I was driving up through Southern Utah today, heading up toward Colorado. Taking obscure highways. We went up through Bluff, and wound our way up that highway. I noticed a few things. I had not been in that area in a long time, probably at least 20 years. First the area has improved significantly. New developments, nicer restaurants, resorts, RV parks, parks are all improved over the last 20 years. The Moab tourism has extended all over the area now.
There are two roadside attractions that have been in this area since I was a little kid. I remember going to them when I was a very young. When I saw them they were sort of run down, family owned affairs. The first is a pioneer museum in Bluff, Utah and the other is the “Hole in the Rock” exhibit off the highway heading through the canyon. Both of these proprietors make audacious claims. The first claims to have the cleanest restrooms in the U.S. and the other claims to be the most popular roadside attraction in the U.S. Those slogans were a joke for decades. However, they said it and kept saying it.
Well it has come true. If you want a clean restroom and you are stuck driving with your family in Bluff Utah, then you should go to the PIoneer Museum for no other reason then to feel better about your girls going to a nice restroom. Then you should go to the Hole in the Rock, because it is indeed the most popular roadside attraction. I will not spoil it for you, but you should definitely check it out.
As I was driving away from these establishments, and how well developed they have become since the 70s, I thought – huh – if you say it is awesome, then eventually it will become awesome!
Guy Reams
