WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

This morning I woke my Kathe up at 3:00AM with a little case of dire rear.  The air was so smoky that I could hardly see my paw in front of my face. The sun was coming up bright red and we knew it wasn't going to be a great day. After some medicine, I felt a whole lot better but Kathe never did get back to sleep.

By the time we had breakfast we knew that it wasn't going to clear up today. It wasn't the day for strenuous exercise. There was just too much smoke from the big fire in California. The weather report says that the air quality will be smoky for the next two days. So, great photos were not in the cards today. The bike ride and hike to the Queens Garden Trail was cancelled. 

Instead Jim drove them to the tippy top of Bryce Canyon to Yovimpa Point so they could take a mile long hike to the Bristlecone Loop. The Bristlecone tree can live for thousands of years, and they are some of the oldest trees on the planet. They were very unusual looking, but quite a treat to see. The hike wasn't easy, but well worth the effort.

Later, on the way back down to the exit, they stopped at Natural Bridge to take a photo. Kathe wanted to show you the smoke in the background, visibility wasn't great, isn't the Bridge beautiful. Hopefully by Monday it will be clear enough for some better pictures.

SIDE BY SIDE

This day was packed with adventures. My adventure included lots of pine trees and a very fast chipmunk. The humans weren't content just exploring the campground so they went off this morning for an ATV adventure. Across the street from Ruby's Inn is an ATV rental company where they were able to rent side by sides for an adventure at the rim of Bryce Canyon. The guided tour lasted about an hour and a half, but there was a history lesson before they could get started. Bryce canyon is over 30 million year old and was once completely under water. They really enjoyed the ride. They flew up and down on some really rough trails, and my Kathe had her eyes open most of the time. 

Along the trail they saw several herd of cattle including some Long Horns. There were even about a dozen pronghorn antelope hidden in the pine trees on the side of the trail.

Later, after lunch, it was time for some more adventure. First, they drove to Moss Cave for a little hike and some outstanding views of the red rocks. The trail was only about a mile but it was all uphill at an altitude of over 7000 feet. There wasn't much water in the cave when they got to the top, but it was cool with the moss dripping water from above.

Next, they drove to Kodachrome  Basin State Park to see the unusual formations of the red rocks. The Park has a small campground, and the colorful rocks reminded them of Arches National Park. Really beautiful. Maybe someday we can go back and camp there.

BRYCE CANYON

We arrived this afternoon at Ruby's Inn and had a little difficulty with our "express" reservation. There was highway construction and no signage indicating where we were supposed to check-in. Around the mulberry bush and through two parking lots before we saw a little man with a tiny flag. Yes, he had our reservation, but not the Taylors, their reservation was with another little man with yet another tiny flag. Good thing we have been here before or we might still be driving through and around the parking lots.  We finally found our sites which are really nice except that they are across the road from from each other. It's a short walk to the She Shed.

The drive south on I-15 was much the same as before, lots of ranches and lots of cattle. Eventually we began to see the red rocks in the distance and soon we were worrying about the two tunnels we had to pass through to get to the Park. Our coach is 6 inches higher than the Taylors because we have a different chassis. Warren and Kathy followed us and took a picture of us going into the tunnel. We made it with room to spare!

Lots to see and do here, and it looks like it's going to be a busy 5 days.

INVASION OF THE SAND RAILS

If you were wondering what people do here in Fillmore, we finally found out this afternoon. They come here from all over Utah with sand rails and ATV's to have fun on the many dirt tracks behind this campground. There are over 400 dirt trails in the area. This afternoon they all started arriving and getting set up to have some weekend fun in the dirt. They aren't supposed to make noise after 10 PM or before 7 AM and there are all sorts of other rules applying to the ATV's. It should be interesting as we are surrounded by them. It was fun watching them arrive, trucks towing a camper, which is  towing a another trailer with the ATV.   

Not much for us to do today, my humans went to the Historical Territorial Statehouse Museum and I got another dunking in the kitchen sink. After Kathe fixed my hair, I fixed it myself.

The city of Fillmore was Utah's first planned capitol. The Statehouse was constructed in 1851 and was supposed to be a three story building with several wings. Only one wing was competed before the Federal Government decided to move the capitol to Salt Lake City. One floor of the museum had portraits of the founders of Fillmore and their many wives. Now, that was interesting! One man had 8 wives and 38 children. Oh, there were other interesting artifacts and displays like tools, guns, and household items of the pioneers. They also spent  some time driving through the town where there are many buildings that date back to the early 1900's.

CHILLIN' IN FILLMORE

Not much to say about Fillmore, Utah. The drive today on I-15 was really a tough one. We're so used to traveling in the country that four lanes of speeding traffic through Salt Lake City and Provo was no fun at all. Especially when the semitrucks and gravel haulers are flying by at 70 mph on our left and on our right. At least in California trucks have to stay in the far right lane except to pass and can only go 55 mph. We were all very glad when we finally reached a less populated area of the state and the four lanes became two.

It was late afternoon when we pulled into the Fillmore KOA campground. It's a really nice park and thankfully there is nothing to do here but relax.  Warren made watermelon Margaritas for the Kathies to drink at the pool this afternoon.  

This is a good place to just chill out and that's what we're all going to do for the next two days. Of course Jim will have to find something to do, like wash the motor home or take the car to the car wash, while the rest of us just take it easy.

WHEN IN ROME...

Well, it's not exactly Rome, we are in Ogden, doing what the Ogdenites do. That is, eating at the Burger Bar, a Guy Fieri Triple D restaurant.  It's a drive-in hamburger joint that has been a family business here since 1956. From what I understand the Ben Burger is the size of a small Frisbee, and you had to eat it in your car. Don't have to tell you that no dogs were allowed on this culinary adventure. I don't think that they will  be going back, but there were lots of people lined up to enjoy their dinner in the parking lot!

The drive to Ogden was long, and boring. Not much to see but fields of sage brush and then lots of corn fields. Of course it rained off and on, but we are getting used to that. As we got closer to Ogden we saw lots of mountains and lots of gray clouds. It's warm and dry here but it feels so different to be in a big city with so much traffic after spending so many quiet days in Idaho. 

Getting here was a challenge, Warren and Kathy got a chip in their windshield, and we almost had an accident when a car came close to crashing into us just as we were turning into the RV park. Just relaxing tonight resting up for tomorrow. We have another long drive south to Fillmore, Utah. 

DEVIL'S GATE

I am soaking wet! Kathe just took me out for a walk and it's pouring rain. It's really coming down with thunder and lightning all over the place.  

Today we learned that there never was a massacre here, just a few Indian attacks at Devil's Gate, and that's about a mile and a half away. The ranger told us the name is just for the tourists. There is no historical mention of a place called Massacre Rocks in any of the diaries of the people who traveled the Oregon Trail. Highway 86 passes right through the Devil's Gate. It's the photo with the two rock formations. In August of 1862 several wagon trains were attacked in that area.

All four of my humans hiked to two historic places here in the State Park. The first place they went this morning was a place where you can still see the ruts made by the wagons passing through this area on the Oregon Trail. It was about a mile and a half walk outside of the park, but they finally found what they were looking for and took this picture. 

After that, they drove to a place called "Register Rock" which was a place where emigrants carved their names into a large rock. There's a fence around the site to protect it, but the carvings are very clear to this day.