WoW! Capitol Reef NP, Utah!

Still having trouble with blurry pics on here, I can't figure out how to fix it. 

However,  if you click on a photo it will bring it into focus as well as enlarge it!) 

Into the Beehive State last Wednesday . . .

. . . destination Capitol Reef National Park

A tiny sample of what's to come ? ? ?

So NICE to be off the Interstate!
Utah 24 - the Scenic Route!

One of many pastoral scenes along our route . . .

We’re there!  Capitol Reef National Park ! !

A strange, beautiful landscape of multi-hued rock layers in the heart of Utah's canyon country.  Here we saw the geologic formations of the Waterpocket Fold and Cathedral Valley, archeological evidence of the ancient Fremont Culture and vestiges of an historic Mormon settlement (among other things!).

I'm not going to try to describe this place.  Here are pictures – if you can just kind of stitch them together in your mind’s eye? maybe you can get a feel of where we just spent four fantastic days . . .

Early Mormon settlers planted orchards (apple, peach, cherry, apricot and more!) here along the Fremont River, and the historic settlement survived until 1969.  Now the park service maintains some of the historic buildings and also the orchards, where visitors can pick fruit in season.  We picked apples!

One of the Orchards near camp

Our "home" in the Fruita Campground

Almost always some deer in the apple orchard near the campground!

Lots of these old wagons around

The old Fruita Schoolhouse - in use until 1948!

Behunin homestead, home to family of twelve!
Only Dad, Mom & two youngest slept indoors!

More “geologic grandeur” for you to “stitch together” . . .

We hiked up to this natural Hickman's Bridge!  Very cool!

On our way now to Emmett (near Boise) for a long-awaited visit with Harold’s sis Mary Lee and family . . .

Then to Othello to spend a little time with Robin and Shane and the girls – oh, I can’t wait to hug them . . .

Then - - - HOME - - - and the end of our 8-month plus EPIC ROAD TRIP!