Epic Utah RV Roadtrip (part one)

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We waited for what seemed like forever to take this Utah roadtrip. It was 10 long months of anticipation after we first started planning before we finally got to go. Utah was our "big" trip of 2021 and after becoming totally obsessed with RVing through Arizona (and falling head-over-heels in love with Sedona), Utah had some big shoes to fill. We picked out some of the most radical hikes we could find, chose a few slot canyons whose pictures could leave you breathless and made sure to stop at all 7 of the National Parks we passed driving from Cleveland along the way. Utah DID NOT disappoint. ... and neither did Nebraska.

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There's no better way to see a state than to drive through it while stopping at every amazing view along the way. We had mapped out which roads to take, places to sleep and hikes to conquer in making sure we made the best out of our 9 day trip. The only thing we didn't consider was the weather.

Being from Cleveland, we're no stranger to bitter cold weather and snow covered roads. While October in Cleveland typically delivers winter coat weather, this particular October was warmer than usual. Our leaves were still green, our coats still hung and our breath was still unseen- even on the cooler days. Not exactly desert dwellers (yet!), we assumed the west would be even warmer. We scoffed at the few mentions of snow from those who we shared our excitement with. We were so confident in the warmer days ahead, that we packed shorts and tank tops in case the sun became a little too warm on our hikes. It was 82° on that Friday when it finally came time to leave, and it was predicted to stay that way all week long.

One weekend into driving, complete with 2 nights of sleeping under the bright lights of Walmart parking lots, we were ready for a break. There was a steak house nearby so we decided to let someone else do the cooking that night. We arrived in Omaha, Nebraska in time to stretch our legs under one of the most beautiful sunsets we've ever seen. Being the tourists we are, we got plenty of photos to prove its existence. Plus, we wanted to take full advantage of my brother and his girlfriend's ability to take our picture early on before inevitably becoming annoyed of our requests. The favor was reciprocated, of course.

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There's not much that can steal your attention from a sunset like that but a large banner stating "Home of the Testicle Festival". Intrigued? We were, too.

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Most people would put their curiosity aside and place their order... then there's my brother, Bobby. "Did we miss the Testicle Festival?!" It was actually one of the first things asked after our waiter greeted us and, all jokes aside, Bobby seemed pretty disappointed by his answer. Somewhere between handing out menus and taking our drink order, the waiter talked us into a basket of "Rocky Mountain Oysters".

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While the goal is to visit all 50 states, it doesn't count if we just drive through it. The rule is we can only count a state if we hike it. Well, you eat fried bull balls and then tell me if you'd think it counts! So ya, we consider Nebraska conquered. Thanks, RTB Steakhouse, for helping us cross another one off our bucket list. Maybe one day we'll be back to celebrate the Testicle Festival with all you crazy cats. Seems like all road trips we take, we end up passing through Colorado. While driving through the sea of mountains, the moon hung low in the sky and seemingly grew bigger every mile. It eventually dipped below the mountainous horizon leaving the terrain a mystery. We could see only what our beams provided. I think, sometimes, it's better that way. Perhaps driving on narrow, mountain roads over rivers and around sharp turns is better left unseen, offering protection from our tired minds.

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Excited to finally witness the crazy Utah rock formations we've been obsessing over in pictures, Arches National Park was first on the itinerary. We made it to the park early Monday morning but still not early enough to beat the crowd. Cars flooded the gate while a sign that read, "2 Hour Wait" kept us humble. With so many other things to see during our trip, we decided to find someplace else to explore.

Just a few miles down the road we found a walking trail with a stunning, characterized bridge that crossed over the Colorado River. Lion's Park may not have hosted views of the famous "Delicate Arch", but did offer plenty of opportunity to climb layers of the canyon's red rock. Not to mention, the trail was dog-friendly, something that's been near impossible to find in the larger parks we've visited.

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The dramatic landscape of Canyonlands National Park re-sparked our excitement after more monotonous driving. Red rock we'd found in Sedona that we adored so much was mimicked within the miles of canyons surrounding us.

The trail to Mesa Arch was crowded and the rock formation itself was filled with spectators and photographers. The stone arch sat at the edge of a cliff overlooking the canyons. Unwilling to waste time waiting for our turn for a photo, we were inspired to climb the mountainous spire to the right.

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Leaving Canyonlands, on our way to Escalante, we drove down Highway 12 as it started raining. The rain turned to snow as we seemingly only drove upwards. The BLM plot where we had planned to sleep was still 40 miles away and the higher we got, the more it snowed (a whole new respect for snow-capped mountains!).

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With dark roads, 1/4 tank of gas and no cell reception, we finally hit the summit. At 9,600 feet elevation, we figured attempting the descent would be unwise on slick, unpaved roads. Having only seen one other vehicle over the past few hours, we felt safe pulling onto the dirt shoulder to sleep.

I finally found reception at the top bunk in the RV and immediately tried to figure out where exactly we were. Apparently, Highway 12 is not only rated as one of the most scenic roads in America, but also one of the most dangerous! Portions of the road become impassable in inclement weather and the section of the road we were headed, "Hell's Backbone," is considered the most risky. If you ever desire to travel this scenic road, please consider doing so in the daylight!

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4:45 AM, I jolted awoke after a dream of rolling backwards down the mountain, quickly woke everyone up and suggested we use the next 2 snow-free hours to drive back down. We called the police (no answer from the ranger station), and gave them our location. As we headed down, we kept our speed between 10 and 15mph but the roads still felt slick. The plow we requested passed us about 45 minutes later and by daybreak, as the sun blanketed the landscape around us, we understood why the road was considered to be dangerous!

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While Bobby is no stranger to driving heavy machinery in snowy weather, we absolutely know it was God who got us down safely. And possibly the bull balls that gave us the courage to try.

Digging the trip? Subscribe to hear about America's most dangerous hikes we conquered during our Epic Utah RV Roadtrip (Part Two)

Epic RV Roadtrip (Part Three)