Cross Country Road Trip: Colorado to Utah

June 10, 2019

I really wish I could have stayed longer in Fort Collins with my family. Besides just being very artsy, Fort Collins seems to have a very outdoorsy culture with many activities centered around the nearby mountains. I was of course just thankful to see my family and my mini-me cousin, since I don’t know when I will next.

Before Pop Pop and I left for our next destination, though, we went back to downtown Fort Collins to have a very satisfactory breakfast at Urban Egg. One of the things I wanted on this trip was a syrupy and sweet breakfast, and that’s what I got. I ordered the pancake flight, which comes with three pancakes of your choice. This place was really meant for me, because I always have a hard time deciding which pancakes to get when there are so many appealing kinds! I ended up with a Hawaiian pancake, a blueberry streusel pancake and a strawberry cheesecake pancake. The only thing that would have made them better is if I had more. I also ordered a fancy blended juice drink which contained honeydew, cucumber, pineapple and fresh mint, which was light and refreshing.

We then sadly said our goodbyes and Pop Pop and I were off to Utah. Another thing I really wanted to do on this trip was go to a state or national park, because what is a cross country road trip without one? After hearing exquisite reviews from my dad who was out west a few months prior, Pop Pop and I decided on Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. However, today was just meant for getting there.

Pop Pop and I probably spent about 10 hours in the car on the fifth day of our journey passing through mountainous scenery that was absolutely gorgeous. One of the coolest things was seeing ski mountains I have visited on my family ski trips. Some were bare with grass and trees being warmed by the sun, while others still had some snow on them.

Luckily, the people who built the highways through the west were smart and added “scenic outlook” stops along the way, so Pop Pop and I stopped at two of those, as you can see below.

After a long day of driving, Pop Pop and I found our accommodations for the night: Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon City. I expected this hotel to be your average Best Western, but it was way more. When we pulled into it, I was shocked at how huge the western-styled campus was. The main building/reception area was built to look like a western log cabin and housed bathrooms, two large gift shops, a restaurant and more. There were multiple buildings with rooms for guests and even a Laundromat. I think there was an RV and campground on the lot somewhere, too. The moral of the story: it’s huge.

Alas, I had bigger things to let bewilder my mind the next day. So I went to sleep excited to get on a horse again, see some nature and of course for that breakfast buffet coming my way.