Capitol Reef & Torrey

Capitol Reef was only a few hour drive from Moab, but with our tired kids, it felt like the longest day yet. After being gone six weeks, this was the one day that we finally all cracked: tired of the car, tired of one another, and just needing some personal space.

Needless to say, the scenery was INCREDIBLE!! Out of this world, even. One huge rainbow sand dune, followed by a unique rock formation, and then more beautiful yet slightly eerie landscape. It went on for over an hour! This was Capitol Reef, and it was all once under water.

The bright yellow aspens once again added to the views. Throughout the entire trip, the trees have been a focal point. Traveling in the fall is highly recommended and will be our time frame from here on out!

This was the only park that we didn’t actually stop to explore. We drove through, but felt that rest was best. I quickly jumped out of the truck for a few photos, and enjoyed a tumble weed blowing across the road before stepping on a cactus while barefoot. Oops! Thankfully, Merill had tweezers in his pocket knife and spent the next several miles removing thorns. Sweet boy!

We were checked into our hotel, in bed, and lights out by 8pm, and we didn’t wake up until 9am the next day. Double queen rooms are tricky for us, as we typically need three beds, but this particular night, it didn’t matter.

Rested minds brought more positive spirits, and we were grateful to step out our hotel door to this view in the morning. Hello Capitol Reef! Boy was it cold though! 12 degrees to be exact! We ate breakfast at a local cafe in Torrey and then endured a few hours of icy and windy roads before finding warm.

The drive took us to Saint George, Utah where we were greeted with 75 degree weather and palm trees. More in the next post. Thanks for following along!