| Slightly north of the Petrified Forest is the Painted Desert, which is a vast array of minerals showing off the landscapes in splendid color. Some of the buildings there were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1920s. |
| We entered Zion National Park where we camped twenty years ago. Zion is one of the most beautiful National Parks. It seems like a smaller Yosemite, but magnificent in its own right. The canyon is several miles long and narrows down into a gorge which is barely wide enough to walk. Flash floods can occur almost anytime in the summer. They also have a weeping wall where water, which fell in the Middle Ages, is now dripping out of the cliff walls. They have carbon dated the water. It is actually that old. |
| Our next National Park in Utah was Bryce Canyon. This park is remarkable for it contains the largest concentration of Hodos in the world. Hodos are the stone fins and spires seen in these photos. Rancher Bryce, an original owner here, is quoted as saying, "It is a helluva place to lose a cow." We agree with him, tut the park has remarkable scenery. |
| For our next stop, we moved on to Capitol Reef National Park. But en route we saw the splendor of the Rockies's Aspens changing color in the fall. It is a wonderful site. |
| Finally we arrived at Capitol Reef National Park. And yes, we have camped here before too. The park has an historic orchard where you can pick fruit and pay $1.00 per pound. We picked some apples....and yes, we paid, although it was an honor system. When we finished touring, it was mid-afternoon, and we were hungry as we had not had lunch. So we bought two home made punkin pies with whipped cream and a root beer and water for lunch. Delicious! |
| Our next stop was Canyon Lands National Park near Moab, Utah. Wow again. Unfortunately it was hazy the day we were there, but we could still see the magnificent scenery. Tom described the view years ago when he said, "It looks like God took a laser and cut the cliffs and erosion from the Colorado and White Rivers." Before it was a park, Interior Secretary Udall flew over the area en route to a Park Service conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He directed his pilot to turn the plane around and fly over Canyon Lands again. At his conference, he was so excited he asked, "Why shouldn't Canyon Lands be a National Park...all of it!" And so, in a few short years, it was. We are always amazed at what a few very skilled persons can achieve. |
| What can we say...but Arches National Park was next. This is a wonderful park with natural arches all of which weather and eventual crumble, but until they do they are magnificent. This park is the most concentrated collection of arches in the world. Photos eleven and twelve are of Delicate Arch...one of the best in the park and is the arch featured on the Utah license plates. |
| Near Arches, we went to see the Bar M Wranglers and have dinner. While they were very good, we prefer the Bar J wranglers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. |
