Visit a ghost town, windswept desert plains, high canyon walls, spires, tall towers, wind caves, excellent mountain biking, and Arches National Park.

Cisco, UT route mapThere are two routes to get down to Moab, Utah, from I-70 or U.S. 191. The latter way is the quickest especially if you are coming from the west, and it’s a fast half-hour blast through the desert. However, others not in a hurry and eastbounders should take Route 128 instead.  Better yet, take one off ramp east of that, Exit 212, for the extra pleasure of Cisco.  Not technically a tourist attraction, Cisco is a gloomy ghost town out on a windswept desert plain. It’s unclear whether there are any remaining residents of this eerie location, so stop and take a look, but don’t linger too long. Read more . . .

See gorgeous mountains, deserts, ghost towns, hot springs, Bighorn Sheep, deep river gorges, and learn about the historical takeover of Indian lands, trapping, and mining.

Stanley, ID  route mapThis is a gorgeous route, encompassing deserts, river valleys, and mountains.   It also touches on historical themes like Indian conflicts, mining, exploration, trapping, and settlement. The5-hour, 196-mile cruise, accessible spring through fall, starts at Stanley, on the floor of the Stanley Basin, with spectacular scenes of Idaho’s largest peaks, the Sawtooth Ridge. The Stanley Museum,  situated in a historic ranger station on Route 75, provides a comprehensive overview of the area’s past.

Following the Salmon River, as you drive on,  the road leads into a forested gorge with granite outcroppings. At this point, the river drops 15 feet per mile, tumbling over turbulent rapids and a number of  hot springs pools. Read more . . .