Blanding - 4 Corners - Monument Valley - Natural Bridges State Park

October 23-26, 2016

Mike got drawn for the hunt with his buddy Todd so his wife and I decided to tag along. We stayed in Blanding, Utah, which is a very small town but is close to some really amazing places. On Friday, while the boys were out hunting, Erin and I took the kiddos to the Edge of the Cedars State Park which has a large collection of Anasazi pottery, artifacts and exhibits. It was really neat and there is a 1,000 year old Kiva you can climb down into. 

The Kiva!

This is in Bluff, UT where the LDS saints from the Hole in The Rock came and settled. Bluff Fort is fun little stop in town with a fun visitors center and activity area for all ages. 

On Saturday we hit up the Four Corners. Maybe this is strange, but I have always wanted to go here. The drive here was...interesting. We passed through some very small towns like Montezumas Creek and Aneth, which are comparable to ghost towns. Although the drive was pretty barren and dismal, it was still a fun adventure. Several of the local Native Americans sell goods around the monument and they are beautiful jewelry, dream catchers, art, etc.

This is the Mexican Hat, in the small town of Mexican Hat, UT. We drove by this on our way to Monument Valley on Sunday, after the boys were done hunting. 

MONUMENT VALLEY! I was so excited to see this and it was gorgeous. I want to come back here some day. The fee to get into the park is $20 but it is well worth it. There are several trails you can take as well as drive through and see all of the monuments. The visitors center is also very impressive. 

Natural Bridges National Monument

This was Utah's first national monument and is quite the hidden gem. It provides several hikes and amazing views into hidden canyons and bridges. There are several bridges to see and a great driving loop that easily takes you to beautiful overlooks.