I left Moab this morning and followed the indications of my GPS. Instead of "stupidly" following the highway to Bryce Canyon, I drove trought Capitol Reef National Park and Dixie National Forest, along the National Scenic Byway 12. It was a 270 miles drive, but the landscapes were absolutely fantastic (desert, forest and snow)!!!!
First, there was Capitol Reef National Park. The rocks have various colors, from green to orange-pink, and you can clearly see the various layers of rocks. You can also admire ancient petroglyphs, carved in the rocks by the Fremont indians, a thousand years ago.
I saw a little movie at the visitor center: Mormons settled in this canyon some 100 years ago, and planted orchards. These people had to be self-sufficient, since the canyon was extremely isolated from the rest of the world. They developed irrigation systems for their crops. Notorious criminals like Butch Cassidy have also been hiding in this remote area. You can visit the Park if you have a 4WD, most of the roads are unpaved and quite bumpy.
Then I drove through the Dixie National Forest, a huge area with mountains, along the scenic byway 12. I drove to the summit of the mountain (9600 feet!!!), and the view was fantastic.
I saw lots of snow, apparently, it was still winter here a few weeks ago.
The end of the scenic byway 12 is impressive: first it's very steep and there are cliffs on your right and your left. So you'd better watch the road when you drive, otherwise... well you will fall in the canyon... The road is extremely sinuous.
I arrived at Ruby's Inn at 7.30 PM, just in time to see the sunset. Ruby's Inn is a huge hotel complex located at the entrance of Bryce Canyon.
Gas in Utah is inexpensive compared to Belgium: it costs about 2.1 dollars for a gallon (3.8 liters) of gas... Moreover, Utah is mainly a non-smoking state, like California and Hawaii.
First, there was Capitol Reef National Park. The rocks have various colors, from green to orange-pink, and you can clearly see the various layers of rocks. You can also admire ancient petroglyphs, carved in the rocks by the Fremont indians, a thousand years ago.
I saw a little movie at the visitor center: Mormons settled in this canyon some 100 years ago, and planted orchards. These people had to be self-sufficient, since the canyon was extremely isolated from the rest of the world. They developed irrigation systems for their crops. Notorious criminals like Butch Cassidy have also been hiding in this remote area. You can visit the Park if you have a 4WD, most of the roads are unpaved and quite bumpy.
Then I drove through the Dixie National Forest, a huge area with mountains, along the scenic byway 12. I drove to the summit of the mountain (9600 feet!!!), and the view was fantastic.
I saw lots of snow, apparently, it was still winter here a few weeks ago.
The end of the scenic byway 12 is impressive: first it's very steep and there are cliffs on your right and your left. So you'd better watch the road when you drive, otherwise... well you will fall in the canyon... The road is extremely sinuous.
I arrived at Ruby's Inn at 7.30 PM, just in time to see the sunset. Ruby's Inn is a huge hotel complex located at the entrance of Bryce Canyon.
Gas in Utah is inexpensive compared to Belgium: it costs about 2.1 dollars for a gallon (3.8 liters) of gas... Moreover, Utah is mainly a non-smoking state, like California and Hawaii.
