Off on a Model 3 spree!
(Click to enlarge)
First Day Trip
in our Model 3
to Cedar Breaks Nat’l Monument

Mark D Larsen
May 30, 2018



Ever since we took delivery of our Model 3, we have been itching to take it on a bona fide day trip. We couldn’t scratch that itch, however, until Tesla had fixed the paint flaw on the trunk lid, we had a clear bra installed on the front end, and then ceramic coating applied —all of which took nearly a month. Finally today we decided to put its long distance range to the test by driving up to Cedar Breaks National Monument, which would require ascending nearly 100 miles from our 3,000 foot elevation to more than 10,000, where temperatures would be 30°F cooler. Below are photos and a video of our first day trip in Correcaminos.


NOTE: You can click on any of the following photos to enlarge them.

I charged the battery to 100% for the first time, and this was the estimated range when we got in the car. Looking good!

At the top of the page is a photo after we pulled out of the garage, ready to start of journey. ‘Tisa was as excited as we were to enjoy the getaway.

Here she is delighted to be riding in her new car seat.

Naturally, she also has to explore the rest stops.

You can click to play this video with commentary and scenes for the first portion of our trip until arriving at the National Monument. During some segments you might hear an odd, soft clicking sound: that’s ‘Tisa panting in ecstacy in the back!

After recording the last clip above, we arrived at a viewpoint near the summit with a great panorama of the landscape below.

If you enlarge this photo, behind Tamara you can see in the distance the highest peaks of Zion National Park.

In this shot I zoomed in closer on the formations at Zion. It was too bad that there was so much smog from St. George fading the distant view.

The viewpoint sign explains how all the layers and formations in these national treasures were formed over millions of years.

We finally arrived at the Visitor Entrance to Cedar Breaks. Here you can see on the map display that Correcaminos is in the parking lot near the dropoff into the canyon. We had driven 89.1 miles, using 33 kWh, for an average of only 2.7 miles-per-kWh. Of course, I knew very well that regenerative braking on our way back down would raise that average considerably.

The wind blowing up from the canyon was cold enough that we needed to don our jackets. ‘Tisa, of course, was already wearing hers.

Selfie of the elfies.

‘Tisa patiently waiting.

The colors of Cedar Breaks are spectacular, especially as the sun is dipping lower toward the horizon.

In many ways, the formations resemble those in Bryce Canyon, but are not as extensive.

Below the red rock formations, the canyon turns a lush green.

If you enlarge this poster to its full size, you can see Cedar Breaks on the left-hand side, and how its location and elevation compares to the other major attractions in our area.

The next viewpoint was about a mile farther down the road along the canyon edge.

From this point, you can look directly down into the bottom of the canyon and see the stream that continues to carve and shape it.

This is the right side of the gorge.

And this is looking just a tad farther up the slope.

Separate piecemeal photos simply do not do justice to the breathtaking majesty of this natural wonder, so I took a panorama shot to capture a wider perspective. To truly appreciate the details, you should try opening the enlargement to its full size.

Back to piecemeal photos.

Now this is a much better piece.

A ‘Tisa piece.

Mark marks the piece.

The last viewpoint where we stopped was the only one with a parking lot near enough to the canyon edge that I could get a photo of Correcaminos with at least a few of the red cliffs showing in the background.

As you can see on this sign, we were now at 10,354 feet of elevation. Correcaminos had handled the climb with aplomb.

One last photo of the windblown duo.

This far side of the canyon shows the marked transition from red rock to verdant forest.

In this spot you can see that, over millions of years, ocean sediments had laid down a white patch of sandstone on top of the red levels.

And here is the result on the touchscreen when we pulled into the garage that night.


As you can see in that last photo, we’d driven 197.7 miles on the day trip, yet still had an estimated 103 miles of range in the battery, suggesting a total range of over 300 miles from the 100% charge, despite the stretches at freeway speeds and the steep ascent to Cedar Breaks. We’d used 47 kWh of electricity, which calculates to an impressive average of 4.2 miles-per-kWh for the entire trip. Just as I had predicted, regenerative braking on the descent had worked its magic. Can’t beat that!

I am absolutely thrilled with our Model 3. It is so quiet, comfortable, nimble, responsive, with so many cutting-edge features and impeccable styling, inside and out, that it is a joy to drive. I am euphoric to finally have an EV capable of taking such roadtrips, and look forward to many more in the coming months and years. Correcaminos is aptly named!