So JUST WHERE is she now?: Southern Utah

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Albert Einstein

I caught up with my friends, Karen and Val in Kodachrome Utah about 8:30PM Sunday, August 19th. They were waiting to have dinner with me and I was ready! This state park offers some challenging and beautiful areas that seem to be overlooked by most. There are hikes of varying degrees of difficulty and a lovely hike through and well defined desert garden, complimented with sayings. The Albert Einstein quote is one. During our 3 day stay in beautiful Kodachrome we encountered rain....a lot of rain! Of course, after rain we are frequently treated with a lovely rainbow.

However, during this timeframe, Karen and I made a grocery run into Cannonville. It is about 20 minutes from the campground, which is remote and unreachable. As Karen and I traveled it rained harder and harder. Soon, I would receive an alert for flash flooding. No joke! We were driving right in it!

When we were finished shopping, we found the road closed! We were able to have someone at the Visitor Center call the ranger in Kodachrome and ask that a message be given to Val. Luckily, by late afternoon we found the road crew had been out to clear 2 feet of mud off of the road in many spots. We were able to make our way back to the campground. Just my luck....from a forest fire to a flash flood!

Karen and Val walked out on a narrow ledge....I watched.

Over a couple of days we would hike Bryce Canyon in a variety of spots. Storm clouds full of lightning would keep us going at a good clip!

Tropic Ditch was completed in 1892 after two years of pioneers completing a canal to provide water for the surrounding areas.

Soon, it would be time to leave Kodachrome Basin State Park. We would drive through Escalante on one of the most beautiful state highways in America. Scenic Byway 12. The photo below is Karen leaving with her trailer, trudging through mud left by the flashflood.

Along the way we would encounter a Farmer's Market and a peach orchard. Pick all you want to eat on the spot for free and pay $1.00 a pound for those to take!

My dad was a geophysicist and brought plenty of rocks and purple bottles home. I sensed him here!

Historic school house in Fruita shown below.

The effects of Uranium mining noted below in Capitol Reef National Park.

If you look closely, you can see the highway switchbacks. Pictures do not do this stretch justice!

We found a rock and replanted it elsewhere the next day.

We reached our next campsite in time for me to get a nap in! It was higher in elevation and more pleasing for Karen and me!

Fishlake Lodge is a historic lodge that, like Lake McDonald Lodge has the entrance facing the lake water.

Travelers along the Old Spanish Trail would stop in at this lodge for respite.

Soon we would make our way to Dead Horse Point State Park. This is where poor Ralph would need two new tires. As we parked in the campground, Val pointed out that one of my back tires was nearly flat. Well, for good reason....I saw metal protruding! Val did most of the work changing out the tire and the next day they would slowly follow me into Moab for replacement. Moab is a very busy town and it would take two days for tire replacement and alignment. It worked out as we still had Arches and Canyonland to visit!