Today we set out to see Capitol Reef with the trailer in tow.  We had to pass by a few turnouts including the Fruita Orchard area because we couldn’t park, but found the Welcome Center.  We stamped our passport, watched the park video, and made sandwiches out in the camper.  The next stop was the Ripple Rock Nature Center for a geology talk.  After they earned their badges, Ethan was certain that he had discovered an arrowhead near one of the displays, and the ranger went with him to check it out and praised him for not disturbing potential artifact!

We drove the scenic drive to Capitol Gorge, and we got a bit nervous about our drive out because of the potential for flash floods…while pulling the camper!  We avoided any treacherous situations in the washout paths, then nearly sunk the trailer what I thought was a dirt parking lot (which turned out not to have a second exit).  So there’s a little more mud on everything.  We went into the Gifford Farm house and got some ice cream and culinary souvenirs.  Out back was a fenced in area that deer had decided to hop into and were rearing up to eat the apples off the tree.

It was time to move on, so we checked out the river and I hugged the giant Harry Potter looking tree on our way out.  I was trying to call along the way to make reservations for our next stop and a few days ahead of us getting to the Grand Canyon, but I kept losing signal.  I was looking online, and had pulled up what appeared to be the last spot at the North Rim campground.  Silly me, I decided to call and make payment over the phone and while on hold (forever), we missed out on the reservation.  So, we might have to drive around to the south and we’re making plan B.

We drove out through the Dixie National Forest with yet another layer of red dirt on the Suburban and camper.   We passed by the childhood home of Butch Cassidy, and landed at OK RV (yes, there are a lot of OK RV Parks) in Hatch, Utah.  It was already dark when we arrived, and we were warned…but, boy the mosquitoes were fierce!  We were dancing as we got set up and sprinted to the bathrooms and back but still managed to get feasted on!