As we turned the corner and headed for Natural Bridges National Monument the road sign in front of us clearly stated No Services for 121 Miles.

We knew this place was remote so we prepared with a full tank of gas and multiple jugs of water. Immediately after passing the no service sign, our check engine light illuminated. Ugh! If we were in the city we may have ignored this warning but not in this situation. Our car is seventeen years old and the odometer is nearing 200,000 miles. We’ve done all regular maintenance but one can’t help thinking of worst case scenarios.

Finding a mechanic in a small town is a challenge but fortunately Montella’s car repair was willing to run an engine diagnostic check immediately. Fifteen minutes later the mechanic returned with a smile and the results. The gas cap was not properly tightened.

Just a small hiccup in our day and we were off to see the beautiful natural bridges and arches deep in the wilderness of Utah.

We also hiked to several 13th century adobe ruins built in caves and on canyon rims. It’s amazing that these stone buildings created by the Ute Indians have remained intact.

Finally a small detour took us to Goosenecks State Park. Many years ago I saw a photo of this amazing sight…it’s the San Juan River carving its way through the desert. Seeing it up close was breathtaking.

Last week a women walked by our campsite and suddenly stopped in front of us. She looked at us, then looked at the Vistabule and then looked back at us and said “Wow, you must really like each other.” After spending three months together and seldom more than three feet apart, I’d say yes…we really like each other. Living “tiny” has been a great experience.