Rain is forecast today so we are up at the crack of dawn eating the daily special in the Moab Diner.
It is a 45 minute drive to the park and the skies are grey.
So the photos are a bit disappointing today....
....they don't do justice to the amazing scenery.
We are driving around the Islands in the Sky section of the Park, which is the most accessible to ordinary vehicles.
The area was once busy with miners searching for uranium.
They have left behind dozens of trails criss crossing the canyons below. Some of them are open to 4x4 vehicles. We just know that Therese has been down there.
This is how you get to the trails....
The monoliths are reminiscent of Monument Valley.
This is Grand View overlook, in the rain.
The canyons have been formed by both the Colorado and Green Rivers.
They were 'discovered' by Major John Wesley Powell, a one armed veteran of the Civil War who was also the first to lead a expedition through the Grand Canyon.
A distant view of the Green River.
We park the car and set off on a trail to see Mesa Arch.
There is an unusual car park attendant...
Before too long we can see the arch, and the skies clear a little.
The view is spectacular.
The trail is well signed...
.... and views along the way are clearer.
Meanwhile back at he car park.....
..... He's still there.
We leave Canyonlands and decide to pay a quick visit to a nearby State Park.
We are greeted by a local.
The Colorado River has carved out intricate patterns in the rocks below.
There are some gruesome tales about how the Park got its name but this blog is rated PG so you will have to google that!
Suffice it to say that horses were kept on this plateau.......
In the distance the LaSal mountains are snowcapped.
And then the rains came....
So we headed back to base.....
....and this, back at the Moab Diner.
Rib-eye steak with sweetwater potatoes, onion rings and salad!
(Well we did miss lunch...)
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