A capitol return

The morning we left Bryce Canyon, I turned on the bathroom faucet.  Nothing.  Uh-oh.  We’d left the water hose connected to the rig all night; apparently it got below 32 degrees long enough to freeze the hose solid and burst our water filter. 

Nearly two years on the road and we still made a rookie mistake. Other than the disposable filter, however, nothing else was damaged.  So as soon as the hose thawed enough to coil it, we put it in the shower to drain, threw the filter in the trash, and drove to our next stop:  Capitol Reef National Park.

We’ve been to Capitol Reef many times before (actually 8 times during the nine years Jim and I have been together) so it’s obviously a favorite.  No matter where you are in the park, you have amazing views of red cliffs, orange and red canyons, white domes and castle-like rocks I can’t adequately describe.   Capitol Reef is also close to the little town of Torrey, Utah, that has several funky and good restaurants. 

Since Capitol Reef is a little off the beaten track, it’s  less crowded than Arches, Bryce or Zion.  So when we arrived on a Sunday -- a day campgrounds usually empty out as weekend visitors leave for home -- we expected the campground to be nearly empty. Instead, at 2 p.m. it was nearly full.   We grabbed one of the few remaining spots and by 5 p.m. all the sites were taken.  

Bottom line, however:  we had a great time at Capitol Reef but had to leave for an important engagement home in Salt Lake City: grandson Marshall's first birthday, which was yesterday.  I'll post a few times while we're home, but check back for sure in about a month when we take off for another stint on the road.

Our broken water filter with the hose thawing in the shower behind it.  It was time for a new water filter anyway.  

Capitol Reef's campground is nestled among cottonwood trees and fruit orchards. Bonus: the park sells pie made from local fruit, so I had cherry pie for breakfast. Jim saved his for lunch.

A larger view of the campground. A ranger told us spring and fall are actually Capitol Reef's busiest times because the weather is milder.  Before this trip we'd always gone in July, and it is pretty darn hot -- but still wonderful.

An apple tree in early blossom.  In the fall you can pick and eat apples for free.

And another view of the campground, this time from one of 

our favorite Capitol Reef hikes, Cohab Canyon.

Bev on the Cohab Canyon trail. While hiking we stopped and talked with a couple from Oregon and six people from Canada.   

Jim on the trail. Besides the hiking, we also love Capitol 
Reef  because the nearby towns of Torrey and Bicknell 
host the The Bicknell International Film Festival (the 
BIFF). With the theme is "Better Living Through Bad 
Cinema," it offers exactly that: Bad movies plus a lot 
of fun. Among the hits we've seen: The Attack of the 
Killer Tomatoes (complete with a talk from the guy who 
made it); and Terror in Tiny Town,  an uncomfortably 
interesting movie.  

Grandson Marshall enjoyed his first birthday cake 
yesterday.

Our house in SLC. It's a mid-century modern -- a newer name for an old house that always needs a lot of work.

I often post views of what we can see from our rig.  Here's a view of what we can see from our home's kitchen window.  

And here's the rig at the end our street, waiting for a trip to the storage lot and later trips for routine maintenance.