Provo UT to Cortez CO
Route I-15 to US 50 to I-70 to 191
This road trip is a good one from getting anywhere west of the Rockies in Utah and Idaho to Colorado. It is a mix of great and fast interstate traveling and mostly some interesting byways that are also quick. It also allows you to spend some time in Moab, Utah to visit the great parks nearby.
From Provo (where we spent the night at the KOA) head south on I-15 and pick up US 50 heading south where you can see the really cool somewhat deserted towns of Scipio when you get on US50 and then Salina when you are about to get onto I-70.
This jaunt onto US50 helps break the journey up into interesting bits. When you get on the 70 you will need to stop at the Sand Bench Viewing area which is a rest stop that has an incredible view and usually vendors selling some interesting souvenirs. It is definitely worth a stop.
A few hours from here and to the south of here you’ll have access to Arches National Park and the town of Moab, Utah which has plenty to offer tourists of all types. You’re also near Dead Horse State Park and Canyonlands National Park here. It is a shame to have missed visiting these since we were so close and, in the case of Arches, we drove right by the entrance.
I was looking forward to visiting as well as spending time in Moab. I had even taken the time to get the brochures from and look through them before leaving on this trip. The scenery is breathtaking and I really wanted to visit. But the heat isn’t for everyone. It was going to be 113 degrees F (45 degrees Celsius) the day we drove through and we left very early in the morning to avoid the heat on our way south.
I cannot imagine going outside and walking around. We would just have to go back here on another trip sometime and I can assure you we won’t think about planning that trip in the peak heat of summer! It is a shame because Moab really has everything we are looking for in a destination but honestly in that heat you can’t do anything no matter what the destination offers.
We spent the night at the KOA in Cortez, Colorado. They have a 3 acre dog park, pool, nice store and great staff. The campground was well maintained with lots of flowers in pots. And while we were just trying to make good time and still enjoy the scenery through some small towns. Now that we were back in Colorado, we figured we could find someplace cool once we got to the mountains. So the next morning we headed in the direction of Durango.
How Do I Travel 