Since it was on our way, we drove through Capital Reef National Park. The major feature in this part is a monocline that was pushed up as plates collided. It was pushed up at an angle, so you can see the different layers of rock diagonally. Our first stop off was a waterfall on the side of the road. We hiked down and threw some rocks in the river. No surprise – the kids all waded and ended up slipping in and getting wet. That water was COLD! Alex’s legs were a bright shade of red after just a short time in the water.
Afterwards, we took a short hike to Hickman Bridge, a natural bridge created as the river wore away the soft rock under it. This hike had a trail guide with information at each of the marked points. This definitely entertained the kids – not the information but racing ahead to find the numbers. We, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed learning a little bit on the trail. Without a lot of research ahead of time, you miss a lot of the opportunities to learn about the surroundings in all these great parks.
Our final stop in this park was to view the petroglyphs from the native people that inhabited this area over 1000 years ago. It is quite impressive that these have existed on these rocks for these so long.
Our next stop was to be at Bryce Canyon, 5 hours away. It was dinnertime, and we were a long way from civilization. Back in the car to get somewhere where we could eat and sleep. Apparently, there is a nice hotel and restaurant in this tiny town, Boulder, in the middle of Utah. Surprisingly, the hotel had no vacancies. We had to eat at a little burger place in another tiny town, and finally, found a hotel late at night. We had to choose among some cheesy hotels. Those wary of dirty, dumpy hotels should probably stay out of Utah, or at least, make preparations ahead of time.
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