The adventure of an uncharted journey
By Magi Thomley Williams / Photos by Jackson Williams
Unplanned travel is one of the adrenaline rushes my husband, Jackson, and I share. Adventures without set agendas or reservations (except flights) are great fun for us. Recently we decided on such a trip to Utah. Friends told us we needed to get a reservation, or we’d never get into the most popular national parks. We didn’t listen, and had no problems being admitted to any of the parks.
Maybe it’s my husband’s winning smile.
And traveling without a hotel reservation? Who does that? We do!
We have found that spontaneous travel offers both challenges and freedom. Our flight landed in Salt Lake City where low-hanging clouds made the territorial views less than picturesque. And Temple Square, which some would say is a must see, was closed for construction. But the Natural History Museum of Utah, with exhibits of millions of years of human, animal and geologic evolution, engaged us for hours.
Utah is decidedly steak and potatoes territory. Elk steak, bison steak, beef steak and BBQ ribs. Breakfast potatoes, potatoes with gravy, sweet potato fries, beer-battered fries. When we asked the hostess at a Salt Lake City Italian restaurant for a recommendation, rather than share her pasta favorite, she advised us to order the house steak salad. She was right — the steak was deliciously smoky and tender.
As we headed for Provo, the first winter snowstorm set in, surprising even the locals, so we diverted to a tiny town called Beaver. We snagged the last room available at a hotel where the desk clerk suggested we visit a locally owned eatery for dinner and even gave us a discount card. Crazy Cow Café was fun, boasting a mention in a Stephen King novel. The ribs and mashed potatoes were hearty and tasty. We were delayed in Beaver until the snow thawed midday on our second day, so we grabbed photos of local landmarks covered in snow. Places that will never appear in a travel guide. The peaceful snow-covered valley surrounded by white-capped mountains was a delightful surprise.
A marketing campaign for the Mighty Five National Parks drives most visitors to the five parks and little else. Our favorite stop wasn’t a National Park, but a State Park recommended by the maintenance guy at our Moab lodge. Dead Horse Point State Park delivered better panoramic views than any of the National Parks we visited. Dead Horse Point offers up an interesting if haunting legend. As the story goes, the point was used to corral wild mustangs by cowboys who would choose the horses they wanted and leave the remainder fenced in on the mesa to die from thirst in view of the Colorado River flowing 2000 feet below.
Moab is the quintessential tourist village; a downtown filled with boutiques, local art, coffee shops and restaurants. There, snow and rain drove us inside for fireside beverages at our lodge instead of hiking at Bryce Canyon National Park. I didn’t whine one bit about that!
Approximately 70% of the land in Utah is designated as national parks by the federal government; topography of unique color pallets and sculpted rock designed by water, ice, extreme temperatures and time. While we took drives, walked and hiked through breathtaking landscapes, we were disappointed at the number of visitors rushing out of their vehicles, posing for selfies, and scurrying to the next photo destination. They didn’t take time to celebrate the balanced rocks, spires, arches and hoodoos as sunlight played on the ancient and evolving terrain.
Immersed in over a million acres of silence and scale created over 65 million years, inhabited by native people 10,000 years ago, I felt like a speck in time and space. Over a span of maybe 80 years on earth, what mark will I leave, I wondered?
Life is a bit like this road trip, with unexpected detours and unplanned events, and far too short. I was reminded to take a moment to savor the present; to embrace the unexpected adventure of an uncharted journey.
