Utah Tourist Attraction Disappears

by Pa Rock
Fan of Roadside Attractions 

Biologists from the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources were flying around southeastern Utah a week ago this past Wednesday (November 18th) counting bighorn sheep when one member of the team spotted something odd on the ground and insisted that the pilot turn the helicopter around so that he could get a closer look.  Then, as the copter slowly circled back, the astonished crew and researchers all saw it.  A shiny 12-foot tall metal monolith was standing in a very isolated spot on the public lands of Utah's redrock country.

The helicopter pilot was quoted as saying that the structure resembled the black monolith that had been featured in 2001:  A Space Odyssey.  

As the story of the discovery began circulating, Internet explorers using old maps and  Google Earth were able to determine that the structure had been in place since sometime between August of 2015 and October of 2016 - or in the neighborhood of five years.  The futuristic television show, Westworld, was being filmed nearby at about  that same time.

The area where the strange monolith was located was so remote and inaccessible that state officials would not release it's exact location and tried to discourage people from looking for it out of a fear that they would get lost and require the state's rescue services.  The state was quick to label the monolith as "manmade," and the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts referred to it as "vandalism," although admitting that it exhibited "better craftsmanship than graffiti."

A spokesman from the Utah Department of Public Safety noted that it is illegal to install structures or art without authorization on public lands "no matter what planet you're from."

Despite the state of Utah running interference with would-be tourists, a few people were able to find the monolith which was located in a "redrock slot canyon" south of the city of Moab.   The coordinates to the monolith were soon posted on Reddit, though none of the users could confirm that they were correct.   

A young man from Moab named David Surber set out to verify the location for himself.  Surber found the structure, arriving one morning before anyone else was on the scene.  He examined it and determined that it was made of a metal that was non-magnetic - like aluminum - and was made by three riveted pieces in the shape of a long, narrow box.  He tapped on the monolith and determined that it was hollow, and he also noted that a couple of rivets were missing along the top edge.

David Surber, the young explorer, viewed the strange monolith as a positive statement in a troubled time.  He remarked to CNN:

"At the end of the day, extraterrestrial or made through artistic expression, the monolith provided an opportunity for thousands of people to rally behind something positive again.  It was a good escape from all the negativity we've experienced in 2020."

This past Friday night (November 27th) the strange metallic object that had been discovered a mere nine days earlier suddenly disappeared.  In its place was a small metal triangle lying on the ground along with a few of the area's redrocks.  The Utah Bureau of Land Management said that there will be no investigation into the disappearance of the artifact because it was "private property."  

Maybe, like the traveling gnome or Greta Thunberg, it will soon show up somewhere else and quickly become a moveable rallying point to bring the world together for the common benefit of all mankind.

Or maybe it's standing in a dusty corner of Warehouse 13 serving no useful purpose whatsoever!

And to whichever artist or alien was responsible for the monolith, thank for the distraction.  It could not have come at a better time!  The good people of Earth appreciate your thoughtfulness - and the bad people of Earth don't appreciate anything!

Stop in again anytime!