Wednesday, May 21, 2003
I'm writing this on Monday evening, though I probably won't get to post it until Tuesday or Wednesday. Internet access in southwestern Utah is scarce.
Spent this morning and the early part of this afternoon driving around Capitol Reef NP some more. This is the first time on this trip I've really wished I had an SUV, or hiking boots and a hiking buddy. Paved roadways only scrape the surface of this incredible park. I tried taking BabyCar down one of the unpaved roads, but turned back after just a little bit. She didn't deserve that bone-jarring and suspension-jarring treatment. But even what I could see just from the roads was incredible. It is, IMO, what the Celts call a "thin place," where heaven and earth are especially close. The cliffscapes are spectacular, and the richness and the amazing variety of the shades of red and buff soil, against the blue sky, and the way the ridges plunge at an angle as if they are the prows of shipwrecked vessels-all breathtaking. I probably took 4 dozen photos in the park altogether, and after a while gave up on photos completely--it just needs to be experienced. I did patronize the NPS gift shop heavily, though, figuring the proceeds would help the park, which is obviously low on the funding list. Oddly, even though CRNP is one of the lesser-known parks in the area, and was totally empty last night, today it was crowded w/ RVs and pickup trucks. It was the most crowded as measured by vehicle-per-square-foot-of-overlook-parking-space than was Yellowstone, for example. Partly this is because there aren't nearly as many developed overlooks at Capitol Reef!
Mid-afternoon I bought a sub at the Subway in Torrey (which is a large crossroads w/ a nice assortment of restaurants and shops), and headed off down SR 12 towards Bryce Canyon. The drive is non-stop scenic-paralleling Capitol Reef for the first third of the way, then ducking in and out of Grand Staircase/Escalantes National Monument for the rest of the distance.
Poor BabyCar, without cruise control, and with an accelerator which requires a firm foot for the slightest increase in speed,is not suited for hours of driving up and down 10%-18% grades. She handles beautifully on the curves, but my right ankle and knee are always killing me after about 3-5 hrs of mountain driving. So by the time I arrived here, my leg needed a break; I don't think I'll head into the park tonight.
Tonight I'm staying in Bryce View Inn, which is a very very basic motel. I get the sense Bryce and Zion are the most commercial of the parks down here, and where the locals profit the most from the tourons (tourist+moron=touron). West Yellowstone would have been the same except it was still low season there; here it's high season. No snow down here. (TBTG!)
Off to find some dinner at the tacky complex across the street.
- - - - -
Well, now it's Tuesday night. I still haven't had a chance to post this yet, and won't til tomorrow at the earliest.
I can say most emphatically, if you ever visit the Bryce Canyon area, do NOT stay at either Ruby's Inn Best Western or the Bryce View Inn. They are two related motels that form a huge tourist-trap of a "resort" just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon. Take the extra time and drive the extra distance, and go in to Cedar City or somewhere with a better selection of lodgings. My time at Bryce was marred by a grotty room, way too expensive ($70) for what it was (basic and dirty), and hideously overpriced and inedible food at the "Cowboy Buffet and Steakroom." I did buy something amusing in the gift shop, though-a shot glass that says, "Eat, drink, and be merry. Tomorrow you might be in Utah."
The park itself was okay. It didn't awe me the way some of the others have-once you've seen a few hundred hoodoos (Bryce's distinctive eroded rock formations) you've seen them all, right? But I imagine it would have been much more impressive if I could have hiked down one of the trails to the canyon floor.
After doing the basic circuit of sights via the park shuttle, I had a nice lunch at the park's Bryce Canyon Lodge. Then I headed out, down to Zion National Park, about a 90-minute drive away. The first part of the drive on Rtes 12 and 89 is almost as scenic as w/in Bryce itself. Hoodoos flank the highway.
I arrived at Zion NP around 4:30. Entered at the north entrance near Carmel Junction and drove through the park towards Springdale. Even the quick views I got just driving through were extremely impressive. Beautiful cliffs and canyons. I can't wait to go back in tomorrow. About 2/3 of the way through on the main road is a mile-long tunnel, built in the 1920s, which is incredibly long, narrow, and dark. Unlike modern tunnels, there is NO artificial interior lighting--none. Talk about dark! Every so often they've cut a "window" through the outside wall, and you get a brief glimpse of the canyon and a bit of light, but mostly it's pitch-dark.
In Springdale, I checked into Flanigan's Inn, which is as wonderful an establishment as last night's was awful. I highly recommend it if you visit Zion. I have a two-room suite with a lovely view of Zion's cliffs out of two picture windows, and a picnic table on a patio, and all kinds of neat bath goodies, all for $89. Right on the park shuttle route, and w/in walking distance to the park if you have a mind to get some exercise. Had a delicious dinner at the attached restaurant, the "Spotted Dog Café at Flanigans".
The local microbrews aren't bad. One is called "Polygamy Porter." The label says, "Why stop with just one?" and "Take some home to the wives." I'm going to see if I can buy one of their pint glasses. It would go nicely with the shot glass I bought last night. I could have a whole "Utah humor" subsection in my barware! Dinner was lamb shank with assorted yummy veggies, and then a peach-raspberry cobbler and coffee for dessert. The entrée cost no more than the hideous buffet last night. Now I'm sitting here typing this while watching one of the 2 (two) tv's in my suite.
Spent this morning and the early part of this afternoon driving around Capitol Reef NP some more. This is the first time on this trip I've really wished I had an SUV, or hiking boots and a hiking buddy. Paved roadways only scrape the surface of this incredible park. I tried taking BabyCar down one of the unpaved roads, but turned back after just a little bit. She didn't deserve that bone-jarring and suspension-jarring treatment. But even what I could see just from the roads was incredible. It is, IMO, what the Celts call a "thin place," where heaven and earth are especially close. The cliffscapes are spectacular, and the richness and the amazing variety of the shades of red and buff soil, against the blue sky, and the way the ridges plunge at an angle as if they are the prows of shipwrecked vessels-all breathtaking. I probably took 4 dozen photos in the park altogether, and after a while gave up on photos completely--it just needs to be experienced. I did patronize the NPS gift shop heavily, though, figuring the proceeds would help the park, which is obviously low on the funding list. Oddly, even though CRNP is one of the lesser-known parks in the area, and was totally empty last night, today it was crowded w/ RVs and pickup trucks. It was the most crowded as measured by vehicle-per-square-foot-of-overlook-parking-space than was Yellowstone, for example. Partly this is because there aren't nearly as many developed overlooks at Capitol Reef!
Mid-afternoon I bought a sub at the Subway in Torrey (which is a large crossroads w/ a nice assortment of restaurants and shops), and headed off down SR 12 towards Bryce Canyon. The drive is non-stop scenic-paralleling Capitol Reef for the first third of the way, then ducking in and out of Grand Staircase/Escalantes National Monument for the rest of the distance.
Poor BabyCar, without cruise control, and with an accelerator which requires a firm foot for the slightest increase in speed,is not suited for hours of driving up and down 10%-18% grades. She handles beautifully on the curves, but my right ankle and knee are always killing me after about 3-5 hrs of mountain driving. So by the time I arrived here, my leg needed a break; I don't think I'll head into the park tonight.
Tonight I'm staying in Bryce View Inn, which is a very very basic motel. I get the sense Bryce and Zion are the most commercial of the parks down here, and where the locals profit the most from the tourons (tourist+moron=touron). West Yellowstone would have been the same except it was still low season there; here it's high season. No snow down here. (TBTG!)
Off to find some dinner at the tacky complex across the street.
- - - - -
Well, now it's Tuesday night. I still haven't had a chance to post this yet, and won't til tomorrow at the earliest.
I can say most emphatically, if you ever visit the Bryce Canyon area, do NOT stay at either Ruby's Inn Best Western or the Bryce View Inn. They are two related motels that form a huge tourist-trap of a "resort" just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon. Take the extra time and drive the extra distance, and go in to Cedar City or somewhere with a better selection of lodgings. My time at Bryce was marred by a grotty room, way too expensive ($70) for what it was (basic and dirty), and hideously overpriced and inedible food at the "Cowboy Buffet and Steakroom." I did buy something amusing in the gift shop, though-a shot glass that says, "Eat, drink, and be merry. Tomorrow you might be in Utah."
The park itself was okay. It didn't awe me the way some of the others have-once you've seen a few hundred hoodoos (Bryce's distinctive eroded rock formations) you've seen them all, right?
After doing the basic circuit of sights via the park shuttle, I had a nice lunch at the park's Bryce Canyon Lodge. Then I headed out, down to Zion National Park, about a 90-minute drive away. The first part of the drive on Rtes 12 and 89 is almost as scenic as w/in Bryce itself. Hoodoos flank the highway.
I arrived at Zion NP around 4:30. Entered at the north entrance near Carmel Junction and drove through the park towards Springdale. Even the quick views I got just driving through were extremely impressive. Beautiful cliffs and canyons. I can't wait to go back in tomorrow. About 2/3 of the way through on the main road is a mile-long tunnel, built in the 1920s, which is incredibly long, narrow, and dark. Unlike modern tunnels, there is NO artificial interior lighting--none. Talk about dark! Every so often they've cut a "window" through the outside wall, and you get a brief glimpse of the canyon and a bit of light, but mostly it's pitch-dark.
In Springdale, I checked into Flanigan's Inn, which is as wonderful an establishment as last night's was awful. I highly recommend it if you visit Zion. I have a two-room suite with a lovely view of Zion's cliffs out of two picture windows, and a picnic table on a patio, and all kinds of neat bath goodies, all for $89. Right on the park shuttle route, and w/in walking distance to the park if you have a mind to get some exercise. Had a delicious dinner at the attached restaurant, the "Spotted Dog Café at Flanigans".
The local microbrews aren't bad. One is called "Polygamy Porter." The label says, "Why stop with just one?" and "Take some home to the wives." I'm going to see if I can buy one of their pint glasses. It would go nicely with the shot glass I bought last night. I could have a whole "Utah humor" subsection in my barware! Dinner was lamb shank with assorted yummy veggies, and then a peach-raspberry cobbler and coffee for dessert. The entrée cost no more than the hideous buffet last night. Now I'm sitting here typing this while watching one of the 2 (two) tv's in my suite.
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