Tag Archives: Utah

Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef was the last national park full of big rocks that we visited on this trip. We arrived in Torrey, UT, the evening before, and had a memorable dinner at Café Diablo – five-star cuisine in a one-horse town (good wine list, too – we had an excellent bottle of Malbec at a very reasonable price).

In the park the next morning, we took the ranger’s advice: drove about 12 miles down a dirt road, parked, and walked a couple of miles into a canyon. Enrico climbed up to see the “tanks” (natural pools in the stone), but I was too hot and tired – was glad to find some shade and just sit and enjoy the breeze.

That was when I decided I’d seen enough rocks and it was time to go home.

Devil’s Garden, Escalante

Escalante National Monument seems nearly deserted in comparison with its more famous siblings such as Bryce and Zion. But it’s worth the visit for gems such as the Devil’s Garden: 12 miles down a dirt road, you have your own private wonderland of arches, mushroom rocks, and slickrock to climb on.