The Adventure Monkey is Back!

After waiting and waiting and waiting, it was finally time to go to Utah!  

I guess I should have looked closer at all those maps... It turns out Utah is a LONG way away.  We went on a beautiful road.  We stopped a lot.  Daddy said something about Mommy's motorcycle not working quite right.  It didn't matter to me.  I just watched the mountains and the valleys, and the rivers and the trees.  When we stopped, Mommy giggled and said I was looking a little damp!  

Since it was the first day, we were all really excited, and decided to ride all night!  It was very cold; I eventually nestled way down in Mommy's jacket, and fell asleep.  Suddenly, we were stopping on a porch... This was different.  I hopped around, and found there was an old closed diner.  I snuck inside to see if there was food... All this motorcycle riding makes a monkey very hungry!  Turns out the diner wasn't just closed for the evening, it had been closed for a long long time.  No food. :(

After a lot of riding, Mommy found us a motel with a heater.  Mommy dried the gloves, and I warmed by bottom.  

The next morning, Mommy, Daddy, and I were hungry.  Mommy suggested a diner, but I steered her bike right here!

We got to eat hot dogs wrapped in dough and donuts with sprinkles!  I got to wear the helmet while I ate.  I think Mommy loves me.

We got back on the road.  This part of Oregon was cold, wet, long, and straight.  While we rode my belly was full and I took a long nap.

We got to a little town called "Fields."  Daddy told me that only 7 people lived in Fields, Oregon!  I tried to imagine being in a town of only 7 people.  Mommy and Daddy have way more than 7 friends. There are even more than 7 people that live in our little cul de sac.  While Mommy and Daddy ate and warmed up, I went off and played Oregon Trail.  This is way better than some silly computer game.  I hopped around in the wagon, then I told the imaginary horses to "Giddayup!"  

Mommy came and played too.  She brought her motorcycle over, and said it had more ponies than my wagon!  I didn't know what that meant, but I found a nice man to take a picture of us together.  

We rode a bit more, and then we found Nevada!  Mommy and daddy took pictures by the sign.  I scampered off, so they had to come find me.  Mommy tried to scold me, but you could tell that she was having a lot of fun riding down the dirt road.

Mommy and Daddy didn't find me very quickly... That's because I hid in this cool little house!  There were all sorts of nooks and crannies to play in. When Mommy found me, she got very worried, and asked me to come out of the building very carefully!  

When we got to Nevada, we saw lots of these signs. Mommy and I talked about how the cows in Nevada the cows must be different, because they look like they are dancing in the road!  

For dinner, we were going to a REAL LIVE SALOON!  I was so excited.  I wanted to see dancing girls and men with guns and swinging doors, but this saloon had none of those.  It did have slot machines and beer.  And the some of the best steak ever.  

The next day, I got up early and explored a junkyard with cool art.  It makes me really happy when people use old stuff to make new art.  

Then Mommy took me into town and I got to play on the old mining carts!  First I just hopped around on the rocks, then I spotted the loader!  

When we headed out of town, we took a LOT of dirt roads that were just off the highway.  At one point, Daddy got off of his bike and did a little dance.

I spent much of my day looking at this beautiful scenery.

We got to a town that had a bunch of beautiful murals.  It got me thinking...

Maybe a good way for a monkey to give back to the world is art.  I could be an artist when I grow up!  I have four paws and a tail, so I could be at least twice as artisticy as a human.  I love the idea of making BIG art.  It would be so amazing!  When I get home, I'm going to ask Mommy for some paints.

We got to a cool little town with a railroad station.  While mommy and daddy had lunch, I played on the trains.  Mommy came to pick me up with a rear brake slide and a giggle, and then we were off!

While we were riding, I suddenly hopped up onto Mommy's shoulder "What is that animal?"  Mommy had driven right past the biggest, horniest animal I'd ever seen!  She turned around to get a better look, and then she laughed at me.  She said "That's not an animal, it's just a whole lotta antlers."  That is art I won't be doing.  I don't know how you get antlers, but I'm pretty sure it's not my thing.

We went to Great Basin National Park, and got to go up a very windy road.  We got to see a wild turkey in a field, and a deer leapt right in front of the motorcycles!  The adventure was getting adventurous!  

That night we stayed in a quirky little inn.  Mommy took a picture of a vacuum flying over daddy's head!  I hopped up and rode on the vacuum!  I like to fly.

They had this sign on the wall.  It said "We don't dial 911."  I asked mommy what it meant.  She said that because it was such a small town, there was no phone service. I wonder why there are guns on the sign?

The next day, we got to drive UNDER mining equipment! 

Then we made it to a park with red rock castles.  I was amazed by the beauty.  I thought about being an artist, and wondered how you could paint something so incredibly beautiful.

It me that for a Utah trip, we were sure taking a long time to get to Utah.  We finally turned off on a dirt road, and Daddy said it would take us to Utah!  I don't know how he knew, there was no sign, but I trust Daddy.  He's pretty smart.

Once we got to Utah, we came to a funny little town where someone had 'Mater in their yard!  I tried to talk to him, but he was clearly not in a talking mood.

Now that we were in Utah, it was time to start visiting even more National Parks!  Maybe someday I can work at a park.  Oh way.  Except I want to be an artist.... Maybe I can be an artist that works at a park!  

Look at how pretty Zion is! 

We had a super bumpy ride getting to our campground.  I was pretty tired, so I tucked myself into Daddy's bed.  When Mommy and Daddy came to bed, they moved me so they could lay down too.

The next day, we went to Bryce.  On the way, we saw a sign for a normal cow.  I was glad we didn't have to watch out for dancing cows anymore.  The normal cows look slower and easier to spot.

When we got to Bryce, we found a stagecoach that was just my size!  I played on it for hours and hours. 

Mommy said it was time for bed, but I wasn't tired, so she made me a bed way up high.  

The next day we rode all around Bryce and Bryce Canyon.  I found this cool tree trunk surrounded by stones.  What do you think it means? I'm pretty sure it's there to honor all the trees that have been cut down, and to ask the earth to grow new trees for us.  Trees are very important.  I think when I am a famous artist, I'll paint pictures of trees. Maybe I'll even paint a picture of a tree with a circle of stones around it! 

I scampered off into some trees to look more closely at the rock formations.  Look at that.  Amazingly beautiful.  I wonder what makes them look like that.

At Bryce Canyon, it was even more amazing.  The canyons held unspeakable beauty.  Photographs don't even capture what it feels like to be so small and insignificant and young.

We took a little adventure down this hiking trail, and there were canyons on either side.  It was just monkey sized, and I scampered way ahead of mommy and daddy.  Eventually, they had to call me back, because it was getting dark.  Time for bed, again!  

I sure love being a travel monkey.  I love seeing the quiet natural parts of the world.  I think back to my trip to Vegas, and how bright and loud and smokey it was.  My favorite parts of travel are when I don't see anyone for a really long time.  And when I get to see beautiful things.  

I've got more to share about Utah, but I'm a tired monkey.  It was a really big trip.  I'll write more soon!  Bye!