Mother's Day to Capitol Reef

We took a day trip to the national park northeast of us, Capitol Reef NP.  It is about a 2 hour drive one way on the most scenic road in Utah, Route 12.  It goes through Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest and Boulder Mountain.  It is a wonderful breathtaking drive. 

Capitol Reef National Park at a picnic area with very old cottonwoods.
  The settlement was established by Mormons who planted fruit trees along the Freemont River. Green with orchards that are still bearing fruit today,the small farms of 8-10 families changed the landscape.  The name of the town is Fruita.  These Cottonwoods are huge.  John and Emma are a contrast in size.

This formation is known as the Castle.  What a contrast to irrigated lands along the Freemont River.

Emma is always interested in the view.  Where did the grass and trees go that was here a minute ago???

Capitol Reef is along a waterpocket fold in the earth's crust.

The farm backdrop is like Zion National Park but with lower cliffs.  Both are former Mormon settlements.

The dirt road went right next to and almost under this formation.

I love the rock's different colored layers. 



Back at Bryce we went on a rim walk with the ranger on Monday.  If he backed up he would have seen the bottom of the amphitheater.  Beyond the bush is nothing but air.




and then we went on a rim walk towards the Fairyland Trail.






This is a picture of Boulder, UT, one of the isolated towns on Scenic Route 12.  Boulder was the last town in the US to get it's mail by mule.  It's legends also include making sour cream or butter out of the milk that was shipped out of Boulder.  It is so remote and the road so twisting that I can easily see the legends as truths.