Montana Trip - Day 17

[got an earlier start today - breakfast in the hotel and on the road by 0900L - US-6 through country defined by treeless mesas, stunning cliffs - made it to Price pretty quickly - got off the road, planning to visit a museum there, but it ended up being too far off the highway - the weather was too nice to be inside anyway! - continued south to I-70 and drove east until intercepting US-191 - needed gas, so stopped at the first place I'd seen for miles - price per gallon turned out to be $0.70 more than I've seen for most of the trip! - capitalism at it's finest, I guess (luckily, most service stations haven't been gouging me that bad...) - didn't fill up: just got enough for a tour of the National Parks and to get me to the next station - south towards Moab - got off on UT-313 and drove up to the Island in the Sky, part of Canyonlands National Park - pretty red stone all along the way - stopped at visitor center (around 1200L) and got some good tips for scenery and hikes (plus souvenirs) - TONS of people in the park (a theme all day) - drove all the way to the end of the road, which provided spectacular views of the Green River Canyon (on one side) and the Colorado River Canyon (on the other) - I was very impressed (I think better than Grand Canyon!) - hiked to Upheaval Dome (0.8 miles each way) and then drove over to another trail to see Mesa Arch (0.5 miles each way) - weather was pretty pleasant for hiking (fortunately) - after several hours there, drove back to US-191 and south into Moab - got gas and then a late lunch at Wendy's - drove back (north) to Arches National Park - skipped visitors center - stopped (and hiked) at the many different formations: Balancing Rock, the Windows (about 0.5 miles up and back), Double Arch (about 0.5 miles up and backm, steep climb to get "inside") - continued north into the park until I arrived at the trailhead for the Delicate Arch (famous landmark of the park) - didn't have enough time to hike the three mile trail to the arch itself, so settled for the half mile trail to the top of the nearest ridge (called a "fin" of sandstone) - felt good after all the walking today (better than being in the car all day yesterday) - drove back down (literally) toward the visitor center - stopped at Park Avenue formation before departing - souvenirs and some local info from the rangers - drove through Moab (kind of busy!) - mailed postcards - would have liked to stay the night, but wanted to visit Mesa Verde tomorrow - drove south on US-191 - began to sprinkle a little (enough to make the driving more difficult when the sun went down) - it became evident that I'd probably not be able to make it to Cortez, Colorado, so I began looking for motels in Monticello (pretty pricey at first - eventually found one) - dinner at PJ's Diner in town - talked to cook and her son, who was doing his homework in one of the booths - he told me about how his school football team has to travel great distances to play (including a NINE hour trip to northern Utah, a series that happens every year!) - back in room, watched some football and news - relaxed - bed around 2300L.]