After a full breakfast in the hotel, we took a quick tour around some of Ogden, which is where Tami’s parents were from. The skies were grey, but we put the top down anyway since at 9:30 am it was already nice and warm. Pointing the car south, we headed past Salt Lake City and were amazed at how far the suburban sprawl continued south. Soon we were beyond civilization and what few exits there were had signs that said “No Services”. The speed limit is 80, though, so we were clicking off the miles at a great clip.

Lunch stops are always highly anticipated, so it was a real question where we would eat with so few places available. We took our chances on Fillmore, UT, and cruised up and down the main street. Talk about sleepy towns. The only place that seemed to have any life to it was the Car Hop Café on the edge of town, so we pulled in and found ourselves in a classic old burger joint that seemed to be the center of social life in Fillmore. The food did not disappoint, nor did Tami’s piña colada milkshake. We were well fortified for the push into St. George.

The view from Brent and Pam’s front door

Ready to relax!

The red cliffs of Kayenta

Once again, dark skies were looming all around. We thought we had finally dodged the last of them when one more squall loomed in front of us and we suddenly found ourselves in a full downpour of big fat raindrops that briefly turned to hail. It did not last long, and we really didn’t get very wet, but a few hailstones down the back of the shirt do have a way of cooling down a person.

Within 30 miles of St. George, the temperature rose noticeably and we were glad for the breeze that 80+ mph brings. We were soon seeing the familiar red cliffs of southern Utah and knew we were close. Soon we were pulling into Kayenta and enjoying the red cliffs that surround Brent and Pam’s oasis in the desert. It was wonderful to catch up on their recent trip to Europe and relate tales of our recent adventures, followed by a delicious dinner and relaxing evening.