3.27.26
I’m not gonna lie – I stressed way too much about driving through the Rockies. I spent a ton of time on Google and Reddit trying to figure out if our rental Mazda could survive everything I imagined the Rockies would be.
I-70 through the Rockies is a lot windier and up and down-ier than I-80 but OMG — a far better and much more scenic choice.
ZERO REGRETS.
We did a little less soundtracking for the Rockies although we did keep up the classic rock vibe after ascending into the mountains to Cartman’s version of “Come Sail Away.” Again, #iykyk. It just made sense.
I can’t even begin to describe just how amazing it was driving through the Rockies. It was slightly terrifying at first but ultimately breathtaking, and my hope is that next time (THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME) I’ll be able to take my time and spend several days hopping from one tiny mountain town to another.
Our first stop was a rest stop that had a gorgeous view. It was crazy to see snow given the menopausal weather we left behind in Maryland but I was here for it. Pictures don’t do any of this trip justice but all the same we still took a bunch. And of course Appa and LK’s goblin stuffy joined in the fun.
One of the things that surprised me or maybe was just my ignorance of the landscape — the Rockies are huge. In my head I was thinking it was just and up and down kind of thing.
It is not.
The Rockies are WIDE AF. Like several hundred miles. And it’s not just all snowy peaks. Probably one of my favorite parts was winding along the Colorado River.
The water was COLD! But it was super worth it.
While we were hanging out by the river we got to see a train go by on the adjacent tracks which was pretty cool. I also chose to do a FaceTime with some family while I was there which, I have to say, was surreal. Like so surreal.
Technology is wild.
I almost didn’t want to leave our little slice of watery and rocky heaven, but alas, the road called and onward we went.
We had a late lunch in Rifle before wandering toward our descent and subsequently Utah.
Utah was just wow. But in a totally different way.
We did a stop at Harley’s Dome near Thompson which delivered some amazing, I describable views. Again I was able to do a FaceTime with some fam after an intense mini-climb to a cute little summit. Leg day vibes for sure, but totally worth it.
As we moved through Utah we had to make a choice. Stay on I-70 and head down past the arches and then up to Salt Lake OR cut up through some winding single lane and shave some time.
We opted for the latter and it was pretty cool. Route 191 took us past the Book Cliffs (very neat and apropos for library kids) before we merged with Route 6 through Price Canyon and past Strawberry Peak.
We made one last stop before making our way toward Salt Lake City and caught a lovely sunset.
Things then took a terrifying turn once it got dark and we were in the mountains. Covered Bridge Canyon is a wild winding path that is probably gorgeous in the daytime but at night — woof. There were definitely parts of the drive where I was glad I couldn’t see over the edge of the road, but we safely made it out.
The wildest part was when we first exited the mountains and were immediately assaulted by a valley full of twinkling city lights. Just past Spanish Fork Peak it all opened up and the sea of lights seemed to go on forever.
After that we were deep in the heart of the Salt Lake area and went through Provo and Lehi before ending our night in Draper. Even though it was nighttime, I could still sense the snow-capped peaks that surrounded us and was excited for morning. I just knew the view was going to be gorgeous.
On fleek and out,
Ames
Oregon Trail: Ames Edition 
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