Road Trip to Southern Utah

[75Carrera]

After some loose planning we're finally heading out from Prescott, AZ 7:30 Wednesday morning. Plans are to jump up to Flagstaff and then take Hwy 89 north from there to Marble Canyon. Then 89A into Utah up to Kanab and on to Ruby's Inn just outside Bryce Canyon NP

Thursday morning we're taking the famous Hwy 12 (national scenic by-way) up to meet Hwy 89 south and back to Ruby's Inn Thursday night. I've been wanting to run this for a few years now. The March, Road and Track ran an article about it and that did it!

We'll return through Page, AZ and see Lake Powell on the way home...

Round trip is about 1200 miles. Costs for each of us; Premium fuel is averaging $3.60 to $4.00 so at 22mph the fuel will be about $200. Two nights out $240, meals $100, a rubber spider with Bryce Canyon painted on it $10... my frozen smile after three days chasing Art's Lotus Elise through some of America's most amazing red rock landscapes: priceless

I doubt we'll see too many Pelican's along this route but always interested in a brief stop to say hey if you're out there somewhere.

Next month we'll be running the Devil's Highway 191 Alpine, AZ to Morenci, AZ (our Arizona "Dragon's Tail") A few of us ran it last Spring and it blew us away. I"ll be posting pictures from both these road trips.

[Paul K]

Can't wait to see the pictures. Have a safe trip!

Paul.

[slodave]

Originally Posted by 75Carrera

Costs for each of us; Premium fuel is averaging $3.60 to $4.00 so at 22mph the fuel will be about $200.

Might I suggest driving a little faster to improve the gas mileage?

Have a fun, safe trip! Looking forward to the pics.

Dave

[Greg930]

If you come close to St. George, let me know, meet for lunch, or what ever time if you get close.

[charleskieffner]

stop off at the local FLDS compound and notice how everyjuan looks exactly the same! man we thought we were in the freeking TWILIGHT ZONE IN COLORADO CITY!

women/girls: same dress, same shoes, same hair, same looks.

men/boys: same dress,same shoes,same hair,same looks.

us: g/friend wearing tank top no bra(big hooties) short shorts hair down to ass. me: rasta skull/skeleton dude from barbados on t-shirt, baggy north face shorts and flip flops with hair going sideways and 2 days growth of beard, drinking beer!

from marble canyon on up, various colored crown vics w/ two guys in suits, black surburbans with 2 guys in it. all over the place, just driving and looking.

what a long strange trip that was! yep colorado city is the place for me...........where everyjuan looks the same becuz they is da same becuz of the same GENE POOL!

reading about it is one thing, watching news clips is one thing. first hand experience will send you off the deep end.

this was when warren jeffs was still on the lamb and the feds were pissed.

had a blast at zion and bryce. beautiful country. nice enough i would move there in a heartbeat and convert to FLDS and start my own TWILIGHT ZONE GENE POOL!

P.S. stop off at lees ferry and nail some monster trout. scuds/pink shrimp/red/orange salmon puff balls. artificial ONLY! slot limits apply. no brainer catching them. marble canyon lodge up on top will cook em for you however you want 'em. baked fried etc.

[75Carrera]

You're a sick dog Charles! Love the FLDS comps... Think we'll pass on Colorado City (one wife is plenty) but I may wanna consider the braless tank top! Standing out in Warren Jeff's personal pelt patch doesn't take much. You paint a tempting picture though.. (so where's the picture of the girl friend?). LOL
Did you take that sweet little Cab of your's up there?

[charleskieffner]

donny thanks for the blast from the past. wow that was awhile back. mega changes on car and more to come. eng. has #4 exhaust valve leaking down 19%. have about 25000 miles before it becomes skeeter fogger or down on power. either way financially getting ready to do possibly 3.4 and rebuild tranny w/synchros(zoomy) and tall 1 and 2nd gears. loved the tall gears in turbo i drove.

anyway on our twilight zone venture we took the doolie from hell k-3500 4 x 4. that way we could carry a 1000# of salmon eggs for our trout orgy thruout utah/colo/new mex and all our kitchen sinks. 2 people in a doolie is the ultimate road burner on or off road until trail gets tight. carry everything you want and then some.

on the entrance to zion is a really cool buffalo ranch and lil cabins for rent. im thinking about going there again for our honeymoon coming up. very nice cabins and fairly inexpensive a night. anyway sitting on porch being me slamming beers(doolie filled w/beer knowing utahs booze laws) after a hard drive thru twilight zone, about dusk and an entire school herd pod covey group of TURKEYS(27) walk by no less than 5 feet from my chair. had i got up right then they would have spooked. after they went by grabbed camera and got some shots a distance off. deer everywhere following morning. mega buffalo across road. went into zion for the day and had a blast. all the tourista stuff. then headed to town of escalante and into the backwoods along devils backbone trail for a few days in the woods and then backroads all the way to I-70 and then into colorado.

utah is a hell of state to explore. i could easily dump my dump in cave creek and move into a 4 season 5000ft elevation small town and get some crap job or open "chucks beer bait bullets and porsche parts" lil shoppe. love the small towns and it is a very clean state anywhere you go with fairly good water tables. henrieville had a ELK RANCH right on the highway with a gazzillion mega monster boone and crockett elk they raised just as if they were cattle. about went nuts trying to pick which bull i would shoot given the chance!!!

bryce you will be slammed by other touristas busloads. great place to burn film at dawn and dusk when shadows creep in. incredible vistas and i could move there in an instant.

you guys are gonna have a blast. watch for dps north of flag. once past turnoff to kayenta, you can wick it on til utah border towns, then the big old corn fed redneck utah highway patrol kinda gets heavy and you need to watch your speed. just have a radar(dar dar) unit and you'll be fine.

whatever you do.............dont haul ass thru colorado city. you will stick out like a sore thumb w/yer p-cars. people will be all staring at you as if you were from outer space! quite the contrary most of THEM ARE FROM OUTER SPACE OR OUTER MONGOLIA!

have fun. watch for deer elk driving at dawn dusk or at night, lots of road kills!

[cubby911T]

We just took a vacation in S. UT last summer - we stayed in Kanab, UT and took day trips out to Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon. Breathtaking!! I would have loved to have been able to drive my 911 through the mountains and canyons.....you are a lucky dude!!! You will get to drive your Porsche and enjoy vistas like this:

[charleskieffner]

as a old cowboy once said..........."A HELL OF A PLACE TO LOOSE A COW!"

[75Carrera]

Charles,

Where are those little cabins you mentioned near Zion? Paved roads all the way? Precious never leaves the pavement (on purpose anyway)...

[charleskieffner]

donny on the eastern entrance to zion. ie. exactly the way youll be traveling across navajo bridge marble canyon, jacobs lake turn off, road into utah. dont have map next to me.

the entrance to zion national park is about 10 minutes to the west and then onto the visitor center.

these little cabins are across the street from the buffalo ranch. you check in there. has restaurant w/buffalo steaks/burgers etc. very very nice area. doing zion and bryce in one day doesnt do either justice. even one day devoted to each is short changing yourself. there is alot to do and see.

i forgot town name we made a left headed west to get there. just look for east entrance to zion and youll find it coming up 89.

we stopped off at all the fruit stands and got incredible fruit to eat and nuts etc. hit lil po-dunk country restaurants for breakfast and really enjoyed every aspect of that entire area. it is rural and be prepared for some driving in the country.

enjoy. left my house at 8am and made the cabins by about 430pm and we stopped quite a few times looking at navajo items and getting fruit etc.

[samsnead]

Charles,

My buddy picked up Bill's 996TT thanks for the post.

[charleskieffner]

Originally Posted by samsnead

Charles,

My buddy picked up Bill's 996TT thanks for the post.

you know what...........if i wasnt so far into my goofy ass car i would have bought that from bill. that truly was a gem as much as bill is. great guy and would do anything for him anytime.

the problem is THAT CAR WOULD GET ME IN TROUBLE!


a mans gots to know his limits!


that thing flat wanted to take off down the tarmac here at the runway! one wicked bad ass car. he told me warm it up, bring it to temp, get into 3rd and PIN IT!

holy ned that was FUN! hope your friend is a great driver and takes care of it.

[Winter]

Beeeutiful country out there and Zion national park is special. In addition to the aforementioned cabins at the entrance to the park, there's a pretty cool lodge inside the park that, if IIRC, has rooms. Its a classic, but may be booked solid.

And if the driving isn't enough, or you feel like stretching your legs, take the time to do the hike to Angle's Landing in Zion. Short hike, good elevation gain to the top of the canyon, with a ton of exposure at the top giving those who feel comfortable with nothing below them some great vistas and those with vertigo the serious sweats.

---

Tom