Driggs, Idaho to Vernal, Utah

Monday, August 15th-  After having breakfast with Julie and Rick, we headed out to see Dinosaur National Monument.  Rick went over our route with Dale and suggested we try to go by an area called Flaming Gorge National Recreation area, which straddles the area between Utah and Wyoming.  They were hoping at some point to take their RV there.  The area includes a 91 mile long reservoir and the Flaming Gorge and Red Gorge, gouged out of the Uinta Mountains by the Green River.  There is a dam and its visitor center on the southern end of the 160 mile loop around the area.  The area is known for fishing, and there are several campgrounds available.

We drove the eastern edge of the loop, stopping for photos a few times, and bypassing the dam.  We did not find the area particularly impressive in terms of beauty, but the road seemed to take us quite a ways away from the gorge itself. The western edge may have been better.  After leaving the recreation area, our drive took us through the Uinta mountains toward Utah.  We spotted a mule deer near the road, and saw some beautiful stands of Aspen.  This trip has been pretty good with regard to road work, but we did get stopped for about 15 minutes due to road work in the mountains.

In investigating where to stay to see Dinosaur National Monument, we elected Vernal, Utah, as it was closer to the west entrance of the park, which is where the dinosaur fossils and visitor center are located.  It also appeared to be large enough to support a couple of hotels.  What a surprise the town turned out to be!  It was quite large, with its main drag lined with beautiful flowers, both hanging and in large planters lining the road.  When we talked to one of the locals, she said the town had undergone a big boom with oil exploration, with the population rising to 25,000.  However, over the past couple of years with prices falling, the population had dropped to 17,000.  Unfortunately, with the building boom aimed at the higher population, some of the restaurants, shops and hotels are beginning to feel the hurt.  Actually, the hotel where we stayed had been open less than one year.  We were happy to have so many options for dinner, but felt bad that such a vibrant-appearing town would most likely not stay that way for long.