Day 24: Tuesday
Wow! What a day!
We planned to be at the Visitors Center at 8am for the first
come; first serve places for the 10:00 tour of Leman Cave. We get packed up. Nick stops to get a real
coffee at the Sugar, Salt and Malt spot.
At the Visitors Center we find out that the tours have been cancelled
today because of staffing issues. I
guess we just head on over to Moab.
We see a turnoff to Baker Areological Site. Since we didn’t get the cave tour, we have
plenty of time. It is a small site of
the Freedman group that was studied by a group from Brigham Young
University. There was a nice booklet
that gave just enough information to be interesting but not bog us down. The group lived in the are from around 1200
AD to 1295AD. The excavations had been
covered up to protect them but we could see where they had been. I would have walked right past an area if it
hadn’t been pointed out that there was a swail and there had been a stream that
ran through the area. Now it makes sense
why they settled in that spot. Hmmmm. Looks like I didn't take any pictures here.
Continue on to Moab – Wide open, flat land with lots of scrub brush. More of the same and more of the same. There are a few low mountain ranges that break it up. Vegetation changes closer to the mountains, then again on the other side of the mountains. Is that a mirage? Sure looks like water. Can’t be. Even in a picture, it looks like water. Oh my! There is a lake here! Servier Lake! It is a smaller Salt Lake but still pretty big!
A town! We stop for
lunch. I have an elk burger. It is a lot like beef but a little gamier and
a little tougher. But, I can say that
I’ve eaten elk. Nick has a brisket sandwich.
It is also a meat market. Nick
picks up a steak for us to cook tonight.
They give us a bag of ice and we stick it in our insulated bag.
Continue on to Moab down the Loneliest Road in America (Hwy
50) We cross into Utah. A sign for the turnoff to Capital Reef
National Park. We were talking about
going there one day from Moab. Let’s go
now and save driving back the 2 hours.
Nick asks what I know about the park.
My answer – Marilyn said it was her favorite park and Myra really wanted
to go there. Oh, you mean google it and
see what it says??? We drive about 30
miles off of the interstate and start seeing the amazing cliffs with all the
different colored layers. The reds, the
whites, the yellows, the sheer cliffs where huge chunks have broken off and the
beginning of hoodoos forming through erosion.
Everywhere I aim my camera, there is a beautiful vista. Just plain WOW!!!
We drive along the scenic road stopping and taking pictures
frequently and taking pictures even when we don’t stop. We’ve been told that the gorge road is closed
but that the wash road is open and it is worth taking it. The scenic road is an out and back deal. We decide to stop at the wash road turn off
on the way back. We get a good feeling
of being at the bottom of the canyons and looking up. The blue sky against the rock is
AMAZING! At the end of the wash road
there is a trail but our time is a bit limited so we decide we really can’t do
it. I decide I want to walk to just see
around the bend. Nick joins me and he
starts walking to see around the next bend.
This goes on for quite a few bends.
We get to a much narrower part, walk a little way along this and decide
that we’ve probably gotten the feel of the trail by now and turn back to the
car. Well that “not going to take the
hike” turned into about 1 ½ miles. It
was well worth it and we were both glad that we had gone on as many bends as we
did.
Another point that was suggested was a short pull off to see
some petroglyphs. It took a little while
to spot them. Some of the rock has
fallen that probably had many more drawings on them. It was hard to decipher what the drawings
were. With a more trained eye, I’m sure
we could see and understand more.
Now it is time to seriously continue on to Moab. The landscape becomes less dramatic but there
continue to be outcroppings of cliffs and reefs. Even once we get on the interstate for about
20 miles, it is pretty and dramatic. The
sun is setting and we haven’t had dinner.
We decide to push on to Moab while there is some light and have dinner
in Moab. Since we’re staying in a VRBO,
we don’t have to worry about getting there in the daylight to set up camp.
Yelp sends us to Moab Spitfire Smokehouse. A beer is waiting for me.
Our VRBO is a nice little prefab house with a porch and a
little loft that you literally have to crawl into bed because the ceiling is so
low. Luckily there is another bedroom on
the main floor for us. It will be a
comfortable place for the next 4 nights.
Day 25: Wednesday
An observation from yesterday’s drive… There are very few houses or abodes but in
the small towns there is quite a divide.
Some nice, newer hourses that are made of brick. Mostly the light colored bricks that are very
similar in color to the landscape. Then
there are the mobile homes or manufactured homes. I’m sure it is much easier to bring in a
manufactured home that find materials to build one. It looks like some people live in RV type
trailers. Definitely ranch owners and
then the workers. Not much in between.
OK. On to today…
We had a slow morning as we really hadn’t planned what we
were going to do on what day. When we
were doing our planning, we didn’t know how we would be feeling at this point
in the trip. We’re still hot to
trot! We looked at a Foder’s National
Parks guide and got some ideas, and also looked on line for suggestions. An evening boat ride and dinner! Oh, that sounds like fun! And a 4 wheel trip into Canyonlands. That sounds good too. We thought we would do a car ride this
afternoon through the Southern portion of Canyonlands but by the time we got our
act together, that no longer seemed feasible.
Arches is close. Let’s just go
there.
We stop at the visitors center for a map and suggestions. Up the scenic drive, stop at a bunch of side roads, hike up a little way, take a bunch of pictures, drink some water. Got it! We stop at several before we actually get to the windows turn off that has several arches. The first stop is called Park Avenue because it reminded the people who named things of the tall buildings along Park Avenue.
Next is the balancing rock. Erosion really is interesting! From different angles, it really looks quite different.
It is exciting to get to the windows pull off and see those famous arches! There are 3 that are quite close together. I scramble up so I can sit in the shade of one of them. One of them, looks like a map of South America. Everyone is friendly and talkative, offering to take pictures for you. There are a surprising number of Asians speaking, I think Chinese. One man said, “It sure was better to be in your 20s in the 70s, than in your 70’s in the 20’s.” That about sums it up!
Next major stop was Fiery Furnace. One can only hike in this area with a guide
as it is very easy to get lost in the maze.
We only go to the overlook. It is
suggested as a good place to watch the sunset.
We’ll be back!
We go to the trailhead of Delicate Arch. It is one of the famous ones. (There are many
smaller arches around) It is a 3 mile
round trip hike to go to that one. Too
much for us this late in the day. Maybe
Friday morning…..
We go back to our little home. Cook a good steak dinner with a steak we bought yesterday where we had lunch and I ate elk. A little wine, corn on the cobb. Somehow, we pull ourselves together to go out and drive back up to the firestone area. There are clouds and it is questionable if there will be a good sunset or not. The clouds don’t go all the way to the horizon so we have hopes that the sun will break out from behind the clouds and give us a good show.
Not looking very promising and then…. The firestones start to have a little glow as the sun shines on them. Then they get more intense and OMG, this is amazing!
Nick and I are the only ones at the lookout
point seeing this spectacular sight. The
parking lot is a little higher elevation so we go back up there so we can look
in the other direction where the sun is actually setting. There is one other car in the parking lot and
it has an Iowa license plate! We strike
up a conversation with them and admire the sunset as it changes. Oh look!
There is a little silver line following the tops of the far peaks! The sky is turning golden. Then the pinks come. Well, we certainly got our magnificent show
and were so glad that we didn’t give up.
On the way back down, we stopped at prospect point where
tomorrow night there will be a ranger talk.
Tonight all of those clouds are blocking the stars. Jupiter is shining through brightly
though. We plan to go up tomorrow night
so hopefully it will be clear. Even
after the sunsets and there is still some light, the silhouettes of the rocks
is beautiful.
All for now. Tomorrow
morning we have to be at the 4X4 tour place at 7:45 for our morning tour of
canyonlands. How much more of this
magnificence can I take????
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