Mexican Hat, Cisco and Moab Utah

We headed for Mexican Hat-click to enlarge the photo to see the road at the base of the mountain. It was quit a road to drive on. You could see yourself coming and going. The road was narrow gravel.
This is the view across the valley from above that road.
The warning for the road -they were very serious and the sign was very accurate.
Looking at the road from the side part way down the mountain.
This is one of the boulders that threatens the road from above.
Looking back across the valley once we were down.
The mountains look like an Indian blanket with the different colors and designs.
This rock is the reason the town is called Mexican Hat.
We found this old suspension bridge on the way to Cisco. It has not bottom to the bridge so no driving or walking on it.
It was a good thing we dd not plan on staying or eating in Cisco. Turns out it is pretty much abandoned.
This was the old Post Office for the now defunct town. There were a few people there and a small store but not much else.
One of the typical houses and cars left in the town.
A look across the town or at least part of it.

We stopped to see some Petroglyphs near the Colorado River. This is the whole rock they were on.This is a tree ladder in the crack of the rock that the early people used to get to the top of the rock in the above photo.
Finally here are the Petroglyphs.
Some of the people along the river have built their homes right into the rock.
Here is a garage that was built into the rock. We also saw the use these type garages for horses.

Utah and a long stay to visit the national parks

This is Natural Bridges Park - some of the bridges and sights we saw.




Church rock - you can even see a "door" at the bottom.
one of the long bridges
notice the sun coming through the bridge.
close up of one of the bridges

A few shots from Canyonlands National Park. This area is know as the Neck-the road straddles two sides of the canyon. If you click to make it bigger it is easier to see.
the view below after a long hike up the mountain.
Bil following up the mountain to get a great view of the canyons.
In the early 1900's John Shafer & other ranchers drove their cattle down this trail in winter to the sheltered canyons. It drops 2100 feet and was more rugged back then and cattle would slip off the cliff. The uranium boom in the 1950's caused them to widen the road for vehicles.


Castle rock


one of the walks we took in Canyonlands

(following are all Arches National Park) one of the stone walls
One of the caves that is turning into an arch as time passes and the weather wears on it.

One of the arches in the distance.
across the landscape.
One of the arches as seen along the drive.
This formation is known as Windows.
many trees look like this across the park.
Another formation along the way.
The warning about enough water or dehydration.
This is known as the Three Gossips.
Balanced Rock sits and waits for it to topple perhaps years in the future.
This is Delicate Arch.

Idaho nuclear power plant and Craters of the Moon

We visited Craters of the Moon National Park. Amazingly there are numerous plants that have adapted to growing in volcanic rock.
Some of the formations we saw in the park and how they are formed.
This tool was found in the area and used by early people trying to live here and farm. The sign for the tool is below.


An apt description of the whole area in the Craters of the Moon Park.
In the foreground is a broken lava tube.
Looking across the landscape -this is a huge park and this shows several different types of volcanic rock.
one of the large volcanic rocks seen in the area.
one of the plants that grows in the volcanic rock/landscape.



A large broken lava tube.
One of the areas with lots of plants is called a Cinder Garden, some are shown below.

Idaho has the more Nuclear Reactors than any where else in the world. We toured the first one built -it has been decommissioned.



The sign says it all.