June 6, 2025 (Sat.) - Off to Dinosaurland! (Vernal, UT)
Today was another travel day—off to Vernal, Utah! This time we’ll be staying a bit longer: 11 nights. Why Vernal? Honestly, we’d never heard of it either. But Kirk spotted a place called Fantasy Canyon, and that was enough to put it on the map for us. Vernal is known as Dinosaurland, though that’s not the main reason we’re here. Still, dinosaurs are always fun, so why not? Dinosaurland isn’t an attraction like Disneyland—it’s simply the name for the region that includes Vernal and Naples City, home to several state parks, a national forest, Dinosaur National Monument, scenic drives and plenty of outdoor adventures.
The day started early for Lynn at 0600 and at a more civilized 0800 for Kirk. Today’s drive was short—just 138 miles, about 2.5 hours—so we hit the road at 0915. The drive was smooth, scenic, and blissfully uneventful.
At 10:30 a.m. we stopped at the Pinion Ridge Rest Area in Fruitland, UT. Since check‑in at our next campground wasn’t until 1 p.m. and our ETA was 11:45, we had time to kill. We walked the little trail around the rest area—not much to see, but the trees were interesting. Parked next to us was a truly impressive rig. We thought ours was big… this one was 103 feet long! Kirk chatted with the driver for a bit about the setup and the local area.
Around 11:30 a.m. we stopped in Duchesne, UT at Burger King because they had a large enough lot for the RV. We lingered a bit since we were still early for check‑in. Nothing exciting there, but the charbroiled burger hit the spot.
We arrived at the KOA Vernal/Dinosaurland right at 1 p.m. and were assigned Site #23 for one night before moving to a larger site tomorrow for the rest of our stay. We didn’t unpack much knowing we’d be relocating in the morning. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing.
Around 5:30 p.m., we headed out to explore Vernal and check out the restaurant options. We ended up at the 7‑11 Ranch Restaurant, which has been around since 1933 and proudly advertises Country Fried Steak—promising! The entrance leads through a country store filled with a little bit of everything. Lynn ordered the country fried steak (of course), and Kirk went for the chicken parmigiana (he’d had a craving for it). Unfortunately, the meals were… fine. A step above Denny’s, but not exactly memorable.
After dinner we walked around town a bit. Vernal has painted dinosaurs everywhere, so prepare yourself—there will be plenty of dinosaur photos ahead. Back at the campground, we took another walk around 8:30 p.m. The long daylight is wonderful this time of year. Lynn was delighted to spot a tuxedo cat wandering through the sites, though it kept its distance. She’s now considering carrying cat treats as bribery.
We also met a couple out walking their dog—and of course, they were from California! He was a firefighter from Naples, and she was from Vacaville. Like us, they’re “residents” of South Dakota, spent some time living in Cookeville, Tennessee, and have since landed here in Vernal, where they’re building a house and plan to put down roots. We ended up chatting for quite a while since we had so much in common, and they gave us great recommendations on things to do and places to eat. We only wished we’d met them before dinner.
We’re happy to finally settle in one place for a while—to relax, catch up on the blog, buy more Amazon stuff and explore the area.
Weather – (Vernal, UT) – High 92*, Low 62*. Winds 5-20 mph with 29 mph gusts. No rain or humidity.
Traffic – None.
Food – Nothing notable.
Notable – Painted dinosaurs, interesting trees.
