Grand Circle Road Trip: Day 6

Thanks to a cool selfie stand built as a part of the sign we got our first family picture at a park! We had a lazy morning and made our way to Canyonlands. Today was much warmer and we decided to go to the Island In the Sky portion of the park.

Canyonlands is divided into 3 sections with separate entrance. The Maze, Needles and Island in the Sky are all unique. We opted to explore this portion because of it's proximity to Moab and it truly is an Island in the Sky.

Originally I had planned the short walk to Landscape arch at sunrise, but sleeping in was what happened instead. This beautiful arch perfectly frames the landscape around it.

The way that these arches form on the edge of a mountain is insane.

Each viewpoint really makes you feel like you're on an Island in the Sky.

We were constantly surrounded by steep cliffs that drop down into a river.

The Buck Canyon Overlook was magnificent. It was like looking at the earth through a microscope with so much detail.

Just outside of Canyonlands is a state park called Dead Horse. Odd name, I know, but we learned that it's named Dead Horse because horses were cornered and captured on it's peninsula. It's a must visit for anyone going to Canyonlands so we had to check it out.

Dead Horse did not disappoint. After a quick stop in the visitors center we immediately went the famous overlook. The rock and river formations here are unbelievable in shape and size.

Even the overlook was made of carved rock and fit right into the landscape.

After a quick exploration in the parking lot we hit the road and headed south. This was as far west as we were going and it was time to head out of Utah and into Arizona.

The drive into Monument Valley was epic.

We played tourists and stopped at the Forrest Gump sign. This is the exact spot in the movie where he stopped running.

Monument Valley was closed while we visited, but we were still able to see those famous mittens.

The way that these buttes rise up from nothing is a sight to see.

We stayed in a cottage at the famous Gouldings Lodge and could see all the monuments from our porch.

I have to share some food pics because I had heard so much about the Navajo Tacos at Gouldings. They're an open face taco made with fry bread and basically the best taco you'll ever eat. My kids still talk about the food at this restaurant and how they had the best french fries anywhere. Gouldings is a must visit.

Up Next: Day 7