All Bad Roads Lead to Something Spectacular

Eager. To date, I have not found any evidence to refute the following theory: all bad roads lead to something spectacular. Sometimes it's just the drive itself, sometimes it's the scenery along the way, and sometimes it's the destination; I dare you to show me a bad road that doesn't have something amazing along the way. Of course, I have favorites, which I've pictured in this blog post, where I've also extensively discussed the topic of bad roads. My most recent trip, family vacation in Moab, UT, had me thinking about my theory again, and here I am obsessing over bad roads.

I love driving on the soft sand of beaches, adore the twisting, rocky tree-lined lanes in the mountains, but my heart belongs to the trails in the red rock desert, with one side overshadowed by thousand foot cliffs and the other side inches away from a breathtaking, fatal fall. There is something new around every canyon switchback, some new challenge, evidence of ancient human activity, or amazing views. You wind up the side of a canyon, following a route that doesn't seem possible but somehow is, opening up onto a plateau and a 360 degree view of the desert laid out below you. Or you meander down a tributary canyon into a boxed-in wash that could flash flood if there are thunderstorms within 60 miles of your location, adding to the thrill of the advenutre. You drive for hours, yet only travel a few miles, stopping at every chance to get out and take in the wide-open views: red rock, blue sky, and maybe a river or stream hundreds of feet below where you stand.

Your destination could be absolutely nothing, yet you haven't wasted your time. You could just be there for the road, wondering what lies around the next corner, hoping your vehicle can handle the slickrock ramps and steps. You could be headed to something amazing, like natural bridges suspended two hundred feet above the canyon bottom, that, if you're brave enough, you can walk across. Maybe the road is the scenic route between two points, and you had the option to take the short way, the path most people choose, but instead you opted for adventure and challenge and a little bit of the unknown. This is what it's like to live.

 I'll be driving my little Yaris into the ground, but soon, soon I'll get my Jeep and take these roads myself, go places that I can only dream about, unless I'm with someone who's car can handle bad roads. Going on four-wheel drive trails is something we've always done, on every family vacation, and this trip was no different. We saw parts of the Moab area that we'd never seen before, because we chose to get off the tourist-beaten path and take a little adventure. I can't wait to do it again.

What I'm listening to: The Woodland Realm by Howard Shore