The drive from Oxnard to Las Vegas is a pretty ugly drive. The California dessert is rather blah and boring. The drive from Las Vegas to Rifle, on the other hand, is amazing. From the Virgin River Gorge in northwestern Arizona to the spectacular dessert vistas along the western I-70 n Utah, the awesome sights are none stop.
I have driven this route a few times and the 11 miles of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge is one of my favorite stretches of road, right up there with Highway 1 between Monterey and San Simeon and the Going To The Sun in Glacier. It was just as incredible as I remembered.
We managed to get past St George, UT without breaking down. We passed restaurants like the Hoagie O Yoagie and the Garden of Eat In Restaurant. We passed an advertisement in Parowan for the Nuclear War Survival Plan. If I'd had more time, I would have stopped along the way at all the weird places but I really wanted to get to Omaha so we can sign our papers.
The next great stretch of road is from the Junction of I-15 and I-70 to just past Green River. The landscape is a panople of reds, oranges, yellows, and whites. Every corner I rounded revealed another breathtaking view. I felt the urge to hike the red bluffs tugging at my gut.
We arrived in Rifle, checked into the hotel, and called the Wife's aunt in nearby Parachute. We were looking forward to great conversation and a home cooked meal (Our first in a week). They did not disappoint. The food was delicious and we talked and talked quite a bit later then we had originally planned. Homer, of course, was a good boy in their house.
We made it back to the hotel just in time to go to bed. We had an early morning on Sunday and we were tired.
Glad to hear the drive is going well. Yeah, that drive from LA to Vegas can be a real chore, eh? Sometimes the desert is nice, has it's own unique beauty. But not so much when you're doing the run on the I-15!
ReplyDeleteYea home cooked meals!
Done that drive so many times between moving and traveling back and forth to Lincoln. That gorge is beautiful and I have heard that whole area has grown so much.
ReplyDeleteStay safe, good luck on your walk through and paper signing! I'm so happy the move is going smooth for you, wife and homer.
GH: The Mojave is particularly desolate and often lacks color. Definitely a chore.
ReplyDeleteThe food was yummy too!
Dobegil: Everything has gone very smooth. That drive is awesome.