Grand Junction to Bryce 10/20/2013

We decided to take the scenic route south to Bryce Canyon, and as Robert Frost said, "that has made all the difference". For the most part, I70 out of Grand Junction was unremarkable--flat desert country. And truth be told, I know that I fell asleep for parts of the drive. But after we left I70 for Route 24 going south, things changed. We started to see lone rock formations by the sides of the road. By the time the road spiked west on Route 12, we were entering red rock country.

Route 12 is a scenic byway that runs through small towns and spectacular scenery that includes Capitol Reef National Park. This place is filled with cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges, much of which is visible from the road that traverses it. Golden-leaved autumn trees that grow along the river framed views of the red and white rock cliffs in the distance.

Further along Route 12, we entered the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. This is a place that spans nearly 1.9 million acres. As we ascended the hills, the views became more expansive, and I found myself saying to Ray: "Wow! That's gorgeous!----- Don't look!", as we rounded narrow curves on the road. We arrived at the top of a mountain, and were greeted by a fabulous 360 degree panorama of some of the wildest, most beautiful land in America. So big. So grand.

After the ride up the mountains, came the ride down--at a 14% grade. I don't think we had ever before seen a road with a 14% grade. One highlight of the trip came when we found ourselves behind a herd of cattle on (not by the side of) the road near Boulder, UT.

We arrived at our stopping point for the next few days at Cannonville, UT, not far from Bryce Canyon National Park.