There is No Place Like Home
The stats:
miles traveled 9106
average mpg 46.5
average cost of gas $2.81
After Capitol Reef I switched campsites to Green River State Park located about 60 miles from the Canyonlands/Arches/Moab area. My stay fell over Memorial Day weekend making it difficult to get much closer to the parks.
In Green River there is a museum dedicated to John Wesley Powell. Powell was the first white explorer to run the Green and the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Mountain Men knew about the canyons which now comprise Canyonlands, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Grand Canyon Parks but none had ever ventured into the canyons. Powell led two expeditions down the rivers.
In most parks the visitors view is up but in Canyonlands and the Grand Canyon it is downward. In southern Utah the views at Goosenecks State Park were downward to capture the four hairpin turns of the San Juan River. Likewise the views from Canyonlands were stupendous but they were extra special from Dead Horse Canyon State Park which sits along the tortuous route of the upper Colorado River.
From Dead Horse Canyon there was also the opportunity to view the layout of a private salt works. The works are located over a salt dome on private land. Water is pumped into the salt dome below ground and then is brought up to the surface. A blue dye is added to the water to aid in evaporation and the water is pumped into huge evaporation ponds. The striking blue color of the water against the background of the red sandstone is remarkable.
I took a rafting trip down the Colorado River which left from the city of Moab. The drive to the city followed a valley with a huge, miles long escarpment making for a marvelous drive. Our group of seven plus guide formed up in Moab and then were driven through an area called Castle Valley where we launched our raft. We all had paddles but our guide Marybeth rarely needed us to paddle. We had the benefit of the spring thaw to add volume to the river and hasten our way. The Castle Valley is a lovely area with formations that looked like a locomotive and a teddy bear. It was fun to study the geology of the land and the hydraulics of the river. There were eddies, whirlpools and sections where the current ran upstream along the banks. It was lovely to just glide along quietly and it get an up close and personal view of the steep canyon walls and the red rook formations. I wore a hat and sun glasses but by the afternoon I felt like my eyeballs were scorched!
Leaving Green River which is located along I-70, I had planned to head south to Durango, CO and then head east again to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park and from there head northeast up to I-70 again. I was going to follow I-70 all the way home. As I Left Green River it dawned on me I was on route I-70 and I could just stay on I-70 directly east across Colorado and head for home right that very minute. So that is what I did. I am not sorry I did not get to Durango or the 8th national park in 9 weeks!
Before leaving eastern Utah I visited Seco Canyon to view some Indian petroglyphs and pictographs. There were impressive displays of three different eras of Indian wall art. It was nice to see the differences all in one location. From there I headed across Colorado and made it back home in 4.5 days of heavy driving. The distance was over 2100 miles. I spent two nights in motels but didn’t sleep well. The next two nights I decided to sleep in my car and slept like a baby at a truck stop and at a Walmart.
There was no evidence of farmland flooding west of the Mississippi but when I crossed the river and entered Illinois it was obvious that they had endured huge storms. There were massive ponds spread over thousands of acres of farmland. The farmers have definitely been hit hard this spring.
I just had someone ask me what was my favorite thing. There were many highlights which stand out such as the super bloom in the deserts this year but surprising for me, I am going to list Tucson as my favorite place. I fell in love with Tucson and can envision myself living there as long as I could vacate the place for two months during the summer because of the heat. The ambiance and aesthetics of Tucson are amazing. Their roads are wide. There are separate bike lanes. The scenery is amazing with mountains almost encircling the city and its environs. The saguaro cactus add charm. The houses are mostly single story and seem to fit into the landscape rather than sit on top of it. They are painted in desert hues and built in an adobe style with private patios which are walled and gated. There is a vibrant art scene, an air base with an air museum, an art museum, Unitarian Church, a Chico's and so many things to do and see. I would love a small house tucked along one of the dippity do roads. I would be sure to have my very own saguaro cactus and shade trees. I would ditch my current furniture and start anew with tile floors, warm southwestern colors and pick up important pieces of furniture from Tubac and other locations in the Southwest. I would have loads of colorful pots with plants and loads of colorful pillows and art work on the walls. I would make an exception to bring my basket swing and spend my time tucked into it with a good book. I will also have mouse traps everywhere! LOL
Thank you all who took the time to keep in touch and to keep up with my blog while I was away. It means a lot to have had your support. I have been home almost two weeks and have still not downloaded my pictures. That will have to be another blog post to round this all out. Thank you all again.
Catherine
