Edge of Cedars, Natural Bridges National Monument, Route 95 and Monument Valley

When we stopped at the Visitor's Center in Blanding, the man there encouraged us to go see Edge of Cedars State Park.  I had heard of it before but didn't know what to expect.  It was fabulous-a museum, a respository for artifacts and an Anazasi ruin site all in one.  

Loved this rendition of Kokopelli outside the
back door of the museum

The Ancestral Puebloan ruins

A local artist, Joe Pachak, has created incredibly beautiful rock art murals for the museum, "Spirit Windows", many of which were photographed before Glen Canyon was dammed to become Lake Powell.  These were among my favorites.

Handprints are common among native American rock art sites
and in Europe dating back to the ice age.  In most cases, it
is believed that they are identity markers, sometimes noting
a major transition event such as initiation into adulthood.

He also created a Solar Marker, which keeps track of light and shadow during the summer and winter solstices.  The museum also houses one of the largest collection of Anasazi artifacts in this part of Utah.

This macaw feather sash was particularly beautiful and was
probably traded from Mexico.  What is unusual is that the
macaw is native to Mexico but the pelt is from an Abert's
squirrel from the Abajo Mountains in southern Utah.

Amazing in what beautiful condition these pots are

Fabulous that someone in the late 1800s knew enough to warn
people that these were sacred grounds.

This was a Barrier Canyon style pictograph was
found in a remote part of Canyonlands
National Park and is dated sometime between
1000 B.C. and A.D. 500.  I like its somewhat
ghostly quality.

Next on the list was Natural Bridges National Monument, which is along Route 95, which eventually crosses Lake Powell.  We did the loop drive, seeing the three bridges (Kachina, Sipapu and Owachomo) which are along White Canyon. It was too hot to hike to them but the overlooks give you a good view of all of them.  You have to look closely in these pictures to see the bridges but they are usually right over the greenest (and wettest) parts of the canyon.  The bridges differ from arches in that they are formed by the waters rushing through the sandstone.  There is very little water here any more;  yearly precipitation averages only about 13 inches. The pinyon-juniper forest dominates the scene around the Visitor's Center and the loop around the bridges.

 The campground was full and quite small, so we wandered on down the road to the area around Jacob's Chair to boondock for the night.  The stars and milky way are indescribable down here where there are so few lights to block the beauty of the night sky.  Route 95 is very remote-not even a gas station along this road.  We loved it.  It is miles and miles of sheer Wingate sandstone vistas which must be heaven for 4 wheel drive enthusiasts.  We camped right off the road at the top of a 4 wheel drive road near Jacob's Chair.  Poor Jacob drowned in a flash flood many, many years ago and the formation that looks like a chair was named for him.

Hite Marina was as far as we wanted to go this trip, as we
were heading south to the Grand Canyon.  There is absolutely
no reason to stop here.  Next time though, I'd like to cross
the lake and head back to Hanksville, where we have been
many times.  Then we would head south to one of our favorite
parts of Utah, Escalante and the Grand Staircase.

We have been to Monument Valley many times years ago and always enjoyed our time here.

It is still unbelievably beautiful...

BUT-they've build a hotel where our favorite campground
was and the place is teeming with tourists-even in this heat!

We said hello to the mittens....

Goodbye to the tourists....

Appreciating the beauty

And moved on down the road.