Day 7 and Day 8 - Jensen, Utah

      When we arrived in the town of Jensen, Utah, known as dinosaur land, my first concern was where we were going to sleep.  We soon saw the sign for The Jensen Inn Bed and Breakfast where we had reservations.  One option for bedding at this B & B was twin cots in a traditional plains Indian tipi which was sitting in the side yard of a nice farmhouse inn. We were kindly given blankets, a light, instructions on how to open and shut the ti-pi door, and an invitation to breakfast.  At bedtime when I first looked up at the spiral ceiling, I got dizzy. Soon I closed my eyes and a calmness came over me and I slept the night through.

Photos from the Dinosaur Quarry

High desert landscape near Jensen, Utah

Green River - An oasis in the desert

   

Get Out of the Contraption

   In Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness, Edward Abbey wrote about the high desert area of Utah, "...you can't see anything from a car; you've got to get out of the contraption and walk..." If you follow Abbey's advice, if you stop, get out and explore the harsh land near Jensen, Utah you will make some amazing discoveries.  

   One discovery is the cooling, peaceful oasis that the fast flowing Green River has created. Another is the stark beauty of an ever changing, contrasting landscape. But the most fascinating discovery is the dinosaur bones in the quarry at Dinosaur National Monument. 

   To get to the quarry, you have to leave your car in the parking lot and take an open-air tram. Inside the quarry are over 1500  pre-historic bones still embedded in the rock in which they were discovered over a 100 years ago. It is truly worth getting out of the car to see!