decision! The park is very rustic and isolated located in one of the most beautiful spots I have come across. I camped right on the mountain and the drive there took you through a canyon and over another mountain with stunning views of the surrounding landscape. After about a week in Yellowstone I was happy to relax in this beautiful location for three days. The park was empty and the camp sites were spaced a good distance apart which made for a great opportunity to paint, play guitar, and whip up a camping meal of chili Mac and bread. I never realized how beautiful Utah was. I had a few hour drive through the state to get to the canyons south rim and I had my mouth agape most of the drive. It was a big plus that the leaves had already started to change which added the extra wow to the scenery. The moderate temperature combined with a backdrop of mountains left me thinking that this area would be a great place to settle for a while. It’s no wonder Brigham Young stated “This is the place” when he arrived. This area is certainly going to be on any return trip maps.