Utah (and back) or Bust!: Route 12 and Escalante

It’s 9:02am Monday and the 16 Casitas are caravanning to Red Rock Canyon. Is the long line of white ‘bubbled’ RVs a 2015 version of a pioneer wagon train_?? We are on walkie talkie station 14 and I giggle that the men who usually have so little to say can’t seem to shut up once they have a gadget in their hands! I’ve turned down the walkie talkies and we’re listening to CD of reed music by the Plain Indians – its perfect music for the gorgeous scenery.

the Casita Wagon Train

Weekend report: We came across Route 12 Thursday – a mighty mountain and switchback climb on what felt like the top spine of the world. This is a ‘All American Highway’ and the scenery is breathtaking. And so is the driving – on the ‘Hogback’ portion of the drive the road is a very skinny 2 lanes wide and the shoulders drop off into sheer cliffs. The driver looks straight ahead and the navigator gasps for both of them!

Two Skinny Lanes

Us at the top of the Ridge

Escalante State Park is gem of a campground – each site looks onto a beautiful view. The edge of the park is a reservoir that attracts many kinds of birds. The showers are FREE and HOT and last for 8 minutes! The park is famous for its petrified wood.

We ate in town one night at the ‘Cowboy Blues Bar’ and I had the ‘Best Margarita’ in town. The town is 789 people – so maybe that is true! The food was good and the singing cowboy seemed authentic. We took a trip out the Anasazi Muesum/Ruins and ate lunch at a most unique place – Kava Café. The Kava is a Frank Lloyd Wright like building perched into the side of a hill. The ‘bones’ of the building are all native wood and the windows look out onto the vast canyon landscapes. The food was fresh and home made. There’s also two cottages for overnight stays – if you ever wanted to treat yourself – this would be a wonderful place to stay.