Rainbows of Rocks

I could have eaten breakfast this morning at the Esca-Latte where I was staying, and I'm sure it would have been good, but I'm so glad I didn't. Instead, I headed up the road to a place I had passed yesterday that was literally in the middle of no where, all by itself in the desert. Kiva Koffee House stands alone, nestled in a hillside overlooking rocky slopes dotted with greenery. The food was great, but the peaceful atmosphere even more delightful. Below the cafe are nestled two rooms that have their own fireplace and terrace that you can rent, so if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend checking out the accommodations and/or the the coffee house!

This is the entrance to the coffee house.  So nestled into the side of a hill that from the entry, you can't even see it!

View from my breakfast table

I continued along highway 12, which should be a national park all on its own through vast nothingness of rocks and more rocks.  Mountains and valleys were both made of rocks dotted with green vegetation that somehow struggled and found a way to live in the dry heat and even more impressively in the solid rock.  We could learn a thing or two about perseverance and adaptability from these plants.

One thing that truly surprised me on my journey was the altitude.  When I think of desert, I think instead of low, dry places.  I laughed out loud along the journey, thankful for the air conditioning in the blistering summer heat, as I would pass signs for snow plows or "Road Likely to Freeze" signs, baffled that a place so hot and dry in the summer could have such extremes in the winter as well.

There were even aspens along the road as I climbed higher and higher.  The different types of vegetation varied greatly depending on what level of elevation I was at, and with so many climbs and dips, no specific one seemed to be present for very long.

If you look at a map of Utah, nearly a quarter of it is preserved land of some sort, whether it is state parks, national parks or national monuments.  The five "big ones" or perhaps most visited ones are Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches.  Already visiting the first two and on my way to the last one, I decided to take a little bit longer route and drive through Capitol Reef.  The drive itself was not that much longer, but due to the large number of scenic views and photographic opportunities, it did take me quite a while, but it was well worth the journey.

Do you remember looking at clouds as a child (or perhaps like me, you still do this) and picking out shapes, animals or imaginary creatures?  It seems the powers that be in Capitol Reef did this same activity with the rocks there.  As the rocks are plentiful, I'm sure they could fill their time with this activity.  Some were a bit more obvious to spot than others.

I'm guessing fraternal

Oh yes, I can just see the dragon headed that way and the knights going to rescue the princess.

Had it been windier, I may have tried to leap, but I don't think I would defied gravity.

As my drive continued, I had to restrain myself from stopping at each and every photographic opportunity, knowing that if I did not, I may not reach my next destination before dark.  I don't always think of a desert as beautiful.  The first image that comes into my head when I think "desert" is clay-colored sand on seemingly unending flat ground.  But that is not at all what I experienced in Utah.  The colors I saw would challenge any Crayola box, even the 120 pack that I used to pine over every August.  Rocks were every color of the palette from grey, through all the warm colors even into purple.  The plant life, almost exactly opposite of the color hues from pale yellow to forest green.  Who knew a desert could be so colorful?

And once again, like driving through Nevada, vast expanses of breathtaking nothingness.

Where thunderstorms could be seen a long way off.

Moab, one of the largest towns in southern Utah (remember I just spoke about the vast nothingness) was my next destination.  It is situated in between Canyonland and Arches National Park.  Here, my friend and traveling partner, Jessica, drove down from Colorado to meet up with me.  After meeting through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange, we traveled throughout the UK together as well as Rome.  It is wonderful to be reunited and have someone to share stories and adventures with.

We had a nice stroll around the town of Moab, a great dinner serenaded by a guitar-player at an outdoor restaurant and have now settled into our tipi for the night, yes, our tipi.

Throughout my journey, I only made two reservations ahead of time: at Mt. Rushmore since it was the weekend of July 4th and these tipis in Moab because, well, who wouldn't want to stay in a luxury tipi?

Miles traveled: 215

Hours in the car: 6

Gallons of gas purchased: 6

States: Utah

Best Line: When returning to my car after visiting a scenic outlook, I saw two men posing and taking photos by my car tag (BEHPPY).  When I approached, I said, "I'm glad you like it."  In a strong German accent, one of the men responded, "It makes me happy."