PAGE 51
FALL 2019 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 04
moto play . I stop in the final turnaround for a photo op , just waiting for some leviathan to come waddling out of the fog , but all is quiet until I mount up and have a blast riding back down to U . S . 40 .
Back in Vernal for lunch , we move on to Dinosaur National Monument proper . Utah Route 149 takes you to the main visitor center , which is cool and informative , with a neat Stegosaurus done in spiffy black and white camo to greet you . Established in 1915 , Dinosaur National Monument is a delight for the ancient history buff . Going back in time you can find homesteader cabins , 1,000-year old petroglyphs from the Fremont people , and finally , from the late Jurassic , we have fossils ! Over 1,500 are up close and even touchable in the Quarry Exhibit Hall , a truly “ nowhere else in the world ” display . The scientific minded will spend serious time here , but I take some time for a slow ride farther into the park , to see petroglyphs and follow the winding Green River .
My last day in Vernal is to be a short day trip up to the Flaming Gorge area . I take U . S . Route 191 north out of Vernal , a pleasant wide highway through desert rocks and hills until entering Ashley National Forest , where the fall colors are in full force , then turning west onto Utah Route
Entrance to the Dinosaur National Monument visitor center . Above : Fremont petroglyphs at Dinosaur National Monument .