I took Friday off work, we headed down early, and braved the rain and snow. We were a little sad, because we were trying to get to the warmer weather of Southern Utah, and it was snowing in the mountains, but my spirits were high!
Soon we arrived at our B&B to find a comfortable room, and a beautiful view! Soon it was dinner time, and we decided to give a tiny little Mexican restaurant in town a try. We were a little scared, the place was in somebody's house, and there wasn't really enough room for our party of five. After other patrons moved and we settled in, we had a great meal. It is so funny that in the smallest of towns you can find something so fantastic. The chips were cooked there, and were fresh, and we finished the meal with an awesome bread pudding.
The next day the weather had cleared and we were excited to get hiking. Over breakfast we talked about what C and Ch wanted to do (they aren't much for hiking) but they both surprised us and said they'd give the six mile hike a try. So after getting a picnic lunch in town we were off towards lower Calf Creek Falls. We were sure that C and Ch would want to turn around, but they hiked and hiked, and totally surprised us, and we had a great lunch near the falls.
Later that night we headed to a restaurant in Bolder that gets fantastic reviews. We had made reservations and were quite excited to try Hells Backbone Grill. The little restaurant was quirky, out in the middle of nowhere, with these really fantastic things on the menu. We ordered appetizers, salads, soups, drinks, desserts, and the most amazing trout I have ever tried. We chatted about hiking, and life, and wine as the sunset behind us. We all ordered dessert at the end of the meal, and all agreed this was a fantastic find.
The next morning, I woke up and packed my things quickly. E and his family were still packing, so I decided to take a little walk by myself. I felt so alive and happy. My heart was beating, and I was breathing deeply, and was just so happy to be under the pure blue sky and red cliffs of Southern Utah.
After my quick hike, some breakfast, and water bottle fill-up, we were off to an area called Devil's Garden. This mini wonderland had arches, slot canyons, mesas, and deep cracks, all the thinks you'd expect from Southern Utah, but it was all miniature, so it was fun to explore the area, without ever feeling in danger or lost. We even spotted a jack rabbit that didn't seem to skiddish, so we got some great photos!
After our hike and rabbit spotting, we headed towards a coffee house we had seen perched up on a hillside. We were hoping for some incredible views and lunch, and we got both. The little coffee house offered organic sandwiches and salads, so it was perfect!
We headed out towards Capital Reef National Park, and after getting some photos of the deer, pictograhs, and fading sun we reluctantly headed towards home.
We ate at a funny diner in Central Utah, and got home late, happy for the great getaway.
Here are a few photos I took:
Fading light on the fruit trees in Capital Reef National Park
Group of cactus near our B&B in Escalate
My sweet hubbie looking up at Calf Creek Falls
The beautiful view from 'Devil's Garden'
Sounds like you had the best time!!! Your pics made me miss Escalante and Capital Reef so much !!!!
ReplyDeleteHope your office move goes well.