The Grand Staircase and other awesome sights!

We took a road trip over the weekend, to celebrate our anniversary. We drove down to Blanding on Thursday, through the Price/Green River area. It is the route my family always took to Salt Lake when I was a little girl, and we lived in Blanding. I was amazed at how much I enjoyed the trip, and remembering landmarks that were so familiar from my childhood. Lots has changed, but some things are permanent parts of the landscape. I was always fascinated by the rocky features on either side of the road near Price, called Castle Gate - so named because it looks like a gateway into an old medieval castle. Because of the curve in the road, when you approach these high cliffs, the gate appears to open up, and after passing through, the gate appears to close back together.



The most amazing part that day, was going to a little restaurant, all done in cowboy, old West themes, called Old Tymer, and looking at photos on the wall of people who settled Blanding. My grandmother's picture was there, she was about 6 months old at the time, sitting in a highchair wearing a long, lace dress! There was a family photo of her as a child, and it was fun to see my great grandparents as young parents! I remember them in their late 70's and 80's! There were other pics of relatives and friends, and of people who names I'd heard as a child, but who had died before I was born. What an amazing walk down memory lane! I would love to have a copy of some of the photos. Can you just see me asking the owner if I could take half his photos down, and scan them -- I'd bring them all back, for sure!

I had Lee drive around town, so I could show him homes of people I grew up with, and found our old home, though it had been moved to a lot next to my aunt's place, and had been totally renovated inside and out! And, no! this is NOT the house ;)



Next time we go down, I'll have to look up the few people I know who still live there, and have a good visit. The majority of them have died or moved away.

We drove west across the state, then a bit south to Cedar City. This is a route I have never ever taken before, and it was amazing! The scenery is as spectacular as the Grand Canyon or Bryce, and goes on for miles and miles and miles. It took us through White Canyon, past the Escalante Grand Staircase, Capitol Reef, and Cedar Breaks. We decided that if they turned all the gorgeous areas into National Parks and Monuments, they'd have to include almost the entire state, at least the lower half!

Here is a photo of The Grand Staircase: