When we left Zion National Park, we were headed for the bright lights of Vegas. We expected the scenic landscape of southern Utah and desert in Nevada, but we did not realize we’d be driving through the tiny town of Virgin, Utah. I used to live in Utah and had never heard of this place (probably because as of the 2000 census, there were only 394 people living there). This sleepy place lies along the Virgin River and is where it gets its namesake.

This is the type of place that if you blink, you might miss it. It’s that small. But on our way out of town, we came upon the Virgin Trading Post & Petting Zoo. It looked a little odd plopped out in the middle of nowhere but we decided it was a good excuse to take a bathroom break.

We went inside and saw cowboy boots strung from the ceiling. It was a nice decorative touch. But then, as we turned to go to the bathroom, we saw this:

My first thought was, ‘Oooh, that’s creepy!’ Then, I realized that it was a scary face made on a deer’s butt, and I thought it was just gross. Stella and I wanted to check out the buildings (aka fake ghost town) out front, but to do so you had to pay  $1.00 because it’s part of their petting zoo. We figured, why not? And it was a good excuse for a photoshoot with our bobbleheads Abe and Alan!

This roadside attraction, if I may call it that, was an entertaining distraction and part of the reason we rolled into Las Vegas later than expected. The animals here were hot and there wasn’t much shade so I felt sorry for them. Two thumbs down for the petting zoo, but Abe and Alan seemed to have a good time living life on the edge!