DAY 1 -Memphis,TN to Shawnee, OK
I left Memphis around 10:30 am on Friday, March 14th. What started out as a beautiful travel day, deteriorated almost as soon as I crossed into Oklahoma. I battled headwinds of 40-50mph for about 3.5 hours. The dust and smoke from wildfires gave the horizon an eerie brown haze. I finally arrived in Shawnee, OK around 5:30. I had a quick dinner next door to the hotel and I turned in for the night. When I woke up early the next morning the Jeep was covered in brown dust from the high winds overnight.
Day 2 -Shawnee, OK to Farmington, NM
I was on the road around 5:00 am to meet up with my buddy Matt and his family at the Love’s Travel Stop in Hinton, OK. This is where I met Glen, one of Matt’s longtime friends. Glen drives a pretty decent Power Wagon 392, if you are into Rams. We met up about 6:30 for a photo and fuel then we hit the road.We drove into Tucumcari, NM around lunchtime so we pulled into a Mexican place just off of Route 66 called Las Chaparritas. It was pretty good. Although my nerves were a little on edge, not really, because of the very large law enforcement presence at the next table. ( I have had issues with New Mexico law enforcement). Once lunch was wrapped up we got back on the road for Farmington, NM for the night.
Day 3 – Angel Peak Scenic Area to Moab via Four Corners
We backtracked a little bit South of Farmington so we could visit Angel Peak Scenic Area. What a beautiful and peaceful area. We will definitely camp here on future trips.
Once we left Angel Peak we headed for the Four Corners area. We passed by Shiprock which can be seen for miles around. We never got closer than a couple of miles but I took pictures as we drove.
The OC standing in CO
We arrived in the Four Corners area around lunchtime. I stood in line to have the opportunity to take pictures on the “Four Corners” of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. Before leaving Matt and I bought fried bread from Grandma’s Fried Bread Shack. We chose honey as our “topping” and it was delicious! We ended the day in Moab around 5 pm. We were all excited about the adventures ahead!
Day 4 – Chicken Corners
Monday (St Patrick’s Day) we headed to Chicken Corners. It’s a 14.33 mile one way trail. It took us a little over 2.5 hours to reach the end of the trail. It was pretty mild with a few steps and ledges. The views are amazing. It was an overcast day but the temps were perfect. We had a quick bite to eat at the terminus overlooking the Colorado River. It was a full 6-7 hour day of wheeling and everyone had a great time. I rounded out a perfect day with a ribeye and potatoes back at the cabin.
Day 5 – Arches National Park
Woke up to a little bit of rain Tuesday morning. Once we headed to Arches NP the rain became more steady. First stop was the welcome center to wait out the rain a bit. The group decided they were going on a hike and I politely declined. I spent about half the day driving around exploring the park on my own. I made a short hike at the Delicate Arch Viewpoint trail. The immediate elevation gain right out of the gate was tough! It was the hardest 1995 ft trail I have ever hiked.
Day 6 -Jeep Badge of Honor Trail : Fins & Things
Our Wednesday adventure was Fins and Things, one of the local Jeep Badge of Honor trails. The weather was perfect for getting out on the slick rock. Even Glen and his Ram Power Wagon (oooooooh aaaaaaah) made quick work of it. Lots of great video was taken on trail. Go check out my YouTube channel for a short video on our time on trail. We ended up at Proper Brewing Company for lunch. I had some very tasty IPAs and fish and chips to munch on!
Day 7 – Shafer Trail to Canyonlands National Park
Wow, What a ride. We started out on Potash Rd where we saw rock climbers dangling over the road. Potash Rd was some of the roughest track we would encounter the whole day. Once we made it onto the Shafer Trail things got dusty but smoothed out for the most part. We made a brief stop for a group photo where they filmed the final, beautiful scene where two liberals, um I mean Thelma and Louise met their self-inflicted demise. We spent a couple of hours working our way to the famous switchbacks and beautiful view outside of Canyonlands NP. I wrapped up the afternoon with a little shopping around downtown, a quick Jeep wash and fill up for the trek home and a super scrumptious Quesadilla in a little food truck area downtown.
What a great week this was. Even as I write this exactly one year after the trip, I still smile at the memories and the feelings I had once this trip was in the books. Looking forward to visiting the area again later this year (2026). Remember to get out there, push the limits. Explore areas you’ve never seen or experienced. Always look for the next adventure. Most importantly, leave it better than you found it. Let your first thoughts be to give, than to take.
See you out there on the trail!
Kevin- The OC