The John Wesley Powell River History Museum

I left Moab early to get a head start Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. On the way I spotted a sign on I-70 for the John Wesley Powell River Museum in Green River, Utah, and I just had to check it out (though actually I had seen the museum mentioned in one of my guidebooks). Of course, out of the way and quirky museums are a must for road trips.

For those of you who don't know, Powell became famous for his 1869 geographic expedition, a three-month river trip down the Green and Colorado rivers, including the first official U.S. government-sponsored passage through the Grand Canyon. The museum is dedicated to the Green River and Colorado River and the explorers of the rivers and their canyons. It was a worthwhile detour on the way to Capitol Reef.