The first stop was Dead Horse Point State Park, and our first view of the mighty Colorado River carving its way through Utah more than 1000 feet below. It's an amazing feeling standing at the edge of the drop-off, all you can hear is the wind howling through the canyon and the occasional rustle of a creature through the brush. We planned to hike from the Vistors Center to the Point and back, about 3 miles, but the high desert heat and too much camera equipment quickly changed our plans. I'm glad the coyote hunting gas station owner told us about this park, definitely a must visit if you're in eastern Utah. Our next stop was Canyonlands National Park, a short drive around the canyon. More incredible vista points along the narrow Canyon walls. We spotted several roads leading to the Colorado River and lower Canyon walls. Places to explore on another visit. We continued down Highway 193 to Arches National Park, following a helicopter hugging the cliff walls (now that's the way to see the scenery). The scenery at Arches is amazing, basically flat terrain with large pieces of stone dotting the landscape. Over the eons the wind has worked arches through much of the stone and sculpted some beautiful formations. We spent hours hiking to each arch and some great photos follow. Originally I was hoping to stop in the town of Moab out the way south. This is a famous town for mountain biking, and my bike was getting tired of being crammed in the trunk. Unfortunately we lost track of time and needed to make it into Arizona, so we just cruised through town and loaded up at McDonalds. The drive south continued through some more great landscapes and into a blinding sunset. A herd of deer blocked the road at one point, and almost ended up as a hood ornament. I was hoping to make it to Monument Valley by sunset, but we entered the area long after the last rays of light disappeared. There are so few signs of civilization out here, and the sky was crystal clear. With millions of stars visible we could see large sections of the sky blacked out by the huge sandstone monoliths. We stopped in the middle of the valley and I finally got a good look at the Milky Way, arching it's way across the sky. “Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.” -- Alan Keightley

Mileage Start: 3492.2 End: 3820.5 Day 10: 328.3 States Utah, Arizona