Change of Plans

Today we were scheduled to drive from Bryce Canyon to Park City, Utah where we planned to stay two nights at my friend, Joanie's, condo. Joanie wasn't going to be there, but was letting us use it. She and her husband Jack visited us at Miraval last year so they had offered to let us use the condo as long as it wasn't rented out to someone else when we wanted to use it. (By the way, for all those people who believe that you are more likely to get hit by lightening than to get married for the first time after age 60, it happened to Joanie! She and Jack are happily blending their lives, including his children and grandchildren, and her cat Princess. They volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City and get to see tons of movies - they highly recommend volunteering for the film festival to anyone who can make it to Park City in January.) Back to the trip...

Two friends from my Tucson book group emailed to say Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah should not be missed. Pam S. also said the Boulder Mountain Lodge connected to it is a lovely place to stay. Adam, a concierge at Miraval said Capital Reef National Park (a bit east of Boulder) is "one of the most stunningly beautiful National Parks in the country." None of these were on our planned itinerary, but THREE messages seemed like a sign we should consider adjusting our plans.

Route 12 winds across passes and
goes up and down through big vistas.

So Tom called the Boulder Mountain Lodge, which had rooms available. We let Joanie and Jack know we were going to arrive a day later than planned (it didn't really make a difference to them, since they gifted us with the time), and we drove east instead of north. Two-lane Route 12 winds through Escalante National Monument which is continuing canyonlands dotted with small towns an average of 20 miles apart. What a contrast to New Jersey where the towns run into one another and unless there is a sign, you don't know if you are in Morristown or Madison or Chatham! I had a hard time getting used to that during the 35 years I lived there.

The petrified sand dunes of Escalante

After a delicious late lunch at Hell's Backbone Grill (named after a dirt road with a bridge that looks down on Death Hollow - we did NOT explore it), we explored the Anasazi State Park Museum. The Anasazi people lived in the four corners region (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado) starting about 2000 years ago. This museum focuses on an excavation of a 'village' of 97 rooms inhabited from around 1125- 1175 AD here in Boulder. The buildings were made of timber and adobe and many had common walls. Besides the remains of the buildings, archaeologists have recovered hundreds of thousands of artifacts. There are pieces of beautiful painted clay pots, matates for grinding food, and spear points.

Reconstruction of a dwelling

There were interesting comparisons of how homes were being built around the world in the mid-twelfth century and the experience made me very aware of how Eurocentric my history education was. When we drove to Colorado in 2011, we visited Mesa Verde where the Anasazi built amazing villages into cliff walls.  I hope children growing up in the US today learn about the Anasazis and all the early people who lived on this continent.

While we were at the museum we watched a storm blow in. At home we have not had anything more than a sprinkle since December, so it was fun to feel the pre-storm wind and be pelted with the first drops of rain while we were exploring the excavated site.

Boulder Mountain Lodge is absolutely lovely. The setting reminds me of the Aspen Valley - long green grasses, aspen trees and cottonwoods (with lots of 'cotton' in the air). We are glad we booked the least expensive room - it is still the nicest room we've had so far on the trip, PLUS there is a balcony and common rooms with big couches and rocking chairs so you really don't need a suite.

Dinner at Hell's Backbone Grill was delicious and the people are wonderfully nice. The restaurant has its own farm and buys its beef in the valley. Apparently it is one of the first farm-to-table restaurants. We are looking forward to breakfast tomorrow!

After dinner we sat on the balcony and watched geese join the ducks on the pond as the distant mountains darkened. Peaceful.

On to Park City tomorrow, after seeing the Waterpocket Fold of Capital Reef.