Adventure Awaits! Traveling Highway 89 through Utah into Arizona

Adventure Awaits!

Oh, the anticipation! Is there anything more wonderful than the (usually) early morning vacation departure? You’ve planned, sometimes for months, chosen your destination, what you want to do and see, your means of travel and where you’ll be staying. All the choices have been narrowed down, and the moment is finally here. It’s a bright, shiny horizon full of possibilities. Adventure awaits and off you go!

I always get a case of high nerves just before I leave, and check my spidey senses just before closing the door. Did I forget something? Did I think of every eventuality? There are control issues at play here, I know. In my planning, I am guarding against the unknown. If you think about it, it’s an oxymoron. The unknown is precisely why I love to travel. But being prepared with the essentials helps me feel ready for the adventure ahead.

2018 Spring Trip – Day One

This year, our spring road trip took us through southern Utah and to Sedona, Arizona. We’d been to Sedona before, but hadn’t seen everything (is that even possible?) If you haven’t visited Sedona, it’s not on the way to anywhere. Part of it’s charm is that it needs to be your destination. It’s tucked out of the way of any see-from-your-car interstate freeway system.

This was a scenic trip, and I wanted a scenic route to get there. Highway 89 is a main north-south thoroughfare from Arizona right up to Canada, and it travels through some large towns and cities. But heading south it’s a secondary route, often overlooked for I-15.

We embarked on Highway 89 where it junctions with Highway 6 just outside of Spanish Fork. Almost immediately, you know you’re traveling a scenic route. You descend a hill and rock walls surround you as you head south. You pass the little used-to-be town of Thistle, where the buried roofs of houses are still visible from the flood back in the 80s.

Traveling Highway 89

We covered a lot of ground our first day out. Highway 89 winds through mountain peaks and valleys, and is a rural route for much of the trip. From Fairview to Mt. Pleasant, down to Ephraim and on through Manti, where the LDS Manti temple overlooks the road as you wind past the pretty cream-colored church. For lunch we stopped at a local spot just south of Gunnison, at a small blue taco truck that sits roadside in Centerfield. Half hidden by a tree, the street tacos were authentic and delicious, and the locals were super friendly and willing to help us figure out the best choice for lunch. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for my Mister.

We stayed the night in Kanab, and checked out the neighborhoods nestled in red cliffs before we called it a day. Since retirement and snowbird living is on our minds right now, it was interesting to see what Kanab had to offer. There are a couple of really nice 55+ communities tucked into the cliffs, and I think I’ll be investigating them more in the months to come. We stayed the night in the beautiful new Best Western Hotel in Kanab. They offer a free, full breakfast in a dedicated space on a lower floor, along with a nice gym, easy parking and great little balconies overlooking the main street. (not a sponsored post, just an appreciative shout out)

Day Two – Leaving Kanab and into Arizona

The next morning we headed to Page and stopped at Glen Canyon Dam. Even if you’re just passing through, this is worth the stop. The construction of this dam was no small feat, and reading the stats and comparisons is impressive.

After leaving the visitor’s center and heading south, there is a great overlook just off the road, and farther down there’s a hike to Horseshoe Bend. Full disclosure: we didn’t hike all the way down. I’d packed away my hiking shoes and my sandals weren’t working in the soft red sand. But what we did see from the top of the first hill was beautiful. Note to self: keep all your footwear readily available!

This is interesting country whether you’re on your way to somewhere else or your destination is Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Recreation area. There’s so much to do and see, you definitely need more than one trip to experience everything this part of the country has to offer!

Because Adventure is Out There

In my next travel post, I’ll talk about some of the sights and the fun we had in Sedona. And because adventure really is out there, I made a fun little printable to remind us all to indulge our wanderlust. Get out there and experience life. It’s waiting for you!

Download my free Adventure Awaits printable by clicking the button below

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