Utah Part 3

2 Chicas creating a Scene on the Byway

The Grand Staircase-Escalante is one picturesque piece of land, so much so, the road going through the area was designated a Scenic Byway.

At every twist and turn of Highway 89, there are slickrock benches, plateaus and canyons. This All-American Road, one of 27 nationally selected highways, winds through some isolated yet stunning public lands.

Fortunately, there are a few visitors’ centers to help you plan your outings should you remain in the area. At the very least, the experts can tell you where you are and how far to civilization. Tee hee he

Take your time on the drive and be sure to check out the numerous outdoor explorations. If you have more time, shine your light in the Devil’s Garden or drive down Hells Backbone Road.  Don’t let the names frighten you away.

Believe it or not, Escalante also has a petrified forest. There are so many hiking opportunities you’d be hard pressed not to find one to suite your needs, interests or abilities. It seemed as if each turn in the road shared an equally beautiful and different photo opportunity! It was much too much!

As we twisted through the red rock canyons and drove past formations that look like buildings from an ancient Greek city, 2 Chicas repeatedly said “I never knew this would be so beautiful!”

We knew Utah had incredible parks, but we did not realize how stunningly gorgeous and barren this huge expanse was. Once you rise and go through the Boulder Mountain, you will ride through part of the Dixie National Forest and the difference is amazing!

Beautiful lakes beckon you to take a dip, but 2 Chicas thought not; it was a little too cold. But it did look extremely tempting!

Chica 2 was threatening to pull over and jump in a waterfall thankfully, before you knew what was happening, we were down the mountain and back into a different ecosystem. Lush mountain forests quickly turned into a more desolate form of beauty. The richness in the landscape was a wonderful contrast to the previous turn.

2 Chicas Spend a Night and the Day in the Capitol

The drive eventually leads 2 Chicas down to Capitol Reef National Park where we would spend the night in Torrey, UT. We slipped into town for dinner and got a brief look at just how small this settlement really is.

It would be interesting to live in such a beautiful place, then again, maybe not; to each his own preference. The hotel is actually in the park so we sat out in front of the room and watched the sun set.

Chica 2 said the dark red rock against the sun made it seem as if we were on Mars. Chica 1 just enjoyed the beauty and started a simplistic smarty pants routine. Chica 2, did you know that somewhere out there is a 100 mile fold in the earth’s crust? Chica 2 replies “yes smarty farty, you have mentioned it no fewer than 30 times.” Chica 1 just rolls her eyes.

This crease is above a fault in the earth’s crust and is known as the Waterpocket Fold. Hey, it’s getting cold out here! The next morning we resumed our drive through Capitol Reef Country. Chica 2 was particularly intrigued with the petroglyphs that are on rock within eyesight of the highway and wanted to go add her handiwork to the drawings.

Thankfully she didn’t (and never would), but she did admire the talents of the ancients. Now to be honest, thesevtwo city girls were getting pretty tired. By the end of this drive, 2 Chicas had traveled about 1,200 miles!

Capitol Reef has more cliffs, domes, and just miles of rocks and wilderness. Enjoy the solitude, this area is notorious for being sparsely populated. 2 Chicas took pictures and headed back to Salt Lake City. We were needing a little city fix!

2 Chicas Bid Farewell to the Salty Lake

Our last meal in Salt Lake was at the Blue Plate Diner. This place has the most incredible Corned Beef Hash breakfast, made with real corned beef, fresh potatoes, and cheese.  Chica 1 has not yet had a better hash! If you are ever in Salt Lake, you have to try this item. Chia 2 had a burger with Swiss cheese and she said it was wonderful! She said it was juicy on the inside with a nice crust on the outside.

While killing time early Saturday morning, 2 Chicas headed to the outlet mall in Park City. It was a welcome diversion and interestingly, there are practice slopes right next door to the mall. Since 2003, this area has hosted the World Freestyle Championships, so please don’t underestimate the quality of the slopes in the area. Park City was established in the mid 1800s after silver was found in the mountains. Later gold, zinc, and copper were also discovered. Park City has a lot of history, and over 60 of the buildings in the city are recorded on the National Register of Historic Places.  Visit their main street if you love old buildings, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Chica 2 mined the outlet mall for some great deals. So much so that she thought she was going to have to buy more luggage to haul all of her yields home. Fortunately, Chica 1 knows how to pack and got everything to fit in the suitcases we already had. Chica 2 waved goodbye to the Salty Lake and promised to come back to this great state. Chica 1 teased Chica 2, saying, she certainly hoped to return since the 2 Chicas didn’t make it over to Moab. Arches National Park is awaiting a visit from the 2 hilarious travelers!

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