Just outside of Vernal, Utah I learned the difference between a National Park and a National Monument. Not only did I not know the difference, but before this trip I thought that these were just two names describing the same place. Park/Monument. Potato/Potato. I'm sure there are other ways these two conflict, but the ranger made it sound pretty simple. Congress designates National Parks, whereas the President establishes National Monuments. It has less to do with size, beauty or national interest, just bureaucracy at it's finest. Interesting tidbit, no?!
Our first of two National Monuments on our trip was Dinosaur. It borders Utah and Colorado, though we mainly visited the Utah side. We stayed in Vernal, which honestly could not have been more charming had it tried and because we were trying to be as kitschy as possible, made our home in the Dinosaur Inn. I don't know if anyone reading this blog will be traveling to Vernal anytime soon, heck, I don't know if anyone reads this blog in general anymore, but if you are reading and if you are Utahing than PLEASE take my recommendation and stay at the Dino Inn. It was clean and cute and the owner was on-site constantly and so kind. The breakfast was delicious, the pool was big and the location just couldn't be beat. It was a big old bow on an already awesome present.
We showed up in Vernal, Utah on Sunday night not remembering that in Utah, especially small-town Utah, everything is closed on Sunday. We were starving after a day of traveling and ended up in one of the only open restaurants this town had to offer: a bar! The food was good and the memory funny, plus the restaurant name was so on point.
Small town sunset gave me all the heart eyes.
So many dinosaurs to pose with, so little time!
There was an indoor quarry where we saw amazing fossils and talked to the nicest ranger and then another ranger took us for a 90-minute hike searching for fossils. At first I couldn't see anything in these huge mountains but after a while my eyes were trained to find fossils and I saw them everywhere. It was thrilling and I immediately starting asking each of my children if they wanted to become a paleontologist so I could live vicariously through them!
Quinny and I are in the foreground, but do you see James and his loving binoculars behind us? Haha! He honestly never left those babies!
Talmage lost count of how many times I said, "If you touch the temple, the temple will touch you" on this trip, but it was a lot! We saw so many new temples on this trip, including this restored beauty in Vernal. In all seriousness though, I hope my kids always know how special I think it is to have these lovely temples crossing the earth.
This may sound crazy but I learned more at the little Natural History Museum in Vernal than I've learned in any of our big exhibits in NY or LA. And I can't even tell you how cheap this was. OK, fine, my whole family got in for a Jackson. So good, right?!
On our last night we asked the hotel owner where the locals go for dinner and without a second thought he said, "Country Grub." He also said it was a heart attack waiting to happen but you know, when in Rome. Burgers and fries and the largest "small" milkshake I've ever seen. Oh yes, it was delish!
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