2008 West Vacation -- Southern Utah and Colorado, Days 5 & 6

Days 5 & 6, Moab, UT to Torrey, UT.

Full hot breakfast at The Canyonlands Best Western if you count okay scrambled eggs and thinly sliced bacon as a full breakfast, and it's close enough.

Stopped at Utah-128 on the way out and filled a couple of water bottles from the spring. Take US-191 to I-70, and it's another great Utah road, endless vistas.

I-70 is no different. Get off on Utah 24, one desolate road in 1997, but a lot more traffic in 2008. At some point, the check engine light comes on. I hate it when that happens.

Utah

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First stop of day was Goblin Valley State Park. I had always read the roads to the park were unpaved, and I was unsure if I should go there. I find the road fully paved, some portions are excellent. Utah State Parks takes my $7, and we enter the park.

It has some amazing stone structures. Galaxy Quest was filmed here. This is where the crew came to get Beryllium Sphere. If you never heard of it, join a lot of other people. The stone structures were originally described as Goblins, hence the name. They look more like stone mushrooms. Jo thinks they look like giant poops. Go figure.

I'd really like to camp here one moonless night. They say you're something like 20 miles from the nearest street light. I'll bet the stars are amazing.

We walk among the stone formations for a while, then head out to Capital Reef.

Goblin Valley State Park

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Once past the San Rafael desert, Utah 24 enters the Waterpocket Fold, and the road becomes as unreal as I remember it. Stone cliffs jut out from the ground, and rise a 1000 feet into the sky. We finally get to Capital Reef National Park.

Take the Notom road for a few miles. Nothing to see, we get to the Notom site, and there isn't even a sign marking the spot. Back to Utah-24 and stop at the Schoolhouse, can't find the rock I sat on once. Bummer.

Go to the visitors center and get a map. The last time we were here, the Scenic Drive was closed due to some flash floods. This time, the road is open to the end.

We stop at the Gifford Homestead, where we pick up a couple jars of jam, an 8" peach pie they had baked that morning (they were out of apple) and Jo needed her ice cream fix. Handmade. The Jam was for gifts at home, the peach pie for an after dinner desert, and Jo ate her ice cream there.

We get to the campground, which is the furthest we were allowed in 1997, and it's easy to see in places why the road would wash out. No soil and sparse vegetation, there's nothing to stop water from going from high to low.

We stop at the Grand Wash, a streambed that's cut it's was completely through capital reef, from Utah24 to the Scenic Drive. After reading the signs of doom, we walk a mile or so into the Canyon. It's interesting to see the Waterpocket Fold close up.

Stop at the goosenecks on the way out, and go to the Best Western in Torrey and check in. We vote it's the best room so far. Two room suite; a bedroom and bathroom and a living area. The living area has a DVD player, TV, Fridge, Microwave, sofa, table, and sink, with glass doors in the back with a fantastic view of the "Reef".

We ate at the Hotel Restaurant. It was hearty food, but I might try one of the other local places next time. The Polygamy Porter they had was excellent though. ("Bring some home for the Wives.")

No sunset (blocked by the clouds), but a very pretty moonrise. Too much light to see all the stars.

Shower and room 10 of 10.

Capitol Reef National Park

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Day 6. 1959.4 miles. Circle D at Escalante, UT.

We have a microwave, so we eat the BBQ from Estes, CO for morning breakfast. Tomatoes and BBQ. Mmmmmm. It was good, it was tasty, it was hearty, it was smoky. 'Nuff said.

Got gas and the car washed at the Texaco at 24 & 12. Rt 12 is as amazing as I remember, going down the staircase from Torrey to Escalante, all the way to Red Canyon. It's still in my top 10 roads.

Stopped in at Anasazi village SP. What a disappointment. Maybe because I been to Mesa Verde. Maybe it's because I've seen dozens of Anasazi and Freemont Culture ruins across the Southwest. Anyway, I'd give this park a pass. (If you're going to Grand Canyon, they're really no different than the ruins in Tusayan Village.) But you do get to stretch your legs and use the bathroom.

Scenic Route 12; Anasazi State Park;

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Got to Escalante, stopped in at Petrified Forest SP, and had a picnic lunch with the last of the supplies and lunchmeat we brought with us from Chicago. Reservoir 1/3 size it should have been, and we passed on the Petrified Forest trail when we found out we'd have to climb 200 feet first. That was a deal breaker. :-)

Went to Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument (henceforth known as the GSENM) visitor center, got a map. Grand Staircase is huge, and barely developed. Let's see what they do with it over the next few years.

Next step was to check into Circle D. It was the cheapest hotel on our trip, if you don't count the comp'd room late in the trip. We looked over the GSENM propaganda, and we decide to drive part of Hole In The Rock road the 14 miles to Devil's Garden. We were assured that the road is drivable, at least to that point.

Went and drove Hole In The Rock Road, and about 7 miles in it became so washboarded that we aborted the trip. No way I'm doing that to my car for 14 miles. Car is dusty again. Glad I washed the car. Not.

Ate at Georgie's Corner Cafe & Deli. Georgie's claim to fame is scratch made Mexican. Had Guacamole (with deep fried flour tortillas), a Black Bean Tostada, Grilled tacos, tres laches cake, and a strawberry sunday. We voted it the best meal of the trip.

Back to Circle D, it's warm enough to keep the door and windows open. Jo, of course, finds a cat to play with. His name is Rufus, and he's one of the residents of the hotel. Say hello if you're in the neighborhood.

We play a game of scrabble. I win. The shower was mediocre, but there is a drought here. A drought. In a desert. Who'da thunk it. The bed was hard as rock. The Flintstones hard. As nice as the area is, if I had to do it again, I would have booked two nights at the Best Western at Ruby's Inn. But then too, we wouldn't have eaten at Georgie's, and the food at Ruby's in is okay at best. Circle D Hotel, 2 of 5 stars.

Escalante / Grand Staircase National Monument

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End Part 2, Days 5 & 6.
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