PRICE UTAH TO CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK…..WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE

THIS IS FRIDAY’S POST which I am publishing from the Subway parking lot in Torrey Utah:))

THIS IS THE VIEW DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK VISITORS CENTER

Picked the Jeep up at PRICE CHRYSLER DODGE about 10 a.m. & drove it to Sutherland’s parking lot where we had the Motorhome parked.  Didn’t take me long to get all the towing gear hooked back up & we were soon on the road heading south out of Price Utah & oh what a welcome sunny day we had going on.  Sunshine is so therapeutic.

SOUTHBOUND ON HIGHWAY 191 THIS MORNING

KELLY TALKING TO AUNT JEAN WAY DOWN THERE IN THAT FLORIDA PLACE

GOTTA LOVE THESE LOW TRAFFIC HIGHWAYS OUT HERE IN THE WEST

Heading for I-70 we enjoyed all the scenery we had missed Thursday night heading the other way in the dark.  Traffic of course was light & it felt like such a nice day as Thursdays stress slowly began to drain away.  Aunt Jean from Sarasota Florida phoned to see how we were.  Reached I-70 around 11, hung a right for about 6 miles then swung off down highway 24 in the direction of Utah’s CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK.  Passed Goblin Valley Road where one of those mischievous little Goblins had played a rascally trick & jinxed us less than 24 hours before.

SO THAT’S WHERE THEY BURIED ALFRED HITCHCOCK

I AM AT HOME IN THE WEST BECAUSE THE VIEWS JUST GO ON FOREVER & EVER

We were now in the land I had been longing so much to see once more.  Here again were my mountains, valleys, mesas, plateaus, canyons & rivers.  Here were the golden Aspen, Sycamore, & Cottonwood trees & here again was Utah’s red clay soil sweeping the landscape.  And yet here again were the the ‘WOW’ factors I continuously seek with todays sunshine masterfully drawing out centuries of color from age old giant rock formations.  Just feeling so great to be back in the good old American South-west again:))

KELLY SNAPS A FEW PHOTOS WITH HER BLACKBERRY

THESE STEEL POSTS IN THE GROUND ARE EXPLAINED IN THE NEXT PHOTO

HERE’S A CLEVER WAY TO SEE SPECIFIC MOUNTAINS BY LOOKING THROUGH THE SMALL ROUND TUBE ATOP EACH PIPE & THERE WERE PROBABLY 10 PIPES HERE

CAN YOU FIND KELLY IN THIS PHOTO…..BOTTOM CENTER:))

HEADING TOWARDS THE HENRY MOUNTAINS

We rolled through Hanksville heading for CAPITAL REEF’S Visitor Center & Fruita campground some 37 miles west.  Hanksville is typical of so many dusty little western settlements we have seen over the years & it is places like Hanksville where one can still catch a sense of the old West.

SLIPPING DOWN INTO HANKSVILLE

We’ve driven many winding awe inspiring roads & just when you think you’ve seen the nicest one you will ever see another one comes along & blows your socks off & so it was with the drive between Hanksville & the Capital Reef Visitor Center.  We had totally lucked out with the weather & we’re no doubt here at the prettiest time of year with all the colorful Autumn leaves & those two things combined to make this drive even more spectacular than it already is. 

I have flown over the Fruita campground a number of times with Google Earth looking at things & how rewarding today to be actually here seeing everything for real.  Capital Reef had been on my list of places to see for a long time & it’s even more awe inspiring than I imagined.  And here’s how Capital Reef got it’s name……"Capital Dome can be seen looking East from the Hickman Bridge trailhead along highway 24.  This Navajo sandstone structure was named for it’s resemblance to the U.S. Capitol.  This Dome along with the nearly 100 mile Waterpocket Fold (a barrier of rock that obstructed early travelers like a barrier ‘reef’) inspired the Park’s name.”

NOTICE HOW THE VISITOR’S CENTER BLENDS RIGHT IN WITH IT’S SURROUNDINGS

OFF TO THE CAMPGROUND WE GO

Although we only have a couple days here before bad weather sets in these few days will give us a good idea as to what the area has to offer.  It’s a scouting mission for us should we decide to return here sometime in the future.  Never know where our wandering ways may take us over the next few years.  Although not big campground people I would have to say this Fruita campground here at Capital Reef is no doubt one of the nicest one’s we have ever been in.  And how nice to have Mule Deer & wild Turkeys walking through the campsite.

HEADING TO OUR CAMPSITE FROM THE VISITOR CENTER

JUST LOVE ALL THESE BIG OLD COTTONWOOD TREES

ENTRANCE TO OUR CAMPGROUND AT LOOP C

WE ARE NICELY NESTLED INTO OUR SPOT

Around 4 this afternoon while enjoying our beautiful Autumn day I thought what a contrast in feelings from just a short 24 hours before when we were gloomily sitting in our rig awaiting a tow truck.  A gray overcast matching our mood drizzled a slow rain upon us as we contemplated cancelling the remaining couple days & just heading for Congress Arizona.  Fortunately we were able to overcome that thought & put it where it belonged…..behind us. 

FROM MY RECLINER THIS IS THE VIEW OUT MY SIDE WINDOW

FINALLY AFTER A LONG STRENUOUS JOURNEY IT’S TIME TO TILT BACK & SOAK UP SOME WARM SUNSHINE:))

Because we were both soooooo tired from our week long journey & Thursdays Jeep incident we decided to just grab us a spot in the campground here & de-stress for awhile.  And what a beautiful campground this is with all it’s trees & surrounding rock formations.  Reminded me of another nice campground near Portal New Mexico in the Cave Creek area on the eastern side of the Chiricahua Mountains.  Oh so many great places with oh so many great memories.  We have been so fortunate.  And tonight we even sat out with a campfire under a canopy of leaves & stars.

WE ARE SURE ENJOYING OUR CLOSE-BY NEIGHBORS

In the morning we’ll be up early & out the door to first check out some boondocking sites with the Jeep in the area.  If we find something we like & it’s not too far we may very well move Saturday.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.  There is no Verizon signal here in the campground but we did hear there is some Verizon coverage on high ground about 6 miles west of the campground so I’ll take my laptop along in the morning & see if I can publish this post.

SCROUNGING SOME FIREWOOD

CAMPFIRES HAVE A WAY OF BRINGING OUT PEOPLE’S DEEPEST THOUGHTS

 

CAN YOU SEE THE DEVIL’S FACE IN THE CAMPFIRE

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Father to Son, “Hey, I’ve told you a hundred million times not to exaggerate”!!