Day 11: The next day we left Escalante and continued past Boulder where there was some beautiful land and views--lakes, pines, wildflowers. Then we descended into Capitol Reef National Park, UT and the settlement of Fruita, located within it. Here we took in the history of the Fruita, which was settled by about 8-10 families, most of which were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the 1880s. What few inhabitants were there abandoned it when the National Park Service purchased the town in 1955 to be included in Capitol Reef National Park.
We toured the barn, Gifford house (now a park store), school house, and blacksmith shop. We even tried out some old farming machinery. There were many small orchards on either side of the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek. We bought 3 small pies at the Gifford House to share and try out because...well...pie! The fruit was not from the orchards but was Utah fruit. We enjoyed strawberry-rhubarb, apple, and mixed berry. Given each of our love for pie, I was pretty proud how we shared without whining. So mature.
A cool section of the park featured petroglyphs created by Ancestral Puebloan people between 600-1300 AD. It was fun trying to spot them and guessing what they may be or mean. Along the boardwalk that skirted these engravings, we spotted mice and beautiful flowers.
We took the scenic drive, enjoying the beauty in the canyon walls around us. At one point we saw large, shiny, black bumble bees getting all up in each other's faces over a flower with, apparently, delectable nectar.
Then we did a whole lot more driving and made our way to some slot canyons. We were keeping an eye on some rain clouds in the distance because we did not want to die in a flash flood. I don't want you to get anxiety so I'll end the suspense right here. We didn't die. We also did not get caught in a flash flood.
Also, at this time I would like to mention that no one lives out there. The Southwest is empty of people and the small towns have some very strong, able people. Or maybe introverted, solitary, or impoverished people that get to or prefer to live there. I can't believe anyone lives there. Yes, it is beautiful. It is also incredibly desolate and rugged. I was in awe of this southeast area of Utah and the few people that make it their home.
Anyway, back to our adventures. We made it to Little Wild Horse slot canyon which was our last and best slot canyon. We did not do all the miles but we really enjoyed some tight squeezes before heading back. We were thrilled with this hike.
We ended our day in Green River, UT having dinner at a restaurant right on the river's edge. We had a great window seat and the food was great. After being in such a dry and desolate area it was strange to see the amount of water traveling down the river. They also had a few hummingbird feeders so we could see them coming and going. After dinner we walked down to the bank and spotted them in the trees and watched branches or longs float by while the boys tried skipping stones.
Day 12: We made our way to Canyonlands National Park but we also wanted to hit Arches that day and knew the temperatures were only going to rise. We didn't stay in Canyonlands long but we took in some views and watched the crazy 4x4 jeeps climbing and descending the narrow dirt swtichbacks before heading out.
When we reached Arches National Park we had to wait just a short time before our reservation was open. Neal had never been to Arches so we hit the best stuff with only short walks due to time and heat. We ended the night in Blanding, UT.
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