Mom & Dad's Red Rocks Reunion
It was obvious when we are on reservations because it had a poorer, rundown look to it...
Their reservations are massive, but unless they have oil or other natural resources; in today's world, it's hard to make a living on them...
Monticello calls itself the Land Before the Canyons. It’s certainly a town of windmills and the Canyonlands Discovery Center.
M & D realized as we crossed over into Utah, this state is our tenth state on this trip so far...
Dad was laughing at me because when I get too lonely in the back, I start “the creep”...First, I put my head on the armrest between them.
When they don’t object to that, I put my paws and head on the armrest...waiting for mom to give me permission to be on her lap. It doesn’t matter to me, that I don’t really fit anymore!!!
We stopped at the Kane Springs Rest Area which turned out to be an oasis on the Spanish Trail.
Mom and dad have stayed in Moab before when they were out here, but they wanted me to see these spectacular red rock canyons. Moab is really growing...with lots of new hotels, condos, businesses and new roads.
Arches National Park is made up of red and Navajo yellow sandstone that formed some 150 million years ago. It became a national monument in 1924, and was upgraded to a National Park in 1971.
We see lots of fins and arches that were formed when this was an ocean and then dried out. The darker areas on the rock are called desert varnish. It’s made up of lots of magnesium. The Native Americans used it for their petroglyphs. The petrified dunes are made of the yellow Navajo sandstone.
Hoodoos are the pinnacle like rocks that have different layers of sandstone eroding at different rates like Balanced Rock.
Even on these park roads, you had to be on your toes driving...
This landscape continually changes as wind, rain and ice sculpt this land. Garden of Eden is a popular area for climbers, but we didn’t see any today.
M & D told me that this park is nowhere near as crowded; as when they came the first time. It’s still crowded enough that mom and I didn’t hike the really popular areas. Not all wearing masks...
Especially, since mom had hiked some of them before. (She reminded me that she was a fair weather hiker and 88 degrees with little breezes wasn’t in her comfort zone.)
In the 1880’s Doc Williams was the only Moab medical doctor. He loved this area so much; that even when he wasn't crossing it to get to a patient. He could be found exploring it by foot or riding his horse. These activities didn't stop until he was well into his 80’s. Obviously, staying active worked for him, since he lived to be a 103.
The Arches Gypsy Guide reminded us never to drive through a flash flood; especially out here, because they can be far deeper and contain more seriously dangerous debris than it appears.
Once we finished Arches we traveled thirty miles to visit Canyonlands National Park.
Canyonlands National Park became a Park in 1964. As individuals; just like Doc Williams, fought for it to be saved for further generations.
Cattle ranches were the first major industry out here and in certain places cattle still open graze here. Piñon pine and junipers are the most common trees out here. All I know is, it smells wonderful here!!! These parks exist on the massive, ancient Colorado Plateau.
Canyonlands has both the Green and Colorado River within. We are only touring Island in the Sky district. There are three other districts, but connecting roads are few and far between This park covers over 300,000 acres.
Schafer Overlook is an excellent view of the neck, of Island in the Sky. This Mesa provided a natural corral for the Natives hunting deer and elk and for the cattlemen’s cattle. Bighorn sheep love this meadow. The Night Sky here is fabulous for stargazing. It’s easy to see 15,000 stars compared to 500 in a city.
Dad stopped to photograph the Maze district off in the distance since it’s too far away to drive.
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