travel blog

I crossed the Green River shortly after starting out. It was the first sign of significant water since Colorado. Essentially, I was passing through an ancient seabed with lots of sea bottom reefs. Quite an engineering feat to carve an interstate highway through towering rocks that formed solid barriers running north to south. Towns are few and far between. By Salina Utah the scenery changes. Several National Forest ranges run north to south in this area. Not long after Salina I turned south on US 89 that runs between two National Forests. A river runs along the road and there are many places to stop and camp. The area has a strong presence of Piute indians that once roamed this area in large numbers.

I turned onto highway 12 going east and passed into the Red Canyon area of Bryce Canyon. I can’t describe the beauty. The sun brought out the bright red and orange colors of the rock formations, which were stunning. There were two rock arches that I drove through. The area is dominated by sandstone formations with a high iron content that gives the rocks their color. I stopped just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon at Ruby’s Inn. Ruby’s Inn is unique in that it offers a wide range of accommodations including a large lodge, motor lodge and RV park, tours, gifts, store goods, etc. not controlled by government franchises. And prices are reasonable, the people extremely friendly. It is a local enterprise in an isolated area. In 1916 rueben (Ruby) and Minnie Syrett etablished a ranch near the present site of Ruby’s Inn.  They told their frinds about the beauty of the area and soon firends began to visit.  In 1923 when Bryce Canyon became a National Monument, Ruby moved a visitor’s lodge to the location of this rance and named it Ruby’s Inn.  There is a lodge with facilities in Bryce Canyon National Park run by Xantera, a government concession found in all National Parks. I opted to camp in a large RV camp run by Ruby’s Inn because of the amenities so close at hand

The folks next to me (3 couples, 3 rigs) from Salt Lake City make me welcome to their campfire and conversation.