Dino-mite!

Posted Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 5:43 PM by Lonely Planet

Toothy monster reptiles once rumbled over the earth. In northeastern Utah, the towns in their former stomping grounds still enjoy playing up ancient history.



In the rolling hills of Jensen, a huge cache of dinosaur bones was discovered in 1909 at what's now Dinosaur National Monument. And no one lets you forget it. At a gift shop outside the park, kids and adults gawk appreciatively at the site-specific mascot. An undeniably family-friendly and photogenic specimen, this dino-buddy sits saddled up in a parking lot framed by pure blue sky, awaiting its Hollywood moment. Climb aboard the telescoping neck of this docile sea-green charmer, and if you've been good, maybe it will ride you off into the sunset.



A femme-y hot pink behemoth with feathery eyelashes welcomes folks to nearby Vernal, where the natural history museum hands out free dinosaur hunting licenses. That's as in spotting, so don't break out any prehistoric recipes for dinosaur steak. They are extinct, after all. The museum's outdoor garden looks like a chill-out zone for extras on the set of Jurassic Park. It's teeming with life-size replicas of giants like a woolly mammoth and a Tyrannosaurus rex, so there's a decent chance of bagging a few, if only on paper.

Beth Kohn has almost finished her Southwest States research for the USA guidebook. Last stop Nevada.

Labels: The Americas

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