The Middle of Nowhere

I rise to defend “the middle of nowhere” comment made by British Prime Minister David Cameron in response to some awkward comments about the current Olympics by a guy who staged  the 2002 Winter Olympics in the middle of nowhere. That would be Mitt Romney, the Republican’s presumptive nominee for president and a guy who has a habit of saying the wrong thing. (This is not to defend President Obama, who himself has stepped in a quagmire a few times.)

The middle of nowhere, for those who might be geographically challenged, is Utah. It is in the middle of nowhere, but it’s obvious to me that in making that comment Cameron doesn’t appreciate Utah. It is a staggeringly beautiful state. 

When we lived in New Mexico, we would drive to Elko, Nevada, (another beautiful nowhere) and stay in Moab, Utah, which is about halfway. Moab is about three hours south of Salt Lake City, the major city associated with the Winter Olympics. I couldn’t wait to get to Moab, not just to stay in the Gonzo Inn, but to drive through Arches National Park. (That's Delicate Arch above.)

The first time we visited the park, I kept stopping to take photos where there was no place to stop and finally turned the driving over to my wife, opened the car’s sunroof and poked my head (and camera) through the opening and photographed to my eye’s content while my wife drove around the park.

We also visited a nearby state park, Dead Horse Point (don’t ask), which provides a spectacular view of the Colorado River on its way to the Grand Canyon and another park named Canyonlands. (We’ve also been to the Grand Canyon, but that’s in Arizona and it’s also in the middle of nowhere.)

We’ve been to Moab several times, even spending a Thanksgiving there with our extended family. On another occasion, we spent a Memorial Day weekend in Park City and visited Olympic sites. 

Some of the most beautiful sites I’ve seen in my life were in the middle of nowhere. If they weren’t, they probably wouldn’t be beautiful anymore. 

The next time somebody says something is located in the middle of nowhere, think of it as a good thing.