A DESERT OVERLOOK.

Jim drove us to a canyon overlook with miles and miles of desert at a place he holds dear. He spent time here with the WINS, a singles group that would gather the wagons, so to speak, and light a huge bonfire and enjoy the beautiful skies, the peace the quiet and serenity that you find in special places.


He and others from the group would 4-wheel among the hillocks on the shallow canyon floor and to me it is just a desecration of nature. I don't appreciate the tracks or dust of such a sport, so while he looked fondly, I walked the canyon rim looking for pretty rocks and taking pictures.


What is nice about places like this, right off the California highway S 22, is there are multiple spots anyone can pull over to enjoy the views. Each canyon will be different. The Salton Sea is visible in the background, but barely since it was slightly hazy on this day.


The light doesn't do its magic as the sun moves across the crags and fissures as it does in the Grand Canyon, but these small, canyons have an appeal of their own. It surprised me that we didn't see a lizard, a bird or anything alive. I'm sure they exist, but not to any excess.


Had we had time, I think hiking the canyons would be interesting. The pictures are better in a full screen slide-show. I took 39 of them, if you'd like to see them.
https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/201424TheOverlook


I like that our lifestyle allows us to seek out places like this and enjoy  dinner with a view. As night clamped down, the haze prevented any stars from showing. I got up twice during the night to see if it cleared, but only a sliver of a moon peeked through a gray haze.


Before light the next morning, some bright stars were out along with a heavy wind. I set my camera for night scene, but it just isn't good enough to capture a star.

FROM CRAIG, CO. TO VERNAL UTAH

Well rested, we ate breakfast at the VFW restaurant and were heading out before nine a.m. Jim did his usual tire check before leaving and found one tire down from 90 to 30 pounds. Not good. The problem tire is sporting a newly installed valve stem from a couple states back. He attached his generator and pumped it up. Asking around we found a tire company that handles truck tires (19"). We had to wait for an appointed time.

Really nice people at TDS found our new valve stem washer got crimped during installation and leaked. Two and one-half hours later than expected, we got on the road.

Red rock canyons, draws, wild flowers and high desert outcroppings have a barren kind of beauty. 
I drove all but 13 miles of the variable terrain. We stopped at a visitor center and I learned a lot about the high desert, canyon country that is Utah. Beautiful state parks here that we must return and visit some day. Route 40 took us through Dinosaur Country in Uintah County; great dinosaur museum here in Vernal from all appearances, as well.

 The American Legion was closed; The VFW  had a dinky parking lot.  We asked around town and the Elks allowed us to boon dock in their parking lot.
We went in for a drink and learned a lot from personable Sheila, the bartender. Their beer contains half the alcohol than any other state in the union. If you want a buzz you have to drink twice as much and thus the state benefits from twice the taxes. Hmmmm! California, take note. Good idea, me thinks. My craft Uinta Pale Ale, locally brewed, was great tasting stuff. It doesn't make any difference to me if alcohol content is reduced as long as it doesn't affect the taste.
It was late by the time we got set up and we decided we would have to skip the museum.
 But, yesterday  was a busy day in Craig. Besides the museum, we visited the Monica Pullman Car. Its fully outfitted from its luxurious past and a delight to see.

 The back of this car reminded me of pictures I've seen of Presidents Roosevelt and Hoover stumping about the country giving political speeches.

The observation room has rich leather chairs, a couch, reading material, a  desk built to hold a typewriter, and a writing table. All the walls and furnishings are beautifully crafted African mahogany.

The Drawing/Dining room has four pull down bunks visible above the table.

 Even the VIP toilet is beautiful wood. When it flushed, it flushed by gravity flow down onto the tracks.

The pull down sink worked  the same way. There was hot and cold running water and two servants. A door separates the servants quarters. Here the wood  changes to cheaper oak. The very small quarters slept two, a cook and a porter.

 

This interesting car had leaded and stained glass windows, both carbide and electric lighting, two private bedrooms that slept two people. The ladies had use of an electric curling iron. A call system for the servants. Hey, like life in a motor home sans servants. Nice.
Too see the 27 photos I took, click on the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/1579penn/91510PullmanMarciaCraigCO#