What can be better than waking up to a beautiful sunrise peeking over the mountain top? Nothing, as long as it follows a good night’s sleep.
After a tasty meal prepared by my personal breakfast chef and traveling companion, we left this idyllic scene and continued our journey toward Escalante, Utah and the Petrified Forest State Park.
Our route toward the Petrified Forest State Park, took us to the historic Elijah Cutler Behunan farmstead. The Behunans were some of the first to establish their homestead in the Capitol Reef area, a rugged and unforgiving area.
Mr. Behunan was a farmer and tried valiantly to make a living farming the ground in the area around his home as he searched, as many Mormons, for a location to exercise religious freedom.
The home had one window and door in the front of the cabin and one tiny window on the south side, opposite the stone fireplace.
The roof is composed of small bits of rock, pebbles and dust from the floor of the surrounding high desert.
There are times that I am shocked to see how our ancestors lived and to what they endured. This homestead family is no exception. This one room cabin with a fireplace was the home for thirteen people. In the first place, I cannot imagine parenting eleven children! Can you imagine having eleven children in this home? Talk about having everyone under foot while cooking!
Imagine trying to grow crops at the base of this mountain considering the lack of rain, the lava rocks, sand and boulders.
The volcano that spit out this bit of lava must have erupted a long time ago as the edges are smoothed. If only rocks could tell the tales of their lifetime.
We continue on our way and experience more lovely views that take my mind away from the struggles of the Behunans.
Who knows the minerals that are in the blue rock?
Often, we think “can life get any more beautiful than this, God’s creation!”
We follow the rim road and experience the colors of fall, once again.
We reach our destination. The Petrified Forest State Park has no sites large enough to accommodate our fifty six feet of motorhome and Miata carrying trailer.
Is it not a shame that we needed to pull into the overflow area beside the lake? Look at that view! If only we had kayaks!
The water level was down about ten feet and moss was around the edges making it impossible to walk around the lake, so we walked out on the dock and took in the view.
What a great way to end a beautiful day.
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God bless y’all.
