A friend of mine mtioned that he’s coming out to Colorado to see the final (?) String Cheese Incident shows and said his party would then be taking a tour of the glorious southwest. I volunteered some specifics:
Take I-70 west from Denver, cross into Utah, take a left on US 191 and drive toward Moab. Near there you will find Arches, Monument Valley, and Canyonlands.
US 191 will take you past Church Rock:
Take a right on state route 95 and visit Natural Bridges:
Continue on 95, passing through Glen Canyon park, and take a left in Hanksville on state route 24 toward Capitol Reef. Just before the park, take a left on Notom Road; you’ll drive along the eastern edge of Capitol Reef National Park, with amazing sights all around you. Turn right on the Burr Trail, and pass through some astonishing earth forms. As you enter Long Canyon, you’ll look back and see this:
As you pass through Long Canyon, stop at any of the slot canyons you’ll see on your right, walk in a hundred yards or so, and enjoy the acoustics. The Gyuto Monks did!
Eventually you’ll arrive in Boulder, Utah, the last town in the US to get its mail by gasoline-powered vehicle. Take a left on state route 12 and be prepared for a great ride across the “Hog’s Back,” a frighteningly narrow stretch of road with steep drops on both sides. Shortly you will arrive at Calf Creek, a small BLM campground. There’s a half-day hike to Lower Calf Creek falls that I recommend highly:
Continue southwest on highway 12 through the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument to Bryce Canyon. Left on US 89 and then you can either take a right on SR 9 to Zion or continue on US 89 to the Grand Canyon – or do both!
Grand Canyon:
Also worth a visit: Mystic Hot Springs, near where I-70 ends at I-15, a little south of Richfield UT.
If you get to Flagstaff, the Orpheum Theater has great music.