I can't really take full credit for the title today. Years ago I read a book called an Embarrassment of Mangoes and, I confess, it is the source of my inspiration for this evening's title.
I'm going to start with a picture of what I am actually looking at right now as I write this entry, the view from my hotel balcony.
So, as you will soon see, an aptly titled entry. Today we toured both Canyonlands and Capital Reef National Parks. They are very similar, yet very different parks.
First, Canyonlands, the portion we toured, and the portion that most people tour since it is the easiest to access is called Island in the Sky. It is a mesa that provides unparalleled views of the park basin. The other two sections which are more remote and have completely separate entrances are The Needles and The Maze. One section, the Needles, is closer to the river that divides the park into thirds. This section has petroglyphs. We would have loved to see the petroglyphs but lacked the proper 4-wheel drive vehicle. This seems odd given the amount of unpaved, open range roads we have traveled on this trip, but one follows the rules when it comes to this wilderness. The Maze is even more remote and comes with a recommendation that you plan on at least two days to get in and back out. Yesterday at Arches National Park there was no vegetation. Today, we were floored by the amount and variety of greenery.
We saw a bird pull a 360 degree turn today. Neither of us have ever seen such a thing. But this bird was soaring, then tucked its wings under (imagine bending your elbows so your hands were in your arm pits) and turned a 360 onto its back and then righted itself. Then he (or she) went on to do it again. It was pretty awesome. Oddly enough, just a moment before, Lester had commented what fun it must be to be a bird in this park. Weird.
We saw some rock formations that looked like a Gaudi house, Casa Batillo, that we have visited in Barcelona. Check it out and decide for yourselves.
We left Canyonlands and headed for Capital Reef. It was about a three hour drive - or as it's come to be known around here, a short trip to the store - and at one point we stopped to switch drivers. This is the art that adorned the rim of the parking lot we choose to use as a pit stop.
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| Note the udders on the bull! |
Capital Reef provided another in a series of breathtaking views. And, it had petoglyphics that were accessible to the ordinary, everyday, non-4-wheel driving, hiking, back packing crowd. They are pretty cool. The park ranger we chatted with (who looked like he was about 14 but sweated like a barnyard animal) indicated they date to somewhere between 600 and 1300.
Lester being the skeptic that he is asked how they knew that these dated back so far and we were told the chisel marks as well as the location on the cliff walls indicated that the archaeologists had pegged the dates correctly.
We booked the Best Western Capital Reef online before we left Moab and man did we get lucky! It is on the border of the park. We have been sitting here all night watching the sunset and the stars rise from our balcony overlooking a beautiful stone mesa. It has been glorious. So, should you find yourself needing a hotel in Torrey, UT we highly recommend the Best Western solely for the view (pay the extra $20 for the view). The room is nothing special but we have spent the evening on the 5 X 15 foot balcony. It would be great if the sliding door had a screen so we could leave it open overnight. The temperature cools off significantly after the sun drops below the horizon - it must be down in the 60s now from an earlier high of 97. And, if you are here overnight, we would also recommend Cafe Diablo. It is 4 or 5 miles down the road on the western border of Torrey. We had a delightful dinner of small plates. Lester's gazpacho was served in a bowl literally made entirely of ice. And, you know the herbs are fresh when the chef comes out and picks them from the garden you are enjoying while eating your dinner!
A partial accounting...to date we have traveled about 4600 miles and we have yet to head east. We made a bet before we left about how many miles we would be traveling, Lester wins. I owe him $5. Last, but not least, we are supremely happy to report that the odd noise old Silver, the Subaru, (spend enough time with your car and it will get a name too. This Silver is named after Silver, the Lone Ranger's ride.) was making yesterday has gone away. Keep your fingers crossed on that front. And Anne's unilateral naming of the Subaru is very much up for spirited debate (ed.).
A&L
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