Surprises around every corner (5/28/14)

The crooked road through Utah continues with spectacular scenery. Barbara started off towing this morning as we left Snow Canyon and followed Scenic Byway 12. (Utah’s first all-America road)  It was just a short hop over to I15 where the speed limit went from “just” 75 to 80! That is too fast for us, either with or without a trailer! We got off the interstate in Cedar City where we picked up 143 towards Panguitch. We were not expecting the outrageous climb up the mountain. As soon as we started climbing, I turned off the air and kept a close eye on the radiator temperature. Outside, the temperature started dropping from about 84 until it hit 59 at a surprise National Monument – Cedar Breaks. We had to stop and show them our senior pass to go through and I just happened to ask if they had the national park stamp. The ranger told me that they had it at the visitor center just up the path. I got Barbara and we walked up together and stepped into the visitor center. I just happened to walk to look out the back window and my mouth just dropped! The view was breath taking! It was like looking into the Grand Canyon. Google it as my pictures can’t do it justice! At this point, we had reached 10,380 feet in elevation. As we continued on, we kept passing snow along the road, in the peaks and other places. This is May 28^th! I was glad that the drive was “traffic free” as most who head over to Bryce Canyon National Park take the “easy & direct” route. Boy what they miss! Once we came out of the mountains, we continued on towards Bryce Canyon and Red Canyon in Dixie National Forest. Again – more spectacular scenery! We drove past Bryce Canyon for a short ways to Kodachrome Basin State Park where we were fortunate to get a site for 2 nights. As usual, I am sweating out what we will find on Friday & Saturday as the parks fill up then. We will get an early start on Friday and hopefully will be okay. Tomorrow, we will head out early without the trailer and visit Bryce Canyon and Escalante National Monument and also Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. And in the “it’s a small world” category: Met a young lady in the campground whose husband grew up in Greenville SC and parents live on Lake Summit in Hendersonville. They go to WNC all the time and enjoy many of the same places as us. (West 1^st Pizza) Then, we went over to talk with a couple with an Escape 5^th wheel. They live in Portland, OR and have had the Escape for 4 years. Turns out that he grew up in East Meadow!