Published: 24.08.2023
From Arches NP we went across Utah to Saint George near Zion NP.
With a good 350 miles it was probably the longest day trip of the holiday. Unfortunately, the Dinosaur Museum in Moab was closed on Wednesdays. So we took the small detour via St. George, where there is also a good dinosaur museum. More precisely, it is said to be the best-preserved fossilized dinosaur footbridge there. We're curious.
The ride itself was calm except for 2 heavy rain showers which we got caught in. Therefore, the temperatures were again very moderate between 18 and 30° depending on the cloud cover and sea level. It went up to 2500 meters above sea level. The Colorado Plateau is high. We also noticed that on the hikes at the Grand Canyon and Arches - you get tired more quickly.
Speed limits in the US are similar to those in Austria, and drivers mostly obey them. However, what is very unusual is the size of the vehicles and that there are no lower restrictions for trucks or buses. It can happen that at 130 km/h a giant truck sticks to the bumper or even overtakes you. Even if the roads are mostly dead straight, I don't want to imagine what happens if a truck suddenly has to stop.
During the drive one noticed that the rural area in southern Utah is quite conservative. There are sometimes gun advertisements or religious sayings on the side of the road. Very contrasting to California.
We ate again at a rest stop on the Autobahn - very good American style, ie burgers, fries, pasta with (a lot of) cheese. We then needed a walk, which is not easy without sidewalks and 30 meter wide streets.
Around 16:00 we reach St. George where we found a nice, inexpensive campsite on a hill.
Tired from the long drive, we recharge our batteries in the mobile home when it rains.
Due to the hearty lunch, dinner was light with yoghurt, muesli and fruit.